Roman Mysteries in San Francisco

I wasn't planning to do any events while on holiday in California last week, but when San Francisco Latin teacher Bill Jennings sent me a cheerful email saying how much he liked my books, I couldn't resist. I offered to come speak at Convent of the Sacred Heart Elementary School and he accepted. He even put up pictures of the school on his great BLOG so that I could find it more easily.

A week of 80 degree heat had just ended and it was raining on the morning of Friday 18 March when my husband Richard and I took BART from Fremont into San Francisco. We found out that Sacred Heart Convent School for Girls is in one of San Francisco's most beautiful areas, the quiet residential area called Pacific Heights. The building is so beautiful and famous that it is listed in most guide books.

The lucky girls who attend have daily stunning views of the San Francisco Bay with the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz. When we arrived we were warmly welcomed by Anne Wachter, the gracious head teacher of the school. She let Richard choose a spot at the end of the salon to sit and paint a watercolour. Then she took me across the street to Herbst House where I met Latin teacher Bill Jennings and his charming students.

For about 45 minutes I told them how I came up with the idea for the Roman Mysteries and how I get ideas from Garfield cartoons, my family and the Cambridge Latin Course. The girls were a fab audience and laughed in all the right places. I look forward to hearing from some of them and want to give a special hello to Catherine, who introduced my books to Mr Jennings. As her reward, she will receive a FREE copy of The Colossus of Rhodes, only just out in England and not due out in America for at least a year.

Maximas gratias tibi ago, Magister Jennings!