WASHINGTON, DC -- Book Expo America 2006, held here 19-21, was the place to be for anyone involved in writing, publishing, selling, or distributing books (and, from the looks of a great number of overburdened people struggling with totes bursting with samples and swag, those who love books as well).

Old friends Skirmisher publisher Michael J. Varhola visited with at the show included Writer's Digest Books and for which he wrote Everyday Life During the Civil War and the Writer's Complete Fantasy Reference and Savas -- now Savas-Beatie -- for which he wrote Fire & Ice: The Korean War, 1950-53 and D-Day. Others whose books have been favorably recognized on this site and in other publications with which Varhola is affiliated included Dover Publications, Emmis Books, Inner Traditions, Stackpole, and Wizards of the Coast. All had great looking new titles displayed at the show and it was encouraging to see so many nice titles from so many favorite companies.

New friends Varhola met with for the first time and with who's work he was impressed included Adventures Unlimited Press, American University of Cairo Press, Barron's, Casemate, Encounter Books, Illumination Arts Publishing, Leading Books Press, MapQuest, Meisha Merlin Publishing, and Word Forge Books.

Keep your eye on this space for reviews of some of the most fun, interesting, and promising titles we ran across at BEA '06! Just a few of them include Shadows in the Asylum, The Giza Death Star Destroyed, and DragonArt.