I actually published my first book before I ever attended my first book club.
Last week my mom's book club in Charlotte invited me to attend their annual luncheon. Though they meet monthly to discuss a book, once a year they do something a little special. This May they all read A Chameleon, A Boy, and A Quest and asked me to come as their guest. This was a peek into the gracious world of Southern hospitality: a decorator-lovely home, welcoming women, artful salads and sandwiches, deep kindness. Though they are not exactly my target age range of 8 to 15 year olds . . .they are actually my audience I realized, because they are the ones who BUY books for the 8 to 15 year olds. I was able to explain a little about our life, how I came to write the four Rwendigo Tales books for my own children and why. And in the process I got to meet my mom's friends and thank them for their time in reading my book. The only thing missing was Acacia, to hear how much they liked the illustrations! My sister sat through the whole thing patiently and took those photos for me, for which I am also grateful.
This week I got the excellent news that the second book in the series, A Bird, A Girl, and A Rescue, is now available for pre-order at a slight discount from New Growth Press.
Last week my mom's book club in Charlotte invited me to attend their annual luncheon. Though they meet monthly to discuss a book, once a year they do something a little special. This May they all read A Chameleon, A Boy, and A Quest and asked me to come as their guest. This was a peek into the gracious world of Southern hospitality: a decorator-lovely home, welcoming women, artful salads and sandwiches, deep kindness. Though they are not exactly my target age range of 8 to 15 year olds . . .they are actually my audience I realized, because they are the ones who BUY books for the 8 to 15 year olds. I was able to explain a little about our life, how I came to write the four Rwendigo Tales books for my own children and why. And in the process I got to meet my mom's friends and thank them for their time in reading my book. The only thing missing was Acacia, to hear how much they liked the illustrations! My sister sat through the whole thing patiently and took those photos for me, for which I am also grateful.This week I got the excellent news that the second book in the series, A Bird, A Girl, and A Rescue, is now available for pre-order at a slight discount from New Growth Press.
I won't be in the USA when this book comes out in September, though I'm not sure I did much in promotions this year anyway. I did quite a number of radio call-in shows, where I sat alone in a room with the door closed and the phone cord stretched under it at my aunt's house in town, and answered questions from cheerful big-voiced radio-show people. When I went to the book club I realized it was the first time I was really talking about my book to actual people whom I could see and did not know. Which was a little uncomfortable. Being an author must be a little like being a model (or things less savory)--you are exposed, you are putting your heart and ideas and words out for people to like or not like, to judge. It's a little easier to hide behind the virtual interfaces. So I guess I'm a bit of a whimp for my one experience being in the epicenter of politeness, but it was a good way to start.
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