How to Have Fun with a New Book

My Hometown Reading Friends

Any excuse to have fun is a good excuse. And I did have fun this weekend celebrating my new Shaker book, The Gifted. See this roomful of friends waving at me and smiling? And that was after I talked. Could be that's why they were smiling -- because I'd finally hushed. I asked them to wave and I think it's funny that the people in the back rows waved big while the people in the front row were too shy or too something to hardly wave at all. If I was a psychologist I might figure that out. But that's okay. They were still smiling. 

I was smiling too, because it's always such fun to talk about a new book with friends. My hometown reading friends are so good to come out and support me as a local author. Each time a new person comes in the door of the library meeting room, I feel as if he or she is giving me a gift. In a way, they are. They are giving me the gift of their time. They are patiently ready to listen to me talk about how I got started writing and tell some of the same stories about my books again. I try to do a quick rehash of my writing history for the people who haven't heard me speak before, but some of the same stories about my hometown do seem to surface each book launch. Like how I changed the name of Lawrenceburg to Hollyhill in my books about Jocie and her friends because the Lawrenceburg series doesn't roll off the tongue right. How I didn't base any of my characters on real people - and that was my story and I was sticking to it. How The Outsider sat on a shelf for 25 years before it was published.  How I love to write. And how deep my roots go in this community. 

These sweet people laughed again when they were supposed to laugh. These sweet people asked questions when they were supposed to ask questions. These sweet people acted thrilled (at least the ones who won them) when they got one of my door prizes that were more fun than fancy. I gave away a raspberry candle because Jessamine was on a wild goose chase hunting wild raspberries in the first scene of The Gifted. I gave away a journal and a pen because Sister Sophrena wrote in a journal all the way through The Gifted. One door prize was a travel cup that said, "I took the road less traveled. Now where the heck am I?" That was Sister Annie following after Jessamine. 

Then there was the cup that said "Believe. All things are possible if you believe." That matches my book The Believer, but maybe it matches my writing journey too. How in the world could a little farm girl grab onto such a big dream as writing books and then years later, be celebrating her 24th published book with a room full of hometown reading friends? I am blessed. Many thanks to those of you who came to celebrate with me and also to those of you who celebrated with me from afar. 

Some of the Sherman Full Gospel ladies at the brunch

I also had book fun on Saturday with the ladies at a brunch at the Sherman Full Gospel Church in Dry Ridge, KY. These were all fresh ears so I got to tell my old writing stories with no worries about repeating myself. It was a lovely church with a friendly group of ladies who made some pretty fancy fixings for brunch. So how to have fun with a new book is to find some people willing to laugh at your jokes and listen to you tell about the gift of writing. Thank all of you.  

If you haven't already, don't forget about signing up for my Celebration contests on my website contest page and on the Fresh Fiction Contest Page. Entries need to be in by midnight EST on July 31. 

Thanks for reading!

Birthdays and Other Blessings at NQC

Meet the Southern Gospel group, the Patriot Quartet. My husband, Darrell sings bass with them. That's not him up on the big screen. That's the lead singer, Joe White. Darrell's the one on the far right. The shot I took of him up on the screen was fuzzy, fuzzy. I never claimed to be a professional photographer. If I had been I'd have taken a lot more shots and then maybe had more good ones. The other guys are tenor, Eugene Hoffman and baritone, David Combs.

The guys are at the National Quartet Convention in Louisville this week. They sang in a showcase on Monday, but don't get to sing on the "big stage" as all the singers call it. They do have a booth in the exhibition hall where they meet and greet fans and try to schedule concerts at new churches or singing venues. They love to sing, but they also feel called to share the gospel in song. And they do a great job.

The guys let me set up my books on their product table and so I get to have a little book signing and talk books with people from all over the country. Texas won out on Monday. All those people were trying to get away from the heat and dry weather. Most of them said they'd been seeing smoke from the wild fires. Later in the week, the tour buses start pulling in from all over. I've been having my books at the Patriots' booth ever since The Scent of Lilacs came out in 2005. And so I've made some reading friends over the years. On Monday I got to share my new books with several of them. Readers like Fonda who hunts me up every year. I'm going to use her name in a book one of these days.

Darrell and I have been going to the Quartet Convention for years. I talked to a man from Texas (of course) on Monday who said he'd been to the first Quartet Convention held in Memphis 53 years ago and had been to almost all of them since except for a few years when their children were very small. So I tried to think how many years straight Darrell and I have been going. We started going when they held the Convention in Nashville. We didn't get to go for the whole week, but would go for Thursday, Friday and Saturday. They moved the Convention to Louisville 17 years ago and I know we've been every year they've had it there. So I'm guessing 21 or 22 years, maybe more, maybe less.

One thing I do remember is that I've had a terrible cold on at least half of those years. Probably more. NQC, tissues and cough drops - they go together. But at least I've never wanted to sing at the NQC.  Good thing because most years I've barely been able to talk. This year I'm okay. I can talk and shake hands with people without thinking I might be "Typhoid Mary." Thank goodness!

Another thing about the Quartet Convention is that it swallows up my birthday. Every year I spend my birthday at the NQC. No parties. No cakes. No presents. Well, last year I did go shopping and bought my own present - a gorgeous Gospel Singer outfit to wear to the fancy ACFW dinner I attended the week or so after the NQC. I said I was going to wear it one night this year, but if I do, everybody will think I'm one of the singers. And what if they ask me to prove it? I'd be in trouble then. Of course I did teach my little granddaughter the song "The Bear Went Over the Mountain" today, so I could sing that. She was very cute singing the song. Only she said the bear didn't see the other side of the mountain. She sang the bear saw "me." (A grandmother has to sneak in a grandkid story every once in a while.)

I do enjoy the NQC and I'm old enough now that the day I celebrate doesn't matter all that much. Sometimes I celebrate a new year for a couple of weeks. And why not? A new year is worth celebrating. I'm looking forward to the year ahead. I'll have another couple of books out there for readers. I'll be sure to get to talk books with a bunch of new reading friends and some old reading friends too. I'll get to tell some more grandma stories and share some of those special grandkid moments as they celebrate birthdays and other special events in their lives. I'll get to count blessings until I run out of numbers.

Each of you reading this is a blessing to me. Thank you so much for giving me a few moments of your time. And don't forget to enter my birthday giveaway if you haven't already. Details are on my News and Events page on my website, but you can throw your name in the hat by leaving a comment here. As long as you leave a way for me to get in touch with you in case you win. I'll be drawing for winners the last of September. One of the winners will get that beautiful grandmother's Bible and others will get books and more. 

I put this quote in my birthday newsletter, but I love it. So seeing as how it's almost my birthday, I'm going to use it again. Don't birthday people get to some extra privileges? And for sure I wouldn't be the age my birth certificate assures me I am.

How old would you be if you didn't know how old you were? (Leroy Satchel Paige)

Best Part of Book Launches

The best part of book launches has to be meeting readers. Signing books is fun too, but I love to hear what readers have to say about my books and books in general. There is a lot of discussion going around now about whether print books will survive with the onslaught of e-books.

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So I've been asking people what they think and how they like to read. In my totally unscientific poll, it's almost one hundred percent that the readers want to hold the book in their hands. And some of those people were part of the younger generation. They all said the electronic reading devices probably would be nice for people when they're traveling or waiting in the doctor's office or such as that. But they want a book in their hands when they settle down in their easy chair to read or prop up on pillows to sneak in another chapter before they turn the lights off at night.

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Did any of you ever read under the covers with a flashlight when you were a kid? I would have if I hadn't been worried about getting in trouble for using up the batteries in the flashlight. The more reading minutes the better.

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Uh-oh, I took off chasing a rabbit there. But then what are journals for except to chase a few random thoughts?

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I did have a nice book launch at Corinth Parable Bookstore in Frankfort. I love talking about writing and books and the best thing is I get to do it again this Sunday when I have my hometown book launch at the Anderson County Public Library. I might even try to come up with a real talk instead of doing this random stuff. Of course I think I'll be babysitting my twin grandbabies for a few days this week so I may just be full of twin stories. They're almost two. That would probably be okay since a lot of my reading friends have grandbabies too. ;) If you're in the area, come on down to the library Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. Don't worry. I promise no more than two grandbaby stories and I always give away some books and who knows? If I have time in between chasing those babies, I might even make brownies. For sure there will be chocolate.

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We had our big Gabhart reunion here Sunday. That's why this post is late. I'll post a picture of me in my hat Wednesday or you can go check it out on my Facebook page. We had fun. Hope you had fun on the 4th too. And what do you think? You want to read e-books or print books?

Gifts of Love

Valentine's Day has always been one of my favorite holidays. A day for love. I think it moved up on my favorite list when my children were in elementary school and I was room mother for their school holiday parties. I liked it that all the kids got the same number of Valentines so they could all feel like the kid everybody liked. For years I kept a shoebox decorated with red paper hearts my oldest son made for his Valentines one year and each year he added more to it. It's probably still stuck back in a closet somewhere because I could never throw so much innocent love in the trash.

~~But I suppose the real Valentines are between sweeties. I remember when I was a teenager and my sister's boyfriend would always give her one of those fancy ribbon and silk covered heart shaped boxes of chocolates. Half the candy in those boxes wasn't fit to eat, but my young heart thought those boxes were a beautiful, extravagant expression of love. My sweetie didn't have the money for those kind of Valentines then, but I knew I wanted to stick with him anyway. And now we've been together a lot of years and he still brings me flowers. Sometimes even when it's not Valentine's Day.

~~Anyway I got to thinking about romantic gifts and which I remembered best. While I remember Valentine's Day roses and flowers and once one of those big chocolate bars, I suppose my favorite all time gift was a cockerspaniel pup. Those of you who read this blog on a regular basis know I'm a dog lover. We'd always had dogs, but none that we'd ever had to buy. We didn't have money to buy dogs. We just got the giveaway kind and they were always great dogs. But Darrell knew I loved cockerspaniels. Not a breed you're likely to find puppies for free, so to surprise me one year on my birthday he sold his class ring and bought this little blonde cockerspaniel puppy. Jody was the cutest little puppy and had a way of making me feel loved. Any time I came home even from the shortest trip he danced and whined and yelped his happiness. As a tiny pup, he'd lay on my foot while I was standing at the counter cooking supper. He was a good dog and without a doubt the most romantic gift I ever received even if it wasn't on Valentine's Day and even if he didn't come in a ribbon covered box.

~~What about you? Have you ever gotten a romantic gift that warms your heart to even think about it now? I hope so. I hope you've had so many that you have trouble deciding on your favorite.

~~Reading friends are one of my nicest gifts now. Thank you for reading this and for reading my books. Remember to send me a message from my website or leave a comment here to get your name in the drawing for the book giveaway the end of February.

~~Happy Valentine's Day!! May love follow you around like my little cockerspaniel pup used to follow me, always ready to land in your lap every time you give it half a chance.

Book Fair Smiles

--Smile! That's what all us writers did a lot of on Saturday at the Kentucky Book Fair. That's because there are always a lot of reading friends and other writers to smile back at us. Here I am with my tablemate and fellow historical Christian novel writer, Jan Watson. Jan is very popular with her readers. They all love her and her characters. She didn't start writing until she retired from nursing and now she has four published books with more on the way. Her new novel is Sweetwater Run. I'm actually reading it now and enjoying the story. After yesterday, I'm sure a lot of other people are reading her story today too after getting her to sign a copy for them.

--I also got to meet Laura Frantz and Gin Petty and Jim Tomlinson. There there were a few stolen minutes to talk with Virginia Smith and Allie Pleiter and Karen Angelucci and Melissa Burton, to mention a few. It's fun to compare notes with other writers. But there wasn't much time for visiting between authors. We were all too busy smiling at our reading friends.

--A lot of those reading friends came by my table and were kind enough to say they had read my books. Some of them took another of my books home with them and some new reading friends decided to give my books a try. I hope to see them back next year to say they were glad they did. Actually one teenager did come by the table to let me know that she was glad she'd given one of my books a try last year. I remembered her. She told me last year she wanted to be an editor. You get a lot of aspiring writers coming to talk to you at a Book Fair, but not that many aspiring editors. So I remembered her.

--I remembered a lot of other faces too, but I am afflicted with mental blocks on names when people ask me to sign a book. Even when I've known them all my life - maybe especially when I've known them all my life. I think it's all those made up character names up there in my head shoving all the real names aside. At least that sounds like a good excuse. So if you're one of the people I had to ask your name when I should have known it, I hope you'll forgive me for giving you a look like a deer in the headlights. I did know you. I just got your name mixed up with one of my character's names. I sometimes forget their names, too. That's why I keep a running character list of whatever I'm working on. Oh dear! I bought a book once on improving my memory. Maybe it's time I read it.

--I did have a good time signing books and talking on the fiction panel. Darrell sat at my book table while I was gone to do the panel talk and had fun filling in for me. I wish I'd had time to walk around and see everybody else's books, but the day was busy and before I knew it the day was gone.

--A few young people from Western Hills High School came by to say hello. I had the opportunity to go to their school Friday morning and talk to three of their English classes. That was fun and on my Face Book page I promised to do a blog on some of their questions. So stay tuned next week for that.

--Thanks again if you came by to see me at the Fair and thanks to all of you who not only read my books but also my newsletter and my blog. It's great to have reading friends.

Connecting with My Reading Friends

I know. It's not Wednesday or Sunday (that's my usual posting days), but I'm testing out some new links with Amazon.com's author pages. There are so many ways to connect with readers these days. Facebook. Twitter. Author pages. Blogs. Blog tours. I've tried to stick my finger into the internet pie on all of them but twitter. Still not twittering. Are any of you? The facebook has been a fun way to keep up with friends and family. And I'm hoping to have a Facebook Fan page soon. You can talk more about your books and do book giveaways, etc. on the Fan pages. Or at least that's what I've been told.

My only problem is wondering why anyone would even think about signing up to a fan page for me. I don't think about having fans. I think about having reading friends. But I have to admit I'd like to gather more reading friends, and didn't our mamas always tell us the way to have a friend is to be a friend? That's sometimes hard to do when you spend hours making up imaginary people. Coming up with new stories takes some solitary time. A lot of solitary time. That's why some writers talk so much when they get a chance to be away from their desks. And it's also why some don't. Sometimes we're still in that story. Still hearing conversations in our heads that no one else can hear, but that we hope everybody else will someday want to read. Just as soon as we write it down.

I'm hoping to get some stuff written down soon. Being between books is not my favorite place to be, but I had to catch up on all the mundane "the house will fall in if you don't take a shovel to it" chores.

Come back Sunday and we'll talk.