Out and About with Books

Warning: Blatant promo for my books!

When you're a self-published author, there aren't a lot of ways to sell books. Bookstores don't carry self-dubbed books because they (pick one or several): aren't returnable, don't have a distributor, don't have a deep discount, have no quality control, etc. While my books are on Amazon and Barnes & Noble, few people know they're there. Hence, self-pubbed authors usually sell their books in person. That's what I'll be doing for the next month.

This spring, I'll be making a few appearances to promote my books. On Saturday, April 22, from 10 AM until 2 PM, I'll join two dozen other authors at Brewed Awakening in Danville. Because of the weather, I don't know yet if we authors will be inside or outside. I've been to Brewed Awakening author events a couple of times in the past and really enjoyed them. My picture from last summer even appeared in a news article about the event.

On Tuesday, April 25, from 10 AM until 2 PM, I'll be among another couple dozen of authors at Westlake Library's Local Author Expo. Several members of Lake Writers will participate.

On Thursday, May 11, from 4 until 6 PM, Linda Kay Simmons and I will present "Down-Home Writers" at the Moneta/SML Library. Both Linda and I write Appalachian fiction, so our work complements each other. We'll discuss how our homespun stories were woven from scraps of family lore, childhood recollections, regional history, folklore, familiar places, and maybe a few out-right lies. I'll have a Powerpoint presentation showing some of the places and people who have influenced my stories.

On May 20, I'll join another twenty or so local authors who'll sell and sign at the Salem Museum's "Read Local" event. Some are self-published; some are commercially published.

The museum is a neat place and the exhibits are well worth seeing, too.

Meanwhile, if you want to buy my books in advance, click the titles to go to their Amazon page:

Patches on the Same Quilt

Them That Go

Miracle of the Concrete Jesus & Other Stories

I'd like to do a few more events this summer if any opportunities arise. Because I have some mobility issues, I can only accept invitations that are within a hundred miles of home, are handicapped accessible, and don't require a lot of walking.

~

Wytheville Library Trip

I haven't accepted many author appearances this year because of my limited mobility, but on Saturday, I headed to Wytheville to be one of the Wytheville Library's "Authors on Monroe."

I figured I could make the trip without much trouble, because I wouldn't have to walk much and I'd be sitting down during both the driving as well as appearing part. Because of lane closures on I-81, I took Rt. 11 to Christiansburg and got onto Interstate there, so I had no problems with traffic.

The library was easy to find. Luckily, I was able to park close.

Just inside was a display showcasing some of the guest authors' books. I propped up my Ferradiddledumday poster for a photo op.

Some of the authors—such as Rhonda Caudill, Pam Newberry, Brenda C. Musick, and Dan Delby had arrived at 10. 

Scottie Pritchard and I were scheduled for noon. Brenda and Dan stayed for the afternoon, too. Other than us authors, very few folks were in the library. It was a beautiful day outside and some big events—such as an Easter egg hunt—were happening in town. So we authors made the most of it by sharing our writing experiences and doing readings. Using my Ida B. Peevish voice, I read from Peevish Advice.

Dan Delby, a writer-illustrator of comic books, read a short story about an energy-sucking vampire aboard a space ship.  

Brenda Musick read a selection from her Appalachian novel, One-Eyed Tom: The Trials of an Appalachian Family.

Scottie Prichard read from Under a Blue Bowl, her mother's memoir.

Some of us did a book swap. A big fan of Appalachian lit, I came away with two Appalachian memoirs and an Appalachian novel.

I was tired when I started for home and my legs were starting to swell, but I had no real problems. I stayed on I-81 north all the way to Salem, where I got off on 311 and took the back roads to 220. I'm glad I wasn't heading south! Just past Christiansburg, I saw a major traffic back-up in the southbound lanes that went on for miles. My camera was on the seat beside me, so I picked it up and snapped several pictures.

When I got off at the Salem exit, traffic was still backed up and barely moving. In fact, vehicles were backed up onto Rt. 311 waiting to get on Interstate. I'm glad I was heading the opposite way.

While I arrived home tired and achy, at least I hadn't been stuck in traffic for hours. And I'd had a good time at the Wytheville library.

~

Books with Heart

A couple of Saturdays ago, I was one of the regional authors at Binding Time Cafe's Fall Bookfest in Martinsville.  I've been to Binding Time's fest before and really enjoyed it. While I'm still having mobility problems, I figured I could handle the short drive, and I knew I wouldn't have to do much walking.

The weather was great (with occasional breezes) and I sold many books. The previous night had been cold, so Binding Time provided the authors with both a heater and great coffee. As the day got warmer, we didn't need the heater—but it was nice to have the coffee. In the picture, I'm enjoying one of several cups I consumed.

I noticed that many children's books were available at this fest—and some of them had something in common. Do you see what it is?

Yep—all these books have something to do with hearts. If you look at the cover of my small press-published novel, Stuck, you can see the heart on the cover. (Print copy is here; e-book is here.)

In Stuck, hearts are used as motifs throughout the book, and the main character—Jacie—is given a heart-shaped locket that plays a significant part in helping her solve a problem.

To my left was a non-fiction book, Horses Who See With Their Hearts, self-published by Dr. Emilie Storch who wasn't at the bookfest; her mother sold the books. The book is about blind horses that Dr. Storch has rescued.

To my right was former Martinsville resident and current Richmond resident, Graham Gardner with The Santa Beacon, inspired by a question once asked by his daughter Ava (who was with him): "How will Santa know how to find me if I'm not home?" The answer has to do with hearts, and the book's page numbers are contained within small red hearts—plus there's a pop-out heart Christmas ornament on the cover.

Here's a closer look:

Across from my display, Franklin County resident Lisa Chitwood had both paperback and hardback copies of her picture book, Hunt With Your Heart,  a book in which a boy relies upon his heart to help him make a decision.

A few tables down from me, Martinsville native Dr. Mary Helen Hensley had her new book, The Chakra Fairies, a Magical Mantra for Children. A collection of poems about the different chakra fairies and their colors, the book had a prominent pink heart on its cover. The author wore wings.

Speaking of fairies, Avis Turner was there with her In the Land Where Fairies Cried Tears of Stone, not a children's book but a memoir of Avis's grandmother who grew up in the area now covered by Fairystone Park and Philpott Lake—where a lot of fairystones can be found. Her grandmother Mattie Turner, widowed at a young age, certainly had heart as she raised her children alone. In the picture below, Avis is shown with Bonnie Hale, who—with her husband John—owns Binding Time.  

Looks like a lot of authors at the bookfest had heart. And a lot of festival goers found loved books they loved.

Update: Alas, book festivals at the Binding Time in Martinsville are no more. The Hales eventually moved their shop to Danville. 

~

~