Jessie- In NH where the crocuses are blooming and the robins are frolicking with abandon!
In a rare turn of events all the Wickeds are together today for two author events. We will be in Nashua, NH for both, first at Rivier College for a R.I.S. E. presentation at midday and then at the Barnes and Noble in the evening. We are ridiculously excited about gathering together for these two occasions and would love to have you all join us. It promises to be memorable. Which got me to wondering about memorable events the other Wickeds have held. So, any favorite memories you’d love to share?
Edith: Other than my double launch party a couple of weeks ago, I’d have to say my first launch party was an unforgettable evening, for all the right reasons. Speaking of Murder had just released in September 2012 (written as Tace Baker), and I’d invited everyone I knew. The young man managing the Newburyport bookstore had set out ten chairs. I said, “Um, I think you’re going to need more chairs.” I was right. 55 people were there from all different areas of my life: church, work, town, family, and Sisters in Crime, including several Wickeds. The bookstore sold out but I had a box of books in the car to supplement their order. The whole night was touching, exhilarating, just perfect.
Liz: I have to say my first launch party, for Kneading to Die, was also my most memorable. Full of family, friends and dogs, it was held at The Big Biscuit in Franklin, Mass. Shaggy even got her own doggie cake for the occasion!
Sherry: I’ve had so much fun going to author events that it is so hard to pick one. The first time I was on a panel as an author was at Left Coast Crime in Monterey, California in 2014. The women on the panel with me have become friends — Lori Rader-Day (doing a post here on Friday), Carlene O’Neil, Martha Cooley, and Holly West. I was so nervous I don’t think I said much. Afterwards we had a signing time and this was the order of the table Sue Grafton, Marcia Muller, Jan Burke, then me. I didn’t even have a book out yet, but a couple of people had me sign their programs. It’s an experience I’ll never forget and Jan Burke was very gracious the one second she didn’t have someone in front of her.
Barb: I enjoy author events, too. Most memorable was the launch of my first book, The Death of an Ambitious Woman. It seemed like everyone I’d ever mentioned I was writing a book to came. Porter Square ran out of books. I did a little talk and a reading and thanked my friends and family. My sister-in-law pointed at me and said to my daughter, “This is what it looks like when your dreams come true,” which is such a lovely, heartfelt sentiment.
Julie: My launch party for Just Killing Time was a blast. Friends and family packed the New England Mobile Book Fair. Three of my mentors–Hank Phillippi Ryan, Kate Flora, and Hallie Ephron–sat right up front, and cheered me on. My friend Courtney made me a cookie cake decorated to look like a clock. It was just lovely. This year Liz and I both have August and September books–2 women, 4 names, 4 books, 2 new series being launched. We are going to do something to celebrate, so stay tuned.
Readers: Do you like to attend author events? What’s your most memorable one?
A couple of years ago, after a couple of my County Cork mysteries had been published, I was invited to give a talk for a TIARA luncheon–that’s The Irish Ancestral Research Association. They meet at the Wayside Inn in Sudbury, and the room was packed. Being half Irish (or three-quarters, if my DNA test is correct) means I can talk for a long time about genealogy and Ireland . I sold some books, but what was funny was that more than one attendee, who had obviously read the books, gave me their opinion about which of the two men in her life my protagonist Maura should end up with (I agreed with them).
Great that you already had a fan in the audience!
I love attending author events. My most memorable was when one of the authors that I chatted with on social media recognized me as I entered the store and left her guest and ran to me to give me a hug.
I love it, Dru! You KNOW I would do the same. ;^)
I love going to author events as well. I tend to remember ones where very few people showed up because it let me talk to members of the audience. But I also had lots of fun with Lisa Lutz because she had a script for her “reading” (if you’ve read her books you’ll understand that isn’t an issue at all for her), and I volunteered to play one of the parts.
The first few times an author remembered me from one signing to another also blew me away. It was a year between signings, and I’m so horrible with faces and names, I wouldn’t have remembered. This was in the days before social media. Also amazing was the first time I was recognized for my Amazon reviews. At the time, that was the only place I was posting reviews, and again, this was pre-social media (2002 or so).
(And I was off by a month on Liz’s latest Pawsitively Organic book. But remember it is coming in September. Too many books, not enough time!!!!)
Isn’t it fun to be remembered like that? One of my most fun library appearances was when exactly one person showed up (not even the librarian). I pulled up a chair, we had a good chat, and she bought three books!
Oh, my most memorable author event was the panel I moderated at Malice with Carolyn Hart.
The amazing Barb Goffman was on her last year as the panels chair and knew that I credit Carolyn with bringing me into the traditional/cozy world when I found her book Death on Demand so she arranged me to moderate the Woo Woo panel.
I was nervous as hell and my face was a mess because I’d had an incident where my dog accidentally scratched me in my face and cut me. I had that glue they use on face wounds and it wasn’t holding up because the cut was in my nasolabial fold aka your smile/laugh line which moves every.time.you.talk or eat or … do anything with your face. I thought I looked like Frankenstein but pictures from that Malice you can barely see anything. 🙂
Long story short (too late), I moderated and at the end of it, the lovely Robin Templeton held us for some pictures. She, too, knew of my Carolyn Hart hero worship and was setting up to take a picture of just the two of us when Carolyn leaned in and said, “You did a wonderful job. I’m so proud of you” in her soft Oklahoma drawl. In the picture you can see I’m beaming (I lost the glue completely in my room 20 minutes later) in the photo. Of course, what you can’t see is my frantic race to my room after to sob in utter shock.
Who gets to meet one of their heroes and have that person say they’re proud of you? Not too many people. It actually makes me tear up now just writing it. Carolyn Hart is a fantastic writer but also a really amazing person.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/e3k6cr9qtm49kfs/10380846_10203078555477952_8650617915206828361_o.jpg?dl=0
What a wonderful story, Aimee! Carolyn was the first author I ever went to see speak. It was a huge crowd in Boston many, many years ago, so no chance to get to meet her, but I’ll always remember it.
Fabulous story!
I love author events. My favorite was when I attended Bouchercon in 2016 in New Orleans.
I met so many of my favorite authors. It was like a dream. I am trying to talk my sister, Ramona De Felice Long into going to Toronto for Bouchercon, 2017.
Oh, we’d love to see you both in Toronto, Annette! It was a delight to get to know you a little and even to share a meal. Hugs.
We need to convince Ramona to join us in Toronto.