Potpourri

Maui Book Signing

It's that time again - the time when I'm going to throw a bit of this and that at you. If you follow me on FaceBook (and you should), then you'll know that Broken Wings has been launched. And what a launch it was. We kicked off with a Twitter party and a book signing on June 3. Max and I were in Maui for his company's leadership conference (thank you IHS for the fabulous time!) so the signing was held on the terrace of the beautiful Fairmont Kea Loni hotel. I don't claim to be an expert on marketing, but it seems to me that if an opportunity arises, one should take advantage. Since almost everyone at the conference was a stranger to me, I decided to give my books away to people who loved to read. I hoped to tap into a new audience and - here's the brilliant part - they would be getting the book two days before boarding planes destined for places like Germany, Spain, UK, Canada, and dozens of US cities. I don't know about you, but when I travel I notice what people are reading whether by the pool or in the airport, so hopefully a few folks will have flashed Broken Wings to nosy curious travelers. There's no way to evaluate the results, but for me, it seems like a win-win deal.

Sunsets in Maui were glorious!

Now that Maui sunsets are a distant memory, I've had book signings in Tulsa and two in Perryton, Texas. A quick story about the Tulsa signing - I put a reminder on FaceBook that morning and right away got a response "We're on the way!" Our good friends, Blair and Diana, came from Allen, TX! They definitely get the prize for coming the farthest! Full disclosure here: They were on the way to Chicago and just made this one of their stops. Very fun!



Two lovely signings in Perryton, TX, which is our old stomping ground. The wonderful thing about these events is that people come and pull up a chair, visit with their neighbors and sip iced tea. I love the feeling of community that we have at these events.

Michael, Cindy, and Jerry lend their support

Pam and Don - Pam loves books. Don and Max talked golf.

Diana and Blair - Prize for coming the farthest! Thanks, friends.

Every author's dream - a line of people waiting to get their books signed!

My assistant, Nash, drew Carol's name for the gift basket.

Media is part of a book campaign, and I've been blessed with two events that are new to me - a TV spot on our local FOX channel and a podcast on Shellie Rushing Tomlinson's "All Things Southern" where we had a virtual chat on her front porch. I'm NOT a fan of seeing myself in videos or hearing my voice, but people have told me these were both successful appearances. I'll take their word for it. One thing I can testify to was that the FOX TV folks and Shellie were fabulous hosts and made me feel comfortable and welcome. And you should check out Shellie's writing - she's one funny lady. Thanks all!

I don't know about you, but I'm weary. Summer is breathing down our necks, and when those muggy days roll in, I'm glad to stay at home and sit under the fan. Thankfully, I'll be able to do that for a while. That's not to say I'll be loafing. I've opened the file for the next book and am busy working on Sweet Dreams, coming in 2013! The cover art for next summer's release, Stardust, should be coming soon. Keep an eye out.

What's up for your summer? I'd love to hear about the places you've been and where you're off to. Safe travels.