A Story about a Book Signing…

Many thanks to all the friendly folks who made it out to my book signing at A Different Drummer Books in Burlington yesterday – it was a delightful afternoon and I appreciate all the effort that went into making that happen. I saw some faces I hadn’t seen in quite some time, which made the joy of the event that much more powerful. Sometimes writing takes place in bit of a “social vacuum” and I’m always energized by the opportunity to connect with friends and new acquaintances. Yesterday found me grinning from ear to ear all day and it’s all thanks to everyone’s gift of time!

Ian Elliott, owner of Different Drummer Books, was a wonderful host and I could have spent hours browsing. The store has been around for quite some time and Ian has built it into a solid establishment that caters exclusively to book lovers. There is a homey feel to the store, although it’s quite spacious, and it is such a welcoming environment that I felt like relaxing into the book world as soon as I walked in the door. Do check it out if you’re ever in the neighborhood – it’s at 513 Locust Street in Burlington.

I was so pleased to be able to spend some time with Canadian artist Anna Sponer at the signing yesterday as well – she painted the picture that graces the cover of “Shades of Teale” and we’re planning some joint events in the future so stay tuned! Fellow Manor House writer Alyxandra Harvey was also in attendance, signing copies of her new short story collection, “Briar Rose and other stories darkly revisited.” I am the proud owner of a copy myself now and am looking forward to reading it! Alyxandra has a long list of dark stories to her publishing credit and it was fun to spend the afternoon with her.

My essay about completing and publishing my novel is in today’s Globe and Mail – if you’d like a little more “deep background” on the subject, here’s the link: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/facts-and-arguments/the-essay/after-12-years-of-work-i-finally-had-my-book-published/article2274422/.