I’m taking a break and won’t be posting much until I complete my January book tour.

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas & Joyous New Year!

Ever since Saving CeeCee Honeycutt was published, I’ve received countless emails and hand written letters, many of which were specifically about the character, Oletta Jones.

When I created CeeCee’s story I had no idea that a woman by the name of Oletta Jones would show up. And when she did, I was enthralled. I love Oletta; she’s real to me. So much so that I find myself talking to her now and then … and she answers!

Oletta has touched the hearts of readers throughout the United States, as well as those in Europe and Asia. I believe the reason for this is that Oletta is a woman who exemplifies the most admirable characteristics a person can possess: stability, honesty, and wisdom.

Today was a very exciting day for Oletta. She was invited to be a guest on Beth Fish Reads. She had a lot of fun, and if you’d like to read what she had to say, please visit this link: Beth Fish Reads

I just completed the first leg of my book tour. It was wonderful and exhausting and enormously memorable. I suspect I’ll forget the horrendous travel, the layovers that lasted 6 hours, and the swollen feet and tired legs. But I will never forget the incredible people I was privileged to meet. From Cincinnati, to Chicago, to Milwaukee, to Wichita and to Augusta, I had the opportunity to talk with book lovers and share life experiences and our love of the written word.  Though I don’t yet have all the photos from the events, I wanted to post the ones I do have. I also wanted to say a big fat THANK YOU to everyone who made me feel so welcome. You are friends, and I thank you for your many kindnesses.

I had a joyous time at Watermark Books in Wichita. All the attendees were terrific. Here is a picture of me with a group of women I’ve been Tweeting with for quite some time. Oh, were they ever fun! From left to right: Terri, Jennifer, Deena, Beth (me), Dani, Deb, and Pam.

My dear friends Marie and Don (shown in the photo below) drove for over 1 1/2 hours to come see me at the Next Chapter Book Shop in Mequon, Wisconsin, and a new friend, Mary (a terrific book blogger I met online) came with her daughter, as did a lovely writer friend, Christi Craig.

The event at Joseph-Beth Booksellers in Cincinnati was a big hit, and it made me so happy to look out into the audience and see so many friends.

My sweet friends (Lynn shown on the left and Margaret on the right) came to see me at Anderson’s Bookshop in Naperville. We really made a great memory. There was a wonderful group of women from a Chicago book club that came to Naperville too, and I’ll put up those pictures if they send them.

And lastly, for those of you who know my love for historic buildings and my former career in interior design, this is a photo of the lobby at the Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee. It’s beyond fabulous!

On Thursday evening, October 21st, I was welcomed with open arms to the beautiful cities of Lancaster and Lititz, PA. This was a very special fundraising event sponsored by the The Council of Friends of Lancaster County Public Libraries and Aaron’s Books. Held in a beautifully restored building that was once a cork factory, the event was, from begging to end, a remarkable experience.

As the attendees arrived in the annex of the ballroom they were greeted by glorious floral arrangements and the aroma of Oletta’s freshly baked cinnamon rolls which were made from scratch by the chef of the Cork Factory Hotel. Following an hour of gaiety and socializing, the attendees took their seats. I was stunned to see how many people showed up to hear me speak and to support this worthy cause. It was an honor to be a part of such a grand occasion.

Sam and Todd Dickenson, owners of Aaron’s books, had a huge table set up with towers of my newly released paperback, and Mary Ann Heltshe-Steinhauer, the Community Relations Manager for Lancaster Libraries gave me a warm and lovely introduction. I had the amazing opportunity to speak to a room packed full of book lovers, and I made many new friends. Thank you to everyone for giving me such a wonderful page in my own Life Book … I can’t wait to return to Lancaster and Lititz for a long weekend of antiquing and relaxation!

Below are two short videos (many thanks to Dr. Karen Monroy who did the filming with her iPhone), and some still pictures of the event.

This is an exciting time. The paperback edition of Saving CeeCee Honeycutt launches on October 26th and I’ll be traveling throughout the Midwest and the South until March.

Often I’m asked what it’s like to do such extensive tours, so I’ve decided to answer that question here.  First and foremost, it’s an honor. With the economic cutbacks that have hit all industries across the board, few authors have had the opportunities afforded me. To say that I’m grateful to Pamela Dorman Books/Viking-Penguin doesn’t adequately express how I feel. Every step of my journey has been, and continues to be, a privilege.

Book tours are thrilling and delightful, and even when I arrive at my hotel room, sit down to check email and fall flat on my face from fatigue, I find that by the time I take a shower and head out for the next event, I’m charged up with a plentiful amount of energy. Why? It’s the people—the book lovers (booksellers, librarians, book bloggers and readers) who are waiting. They are the lithium of my battery and they have never failed me.

To walk into an event, step to the podium, and look out at their faces is magical. And no matter how many events I’ve done, that magical feeling always bubbles inside me and I feel like a child about to see Santa for the first time. Sure, I’m less nervous than I was when I began this amazing journey, but never am I less thrilled. There’s no experience quite like it, and I doubt there ever will be.

Tour locations can be seen in the EVENTS lineup; I’ll be adding many more as the dates and times are confirmed.