My publicist, River Laker of Silver Seas PR, shot these on board Sea Venture at Liberty Landing Marina, where we’d docked while I played grandmother to my daughter’s newborn a ferry ride away in NYC. Obviously, (sans doute!) I had no script. Nor the benefit of a make-up and hair artist (big sigh). Still, they give voice to some of my thoughts on the story.
Tomorrow is Launch Party Day on Facebook. And here is our party schedule of appearances. Please stop by and win one of these lovely books!
9:00-10:10 Barbara Davis
10:10-11:20 Lynne Hinkey
11:20-12:40 Jessica Topper
12:40-1:50 Robin Patchen
1:50-3:00 Jessica Dotta
3:00-4:10 Barbara Claypole White
4:10-5:20 Laura Wharton
5:20-6:30 Anne Barnhill
6:30 -8:00 yours truly
As I did before the launch of Becalmed, I’ll be posting tidbits to whet your appetite.
The actual party takes place on Tuesday, December 17, on Facebook, and we’ll be there celebrating all day. Again, we’ll have a number of authors taking the floor for an hour or so who will give away a signed copy of their book to someone who comments during that time.
It’s great fun and offers friends of friends the chance to learn about new authors–and perhaps win a book!
Here’s a picture of the cover designed by the very talented Roseanna White.
Stay tuned for bits about the various characters in Sailing out of Darkness, along with information on each of our participating authors!
A video interview by River Laker of Silver Seas PR on board Sea Venture in New York harbor. He made this the day after the Manhattan book event. Having fun in the big city!
Where was the make-up and hair artist when I needed her? Still, we had a great time. You can see more pictures of the book event here at Sliver Seas PR.
My, oh, my, but a lovely article about Becalmed‘s launch party on board Sea Venture showed up on the front page of the New Bern News Journal today. (Click on the link to read the online version.)
The picture in the paper.
You can see what fun we had. The Rocking Chair Bookstore almost sold out of the fifty copies they had on hand, and a friend from New Bern said he thought about 100 people came through (many were families or couples).
The news photographer was very kind to me. Poor Mr. Chuck Beckley must have been miserable as he searched for the boat at the dock in all that sweltering heat. He took hundreds of pictures and very kindly picked one (or someone at the paper did) that showed me with a hiked shoulder–effectively lobbing off a few years from my profile. I should send him a thank-you note.
The party starts at 8 AM on Monday. I know that seems early, but Barbara Claypole White will be chatting with us from her home town in England.
One fortunate commenter who shows up between 8 AM and 10 AM will receive a signed copy of Barbara’s delightful book, The Unfinished Garden, as well as an e-book version of Becalmed. Barbara will be there to chat with you, so please stop by. I love that this story tackles OCD with humor, compassion, and (woo-hoo!) romance.
From 10 AM to 11 AM,Robin Patchenwill be around to chat about her charming novella, One Christmas Eve.The winner of Robin’s e-book will also receive a singed paperback copy of Becalmed.
From 11 AM to 12 Noon, Roseanna White will have the helm. Roseanna has written one of the best biblical/historical novels I’ve read, called Jewel of Persia. At noon, we will choose the winner of this signed book, who will also receive an e-book copy of Becalmed. Roseanna is busy writing for several publishers and editing books for WhiteFire Publishing.
From Noon until 2 PM, we’ll visit with C Hope Clark, author of Lowcountry Bribe and Tidewater Murder.Hope is the founder of FundsforWriters.com and is a great encourager. Her most recent release, Tidewater Murder, takes place in Beaufort, SC, and involves a trawler. Ah-ha. So, the winner here will be able to read about both Beauforts–North and South! We’ll give away a signed copy of Tidewater Murder and an e-book of Becalmed.
From 2 PM to 4 PM, we have Lorrie Thomson chatting with us about her new book Equilibrium, which releases from Kensington in September. The winner at 4 PM will receive a signed copy of an ARC of this soon-coming book. It sounds like a great read. I’ll also include another e-book of Becalmed.
From 4 PM to 6 PM, Kathryn Craft will be our hostess. She’ll sign an ARC of her January release from Sourcebooks, The Art of Falling, and I’ll include another e-book of Becalmed. Best-selling author Elizabeth Benedict says The Art of Falling “strikes universal chords in all of us who yearn, who love, who fall and fail, and struggle to find our way back home.”
Lorrie and Kathryn are new friends of mine from the Women’s Fiction Writers Association, so I’m sure they’d be happy to chat with you about the group and the genre, if you have any questions. Kathryn is also a developmental editor at Writing-Partner.com
That brings us to the final two hours. Folk who comment between 6 PM and 8 PM will have their name tossed in the hat to win a signed copy of Becalmed. I’ll be around most of the day, announcing winners every few hours, so come play!
To Recap:One hold-in-your-hands book and one e-book per giveaway
8 AM to 10 AM: Barbara Claypole White,The Unfinished Garden
As we move toward Becalmed’s Facebook Launch Party on July 1, I invite you to meet Tadie Longworth.
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For every unique share of this blog post on your blog, Facebook, Twitter, or other media outlets, I’ll enter your name into the weekly drawing for a combination paperback and e-book of Becalmed.
Sailing a sharpie
BECALMED’S CHARACTERS
Eighth up: Sara Longworth
The town of Beaufort has been calling Sara “Tadie” ever since her little brother first lisped it years ago. It must be a Southern thing, because it sure doesn’t make much sense otherwise. I mean, Tadie doesn’t exactly sound like a shortened Sara, does it? Now that her mama’s gone, the only one left who uses her real name is James Whitlock. “Miss Sara,” he said when she first asked about it, “your mama wants to call you what she named you, well, I’m gonna do the same.”
Tadie doesn’t know what she’d do without James, Elvie Mae, or their daughter, Rita. Those three are family, even if not blood kin. Of course, one fine thing about small-town life is that friends can fill in a lot of gaps.
Take her best friend, Hannah Morgan. Tadie and Hannah go all the way back to kindergarten, and they’ve been tight ever since. About six years ago, they started up Down East Creations to showcase Tadie’s jewelry and Hannah’s pottery, and then they hired Isa to help run the shop.
Just across the street from the house Tadie’s great-grandaddy built, Tadie’s little sharpie, Luna, bobs off the dock, just waiting for a sail out Talyor Creek to Cape Lookout. You outta see Luna skip along on a good breeze. Sometimes, though, when the wind sits for a spell, she’ll find herself becalmed. You know what I mean. We’ve all been there, boat or no boat.
And lookee out in the anchorage. See what the wind blew in among all those pretty cruising boats? How can a sailor of a small boat not yearn just a little for life on a bigger one. One that sails places.
Share this on your blog, Facebook, Twitter, or wherever.
For each unique link to this post, I’ll enter you in a drawing to win a paperback copy of Becalmed along with an e-version! I have ten characters to introduce. After each five, I’ll pull a winner’s name from the hat.
Giving away books at Becalmed’s Facebook Launch Party from authors Lorrie Thomson, Roseanna White, C Hope Clark, Kathryn Craft, Barbara Claypole White, and Robin Patchen.
(PS. In case the Internet thingies that are supposed to tell me of shares decides to fail us, will you also leave a comment and tell me where you shared this so you don’t get left out of the drawing?)
Here we are at Day 7 of the prelude for the Becalmed’s Facebook launch Party on July 1. We’ve met James, Elvie Mae, and Rita Whitlock, along with Isa Wellington and Matt and Hannah Morgan and Matt’s brother Alex. (Oh, and Bethanne.) Today we meet Will Merritt.
Share This Blog Post to Win
FIRST WINNER CHOSEN! Congratulations to Katie Clark!
For every unique share of this blog post on your blog, Facebook, Twitter, or other media outlets, I’ll enter your name into the weekly drawing for a combination paperback and e-book of Becalmed.
We’re also having fun with ideas for actors to play the various parts. Come take a look at the Pinterest Board for Becalmed‘s Characters and let me know if you’d like to add a suggestion. I don’t see my characters this way, which is why I like faceless covers, but one of my readers, John Pelkey, sent in his offerings.
BECALMED’S CHARACTERS
Seventh up: Will Merritt
Will had it all. A beautiful, loving, and perfect wife named Nancy, who dreamed of sailing with him and their daughter Jilly. Work he loved as a mechanical engineer. And that precious child, their first-born.
And then his world collapsed when a drunk driver killed the love of his life. It’s been almost two years now, but he misses her more with each passing day, especially when Jilly does or says something that is so reminiscent of her mother. He sees Nancy in the toss of Jilly’s hair, in her “that would be lovely”—words Nancy used for so many things, always accompanied by that turn-his-insides-to-slush smile.
How on earth is he supposed to do this?
But he’s got to. He and Jilly are following the dream. They’re living on the Nancy Grace, and they’re traveling. Coping. Sometimes more than coping.
And he’ll allow no one, absolutely no one, to encroach on the world they’ve made for themselves.
Share this on your blog, Facebook, Twitter, or wherever.
For each unique link to this post, I’ll enter you in a drawing to win a paperback copy of Becalmed along with an e-version! I have ten characters to introduce. After each five, I’ll pull a winner’s name from the hat.
Giving away books at Becalmed’s Facebook Launch Party from authors Lorrie Thomson, Roseanna White, C Hope Clark, Kathryn Craft, Barbara Claypole White, and Robin Patchen.
(PS. In case the Internet thingies that are supposed to tell me of shares decides to fail us, will you also leave a comment and tell me where you shared this so you don’t get left out of the drawing?)
