Partying with Reading Friends

I live for watching TV and partying with my book club. ~Lauren Lapkus

Lauren Lapkus is a comedienne and that makes me pretty sure this was intended as a joke.  I’d be joking if I said I lived for watching TV since the local news and some ballgames are about all that have me tuning in. However, when it comes to my book party, I can go along with the last of her quote and say I love “partying” with my reading friends. That’s sort of like partying with a book club.

I had a good turn-out which had me smiling. Every time I plan one of these Hometown Book Parties, I wonder if anybody other than my sisters and husband will show up. I make bunches of cookies and buy chocolate without looking at the prices, dress up some neat door prizes in cute gift bags, and pack up a pile of books and all the while, I’m wondering if anybody will actually show up to listen to me talk about my books. So far, I’ve been blessed with some people showing up to listen politely while I talk. Most of the time, they even laugh when they are supposed to and don’t when they aren’t supposed to.

This year I had some reading friends who have come to almost all of my book parties since I started having them after my first inspirational novel, Scent of Lilac, came out in 2005. Our wonderful librarian at the time, Ann McWilliams, was so supportive of my writing efforts, and she made it easy for me to do a book talk at the library. As best I remember, she even made some brownies or cookies for the event.

While I had already had thirteen books published, two general market historical romances and eleven books for middle readers and young adults, before Scent of Lilacs, I had gone through a dry spell and hadn’t had a new release for almost five years. I wasn’t sure I’d ever write another story that would grab an editor’s eye. So when Lilacs did, I was very excited. On top of that, the setting for the book was based on my hometown and the story was inspired by my memories of what the town was like in the 1960s.  So, when I did have that fourteenth book published and in my hands, I wanted to celebrate. Who better to celebrate with than my hometown readers and where better to celebrate than at the library where I had fed my love for books and reading for so many years.

It seems hard to believe that almost twenty years ago have passed since then. After that book found an editor who liked my writing, I remember being optimistic and counting up how many more years I might have to write and how many more books I might get written before I got too old. I don’t remember what number I came up with, but I’m pretty sure I have kept going longer than I thought I would and have had more books published since then that I thought I would. And I’m still ready to try for a few more.

It’s funny how your view of this or that age changes through the years. At twenty, everybody over forty is old. At forty, that old age mark gets changed. Then when you get to an age where you thought a person that age was ancient when you were that twenty or forty, you realize you can keep chugging along.

And as I proved Saturday, sometimes you can keep having book parties. I appreciate those who have supported me through those years, not minding when I told some of the same stories the way I did again yesterday. But I had some fresh ears who had never heard those stories and besides, I never say exactly the same thing. I did talk about my new book, The Pursuit of Elena Bradford. My idea for the talk was to share about what sparks my ideas for some of my books. But since there were so many people there I didn’t know and who showed up for my talk without knowing me, I did give some of the background of my writing beginnings.  I talked.

They mostly stayed awake. We ate cookies and drank tea. I signed a bunch of books that people carried home with them. We had a good time. At least, I hope they did since I know I did. After all,  you’re supposed to have a good time when you are having a party, aren’t you?

Do you like finding out about a writer’s writing beginnings?  Or how they get ideas? 

If so, maybe I can do a post about one of those or both of those. If you were one of those at my book party yesterday, thanks for coming. If not because you are too far away or for whatever reason, thanks for reading my posts here.  You’re the best.