Thursday, June 21, 2012

Book Signing at Barnes & Nobles, Redding, CA

Another successful book reading and signing, this time at the colorful, busy Barnes and Nobles in Redding, California. The day started early as we had to leave our home at 6 A.M. to make the reading on time.  Getting a pre-teen and teenager out of bed at 5:45 in the morning at the start of their summer season was not the joy you might imagine it to be. But, they were not overly cranky and collapsed into the backseat to return to their slumber before we hit the freeway.  They even put up with the dog between them!  Good kids.

We slid in to the bookstore parking lot ten minutes before I was to read.  There were about a dozen three to four year olds politely waiting to be read to--I chose to start with my favorite picture book, 'Where the Wild Things Are'.  Gnashing my teeth and helping Max be the King will never stop being fun.  After reading two books, one of the youngsters told me it was time to read 'his book', so I started in on Hey Little Baby.  Kids are naturally drawn to the lively, playful illustrations by Genevieve Cote. Captivating children through picture books will always make me happy.

After the reading and signing, my family and I went camping at Whiskeytown Lake.  Since living in the cool fogs of the Redwood Forests of Humboldt County, I was smacked with the reminder of what it is like to function in supreme heat.  But the lake was so refreshing, it counteracted the severity of the weather.  And waking up to the sound of birds and chipmunks, with a view of pine trees and forests, well, that is just wonderful.

The ride home was peaceful and smooth.  Of course, camping laundry and grocery shopping await me. Everyone had a great time, except for the cats stuck in the house for two days. They did quite a lot of yelling at me when we arrived.

In three weeks will be the next craft time, signing, and reading at The Stork's Nest in McKinleyville, California. I'm looking forward to working together with the owner, Crystal.

In the meantime, I'll be working on the sequel to Hey Little Baby and the Young Adult Novel I have finished the rough draft to, about a teenaged girl with telepathic powers living in an overly controlled world. I love to write stories!

Monday, June 4, 2012

Tree House Children's Bookstore in Ashland, Oregon

What a literary treasure this bookstore is!!! A warm and welcoming staff, loads of books for children, and located right on the plaza in the beautiful town of Ashland.  I was delighted to be a part of this store's experience for an afternoon of signing and meeting both tourists and locals.

Lady Jane, the owner, is kind and fun with a magical charismatic air. To be around her gives the feeling of being cared about, and that there just might be some magic afoot in the neighborhood! She is the quintessential owner of a children's story place in a town that highlights Shakespeare.

Christina, worker extraordinaire, knows which book will please and interest customers of all ages. We got to chatting for a bit and discovered we had lived near each other in southern California, attended the same school, and even went to the same spiritual center at different times. It was like we were living parallel lives in a different time dimension--straight out of the Twilight Zone!

It was a wonderful visit as I was also able to spend time with long time friend, Kaiyo Racine, owner of Sacred World in Ashland.  Driving up the northern coast of California and then across the southern edge of Oregon is breathtaking in the beauty presented at every curve.

Great trip, great signing, great friends--new and old!