Today at a women's Bible study meeting I sold two books. One copy of Secrets and one copy of Cold Case: Sleeping Dogs Lie. The ladies made the mistake of asking me to talk about my writing. (insert hanging head). I answered their questions. One liked the poetry book because you can see what my writing was like in my teens and early twenties and what my writing was like as I matured. All in all it was nice.
After lunch one of the other ladies and I helped with dishes. We were asked by the hostess to stay a bit. She talked about how South Carolina came to have the only tea plantation in the United States. There is a real story there. It would require lots of research, but I cannot take it on until the Macy series is complete. I know there are at least two or three more books in that series. Two for sure.
Tomorrow night I have a blogtalk radio interview with Barbara Hodges at Red River Radio No Limits. If you know anyone in California, they can tune in at 3pm PST. (That's 6pm our time). The interview will be the longest one I've had and there will be call in questions from listeners. Hopefully I will not make a fool of myself.
For those awaiting the release of Crossing the Line....all I can say is soon. I am awaiting the Library of Congress information and copyright for the front of the book. Then it will be done and ready to go to the printer. Once I have a proof copy, I can take orders.
As soon as I get my computer back on Thursday, I can get back to work on Sanctuary. I don't expect that one to be out this year. I will be sending it out for review. I have a list of reviewers to send it to. I am ready to get back into to it and see where it will take me. I am also mulling over where book four, Something Borrowed, Something Blue will take me. I hope to work on it while Sanctuary is being reviewed, so there will not be such a long delay between books.
I am also awaiting a book from a new author. I am excited to work with her and get her conspiracy thriller off the ground. It has wonderful potential. It will be exciting launching someone else's career. I am networking to find places for book signings and radio interviews. I am learning to write press releases.
Seems as though I'll be busy for a while.
TTFN
Wow! You are one busy writer! Congratulations on the two sales. I'm a big believer that we build our reader-fan base one book at a time. I wish I could write as many books as you're doing. That's quite an accomplishment!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Darlene. While I know there are at least two more books in the Macy McVannel series, I had previously written three novels. I cannot keep up with what is in my head. I have a short story I want to get into an ebook and I see several short stories coming out of Sanctuary. I just cannot seem to write fast enough. I do have a life outside of writing. It's great to be retired.
ReplyDeleteI toured the tea plantation before it got off the ground as they asked my federal agency to help finance them, buying the place from Lipton, I believe. As an ag major, I discussed the teas with them, how "American" tea means it has to have 51% of the tea blend from the US. But the soil and environment of Wadmalaw Island is conducive to those teas (which look like many of our common shrubs). The place has changed hands and managers a few times since then, but yep - there is a history. There is also Tea Farm in Summerville, not far away, where a tea plantation was attempted over a century ago, and the houses there sill have tea plants in the yards. That's where I grew up. I LOVE SC history. It's why I planted my books in rural South Carolina.
ReplyDeleteHope Clark
www.chopeclark.com
Hope,
ReplyDeleteThe plants for the tea plantation on Wadmalaw Island came from Dr. Shepard's tea plantation in Summerville. I've toured the tea plantation. The woman I spoke with worked there when it was first getting off the ground and then again later when it changed hands. It was her knowledge of the history that I was working with. I'd like to spend some time researching it, but it will have to wait at least a year before I can find time in my schedule.
Becky