A fan, an interview, and a giveaway!

I had the great honor of being approached by an enthusiastic reader from Australia - dare I say it - a fan! Since Risking Exposure is on her personal list of favorite books of all time, she asked for an interview and for my permission to offer a giveaway on her blog. Of course, I said yes to both :)

So here's her blog, the interview, and the opportunity for you to win one of two free e-books. Have fun!

Contrast

While on vacation in Ocean City, Maryland last week with my friends Christa and Hildy, we decided to leave the car at our condo one evening and ride the 'Beach Bus.' For $3, we rode the 70 blocks or so from our condo to the boardwalk, then back again after dark. Better than the cheap ride (and the lack of parking fees) was the company we kept. The bus was chock full of people of all ages and races, couples and families, groups of friends and a few individuals traveling alone. Everyone got along, shared seats and jokes and tips about restaurants. We laughed when the bus stopped short, jolting those folks standing in the aisle. We groaned but then laughed and moved on back when taking on even more passengers seemed a physical impossibility. And the bus stopped every two blocks, cramming on more and more people until it began to feel like this. Almost.

But by unspoken agreement, everyone on the bus had reframed the discomfort into fun. We were on vacation and this was all part of the adventure. The temporary trouble wouldn't diminish our enjoyment.
A good side of human nature showing its face. Maybe that's part of why we enjoy vacation spots so much. We get to see people at their best.
The next day, a passenger jet was blown from the sky by a surface to air missile. Some person or persons finding their worst side and letting it dictate their actions, with horrific consequences.
The yin and yang of human nature shown to me inside 24 hours.

What brilliant, stupid creatures we are.

The recurrent theme: gatherings

Last weekend, Michael and I hosted a backyard celebration with a dual purpose - my mother-in-law's 90th birthday and his retirement from Misericordia. Over 70 people joined us for the afternoon of fun and food - a wonderful gathering of friends and family.

Then Anne Armezzani, a fellow writer (and beta-reader for Risking Exposure) invited me to take part in a multiple-author book signing as part of Clarks Summit's Second Friday Art Walk. Authors were housed in the old fire hall, which is currently undergoing a complete transformation. Soon the building will be called The Gathering Place, a community space dedicated to the support of local arts, community projects, and education.

Other authors who gathered for the signing were Gary Ryman, Patricia Thomas, and Suzanne Fisher Staples. Suzanne is instrumental in bringing The Gathering, an annual literary event, to Keystone College.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines gathering as: n. 1. an assembly or meeting, especially a social one. 2. a group of leaves taken together, one inside another, in binding a book.
The word is perfect for all of the above.