Primary sources = connections

Earlier this month, I participated in a 'local author' event at Elk Lake Elementary. It was organized by the PTO and gave 7 or 8 of us authors a chance to connect with potential readers and others who love stories. Folks who attended the event wandered from table to table, browsing and chatting with the authors. For a couple authors, it was their first public event ever! Exciting, right?

Some of the author tables had only their books on display with the smiling author waiting nearby, ready and eager to discuss their work with anyone. Others had trinkets or manipulatives on display in addition to their books - reasons to engage longer at the table. Now I have no stats to back me up, but I suspect that folks who spend more time interacting with an author's materials are more likely to ask questions about their work, read the jacket back, and possibly buy the book.

Those who stopped at my table typically asked permission to pick up my 1930s camera and then engaged in a Q&A with me about it. The generation who grew up with digital photography is amazed at the mechanics of a camera from that era, the bellows, the hinged back, the spool, advance knob, and counter for the film (film??), and the general bulkiness compared to the cameras they're familiar with. Nothing like holding history in your hands to let you know how totally cool it is.

At other author events, I've also brought a 1938 Sears-Roebuck catalog, copies of photos I got during my research at the March of Dimes, the Library of Congress, and the Stadtarchiv in Munich, photos I took of various Munich settings in the book, and reprints of Nazi propaganda about Hitler Youth and the Tag der deutschen Kunst, the procession at the end of the novel.

Primary sources. Those materials draw people in and invite them to linger and chat. That's the best way I know to open a connection with a reader.

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.

The most frequent questions

I've had the good fortune to take part in a number of book signings, and I've presented my historical research in front of more than 100 people now. Audiences have varied in age and size, but I find I'm being asked three questions at almost every event. I'll try to answer them here in installments.

1. Did you always want to be a writer/ write a book?
As a young girl, I did want to write stories. Even then, I was fascinated by the way stories and characters stayed with me, and I wanted to be able to have my ideas impact other people that way. Experiencing a story for me has always been close to experiencing it first-hand - I feel emotions, learn lessons, cheer for heroic actions, and weep over sad endings. Through reading historical fiction and stories set in distant lands, I've come to understand that people through history and around the world are pretty much the same.
So yes, I did want to write when I was a kid. But I also wanted to be a ballerina and to travel the world in a hot air balloon. Turns out I'm a klutz and not fond of heights, so those things didn't happen. And even though I loved creative writing class in high school, I never pursued it in my college or career  plans. I went to college to learn a skill to get a job, not to pursue an interest which would I thought would never earn me a living.

Once my own kids were grown and I had time for personal interests, I found that I still liked to write. In fact, the more I did it, the more I liked it. No, I loved it. Now, a perfect day for me involves some coffee, a good dose of sunshine, and a couple hours of writing.



Next:
Why would a nice person like you write about Nazi Germany?

Thanks for the support!

I'm touched and delighted with the turnout for my presentation today at the Dietrich - 43 people! Friends from my church and work and neighborhood lives, from the Writers Group and the Theater, and even more amazing, complete strangers who dedicated an hour or more of their lives to come and listen. Some scooted out before I had a chance to thank them personally, but I truly appreciate the attendance of each and every one.

Sharing my journey as a writer is such fun. I hope venues like this lead to more opportunities!

A week of connections

I had the good fortune of participating in two author events this past week. On Tuesday evening, I met with a dozen or so teens at the Library Express in Scranton's Steamtown Mall. They are the Teen Action Board, a group of 12-18-year-olds who enjoy stories - reading them, creating them, and acting them out. They're even creating their own Mystery Murder Theater. So this smart and interesting group listened to my shpiel about how I came up with my story idea, how I researched it, etc. There were some great questions and some interesting discussion, mostly about the way that our own experiences and interests shape what we write about.

Then yesterday, I had a book signing at the same location. A number of old friends and fellow writers came by, a fantastic show of support which I deeply appreciate. Some folks who wandered in to the Library Express stopped by to look at the display of my research materials. That gave me a great chance to share photos of Munich, reprints of Nazi propaganda, my 1930s camera, and the other materials I used to immerse myself in the book's time and place while I wrote.

My favorite moments are when someone who doesn't know me wanders over to the display (often drawn by the incredible book cover by Michael Rausch), picks up a copy of Risking Exposure, and reads the blurb on the back. I watch their expression go from mild interest to a half-smile, usually accompanied by the raised eyebrows or the 'humh' that defines curiosity. It's a wonderful moment of connection. I look forward to getting more of those.

Another free e-book day!

Join people all around the world today only - download Risking Exposure to your Kindle for free! Next Saturday, February 22nd, I'll be signing (print) books at the Library Express at the Steamtown Mall from 11:30-2:00. Stop by to say hello!

On Tuesday evening, I'll meet with the Teen Action Board at the Albright Library in Scranton. This is a group of about 15 teens interested in stories - reading them, creating them, and sharing them. Sure, I'll share some of my historical research. But mostly I hope to get them thinking and talking about times and settings of interest to them. Victorian England?

Australia when it was a penal colony?

Ancient Greece?

Regardless, there's a lot involved in creating the backdrop for a
story and making it authentic.

The author needs to get a sense of the place, its smells and sounds, its mood, its management of everyday needs like school and commerce. The author also needs to get a feel for the time in history, the common language, the cultural norms and customs, the manner of dress and way of thinking that define an era. I'm rediscovering all that. I have begun research for another novel, the sequel to Risking Exposure. I continue to be fascinated by what it takes to act according to your own conscience despite what's happening around you. Like this guy.

Firsts

During the weeks since Risking Exposure was published, I've experienced lots of firsts. First sale, first review, first book signing ... all exciting moments I cherish. Well, this weekend I had a book signing at Duffy's Coffee House, a great family-run small business in Clarks Summit, and I had another 'first.' 

A girl named Stefanie about 12- or 13-years-old walked up with her mom and her brother, a copy of my book tucked in her hand. It seems that after reading about the book in a newspaper article, they ordered it online. Stefanie immediately read it and loved it, and when she learned that I'd be at Duffy's, she asked her mother to bring her there to meet me.

 





She looked through my photo album of Munich and listened as I pointed out various places I included in the novel. She checked out the 1930s Balda camera I used as the model for Sophie's camera, and we talked about our mutual interest in creating, writing, and history.

I've taken great pleasure in learning that folks I know have read the book and enjoyed it. They've written reviews and shared it with others, and I wouldn't have gotten this far without their support and enthusiasm. But I can't even tell you how thrilled I am that this young girl I've never met wanted to connect with me in person because of my book. That's a first I'll never forget.

Enjoying the ride

I've always enjoyed connecting with other writers, listening to their work, encouraging, sharing ideas and struggles. When I had my first magazine article published in Highlights High Five, several friends purchased copies and asked me to autograph my story. Ditto for my short piece in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Children with Special Needs - I gave signed copies to family and friends. But I had no idea how much fun it would be to sit at the "local authors" event at Barnes & Noble and have people ask me to sign copy of my book!

I shared the event with Wendy Tyson, author of two mystery novels which are both being serialized, and John Dziak who has edited and published the work of the late Dick Zborovian, capturing personal stories of miners' lives in Black Lung. Meeting them both was great - and they came with their own fan clubs which increased foot traffic for me too!

I had some amazing support. Long-time friends and neighbors Joanne and Tony Cantafio drove from Scranton for the event, just to be able to walk in the door and have me sign books they'd already purchased online. Gerri Misunas, a PT I worked with 30+ years ago, stopped in to buy an autographed book even though I haven't seen her in a decade. Nicole Decker, an old friend of my son's, drove over an hour to buy a book and have me sign it even though she works four miles from my house and could have stopped in there any time. Truly, I am blessed to have folks who care that much to go out of their way to offer support.

And get this - my fabulous book cover designed by Michael Rausch caught the eye of the cashiers at the front registers. Both of them came back and bought autographed copies of Risking Exposure for their own reading. I encouraged Michael to enter the cover design in a contest. It's that good, and he's that talented.

On Tuesday, I have the honor of attending a book club/dinner meeting with a group who read Risking Exposure as their October selection. I don't know what to expect. I'm just enjoying the ride.

What's working ... and not

I have a pay-it-forward and pay-it-back philosophy, so the business end of marketing doesn't come naturally to me.

But I've been fortunate on several counts -
-I live in a geographic area where the local newspapers are quite willing to run homespun press releases and grant interviews to no-name self-published authors like me. The Times-Leader, Wyoming County Examiner, and Abington Journal all shared my excitement with their readership, and I am grateful for that publicity.

-My friend and fellow Dietrich Writers Group member Hildy Morgan dedicated most of her weekly column in Advance to my book a couple weeks ago. She is an unbelievably generous, kind soul.

-I've contacted my local Books a Million and Barnes & Noble chains to see about getting my book in their stores. I learned that they won't order copies for their shelves because the publisher is print-on-demand and won't accept unsold copies as returns. That means potential readers have to order it through Amazon or through the customer service desk at the BAM or B&N store. So much for seeing my book on their shelves.

-BUT, B&N has local author signing events a few times a year. I'm signed up to participate in one this Wednesday night at 6pm in Wilkes-Barre. I bring the books to sell and I benefit from the publicity they've created.

-Hildy's book club read Risking Exposure as their October selection. I've been asked to come to their meeting on the 12th as they discuss the book. An amazing opportunity for me.

-I've been invited to do a brief presentation and a full-day book signing at Fort Mifflin on the Delaware on December 7th during their WWII re-enactment weekend. I've never been part of something like that before either.

-I've been invited to do a feature presentation and book signing at the Dietrich on March 9th, talking about the process of taking my book from idea to finished product. I'm donating a number of books to the Dietrich for that event, and anyone who wishes to purchase a copy can do so there at the retail price. That way, the Dietrich benefits $8.99 for each copy sold, a small payback to a non-profit which has supported my writing efforts for several years.