Meeting the Author!

by Susan Roberts

I love to go to author events.  It’s great to get to know some of my favorite authors and to find out the ‘inside story’ about their books. Luckily, I live in an area with lots of indie bookstores within 50 miles, and all of them do events with authors both local and nationwide.  I was kind of nervous the first time I went to an author event by myself and was afraid that I would just sit quietly by myself.  What I soon found out is that when you put a bunch of book-loving women in the same room, they immediately bond over books and are soon treating each other like friends.  I’ve attended two fantastic events this month with two of my favorite authors and thought I’d tell you about them.   Question – Do you like to meet new authors and old favorites?  Do you go to author events?

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site.

KRISTY WOODSON HARVEY - Summer State of Mind

I drove 200 miles to Litchfield Books in Pawley’s Island, SC.  This bookstore does fantastic author events, and I always look forward to a few days at the beach, so it’s a real win/win for me.  Kristy’s new book was published in May.

After the worst day in her professional life, burnt-out NICU nurse Daisy Stevens runs to Cape Carolina, North Carolina, looking for a new life—and possibly a new romance. On her first day at her “simpler” job, high school baseball coach Mason Thaysden discovers an abandoned baby, sending ripples through the entire tight-knit town of Cape Carolina.

Mason is still struggling to reconcile the scars of the injury that kept him out of the big leagues, stuck in his hometown, and searching for a way out. This newcomer and the child they’ve saved together might be just the motivation he needs to stay put. Sparks fly as Mason acquaints Daisy with Cape Carolina, introducing her to his friends and family, including his batty Aunt Tilley, who is looking for relief from long-buried family secrets and her own fresh start.

But as Daisy becomes increasingly attached to this abandoned child and begins facing her own demons in the process, a startling discovery is made that threatens to rip the entire town of Cape Carolina apart, placing Daisy, Mason, and Tilley in the center of the storm. In a novel that proves that “Kristy Woodson Harvey is (the) go-to for elevated beach reads” (People), they will each learn that with love, understanding—and a community theater production of Hello, Dolly!—sometimes life conspires to bring us just exactly where we belong.

This is Kristy’s 12th book, and probably my 8th time seeing her at an event.  She talked to the sold-out group about the book and added some anecdotes about her family.  As always, it was a great event with a fantastic lunch, and I enjoyed talking with the women at my table.  

Buy Summer State of Mind at Amazon

MARY KAY ANDREWS - Road Trip

I saw Mary Kay Andrews in my hometown this week at an event put on by O’Henry Magazine, a local publication that highlights Greensboro, NC.  Mary Kay’s book ROAD TRIP was published in June.

Determined to uncover the truth―and desperately in need of the money―the sisters set out on a journey to Ireland, tracing their family’s roots and the origins of the portrait. What begins as a search for answers soon becomes something deeper―a reckoning with the past, as they uncover secrets that span generations and reshape everything they thought they knew about their family.

With tensions simmering, the two hit the road and find themselves on twisty lanes, in colorful villages, at local pubs, and with handsome men whose gift of the gab is surpassed only by their charm.

Can Maeve and Therese actually survive the journey without killing each other? Join Mary Kay Andrews on a road trip that will entertain you for miles.

Mary Kay has written over 30 novels, and I have seen her several times in the past.  She talked to the sold-out crowd about her family history and how it was an inspiration for this novel.  She also told us all about the road trip she made to Ireland with her best friend to do research for this novel.  As always, her talk was both informative and humorous.  It was a great event with a fantastic luncheon provided, and it was great to talk about books with the women at my table.

Buy Road Trip at Amazon

NOTE:  Reviews of both of these books will be available soon. 

Susan Roberts grew up in Michigan but loves the laid-back life at her home in the Piedmont area of North Carolina where she is three hours from the beach to the east and the mountains in the west.  She reads almost anything but her favorite genres are Southern Fiction and Historical Fiction.

Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts by following us. Get even more book news in your inbox, sign up for our newsletter today! Or Follow Girl Who Reads with Bloglovin. Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small commission is earned when purchases are made at Amazon using any Amazon links on this site. Thank you for supporting Girl Who Reads.