Working the grapevine...

Today was a good day. A long day, and a tiring one, but overall pretty good. The best part...I got to really start spreading the word about my book. How, you might ask? Enter the Book Club Ladies.

For those that don't know, I part of my job is coordinating and hosting our library's monthly book club meeting. We meet at the end of every month to discuss our latest book and catch up on things. My group is made up of about a dozen or so older women...some are retired teachers and the like. They're all a part of various social groups in the community, and essentially know most of the county's residents. Anyway, they like to talk. To everyone.

And today, they found out that I wrote a book.

It went like this. I had the proof copy of my book sitting at my seat during the meeting today. I hadn't told them I was writing, because I wanted to be sure I could finish it first. Anyway, towards the end of the meeting, one of the ladies notices the book and asks to see it. Sure, no problem. They start to pass it around and I hear comments like...this looks interesting...sounds like it would be pretty good...oh, it's part of a trilogy! Then I realized something.

They didn't know I had written it.

One of the ladies, the mother of my high school typing teacher, asked if the book was mine. I told her it was, not thinking anything about the question. Then she asked if I'd read it! Folks, I wish you could have seen the expression on her face - and the others - when I told her that I didn't need to read it, because I'd written it! That's when the questions started...why I use initials in my pen name, when will it be available, would they be able to read it and so on. I answered their questions, happy that they were excited for me. I figured word would get out through the small town grapevine...I just had no idea how quickly. An hour or so later, my high school typing teacher (who's a regular at the library) came in and mentioned it! So I'm thinking that our next meeting will be very interesting, since it happens just before the book launch.

And I'm also thinking...these ladies may be the key to really getting my book out there! :)

Till next time,

H.C.