A writer spends a lot of time alone with her keyboard. Well, not exactly alone. She’s surrounded by characters. Sometimes those characters are chatty and ready to get on with their stories, and other times, the characters are obstinate as old mules in going through the gate of an author’s story. But in spite of the imaginary madness spinning around an author, she’s still the one staring at the computer screen or the blank page and wondering if the words are going to start flowing. It takes a long time for most of us writers to write a book. Some are faster at spilling out the words than others. Me, it takes me anywhere from six months to a year to write a book. Right now I’m hoping on the six month side since my next deadline is going to show up before very many more months go by. So that’s a lot of time alone with my keyboard.
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Actually I don’t mind being alone with my keyboard. I much prefer to write when I’m alone in my office and it’s good to be alone in the house without the distraction of a television in the other room or doors slamming. But most writers don’t live alone and we have to learn to adjust to a little interfering noise. I have heard of some writers who go check themselves into a hotel for a few days to get that alone I’ve-got-to-get-it-done time. I’d probably just be distracted by the noise out in the hallways then.
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But I’m not talking about writing tonight. I know, it sure seemed like it, didn’t it? But what I’m really wanting to talk about is our book launch at Joseph-Beth Booksellers. You see, a night like we were able to enjoy with our friends and family last night, well, that’s the reward for all those many other days sitting in front of that computer and trying to dig words out of our brains. Virginia (Ginny) Smith and I launched our newest releases – hers A Deadly Game with a KY background and mine Angel Sister with a Depression era KY background – at the best bookstore in Lexington, maybe the state last night. It’s the kind of bookstore where you can get lost in the stacks and wouldn’t mind staying a few days if they didn’t push you out at closing time.
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They have famous folks there all the time signing books. Now they’ve had me and Ginny. And we took advantage of the opportunity and had a great time. It was fun to see so many of our friends and readers show up and carry away some of our books. I posted a bunch of pictures on my Facebook page of both the night at J-Beth’s and the one at Corinth Christian Bookstore.
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And what a surprise to see Brandilyn Collins show up with her beautiful mom, Ruth. Ruth is in our Bluegrass Christian Writers Group. We’ve met twice at her home in Wilmore. She’s one of those gracious hostesses who makes you feel at home from the minute you walk through her door. When we grabbed Brandilyn for a picture with us, Ginny was worried she was making rabbit ears behind our heads, but she was actually pointing at us to show it was our event. She didn’t want to take our limelight. But I’m sure the people would have loved to hear Brandilyn talk too. Including me and Ginny.
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But we did the talking. So take a couple of writers and plop them down inside a two-story bookstore and hang a banner about their books up on the rafters with all the famous writers getting ready to show up for a signing in the next few weeks, and you’ve got a couple of writers who are glad they kept staring at their computer screens until the right words surfaced.
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One more Angel Sister book launch to go. This one’s a solo affair since Ginny has to be off to other fun events in other states. March 6 at 2 p.m. I’ll be doing a Hometown launch for Angel Sister at the Anderson Co. Public Library. But can you believe I forgot to check the UK basketball schedule before I picked a time? KY plays TN that day at high noon. Last game of the regular season! I should have known better. I mean we live in a state where brides don’t schedule weddings without checking the UK basketball schedule. Oh well, maybe there will be a few hometown readers who won’t care about missing the last few minutes of the ballgame and come listen to me talk about this new book.
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I’ll be drawing for my latest contest winner next week, but you still have time to enter. Check out the ways to enter on my Event page on my website. https://www.annhgabhart.com/. Thanks for reading.