Thanks for dropping by my blog today. For fun, with Along a Storied Trail about to be released in eight short days, I decided to turn the floor over to Tansy Calhoun, my book woman, to let her tell you a little about herself and what she likes about being a packhorse librarian. So meet Tansy.
Thank you for letting me drop by and talk about being a book woman. If you read that quote there in that picture you can see how happy I am to be carrying books out to folks around me. But first let me ask you something. Have you ever had a dream of doing something that other folks thought you couldn’t do? Or maybe shouldn’t do. Could be you’re something like me and not right sure what it is you want to do but you know it’s something.
My pa said I got to thinking above myself. That I ought to have just latched onto the first fellow that came calling and been happy about that. I guess he thought I did something to chase off Jeremy and make him decide on Jolene instead of me. But we just weren’t a fit. We both knew it and I was just as glad he did go off and find somebody else instead of me having to turn him down. That would have upset Pa even more.
Pa thinks the books I want to read has given me ideas I should shun. That it’s made me think on romance too much instead of facing the reality of mountain life. I think he’s afraid I’ll either leave the mountains hunting for some impossible dream or end up an old maid with naught but books to keep me company. I’m not sure which worries him most. Ma, now, I know she’s afraid I’ll take off out of the mountains the way, my sister, Hilda, did. But Hilda and me, we never were much alike.
I do admit that in stolen moments, books take me beyond the mountains. They let me fly like an eagle to take in the view of other places and ways of living. That doesn’t mean I don’t want to roost right here where I am. I love the mountains. But that doesn’t mean I can’t hope some romance sneaks my way before I have to settle down. A girl can wish for that, can’t she?
But I figured romance could wait a spell once I got the packhorse librarian job. That was a gift for sure since it was a way I could help Ma after Pa left for the flatlands to hunt work. We don’t know if he found anything or not since we haven’t heard from him since. We were fixing to have to beg the county for help to keep eating which we sorely didn’t want to do when I hired on as a book woman. I became a traveling library on horseback taking books right up to folks’ cabins or to the schools.
Not that anything about it is all that easy. I ride out no matter the weather. Rain, snow or shine. The trails are rough. Sometimes I have to get off my horse, Shadrach, and walk beside him when the going gets too steep . He’s a game little horse. He’ll wade right into those creeks and tackle the iciest trail.
What’s that you’re saying? Oh, you want to know what I like best about being a book woman. Well, I won’t deny the money is needful, but I think the best thing about it is seeing the faces of the folks along my route when I ride up with some new books for them to read. Some of the folks had to sort of get used to me showing up at their cabins, but once they took a book or two, they were watching for me next time. Some of the time I can go in and sit awhile and read a story aloud to somebody who is needing a little boost.
I hate to say it but some of the folks along my route never had the chance to learn to read, but I have heard tell more than a few of them have used the packhorse library books to do some reading learning with the help of their kids and grandkids. Thinking about that make me extra glad to carry my books around.
Sometimes at the library room in Booneville we piece together extra books with pictures from magazines that are falling apart. Sometimes we paste the story from the magazine in there and sometimes we print out stories or poems that will go along with the pictures. Since the government doesn’t supply any books and we have to get them through donations and such, every extra book we make adds to what we can loan out.
What is that? You have another question? Now that question is bound to make my cheeks heat up. Some of you are wanting to know if I ever found that romance I was wishing for. I guess you might just have to ride along with me on my story trail to find that out. It’s all in that book, Along a Storied Trail. But here’s another something you can read to let you do some guessing about whether romance showed up on my trails.
Back to Ann
I hope you enjoyed meeting Tansy and that you will want to ride Along a Storied Trail with her. Some people are already reading the story and some reviews are trickling in. The graphic up top was a gift from Susan Snodgrass who also posted a review. Here’s a snippet of what she said, “I found myself invested in their lives as I let myself be carried away with the flow. Such wonderful characters and powerful emotions they had! I was captivated! I can highly recommend this one.”
Thanks, Susan, for that great recommendation. Reviews are always appreciated.
You can still do a quick pre-order at Baker Book House and get a nice discount or the book is available at most internet sites. Also, I’m sure your bookstore will get it for you if they don’t have it in stock.
You still have time to enter the book giveaway on Goodreads too although the time is counting down to the end of the month.
Last but not least, the winner of the giveaway here on my blog this week is Crissie. I’ve sent you an e-mail, Crissie.
I plan to send out a newsletter to celebrate release day and of course, there will be some kind of giveaway in it. And we’ll do something fun here. Maybe a mystery picture game to let you have a chance to win more books. So stay tuned.
Did you like meeting Tansy?
Comments 20
Author
Oh, please do highly recommend my story to your reading friends, Shirley. 🙂 I would so appreciate that. The very best advertisement for a book is still one friend telling another friend about a story they’ve enjoyed reading.
I hope you enjoy the rest of the story.
I love the name of the main character and her horses , too. I also like the idea of giving someone a boost by reading to them or any number of things. I adore your characters and their journeys in life. Keep the stories coming our way. I look forward to reading this and have preordered my copy. Can’t wait!
Author
Wonderful, Amy. Thank you so much for pre-ordering my book. I do appreciate that. I’m glad you’ve enjoyed getting to know some of my characters and following them along their story roads.
And I’m working to try to keep at least a few more stories in the pipeline.
family thinks end up an old maid with naught but books to keep me company……
Connection to Tansy already!
Author
You have me smiling, Megan. Glad to make a connection there. 🙂 Books can be good company.
I can’t wait to read about Randy and her adventures. I really enjoyed the stories about the nurses who went out by horseback to deliver babies and help the sick.
Author
We’re in a different county here with my packhorse librarian, Birdie. I could have stayed in Leslie County for this story but I was ready to take my adventure along some different trails. But Leslie County was one of the first, if not the first to have one of the Packhorse Libraries. Most of the other Eastern Kentucky counties jumped on board as quickly as they could. They wanted to have library services for the their people and if their people couldn’t come to them in town, they would go to them up in the hills.
Looking forward to reading more about Tansy! Great interview
Author
Wonderful, Ola. I’m always glad when you read one of my books.
I liked Tansy. I will be interested to read about her “romances” and all the other things also.
Author
While the book is about Tansy, it’s about a whole cast of mountain characters, Connie. I hope you’ll like all of them, even as one reviewer said, even the not so nice ones who maybe have a change of heart before the story is over.
I loved this one! I finished it last week, and I’m still thinking about the characters. I’m hoping they all keep tap dancing in the back of your mind too Ann, so we readers get another book or two about what happens next. I think others will agree that an Appalachian series would be as popular as your Shaker series and Hollyhill books (hint hint!)
You really brought out some strong characters, filled with faith in this one too. I love the way you include those small, but amazing miracles in their lives….what I call ahhaaa moments from God.
Loved the book quotes too….some of my favorites!
Author
I do appreciate you reading my story and leaving reviews, Lavon. So helpful to writers these days to have reviews posted in our internet world. I like the way you word that about the characters tap dancing in the back of my head. I already have a whole crew from several other books back there, so it could get a little crowded! Right now, none of those are Shakers, but I would like to revisit some other places.
I did have more about faith with some of my characters. That will probably get some complaints in reviews as too religious, but I let the story come how it wants and my characters wanted a close walk with the Lord in this one.
I’m four or five chapters into the book now and really enjoying it. I can see how bringing reading joy and just visits to the mountain folks would be rewarding, but I can’t imagine traveling though all that inclement weather, fording creeks, etc. to take books to the families. That took a lot of courage and fortitude.
Author
Well, Suzanne, it might not have taken as much courage for these mountain women used to the hard trails up in the hills as it would have for a tenderfoot like me. But it did taker fortitude for sure and endurance.
I’m so glad you are enjoying the story. That has me smiling. I hope you’ll like how it all turns out.
Just finished and loved the characters and the way you tell stories.
Can’t wait to read the next book!
Author
You’re so fun, Paula. If only I could write them as fast as you read them, but wait, that would be really fast. So that might be a little too much to hope for. I’m sort of a slow writer compared to many I know and faster than some others I know. I have done two books in a year, but one is usually my normal speed. I am just finishing up my work in progress. It will probably have an official name soon. My working title is When the Meadow Blooms, but just today I was thinking A Forever Home might have been a good thought.
I just love the name Tansy and the other characters. They touch your heart.
Author
Readers have liked my name, Tansy. My editor did too, and I’m glad you did as well, Margaret. My husband asked me tonight where I came up with the name, that he’d never heard it before, but I had no idea where I came across the name. But when I did, it seemed to fit.
I am about 2/3 finished with the book. Enjoying Tansy, Aunt Perdie, Caleb and all the other characters very much. Love all their names too! I would highly recommend this book. It’s a very enjoyable read.