Update on Haunted

I’ve now had a number of different events to support Haunted’s launch and many photographs to share.

I’m a month away from the final draft of Betrayed (Book 2!) going to my editor. She liked the draft I sent her after my perilous journey into snow country to work on it, and now I have the chance to make the changes I’d like to make, incorporate her suggestions and take the opportunity to embed any hints for Book 3.

I also…glee…have the cover for Betrayed to share with you all in a little bit!

Here’s some of the Haunted event photos:

My book club from Morgan Hill

First of all, my reading at Booksmart in Morgan Hill. I love this bookstore, run by Brad and Cinda, who are so good to local authors (and local authors who move away! ha!). It was so worth the trip to come back to my old stomping grounds and reconnect with these fantastic book club women. My heart is with them for all  we have been through and shared with each other. I need a big heart emoticon here: <3

My relative Gary Parsons

I was so excited Gary Parsons came to the reading. He’s a huge genealogist and especially for researching our shared ancestors, Cornet Joseph Parsons and his wife Mary Bliss Parsons, who was twice (and perhaps even thrice) accused of witchcraft. We had a great time talking and I’m so appreciative he took time out of his day to come support another Parsons family member!

With my friend Jacki

With author buddy Jordan Rosenfeld

A special word about Jordan–she came to the reading despite feeling awful. She even introduced me and it was clear she was not feeling great, but nonetheless gave a wonderful introduction. (Later, Jordan ended up having scarlet fever in a separate illness–any of us who love Little Women know the one-time solemnity of that diagnosis…look into Jordan’s face and see the seeds of Beth in there…) You can see I’m holding a book in that photograph; it’s Jordan’s craft of writing book called A Writer’s Guide to Persistence. I’d be proudly holding it up regardless to support my friend whose writing I admire, but I’m also proud to say I have a brief essay in the book about how I persisted to get Haunted published through multiple (and I mean multiple) years and drafts.

I’m distressed I don’t have a photo with my friend Ashlee and me alone (she’s second from left in the standing row of the book club photo). She created an after-party for me in the evening with an incredible array of hors d’oeuvres and wine, and it was blissful to hang out with friends and even meet some new people! Love to you, Ashlee, and to Natalie Martinez, who was going to let my family sofa-surf until we decided to just make it a day trip. I’m so deeply appreciative of your friendship, my dears!

This post is getting pretty long already, so I think I’ll post separately about the reading in Oakland and the Mokolumne Hill reading. Any of you who are reading Haunted now, I’d love it if you’d take a moment to post a review on Amazon or Goodreads. I’ve been told that on Amazon, a writer needs 50 reviews to have any sort of legitimacy, and I’m now at 26. I hope to be “legitimate” soon! LOL. Another way you could help would be to ask your local libraries and bookstores to carry Haunted. It’s all about word of mouth and grassroots at this point for authors…I appreciate all your help!

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