Wordless Wednesday: Jackson, MS

Just returned from visit and book-signing in Jackson, MS. While there, I had a chance to visit the Eudora Welty House. 

Welty House

I liked imagining Ms. Welty walking up her footpath. 

A Little Free Library on the grounds adjacent to Ms. Welty's home. 

Lemuria Books in Jackson. This is one fabulous indie bookstore! The famed giant hand holding a book that once stood
over the store's entrance recently fell off. A new one is in the making! 

At the signing table in Lemuria Books. I love that one of my literary heros, Hemingway, is in the background. 

After the signing, dined at the famed Mayflower Cafe in downtown Jackson. A scene from THE HELP
was filmed here, too. 

Teaser Tuesday - Wild Mind: Living the Writer's Life by Natalie Goldberg

"We never graduate from first grade. Over and over, we have to go back to the beginning. We should not be ashamed of this. It is good. It's like drinking water; we don't drink a glass once and never have to drink one again. We don't finish a novel or poem and never have to write one again. Over and over, we begin." - p. 9, WILD MIND, LIVING THE WRITER'S LIFE by Natalie Goldberg 

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Monday Morning Inspiration

In the past week, I've done THREE book launch events. Some part of me still can't believe that I am a person who is capable of talking to strangers about stories and writing and anything else they want to chat about. It takes a lot to stand in a bookstore, try and make eye contact with folks and then launch into a subtle summary about one's book and/or point someone toward the restrooms. I don't know if I'll ever get particularly good at it. This past weekend, my family came with me to the bookstore. My daughters don't mind hanging out around books for a couple of hours so we thought it would be fun for them. They are not that impressed with their mom, but I did see something new in their eyes this time. They'd seen me labor away, day and night, while writing COURAGE FOR BEGINNERS. And then they were witnessing me stand in a bookstore with the actual book on the table! Suddenly, all the awkward feelings of standing there washed away. They had watched for a couple of years as I pursued my dream and then they were there when it had come to fruition. If nothing else, I hope that seeing this experience causes them to BELIEVE that a steady mix of hard work and day-dreaming produce results.

Great love,

kh

Book launch party!

A few snapshots of my book launch for COURAGE FOR BEGINNERS this past Saturday!

COURAGE FOR BEGINNERS release day/giveaway

Hello friends,

I'm so happy to celebrate the release of my new book, COURAGE FOR BEGINNERS, today along with the Nerdy Book Club. Click on over to read my blog post and enter the giveaway. Two, signed hardback copies are up for grabs!

And if you'll be in the Plano, Texas, area this Saturday, stop by my first signing and say hello!

Great love,

kh