Laurie's best blog attempt...
With dragons.
Spellbound in Asheville
Last Wednesday I visited Asheville, NC, the setting of The Last Dragon Charmer series and home to fantastic local bookstores. I partnered with the magical Spellbound Children’s Bookshop for an author visit at Hall Fletcher Elementary, and I have to thank Spellbound and the school and students for a warm welcome.
I have to mention, Hall Fletcher has a great media center and beautiful murals on the school. The shine like sun rays.
Spellbound’s new location is at 640 Merrimon Ave. There is a large new book area and a great classroom and used book room as well. (And the shop is just above The Hop ice cream shop. Did I mention at the store event there was a delicious ice cream cake? Well, they’re was.
Of course, I also had to buy a few books while I was there. I got an autographed copy of Sound by Alexandra Duncan and two great books for my niece and nephew.
Spellbound’s new shop is great! I had a wonderful time, met some wonderful people, and got some great books. Check out the new shop if you’re in Asheville. Not only are there great books but they also have cool events for kids and teens. And, I lest I forget, there are also autographed copies of VILLAIN KEEPER and QUEST MAKER available.
Novels and Novelties in Hendersonville, NC
I visited The Fountainhead Bookstore (soon to be renamed Novels and Novelties) in Hendersonville, NC on Monday. (Okay the picture below is from an earlier visit on a sunnier day.) Monday it rained and rained. Despite the weather, the visit was great. I always feel welcome in Hendersonville and the bookstore is full of books and charm. I did a store event, a podcast with local author Ken Butcher, and later met for a delicious dinner with the tween book club.
Along with sword fighting and book talk, the store had a contest for ‘Best Dragon Art” and the winner, Ruth, drew an outstanding dragon!
If you’re in Hendersonville, make sure to stop by The Fountainhead Bookstore (soon to be Novels and Novelties) for cool books, great people, and neat gifts.
Happy Groundhog’s Day. QUEST MAKER Releases today!!!
QUEST MAKER, book two in The Last Dragon Charmer, is available today. Check it out at: Amazon, B&N, HarperCollins, Indiebound or ask about it at your local Indie bookstore.
So far – fluffy-ish white dog Sally is enjoying it 😉
Reading in the cold
The East Coast is being throttled by Winter Storm Jonas. The road in Durham is iced over with an inch or two of sleet. There is some snow mixed in there, too, for flavor. I have POWER though. Electricity is the best. Sleet is much better than freezing rain when it comes to that.
My dog Simon – who will be sixteen in February – is spending the snowstorm curled up by the fire.
Me – I’m catching up on my reading! First, it’s the THE DISTANCE BETWEEN LOST AND FOUND by Kathryn Holmes. Afterwards, I’m going to start on BOUNDERS by Monica Tesler. Then, PAPER WISHES by Lois Sepahban. Snowstorm reading is the best reading – especially while beside the fire with an old dog.
Happy New Year 2016
May 2016 be a year of dancing and books and all things good.
QUEST MAKER Goodreads Giveaway!!
HarperChildren’s has put up a #GoodreadsGiveaway for a chance to win one of 5 advance copies of QUEST MAKER, The Last Dragon Charmer #2. Click here to enter. Woohoo!
Awesome Asheville
This week I went to visit two great schools – Asheville Middle and Joe Eblen Intermediate – in Asheville, NC. Then, on Saturday, I met up with Constance Lombardo, author of Mr. PuffBall, Stunt Cat to the Stars, for the Day of Signings Event at Malaprops Bookstore.
All and all it was a great weekend!
Hooray for Alexandria, VA!!
I visited lovely Alexandria, VA recently. While there, the amazing HoorayForBooks set up several school visits and share some about my book VILLAIN KEEPER and my Last Dragon Charmer series. It’s a great book store with a large children’s section but also some adult books, too. The owner, Ellen, recommended a book – Ricky Ricotta – that my niece and nephew love. So hooray for Ellen. And Hooray for Hilary who set up the visits for me 🙂
The schools were all different and all interesting. The students asked great questions. At every school, at least one person asked me if I drew the dragons. Sadly, I can’t take credit for that. That honor goes to Eric Deschamps. One cool thing, a few days after the visits I received a nice pack of cards from the kids of Alexandria County Day School.
And book three of The Last Dragon Charmer is titled….
REALM BREAKER (The Last Dragon Charmer #3)!!! The title still could change but I don’t *think* it will. I’m revising REALM BREAKER now. I got a great editorial letter from my editor and good input from my agent, so my brain is full of ideas. IDEAS! Lots of then. Thanks to Jocelyn and David for those. I feel a bit overwhelmed, too, but mostly feel sparkly and amazed that I’m working on book three! Honestly, I don’t know how I managed to write three books.
I have lots of work ahead of me. I have to edit and think and make the draft better. There is so much work to do. So much work to do. That’s how I feel at the beginning of a revision, or a draft, or a story. Writing is hard! And fun…definitely fun, too. But also HARD…
