Grasshopper is grateful! Ann Parker, author of the
award-winning Silver Rush historical mystery series, has provided me with the
following outstanding cover blurb for The Blacksmith’s Daughter:

The Blacksmith’s Daughter is a ripping good read! Suzanne
Adair weaves an irresistible tale of intrigue, adventure, and passion,
featuring spies and counter-spies, crosses and double-crosses, and brings the
American Revolution to life through the eyes of spirited Betsy Sheridan.

For the last month, I’ve been focused on working the second
draft of book 3, Camp Follower. I finally turned it over to my editor. During that time, I also had three author appearances.

Tuesday 31 July, I made a presentation at the Cary Public
Library (Cary, NC) and talked briefly about courageous Southerners during the
Revolution. But since I came dressed in period costume and brought my costumed
family with me, we spent most of the time answering audience questions about
reenacting, period clothing, and the Revolutionary War. This is one of the most
pleasant types of appearances for me because I get one-on-one with folks in the
audience. They enjoy seeing my children in costume, participants in the
educational experience of living history. Plus they get a kick out of seeing
Carl in his redcoat uniform with his musket and bayonet. How thrilling to
discover that attendees had read Paper Woman in advance and were eager to find
out when The Blacksmith’s Daughter will be released. (Just a few weeks more,
folks.) Many thanks to Karen Kiley. Not only did she set up this event, my
first within the Wake County Library system, she was instrumental in the
library’s acquisition of copies of Paper Woman. And she provided snacks for all afterwards. A pleasure!

The annual House in the Horseshoe battle reenactment at
historic Alston House near Sanford, NC is held the first weekend of August. My
family and I daytripped on Saturday 4 August. High temperatures were in the
upper-90s, and no afternoon rain shower cooled us off. But there are plenty of
tall, gorgeous shade trees on the property and a variety of sutlers and period
entertainers, so as usual, we had fun. In addition to booksigning, I shopped — ack! — and parted with my coin over a length of
red wool, to become a military sleeved waistcoat for my older son, at Ninety
Six District Storehouse’s booth, and later, a few bars of lavender soap at the Garden of
Eden Specialty Soaps booth, sutlers who are new to reenacting.

On my blog entry about
my 2006 holiday booksigning at House in the Horseshoe, I detailed the site’s
battle scenario and Temperance Smith Alston’s role in calming the hostilities.
Mrs. Alston is one of those courageous Southerners that I talk about at
presentations. My gratitude to Elizabeth Faison at House in the Horseshoe for
providing reenactors with a beautifully maintained site, year after year.

Each year at House in the Horseshoe, there’s a mid-afternoon
tea party for reenactor ladies beneath the shade trees. Sutlers and artisans
donate door prizes. This year, I won a "backwoods" chatelaine,
donated by Jon Williams of Saint Augustine Textiles. On the chatelaine, worn at the waist,
the 18th-century woman hung keys to the sugar and salt chests plus sewing
implements such as scissors and needles. Reenactor ladies splurge and wear the
dainty silver chatelaines more appropriate for a townswoman wearing a polonaise
gown. But women of the backcountry wore boned jackets more often than polonaise
gowns to give them flexibility in the upper body. This backwoods chatelaine is
the perfect accessory for my "everyday" reeanctor clothing.

At the Brattonsville reenactment in July, there’s also a
reenactor ladies tea party every year and donated prizes. This
year at Brattonsville, where I attended only as a reenactor and didn’t have a booksigning or
panel, I donated a copy of Paper Woman for a door prize, and I won a lovely
necklace crafted by Randy and Lina Brooks. The Brattonsville tea party is
planned and executed each year by the talented ladies of Common Knowledge.

Sunday 5 August, I was privileged to be on a panel of women
suspense authors, the final author panel of Cameron Village Library’s summer
adult program (Raleigh, NC). With me were Diane Chamberlain, Virginia Kantra,
and Patricia Terrell. We each write a different kind of suspense, so it was fun
exploring the similarities and contrasts. We also discussed writing, the
publishing industry, and upcoming releases.

Although the library made our books
available for checkout, all copies of Paper Woman were already in the hands of
patrons. Very exciting! Quail Ridge Books was on-hand to sell our books. Thanks
very much to Robert Lambert at the library for pulling together the event for
us, and thanks to Eileen Batson for the photo of me.

Up next: a booksigning at Musgrove Mill’s anniversary
celebration near Clinton, SC on Saturday 18 August.