Not long ago, the Webb Memorial Library in Morehead City, NC was in danger of closing. Thanks to the Crystal Coast Book Festival, now in its second year, that won’t be happening. This gem-of-a-library, located in the historic area of Morehead City, is in a 1930s-era building that used to be a house. (Or was it two houses?) Individual rooms within the library, each furnished differently, hold specific collections of books, such as fine arts, fiction, and classics. There’s a piano in a room upstairs and a ghost who wanders throughout, and although I didn’t make the acquaintance of the latter, I never before met a library imbued with such charm and quaint personality.

Friday 20 October was the big fundraiser day. Proceeds from luncheon workshops and themed literary dinners benefited various local libraries, including the Webb Memorial Library. I participated with five other mystery/suspense authors in a dinner called “The Mysterious Affair at the Waterfront” at Captain Bill’s waterfront restaurant. Each author sat at a table, and during a course, conversed with guests at the table. Authors switched tables every fifteen minutes or so. Later, we talked before the group about our work and signed books the guests had published. And the view of the sunset was stunning.

Magical Surprise Number 1: One of the dinner guests, librarian Pam Janosky (Hi, Pam!), was about 7/8ths finished reading the library’s copy of Paper Woman, and she liked it so much that she’d been stumping for it. She’d drummed up interest in several other librarians, and they were queuing up to read it. Wow! Grasshopper is humbled and amazed. My first fans!

Saturday 21 October delivered cool, autumn weather and clear skies. At 9:30 a.m. in the Reading Room of the Webb Memorial Library, I read from Paper Woman and made a presentation on the extraordinary courage of ordinary people in the Revolutionary War. Thanks to all the folks who turned out to hear me so early in the morning — and who purchased books from me afterwards.

Magical Surprise Number 2: Toward noon on Saturday, the stack of books my publisher sent sold out, necessitating my supplying the bookseller with additional copies from the stash in the trunk of my car. Tough break, eh?

Magical Surprise Number 3: When I arrived home Saturday evening and checked email, Lesa Holstine, a librarian from Glendale, AZ, had posted a very favorable review of Paper Woman (and my first review) to her blog as well as to the Dorothy-L discussion list. Sunday morning, she posted a version of her review on Amazon.com. And she gave me five stars. Thank you, Lesa!

Last weekend, I found myself answering some of the same types of queries I’ve received all along. Wasn’t it unusual for women in the Revolutionary War to run a business like a printing press? Would women in 1780 really have done the sorts of things my protagonist Sophie Barton did? Look for me to address these questions in a future blog entry.

Thanks to the Crystal Coast committee and the staff at the Webb Memorial Library for the opportunity to participate in the book festival.

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