I love to write. But what I love even more than writing is meeting people who like what I’ve written. People who, dare I say it? Laugh at what I’ve written. Sure, there are authors who don’t dig the book promotion part of the program. But for me? It’s my favorite. My reward for the hours spent at my laptop, alone (save for a package of Oreos), and pulling my hair out by the handful. I love the signings and the readings and the parties (did someone say wine and cheese?). And the people.
But of course I’ve already said that.
Sorry. I repeat myself when I’m excited.
And I am excited. On Monday, August 1st, from 6-8pm, I will be at Salon Emage (51 East Lee Street, Warrenton, VA) and I hope, if you live in or near the area, you will, too. 500 Acres and No Place to Hide actually comes out the next day, so this is your chance to buy a copy ahead of the crowd. There’ll be music and wine and a mini petting zoo (complete with pigs! and maybe lambs! and Joyce the cow wearing pearls and pink hair extensions!). There’ll be door prizes and raffles and of course me wielding a big, fat Bic.
On Saturday, August 6th at 2pm, I’ll be at New Jersey’s premier book store, Bookends (211 East Ridgewood Avenue, Ridgewood). Again, if you live in or near the area, I hope you’ll be there, too. Bookends usually hosts celeb authors like Pete Hamill and Cathy Lee Gifford so maybe it’s a sign from God that I’m finally on my way. And not to Betty Ford.
Mark your calendars, tell your friends, and plan to come get your copy of 500 Acres. You can also buy a copy online and bring it to Salon Emage (but not Bookends; purchases must be made at the store, thanks!) and I’ll sign it for you.
See you in August.
Susan
Susan:
I just finished reading ‘Counterfiet Farmgirl’–I really appreciated it because, as you can tell from my e-mail address, I also live on a farm.
I am not a writer per say, but have often thought of writing my ‘mis’-adventures down–they sound so funny when I tell others about them, but don’t really have the writing gift you have.
I related to 90% of the book…….I used to work in Pittsburgh (you, New York), love shoes and wore awesome pumps (a tad less expensive than Blahniks, but we’re talking Pittsburgh, after all), and married a man that had invested in acreage north of the airport. I entered into Farm Life.
I have had so many similar circumstances to your book, that I would laugh out loud while floating in the pool, out to the field it looks into. Pulling quads and tractors out of the mud….hahaha!
Here’s one you didn’t have in the first book—we had a heifer giving birth a whole bunch of years ago (before we really knew what we were doing). The damn calf is delivering breach, i.e., wrong way! For hours this poor cow was walking around with two feet sticking out of its ass………
My husband relied heavily at the time on an old farmer friend of ours for advice (since, as I mentioned before, we didn’t know what the hell we were doing). They tried grabbing the legs, putting their foot on the cow’s butt, and pulling……in many variations. Nothing.
Finally, someone came up with the brilliant idea of wrapping a chain around the legs of the calf and pulling it with the tractor. Holy Sh–! I don’t know about you, but I could FEEL that myself! Men! The calf finally came out and fell on the ground……we had pretty much assumed we were losing the calf and that is why they used drastic measures. Amazingly enough, the damned thing lived, but surprise, surprise (Gomer Pyle, anyone?) the mama cow wanted nothing to do with it!
So, I learned how to hand-feed a calf. We named it Lucky, although now that I think about it, I’m not so sure it was appropriately named. After he was about 18 months old, he got stuck in some mud and died. Farm life is so damned brutal!
I am sorry about your husband. After reading the book, I feel like I knew him. You will miss him.
Good luck with your book release this summer!
Luci Ramsey, MBA
Instructor, Robert Morris University
Moon Township, PA 15108