An Evening With Thirteen Texas Authors

A week ago I had the gratifying experience of being publicly recognized as a novelist. I was among a dozen plus one Texas authors who were the featured guests at Lockhart’s annual “Evening With the Authors” garden party. 

For the past fifteen years a group of supportive folks have hosted this fund-raising event to help expand the book collection of Lockhart’s public library, the Dr. Eugene Clark Library.

The Clark Library building is itself a 116 year old historical landmark and the oldest still-functioning library building in Texas. The red brick building has a three-story-tall rotunda, a stage for performances, a balcony, lots of hardwood trim, and wooden study tables illuminated by old-fashioned reading lamps with green glass shades. How many libraries have a huge vintage stained-glass window featuring an open book and celebrating “reading”? 

The photo is son Ben and his wife Meredith smooching on the stage in front of the big stained-glass window the day after Thanksgiving last year when he proposed to her in the library. (She said ‘Yes!’)

For me, the Evening With the Authors event was my once-only opportunity to have the attention of friends and neighbors and revel in the new role of “local novelist.”

It was also a big deal to me to see my three Civil War novels stacked up on a table sponsored by Barnes and Noble Booksellers, next to the books of the other writers who were present. A fair number of my novels sold, which was also gratifying.

Once or twice a year I sell my Civil War books at Civil War reenactments, but the Evening With the Authors was different. I wasn’t competing with snow cone and kettle corn vendors, but with other recognized authors, and the 200 potential buyers were all people who actually like to read.

To top off the joy of the occasion, my mom, now 90, but still the sharp-eyed lady who took her three kids to the library every week throughout our childhoods, sat next to me at my author’s table. I was proud to introduce her as the person who started and nurtured my love of reading way back when. And of course, grandson Jackson had to make an appearance with his great-grandmama.

Naturally, there was of a spread of tasty rations and the ongoing popping of corks from many bottles of Texas wine to encourage conversation and the use of credit cards for folks to buy lots of books.

As to McBee III, I’ve shovelled through the snows of the first two chapters, the action in both chapters occurring in January in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia. I diligently strived to introduce the established characters to new readers without unduly retelling the story in Redeeming Honor and boring anyone who has read the first two volumes of the trilogy. 

Writers of sequels and “threequels” have to confront that issue from the first paragraph. And the final title won’t be McBee III, it‘ll be another honor title, unknown at this time.

This past week I read quickly through two fine new CIA spy novels focused on us vs. the new Russia under Putin. Both are real page-turner thrillers written by a man who spent over 30 years as a CIA operative, along with his wife. The books are Red Sparrow and Palace of Treason by Jason Matthews.

One of the two central characters in both Matthew’s books is a young, beautiful, competent woman spy into whose character outline I shamelessly colored in with shades of Faith Samuelson as I read. I think the two dangerous women have a lot in common. That means I like Matthews' lady spy.

Have a good week and READ SOMETHING for fun.