Photos from a Book Tour - Part Two

Today I'll be sharing some more photos from my eight-day book tour with fellow mystery author Ann Parker. After leaving the Mount Princeton Hot Springs Resort Monday morning, we made our way to my home in Breckenridge, where we signed stock at Weber's Books & Drawings.

Tuesday, we drove to Ann's brother's home in Boulder, where we would stay the next three nights. That's when snafu number two happened. I left two hangers in my house that had my booksigning outfits on them, and all I had with me were a couple of nice tops and jeans and exercise pants. Ann's sister-in-law pointed me to a nearby thrift shop, where I found a cheap pair of black pants and a blouse to put together a couple of signing outfits. Then I arranged a rendezvous Thursday with my son, who would be returning to Denver from a couple of days of skiing in Breckenridge, to pick up the rest of my tour clothes from him.

Tuesday evening, we signed at Old Firehouse Books in Fort Collins. Fellow mystery authors Patricia Stoltey, Charlotte Hinger, and Cricket McRae were some of the folks who came out to support us, and they appear with Ann and me in the two photos below.



On Wednesday, we stopped at Who Else! Books in the Broadway Book Mall to sign stock and had a late lunch with Lauri Ver Schure, owner of Murder By the Book, and signed more stock for her. That evening we gave a presentation at the Highlands Ranch library and signed books provided by the Tattered Cover bookstore. Below is a photo of us with librarian Lisa Casper, who organized the event.

Thursday, I picked up my clothes from my son, and that evening we joined mystery author Michelle Black for a panel discussion and signing at the Oriental & Navajo Rug Gallery in Longmont, Colorado, organized by Cynthia Nye of High Crimes Mystery Bookshop. Below is a photo of Ann and me with Cynthia in front of one of the beautiful rugs.

Friday morning we drove to Leadville, Colorado for our last day of events. We presented a workshop at the Lake County Library in the afternoon and signed books at the Book Mine bookstore in the early evening. Below is a photo of us with two members of the Friends of the Library group who organized that event and provided goodies. We finished up the evening at my Breckenridge home again, and Ann caught a shuttle to the airport Saturday morning. It was a busy, whirlwind tour, but we enjoyed it all. Ann was a perfect tour buddy, and I'd do it all again with her!

Photos from a Book Tour - Part One

Last Saturday I concluded an eight-day book tour with fellow mystery author Ann Parker, whose historical mining era mysteries are set in Leadville and Manitou Springs, Colorado. Ann was promoting the fourth book in the series, Mercury's Rise, which was released in November, and I was promoting the November re-release of A Real Basket Case, though I think I signed just as many copies of Deadly Currents.

After flying in to Denver, Ann met me at the Denver Press Club Thursday evening, where we both attended a meeting of the Rocky Mountain Chapter of Mystery Writers of America. She rode back with me in the Colorado Springs carpool, and we used my Colorado Springs home as a base of operations for the next three nights. Our first event Friday evening was a wine, cheese, and chocolate signing at Black Cat Books in Manitou Springs, the setting for Mercury's Rise. The photo below was taken by Doris McCraw at the event.

Saturday we breakfasted with researchers who helped Ann with her book, then we attended an authors tea at the Pikes Peak Library for Mara Purl and Margaret Coel. Our own next event was a shift at the Pikes Peak Writers Fundraiser Booksigning at the Barnes & Noble Booksellers location in north Colorado Springs late Saturday afternoon. The first photo below shows us with Mark Stevens, who signed before us, and the second photo, taken by Doris McCraw again, shows Ann and I toward the end of our two hour shift, still laughing and having a great time. After our signing, we went to a launch party for my friend Donnell Bell's debut novel. A full day!



Sunday marked the first of two snafus that could have been disastrous. Ann and I loaded up my Prius with our luggage and books, and when I turned the ignition key, nothing happened. I looked up and saw one dome light burning dimly, so we had somehow left it on overnight and drained the car battery. AAA couldn't get there for at least 45 minutes, which would have put us in Salida, Colorado, our next stop, too late. So, we moved all of the stuff to my husband's SUV and used that vehicle instead for the rest of the trip. That made our gas cost higher, but we had the luxury of heated seats, too.

Unfortunately, we didn't get any photos of our "Constructing a Mystery" workshop at The Book Haven in Salida, probably because we were too busy having a good time and signing books. That night we gave ourselves the treat of a stay at the Mount Princeton Hot Springs Resort. We soaked in one of the hot springs pools until clouds moved in and snow started to fall. Then we had to come up with a quick exit strategy that got us out of the pool, dried off, into our snow boots and coats, across the bridge, down the stairs and around the corner into the bath house as fast as possible before we caught a chill. Being a "pantser," Ann said she did more planning for that run than she does when she starts a novel!

Tomorrow, I'll post more photos from the trip.

Road Trip!

Today marks the first day of an eight-day book tour that I'm conducting in the state of Colorado with Ann Parker, author of the Silver Rush historical mystery series set in 1880s Colorado that features saloon owner Inez Stannert. She'll be promoting her November release, the fourth in the series, Mercury's Rise, and I'm be promoting the re-release in trade paperback and ebook of the first book in my Claire Hanover gift basket designer mystery series, A Real Basket Case.

If you live in Colorado, I hope you'll be able to make it one of our events:

Friday, November 11, 6 – 8 PM
Wine, Cheese and Chocolate Signing
Black Cat Books
720 Manitou Avenue, Manitou Springs, CO 80829

Saturday, November 12, 4 – 6 PM
Pikes Peak Writers Fundraiser Signing
Barnes & Noble Booksellers
1565 Briargate Boulevard, Colorado Springs, CO 80920

Sunday, November 13, 2 – 4:30 PM
“Constructing a Mystery” workshop followed by signing
The Book Haven
128 F Street, Salida, Colorado 81201

Tuesday, November 15, 6:30 – 8 PM
Joint Signing
Old Firehouse Books
232 Walnut Street, Fort Collins, CO 80524

Wednesday, November 16, 7 – 9 PM
Presentation and Signing
Highlands Ranch Public Library
9292 Ridgeline Blvd., Highlands Ranch, CO 80129

Thursday, November 17, 7 – 9 PM
Panel Signing with Michelle Black for High Crimes Mystery Bookshop
at The Oriental & Navajo Rug Gallery
927 Main Street, Longmont, CO 80501

Friday, November 18, 2 – 3:30 PM
“Constructing a Mystery” Workshop
Lake County Library
1115 Harrison Avenue, Leadville, CO 80461

Friday, November 18, 5 – 7 PM
Joint Signing
The Book Mine
522 Harrison Avenue, Leadville, CO 80461

Now, here's a special request for all of my blog readers, regardless of where you live. Please pray/hope that it doesn't snow on us during our travels and that the roads remain dry and safe. Thanks!