Last weekend was beyond special to me! The book launch for “Secrets in the Hollow” was held at the Hudson Valley Writers Center in Sleepy Hollow. The facility is right above the Philips Manor Train Station and the room felt very evocative, lined with dark wood and windows that look out onto the Hudson River. My whole family and some extended family celebrated with me, as did some high school classmates, and even a few strangers, now friends. Seeing the water, hearing the train bustling and whistling, and listening as my grandchildren sold my books were treasured moments.
My eldest daughter, Megan, interviewed me after I did a short reading. Megan’s questions were thoughtful as she encouraged me to speak about my process and character development. Megan has so much experience as a trained actress, podcaster, and third-grade teacher, and knows me very well. I loved this interaction with her.
My process is not conventional. I write lots of scenes/vignettes, many times writing to prompts if they make sense in the story. Then I arrange, rearrange, add . . . I am sure it would be a very frustrating method for a writer who needs to outline. I think that’s a major hurdle I had to jump over; I could not write in a typical fashion. Once I accepted that, writing became easier for me. Not that writing is ever easy! But I wasn’t trying to fit myself into a traditional route.
My excitement about the book launch started when I called the Hudson Valley Writers Center about renting the space. After quoting me a price, the director asked me why I needed the space. When I told her, she said, “Oh, you’re an artist! You can have it for this price!”
“Oh,” I said. “I’ve never been called an artist before!” It was thrilling and I rented it on the spot! It was the perfect spot to begin my author’s journey.
Next time, I’ll write about my family meeting The Bronze Lady!
‘Til then,
