A bookity-book kind of week

Shh! Shh! I presented a session at The Alabama Library Association meeting at the Grand Hotel in Point Clear this week. Authors spoke and answered questions while seminars on just about everything library related were going on in other areas. I was relieved they didn’t use me as the bad example for overdue books. (what happens in the library stays in the library).

Here I am with the gang from the Foley Library. It must be a hoot to work with these ladies because they were sparkly and bubbly . . . just like Southern majorettes!

Earlier in the week, I met up with one of my favorite authors, Mary Kay Andrews, who was in town to dig, search and explore ideas for her new book that will be released in Spring/Summer of 2020. We poked around almost all of Baldwin County and it felt like I was with Nancy Drew of the literary world.

She’ll be releasing this year’s book, Sunset Beach, on May 7th and will speak locally at Page and Palette Bookstore on Saturday, May 11 at 2pm. Click HERE for when she’ll visit your city.

Beach novel research isn’t complete without a trip to the Flora-Bama, so in the name of literary exploration, we did our part to explore. Have you ever seen the TV show “Comedians in Cars?” We should have filmed ourselves for “Writers in Cars.” With both of us loving to tell stories, it was one after the other. Non-stop talk. Look, drive, watch, shop, eat, TALK — beach, gumbo, porpoise, boats, farms, antiques, libraries, TALK, cows, (radio station interview), “look at this.” “look at that.” Oh, and a bamboo forest. I just loved the day!

We also stopped by to say hello to Jenna Meon, a blogger friend who lives on Ono Island. Jenna has a great blog — The Painted Apron, about cooking and painting HERE. She’s a talented friend who just finished a cookbook and was so kind to invite us in, even after battling a terrifying tree frog all morning! (life on the beach — rough stuff!). So while these two talked about social media, I checked out Jenna’s fascinating wavy tile in her powder room.

How cool is this, especially when you are looking out the window at blue/green surf anyway?

And of course, the week of writing/books and authors wouldn’t be complete without a few little book related trinkets I found at the Library Conference, so, here’s what I discovered . . .

Connie Hulsey from Decatur, AL owns “Randomstuff,” which specializes in Bijou Bibliotheca Bobbles. Journals with blank pages inserted amongst the vintage book covers and original pages scattered throughout, pins, bracelets, magnets, etc . . . it was a book lover’s dream shop. And the typical Southern thing, she knows my people in North Alabama!

I purchased a Go Dog Go! Bracelet, because, I didn’t have one. I also found a pendant with “Blessed Assurance” so that had to be mine . . . glory divine. And ear-bobs with Scarlett O’Hara on one side and the adorable red-headed Tarleton twins on the other. Bless their hearts, we lost them in the war.

To contact Connie at Randomstuff, click HERE to see her web site. She said it’s been down for a brief time, but will be up running again soon, so if you can’t see it now, check back later.

And now, let’s all read a good book!