Book Club ... with Poultry

These charming folks invited me to their book club last night.  I have to say, this is a lovely way to meet with a group (as long as it's of a manageable size.) 

We ate dinner ( two different lasagnas-- one with zucchini slices instead of pasta -- both delicious, a fancy salad with grapes and sugared nuts, and brownies and a marvelous lemony polenta cake with fruit and whipped cream.)

And while we ate, we talked about Signs in the Blood -- and I told them about the original ending to the Little Sylvie story, as well as how the story came to be.

This is fun for me -- I usually know the answers to the questions. And it was more like a group of friends having dinner than me Giving a Talk. 


And for an added fillip, there were baby ducks. And chickens. And dogs and cats. I really felt right at home.

These are baby Runner Ducks -- ducks kept for eggs, not for eating. They stand very erect and look like a covey of bowling pins as they wobble along after their mamas -- who happen to be two hens, one of whom brooded the eggs.
 

The neat thing is that this is a house in a wooded suburban development. Kim and her husband have a chicken house and a chicken tractor as well as lots of herbs and tomatoes growing in places where you might expect to see traditional landscaping.

I think Elizabeth Goodweather would feel at home too.

A Visit to Lake James and the Read Between the Wines Book Club

It's always a pleasure to talk about my books with people who enjoy reading. 

And when that pleasure is combined with a visit to a beautiful lake and wonderful hospitality . . .

As well as a chance to see a bald eagle guarding her nest . . . well, it makes for a rather special day!

Below is a web album with more pictures -- the pictures in the restaurant were by my hosts Steve and/or Janie.  As always, click on pictures to biggify.

Hell or Highwater

The skies were lowering and it was spitting rain when I set out for my meeting with the Hell or Highwater Book Club last Saturday night. In fact, it was the sort of evening that makes a body want to stay home and drink hot soup.

But I knew from their name that the ladies of the club would be there. And I'm so glad I went. Cloudy stormy evening are beautiful in these mountains and the autumn gold shows to particular advantage against the gray.

At the end of my journey I discovered a beautiful home, filled with art, an amazing studio hidden in the woods, and a charming set of women, ready to talk about my first book, Signs in the Blood.

Check out my slide show to see some of what I saw. . .