South Carolina

Last weekend my book tour took me to South Carolina. When my publicist originally told me I’d be going to South Carolina for a weekend in January, I thought, “Fantastic! It’ll be WARM!” My Aunt Mary moved from Massachusetts to South Carolina ten years ago, and she’s always bragging about 70 degree days while we’re up here shoveling snow.

I arrived at Myrtle Beach last Thursday evening, and it was 36 degrees. So not warm. Ah well. I wasn’t there to sun bathe or play golf anyway.

On Friday, I was the Moveable Feast author at Pawleys Plantation. It was a great event, attended by about 150 people (mostly women, a few brave men). I talked for about 40 minutes and then opened the floor to a lively and fun Q&A (always my favorite part of book events). Thank you to Litchfield Books for sponsoring and promoting the Feast (they have a great lineup of authors this winter, including one of my favorites, Elizabeth Gilbert!

On Saturday, I had the honor and pleasure of being one of the panel authors at the Wild Dunes Author Luncheon. This event was also very well attended (about 150). The best part of the event for me was meeting and learning a bit about the other authors. Mary Alice Monroe, a passionate environmentalist and bestselling author, was our dynamic and gracious moderator. My fellow panelists were: Jeffrey Stepakoff, author of Fireworks Over Toccoa, Ann Ross, author of the Miss Julia novles, Tamar Myers, author of The Headhunter’s Daughter (among many others), and Diane Chamberlain, author of The Shadow Wife (among 20 others!). It was especially fascinating and reassuring to hear about each author’s writing process. Mine seems to be as methodical, mysterious, magical, and terrifying as everyone else’s.

On Sunday, I sat a small table with my Aunt Mary at the front of Barnes & Noble for an hour and a half. My friend, Doug, from college and a lovely woman from Facebook stopped by to chat and buy a book. Not exactly the crowd of 150 that I’d been spoiled with during the previous two South Carolina events. Ah well. I didn’t mind. Events like that keep you humble. And it was 60 degrees outside.