Autumn 2008 Tour into Western North Carolina, Day 1

I rolled out of Raleigh about 6:15 Thursday morning 11 September, expecting a 3.5 hour drive to Boone. Drizzle made an inauspicious traveling companion. More unwelcome was the thick fog that lowered over Highway 421 just west of Winston-Salem. In … Continue reading

Autumn 2008 Tour into Western North Carolina, Day 2

Friday 12 September didn’t dawn bright and clear in Boone. That nasty fog still socked us in. Around 8:00 a.m., when I was ready to leave, Marcia got in her car and drove out ahead of me, like a pilot … Continue reading

Autumn 2008 Tour into Western North Carolina, Day 3

Lucy Doll and I had decided to cook a breakfast for each other. Saturday morning the 14th, I cooked steel-cut oats with dried cherries and blueberries, allspice, flax seeds, and walnuts. Usually I add some pure maple syrup. We tried … Continue reading

Autumn 2008 Tour into Western North Carolina, Day 4

Sunday morning, 14 September, Lucy cooked eggs scrambled with kale and bell peppers. You wouldn’t think of that combination for breakfast, but it was delicious. I’ve since tried it on my teenagers, and they like it, too. I left Burnsville … Continue reading

Catching Up

Wow! Hard to believe it’s been almost three months since I blogged. That’s pathetic, especially when I have so much to report. Here’s a portion of the bounty I received after winning the Chocolate Challenge. My total word count for … Continue reading

A Fabulous First Newspaper Review, Holiday Booksignings 2006, the Wrong War, and Quail Ridge Books

On Sunday 3 December, staff writer Ben Steelman with the Wilmington Star-News reviewed Paper Woman. The headline reads “N.C. Author Spins a Swashbuckling Good Mystery Yarn,” and here’s the online link.

“…almost enough swashbuckling to wind Capt. Jack Sparrow,” he said and later compared Paper Woman to Jimmy Carter’s The Hornet’s Nest: “…as an adventure writer, [Adair] beats our former president plumb hollow.” Several authors have commented to me that Mr. Steelman is a tough critic, one who doesn’t give many good reviews. Grasshopper is very grateful. And still a bit dazed.

Books-a-Million banner

At Books-a-Million in Wilmington, Paper Woman was already selling well. After Steelman’s review was published, the novel sold even better and is on their top seller list. Exciting for the first fiction offering from a small press! If you’re in Wilmington, stop in and see us at Books-a-Million on Oleander Drive. My publisher will be there every day except Sunday through Christmas, and my family and I will be there the next two Saturdays in 18th-century clothing. (Look for the redcoat and his lady.) The Books-a-Million greeters in their festive Who-ville/Grinch hats make every visitor feel welcome — and as a bonus, they offer coupons for holiday discounts.

House in the Horseshoe holiday decorations

Last Saturday, I daytripped to the holiday open house at Alston House in Sanford, NC. Also called “The House in the Horseshoe” because it’s situated on land within a horseshoe-shaped bend of the Deep River, the house and grounds, originally owned by Philip Alston, were the scene of an intense, morning battle 29 July 1781 between Alston and his patriot friends and loyalist David Fanning and his men. The house was shot through with musket balls, and you can still see the holes on the exterior planks. Alston’s wife, Temperance, became so fearful for her children’s safety that she hid the kids in the fireplace. Then she initiated a ceasefire by exiting the house and signaling for parley. The first weekend of August each year, this battle is reenacted with great flair.

In contrast to the activity of battle, the holiday open house focuses on how a colonial-era home might have appeared for Yule: evergreen, holly, ivy, and soft candlelight the primary visual delights, with the scents of cinnamon, oranges, and molasses cakes in the air. Decades later, Prince Albert would elevate Christmas into the mighty celebration we’re familiar with today, but our colonial ancestors mostly acknowledged Yule with serenity and quiet, commemorating the shortest day and longest night with a festival of lights and seasonal foods and foliage, in much the same fashion as people had done for centuries before them.

House in the Horseshoe holiday booksigning

Reenactors provided demos of musket fire and cannon fire and answered questions from visitors about their encampment. I tip my tricorn to those reenactors who spent the night; the temperature plummeted into the teens. Elizabeth Faison, the site coordinator, kindly allowed me to set up my signing table in the main room of the house, where the ambiance was cozy. She’d also seen to it that I received coverage in local papers, including The Pilot out of Southern Pines, and visitors who purchased Paper Woman informed me they’d read about me in the paper. That publicity, combined with the laminated copy of Ben Steelman’s review that I brought along, contributed to robust sales for me.

Just about every Revolutionary War event we attend, a spectator asks us, “What side are y’all on, the North or the South?” so we tell them, “Wrong war!” On Saturday, just down the street from my house, Mordecai Historical Park was hosting a Civil War reenactment. On our drive out to Alston House that morning, we’d navigated through a street congested with parked cars and spotted all the Confederate soldiers on the lawn lined up in gray wool uniforms, and the tents and campfires that look so much like our own campsites. When we came home late Saturday afternoon, the Civil War reenactors were still encamped at the park, and a dozen or so had clustered around a fire, trying to stay warm. We slowed the car to a crawl, leaned out the windows in obvious Revolutionary War clothing, and hollered, “God Save the King! God Save His Majesty!” They stared in shock at us several seconds until one of the guys finally hollered back, “Wrong war!” Exactly. We laughed the rest of the way home.

Quail Ridge Books promo

I’m delighted to announce that I’ll be appearing at Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh for a presentation and booksigning on Tuesday 9 January 2007. This will be my first author appearance in Raleigh. Quail Ridge Books is a wonderful independent bookstore.

Thanks to Ben Steelman, the gang at Books A Million, and Elizabeth Faison. Happy Holidays to everyone!

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Another Visit to Morehead City

I daytripped a signing with author p.m. terrell on 18 November at Dee Gee’s Gifts & Books in Morehead City, NC. Just off Bogue Sound and surrounded by seafood restaurants, this independent bookstore is a “must-see.” Upstairs and downstairs, it boasts an assortment of unique gifts and engrossing books for visitors and residents of the cozy, historic beach community. The store has been in business for decades, survived hurricanes, and relocated at least once to a less vulnerable spot. Currently, owner Doug Wolfe has it decorated for the holidays, including a dazzling upside-down Christmas tree loaded with one-of-a-kind ornaments. Thanks to Doug and the folks at Dee Gee’s for the opportunity to sign books in a shop with such charm and character.

Before arriving for my 1 p.m. signing, I stopped at the Webb Memorial Library for lunch. Originally, I’d planned to pop in and say hello to all the librarians who had been so helpful at the Crystal Coast Book Festival last month. But those wonderful librarians weren’t about to let me breeze in and breeze out. They’d organized a lunch for all of us in one of the comfy reading rooms of the library. We ate a delicious meal, chatted, and enjoyed each other’s company. In Grasshopper’s humble opinion, the opportunity to develop long-term friendships with librarians all over the map is one of the greatest perks of the job of “author.” Many thanks to Sandy, Sherrill, Betsy and Betsy, Pam (who was about to become a grandmother), Sherry, Norwood, Corinne, and everyone else for making me feel so welcome!

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Revolutionary War Days 2006 at Camden

Acrobat at Revolurtionary War Days

Traditionally, the November reenactment in Camden, SC is one of the more well-attended for reenactors and spectators in the South. It always draws a variety of sutlers — merchants who sell period items such as wool fabric, clay pipes, wooden bowls, horn spoons, pewter buttons, and jewelry — plus artisans who demonstrate period crafts, such as candle making and blacksmithing, and entertainers, such as this acrobat. I enjoy strolling Sutler Row at Camden, and it’s dashed hard to keep from spending money there because everyone is so friendly and helpful.

Saturday morning, 3 November, the panel discussion on non-traditional roles of women and girls during the Revolution (Leslie Sackrison, Dr. Christine Swager, and me) went smoothly, as if the three of us had done the panel together several times before. It was also well attended. The State, one of Columbia’s newspapers, gave us publicity in the 2 November edition. Joanna Craig of Historic Camden wants us on the schedule for Camden 2007 and will try to generate more interest among the general public. Redefining the role of women in history is a timely idea. It’s a theme touched on by many historical fiction authors, such as Mary Sharratt. At the conference for the Historical Novel Society 9 June 2007, I will be on a panel discussion about this topic. How exciting to be in the forefront of this “wave.”

I missed seeing the battle on both Saturday and Sunday. I was selling and signing books. But I heard the battles both days went well, and from the sounds of the cannon and musket fire, the reenactors on the field were putting on their usual entertaining show for spectators.

Remember, remember the fifth of November,
Gunpowder, treason, and plot.
I see no reason why gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot!

Suzanne Adair and Guy Fawkes

For my family and me, one of the high points of Camden each year is the Bonfire Night celebration on Saturday night. Bonfire Night is a fine, old British fete celebrated by colonists even during the Revolution to commemorate Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot. (Guy Fawkes was one of a group of conspirators who tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament with kegs of gunpowder 5 November 1605.) If you think our Guy looks a bit worn out, it’s because he’s been tortured a bit.

Carrying "the Guy"

This year, my sons received the honor of carrying the Guy to the bonfire as we processed through the camps. Imagine torches in the night, drums beating, and a mob chanting, “Treason! Burn the Guy! Kill the Guy!” Perhaps that’s why British expatriates elsewhere in America are apt to have the cops called on them by American neighbors who mistake their jollification for a bit of backyard human sacrifice. The Camden cops don’t even bat an eyelash at us — some of them are even reenactors — and didn’t stop the Guy from being tossed onto the bonfire, where he ignited, along with all the fireworks planted within him, to provide us with a thrilling show. For an interesting twist on Bonfire Night, check out Carola Dunn’s mystery, Gunpowder Plot.

After the fireworks, Historic Camden treats reenactors to a feast of heavy hors d’oeuvres in the candlelit dining room of the Kershaw-Cornwallis house. (The house is named for Joseph Kershaw, owner in 1780, and Charles Lord Cornwallis, who briefly occupied the house in 1780.) Because there’s 18th-century dancing afterwards, some reenactors trot out their finest period clothing for the night, and this is where you see elegantly-attired men and women in velvet and lace. One fellow pulled out all the stops: white wig, black satin suit, loads of lace at his throat and wrists, black shoes with red high heels, and a painted-on mole beside his eyebrow. He looked like Mozart.

Fan rules

Women used the positioning of their fans at dances in the 18th century to communicate messages to potential suitors. Here’s a list of some of the signals and interpretations. The comedic theater got a lot of mileage out of misinterpreted fan signals. After a few drinks, it’s easy to forget (or pretend to forget) what signal means yes and what means no.

I admit to being a “Ramada Ranger” for this event and not camping out. By the time we left the dance, the ground was already covered in frost, and I just couldn’t envision sleeping in sub-freezing temperatures in a British Army tent as benefiting my booksignings every weekend through Christmas. Gotta vacuum the straw and grass from the inside of my car and air it out to dissipate the smells of wood smoke and burned black powder. Business as usual after a weekend of reenacting fun.

Here’s a Huzzah! for my family for helping with the mechanics of the booksigning. And another Huzzah! for Joanna Craig for providing me with the opportunity to participate on the panel and sell more copies of Paper Woman.

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The Cape Fear Crime Festival (CFCF) 2006 and the Sophie Barton Room

CFCF, held in Wilmington, NC, the weekend closest to Halloween, is a regional conference now in its sixth year. Proceeds from the keynote dinner Saturday night benefit the Guardian ad Litem program, which acts as an advocate for children in … Continue reading

The Crystal Coast Book Festival 2006 and Three Magical Surprises

Not long ago, the Webb Memorial Library in Morehead City, NC was in danger of closing. Thanks to the Crystal Coast Book Festival, now in its second year, that won’t be happening. This gem-of-a-library, located in the historic area of Morehead City, is in a 1930s-era building that used to be a house. (Or was it two houses?) Individual rooms within the library, each furnished differently, hold specific collections of books, such as fine arts, fiction, and classics. There’s a piano in a room upstairs and a ghost who wanders throughout, and although I didn’t make the acquaintance of the latter, I never before met a library imbued with such charm and quaint personality.

Friday 20 October was the big fundraiser day. Proceeds from luncheon workshops and themed literary dinners benefited various local libraries, including the Webb Memorial Library. I participated with five other mystery/suspense authors in a dinner called “The Mysterious Affair at the Waterfront” at Captain Bill’s waterfront restaurant. Each author sat at a table, and during a course, conversed with guests at the table. Authors switched tables every fifteen minutes or so. Later, we talked before the group about our work and signed books the guests had published. And the view of the sunset was stunning.

Magical Surprise Number 1: One of the dinner guests, librarian Pam Janosky (Hi, Pam!), was about 7/8ths finished reading the library’s copy of Paper Woman, and she liked it so much that she’d been stumping for it. She’d drummed up interest in several other librarians, and they were queuing up to read it. Wow! Grasshopper is humbled and amazed. My first fans!

Reading from Paper Woman at the Crystal Coast Book Festival 2006

Saturday 21 October delivered cool, autumn weather and clear skies. At 9:30 a.m. in the Reading Room of the Webb Memorial Library, I read from Paper Woman and made a presentation on the extraordinary courage of ordinary people in the Revolutionary War. Thanks to all the folks who turned out to hear me so early in the morning — and who purchased books from me afterwards.

Magical Surprise Number 2: Toward noon on Saturday, the stack of books my publisher sent sold out, necessitating my supplying the bookseller with additional copies from the stash in the trunk of my car. Tough break, eh?

Magical Surprise Number 3: When I arrived home Saturday evening and checked email, Lesa Holstine, a librarian from Glendale, AZ, had posted a very favorable review of Paper Woman (and my first review) to her blog as well as to the Dorothy-L discussion list. Sunday morning, she posted a version of her review on Amazon.com. And she gave me five stars. Thank you, Lesa!

Last weekend, I found myself answering some of the same types of queries I’ve received all along. Wasn’t it unusual for women in the Revolutionary War to run a business like a printing press? Would women in 1780 really have done the sorts of things my protagonist Sophie Barton did? Look for me to address these questions in a future blog entry.

Thanks to the Crystal Coast committee and the staff at the Webb Memorial Library for the opportunity to participate in the book festival.

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