Winners of Land of Shadows drawing

I have good news for two of my readers. The book drawing for Land of Shadows is over and Priscilla Royal has generously agreed to donate two books. The lucky winners are Emily, who posted on March 1st and John Steffy, who posted on February 29th. Congratulations to you both; I am pleased for you and for your mother, Emily, and John, thanks for the kind words about Justin de Quincy. I hope to do another one of his mysteries after I finish Land Beyond the Sea. You can contact Priscilla by sending a message to her via her Facebook page or you can use the Contact Sharon feature on my website and I will then forward your e-mails to Priscilla.
Sad news today for those who enjoy good writing. Pat Conroy died yesterday, much too soon. His Prince of Tides is a truly remarkable creation. I was never lucky enough to meet him, but I do have a wonderful Pat Conroy story to share. Some years ago on a book tour, I was sent to an independent bookstore in St Paul, MN. After my reading, the book staff asked me to sign their wall, which was covered from top to bottom with signatures of other writers. They explained that they used to ask writers to sign a book, but when they asked Pat Conroy to do so, he said that was too boring, so he picked up a pen and with a flourish, wrote his name on one of the walls, thus starting what became a hallowed tradition. He will be greatly missed, but it is comforting to know that a writer will be remembered as long as people read his or her books.