RE:Emily Arsenault

This morning I had the pleasure of attending an author event here in town. The author was Emily Arsenault from Shelburne Falls, MA who has a number of mystery novels available. She was signing copies of her newest suspense/historical fiction novel The Evening Spider today. She also did several readings from the book.

We're fortunate here to have a cozy new little indie bookshop that enthusiastically supports and promotes local and regional authors by hosting author events. They provide a cozy, intimate setting for readers to meet the author, discuss the book, hear readings from the book and then ask questions. The event ends with a book signing.

I purchased two copies of The Evening Spider this morning- one for me, one for my sister who didn't attend the event, she forgot, but she went later to check out the shop with my brother and they bought other books while there.

I have a number of future events inked on my calendar into November already! I've directed two author friends I've met at Articulture and READLocal to Bookclub bookstore & more! and both of them have upcoming author appearances booked (Gerald W. McFarland on September 10th for A Scattered People that includes some local history, and Marcy Robitaille for Wishing You A Goode Journey about how the death of her seventeen year old daughter has affected her and also changed the lives of six other people who received her daughter's organs through the organ donor program. One of the recipients lives locally and attended the READLocal event with Marcy.)

Anyway- I met an old friend there who is a researcher and writer. She's forming a new writer's group here in town and asked me to join. I will, quite happily. We had lunch after the author event, ran some errands together and then I got to meet her new bird Skittles! He's very colorful!!

Then I came home, opened The Evening Spider and began reading. Taking a brief break, I jumped online and bought four more of Emily's books, downloading them onto my nook for future reading. If they'd been available in the store I would have purchased them there but Emily said one was old and she wasn't sure if it was still available. Luckily it is still available in paperback and as a nook book. I didn't look to see if there is a Kindle version or not. Quite possibly there is!

Meeting another author is as big a thrill for me as for anyone else. Hearing where the story idea came from (an actual event in her life) hit home, because I always try to weave something from my real life into a book or story- it started as a game for my daughter. I'd hide a real bit of life in the story and she'd laugh when she found it! Emily wove this little bit of real life into her fictional protagonists story and then melded it together with a true crime story from the 1800's. The house in the story, although set in CT, is based on her real 1800's era home here in MA. You only get to learn things like this when you attend a meet & greet the author event and discussion with question and answer period following. It makes the author more real and gives you a better sense of where the book comes from.

As an author I simply ask that you support your local bookstores and authors by going to book signings and meeting the people who devote their lives to entertaining you by drawing these novels from their own imaginations, from history, from current news events, and sometimes from bits and pieces of their own lives! You very seldom get to meet the actors and actresses, screenwriters and directors who bring you great movies. Authors are far more accessible to the general public. Even if you download books onto an e-reader, go to an author event and say hello to the writer.

I'm so happy I went downtown and met Emily Arsenault this morning! It changed the entire course of my day!