The Next Best Book Club discussion
Author/Reader Discussions
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The Mapmaker's Children - Author/Reader Discussion
Constance wrote: "Thanks so very much for your warm and detailed messages, Sarah. I feel like I've been sitting at your side with a cup of that pekoe/matcha tea, a dog or two at our feet, perhaps rain outside, havin..."In spirit, you are in that EXACT place, dear friend. (Welcome to my virtual couch anytime, any day, always.) ☕︎❤︎
Yes, trust yourself to trust your characters. Always follow the story's heart and never, never give up.
xx
Georgette wrote: "Susan wrote: "Sarah, the book festival was an amazing experience! How can you not love to be at a place where you are surrounded by books: people talking about them, reading them, carrying the, buy..."Welcome, Georgette! So glad to have you at our online chat party! The dress is librocubicularist: fuzzy pajamas, cups of tea, pets, and crazy clips holding back our sweaty bangs all encouraged.
Deborah wrote: "Thank you Sarah for a great discussion. I feel like I am at your house, drinking tea and having a wonderful time. You are a very special friend and I look forward to many more discussions. I signed..."Thank you for following my Read-It-Forward posts, Deb! I pray you enjoy! I have a new "What We're Reading" coming out in November with a Thanksgiving-ish yumyum theme. Because you all know I love a book-n-recipe combo! Stay tuned... ☺︎ Sweet dreams tonight and happy weekend.
xo
Georgette wrote: "Susan, 2 Days ago Delaware Governor Jack Markell posthumously pardoned Samuel Burris a Black Conductor on the UGRR. After reading your book this news story was all the more touching and alive. Th..."
Oh, that is so fascinating and WONDERFUL. *Raising a fist* Power to the contemporary people to never give up on the past and thus, make the future better! ☆
Thanks for sharing that UGRR news, Georgette! Happy weekend to you, lovely lady.
Susan wrote: "I am in a chat with a FB book club, and 3 of us just named you as a favorite author.(they were also jealous of me!)"SUSAN! I'm blushing honored. You are too loving for words. I'm thumb-hugging your Goodreads profile picture this very minute. Thank you!
What FB book club are you in? I love book clubs!
Happy fall weekend! I hope you have some delightful plans in store with your sweet hubby. Please say hello to him for me, too. ☺︎
I want to thank you for taking time to discuss the book and answer questions. I am going to read your other books now. I have been talking to my book club friends about reading your books as well. Please keep writing more and more.
That particular FB book club was Reading with Robin. We were discussing The Sparrow Sisters with the author. Eileen Herrick. I also belong to the One Book One book club on FB, which is moderated by the wonderful author Catherine McKenzie. In One Book One, Catherine chooses a book every month, and we discuss it over 2-3 weeks. A lot of authors are in this book club, too, and we have the most amazing discussions! A piece of heaven every Sunday night!
Sarah, if you ever start a Facebook book club let me know I would love to join! You are such a joyful lovely person and a great author.
Mod
Sarah,
At what point in your life did you realize that you wanted to be a writer? Was there any one person who was an immediate influence on that decision?
Susan, thanks for the info about your FB book clubs. I didn't know there were book clubs on FB. I'm going to check them out!
Constance, I'm sure there are more, but these 2 are really fun!
Susan wrote: "That particular FB book club was Reading with Robin. We were discussing The Sparrow Sisters with the author. Eileen Herrick. I also belong to the One Book One book club on FB, which is moderated by..."I am a member of Robin's book club also. Didn't read the Sparrow Sisters unfortunately. I am very behind on my NetGalley books.
I haven't read The Sparrow Sisters, either, but it's on my TBR list!
Constance wrote: "Susan, thanks for the info about your FB book clubs. I didn't know there were book clubs on FB. I'm going to check them out!"Yes, yes, yes! I'm trilling at all this book-reader clubbin' lovin'. As Susan and Deb said, there are heaps of online book clubs, including our illustrious The Next Best Book Club host here! I highly recommend you joining as many as you can. You can always decide which books you want to read in a given period. Meanwhile, you'll meet new friends in every group!
Robin's Reading With Robin group a personal favorite Facebook group. Robin being one of my dearest friends in the book business. Strike that--she's not a friend--she's FAMILY to me. Truly. We've known each other for years and she hosted THE MAPMAKER'S CHILDREN release party at Brown University in Providence this past May. It was spectacular. She is spectacular! Please do go check her out, Constance, and tell her I/we sent you. ;)
Chris, I'm frequently invited onto Reading With Robin to chat so if you want a great Facebook book club, that's a wondrous place to start! Also, if you'll pardon my continue crow-- Robin throws the most star-studded author parties in the nation and she's got a podcast chalked full of delightful interviews. So definitely tap into her so you can hear and see more literary fun. Here's her website: http://robinkall.com. Enjoy!
❤︎❤︎
P.S. Eileen Herrick is lovely! As is her THE SPARROW SISTERS.
Since I'm giving you all the exclusive "uncensored" Sarah-- only available here on TNBBC Goodreads chat party--and probably for the best of the universe... I'll let you know that I'm sitting here talking to you all and watching The Lawrence Welk Show on PBS. How great was this variety show??? We don't have this kind of awesomeness in today's programming and I, for one, would love to see it come back. I just watched Ken Delo's rendition of "Gigi" that had me swooning. Now the Liechtensteiner Polka is playing and I couldn't be in a happier spirit this fall evening. Thanks for being part of it, TNBBC friends! ♡
Robin is great, and I wish I could get to RI for some of her parties! I loved watching Lawrence Welk! I especially loved the Lennon Sisters when they were on!
I met Arthur Duncan on a cruise. We were six ladies and he had his wife with him. He was so sweet. He even kept up with us afterwards and he got us all tickets for a play he was in. I am sure you know he was the first black tap dancer on the Lawrence Welk show. He was a fabulous dancer.
Lori wrote: "I love watching this conversation expand... what a great discussion going on!Sarah,
At what point in your life did you realize that you wanted to be a writer? Was there any one person who was a..."
Hey Lori-- I know, it's hard to believe we have only one day left of our TNBBC chat party. It's been FAST and furiously fun!
You know, my momma claims that she always knew I would be a writer. I made my first "book" in preschool. It was just a page folded over with a crayon-colored cover and scribbling inside. And I think I always knew I'd do something with writing but I didn't hear the booming calling to be an author until after college. Before then I thought I wanted to go into theater arts (despite being a horrible actor with horrible stage fright), public relations (despite being an introvert and feeling totally depleted after every PR gig), international business (despite loving my home comforts), journalism and finally, the Heaven's knocked some sense into me and I saw the light: English, writing, books. That's when I decided to quite my day job as a Public Relations coordinator, give up my solo career girl apartment in Richmond, VA, and move to be a full-time graduate student working all day, schooling all night, and up to my eyeballs in loans. My MFA time tested my will and fortitude, and after I graduated that intense program, I knew this was the only thing I could do for the rest of my life. Writer or bust.
In terms of naming someone who had an immediate influence on that decision... I must give credit to my mom. She's a primary school principal who just got her PhD in education. Point: she knows child development. She knows from years of watching & teaching how to guide children toward their natural aptitudes. I must credit her with guiding me, even when I was stomping my 17-year-old foot telling her I wanted to audition to be an actress at Juilliard. Even then, she gave me truth, "You have to have TALENT in a given area to go to Juilliard, Sarah!! And you are NO actress."
She was right. I have no filter. I have no masks. I'm incapable of falsifying or pretending to be anything I'm not. It shows all over my face, in my voice, in the very way I breathe. Ha ha! What I didn't realize then but do now is that I was devoted and passionate about characters--about understanding them, portraying them genuinely, and having an audience (readers) share in knowing them with me. I was a writer, even then, and my momma saw that. I'm eternally grateful she was not the kind of mother who stroked her children so they "felt good" about themselves, even if their "feel good" was foolishness. Some might think that harsh but I needed a reality check. It helped steer me down the right path instead of wandering aimlessly in artistic dream.
After her, my mentors in at Old Dominion University's MFA program were my writing angels. Sheri Reynolds and Janet Peery, to put name to their loveliness. They both are master craftswomen of storytelling. I learned so much from them: that it's more than just writing. It's more than words, grammar, sentences, and wanting it. There's more... there's magic, grace, and inexplicable blessing that goes into being a published author. Some things can't be taught. They require endless hard work. But some things can't be muscled no matter how hard we push. Writing stories is a symphonic process. A subjective balance and uniquely each author's orchestration that lasts for a lifetime.
I thank all those people who believed in me through the writing dark and the light. Their faith inspired me to have faith, too.
✧✐✧
Chris wrote: "I met Arthur Duncan on a cruise. We were six ladies and he had his wife with him. He was so sweet. He even kept up with us afterwards and he got us all tickets for a play he was in. I am sure you k..."Yes, he was just on!!! I started dance classes when I was 3 years old and did ballet, lyrical, and tap until just before I started high school. I tapped my way around for YEARS (this particular dance devotion was inspired by my singular obsession with Shirley Temple, mind you). Totally appreciate and love watching Arthur Duncan. Again, I sigh and wonder, "Where has all the good talent programming gone??"
I'd love to see dancers, singers, comedians, etc. all on a 1-hour variety show again. I used to watch this show (Lawrence Welk) with my dad at my Oklahoma Mc-grandma's house. She used to give me lemon drop candies during the programming so whenever I watch it now, I smell and taste them...
Susan wrote: "My husband says hello, Sarah. "☞For your hubby: "Hello, lucky gent with the beautiful supermodel poised and smart as a literary whip wife. Happy Saturday!"
Hi Sarah dearest, do you get to choose where you go on your book tours? I hope to see you again with Robin, that was a great night for all! I am closer to Providence than Boston, even though I am a sassy massy! If you do have input on your book tours will you choose Providence or is it always different? xo
Susan wrote: "Our vet is fairly certain it's benign, although we won't know for sure until next week. She's such a sad little thing now, and I'm certain that she is not happy with me since I took her to that pla..."P.S. Susan, how's our sweet fluff-o-pup CASEY today? Feeling better post-op? ❤︎
Sarah wrote: "Susan wrote: "My husband says hello, Sarah. "☞For your hubby: "Hello, lucky gent with the beautiful supermodel poised and smart as a literary whip wife. Happy Saturday!""
:)
Sarah wrote: "Susan wrote: "Our vet is fairly certain it's benign, although we won't know for sure until next week. She's such a sad little thing now, and I'm certain that she is not happy with me since I took h..."You are so sweet to ask! Casey is doing just fine! She's back to her happy, peppy self! She's just not happy that it rained all day, not because she hates the rain (she goes out in it all day), but because she was missing her twice-a-day walks!!
Deborah wrote: "Hi Sarah dearest, do you get to choose where you go on your book tours? I hope to see you again with Robin, that was a great night for all! I am closer to Providence than Boston, even though I am a..."And I really wish you'd come to San Antonio! I keep waiting for authors to include us on book tours, but I guess we are a literary wasteland down here!! I sent my daughter to a book-signing with Lisa Scottoline in Dallas earlier this year! I am lucky that you were at least in Austin last week!!
Sarah wrote: "Lori wrote: "I love watching this conversation expand... what a great discussion going on!Sarah,
At what point in your life did you realize that you wanted to be a writer? Was there any one per..."
I have so enjoyed getting to know you better her during this chat!1 I love that you really put yourself out there for us, and truly, you are delightful!! I look forward to many more chats with you in the future, wherever you might be!
Susan wrote: "Deborah wrote: "Hi Sarah dearest, do you get to choose where you go on your book tours? I hope to see you again with Robin, that was a great night for all! I am closer to Providence than Boston, ev..."Maybe I will come to San Antonio one day. My brother, one of the many, lives in Katy, Texas. I loved you in Providence as well. If I had enough money I would go to every book tour! Sassy Massy xoxo
Susan wrote: "Deborah wrote: "Hi Sarah dearest, do you get to choose where you go on your book tours? I hope to see you again with Robin, that was a great night for all! I am closer to Providence than Boston, ev..."Susan wrote: "I haven't read The Sparrow Sisters, either, but it's on my TBR list!"
I won't participate in a discussion if I haven't read the book yet. don't like those spoilers you understand, I am sure.
Susan wrote: "Deborah wrote: "Hi Sarah dearest, do you get to choose where you go on your book tours? I hope to see you again with Robin, that was a great night for all! I am closer to Providence than Boston, ev..."I wasn't in Austin.
Sorry, Deborah, that comment about Austin was supposed to go to Sarah, not you. :)
Susan wrote: "Robin is great, and I wish I could get to RI for some of her parties! I loved watching Lawrence Welk! I especially loved the Lennon Sisters when they were on!"I used to call them the "Lemon" sisters when I was young. Every time we visited my grandparents in Oklahoma we all sat on their gold and green floral sofa and watched Lawrence Welk. And a one and a two....
Is Sarah coming on tonight or are we finished?
Deborah wrote: "Is Sarah coming on tonight or are we finished?"Ha-ha. I'm here for our final evening together, of course! It's Sunday so... I'm a church-going & Sunday dinner type girl. I've been on tour so much the past many weeks that this is my first Sunday I was able to have some choir, peace, and smoked Texas barbecue supper. Forgive me for not being on earlier, sweet friend.
Chatting now and answering questions!
Susan wrote: "Robin is great, and I wish I could get to RI for some of her parties! I loved watching Lawrence Welk! I especially loved the Lennon Sisters when they were on!"I hope you make it to one of Robin's events, too! She is wondrous. I call her my book doula and I'm proud to be an honorary MOT of her loving family-- book, flesh, and fur. ❤︎
Also, the Lennon Sisters, yes!!
Susan wrote: "Sarah wrote: "Susan wrote: "Our vet is fairly certain it's benign, although we won't know for sure until next week. She's such a sad little thing now, and I'm certain that she is not happy with me ..."Hurray!! ♡ Casey is on the mend! So happy to hear! Doc B is torn up by seeing people in medical pain... I'm torn up by seeing animals in medical pain. We are quite the softie pair. ♘♘
Please pass along a cuddle to Casey from me and Gilly. ☺︎ xx
Deborah wrote: "Hi Sarah dearest, do you get to choose where you go on your book tours? I hope to see you again with Robin, that was a great night for all! I am closer to Providence than Boston, even though I am a..."Hey love, I go where I'm invited to come and the booksellers/book club/book hosts arrange the event. Of course, that's predicated by my Event calendar availability, too. So... I couldn't accept a gig in Portland, Oregon, when I'm already booked to be in Washington, DC, the night before. There are physical, time, and travel limitations, of course. ☺︎ And then... I also have a personal life. Ha--oh, yeah, what's that? So Doc B and my family must take precedence.
All that said, A) Robin Kall is one of my closest, truest friends so as long as she's in Providence, I'll be coming back again and again. B) I try to vary it up so that I visit as many different cities as possible. Only fair to readers, right! C) My publisher checks into which invitations (cities) have the best crowd participation/readers who come out before we book so that I don't travel 8 hours flying across the nation for an event with only a handful of folks there. That's hard to say--because I cherish every single reader!! But one must be practical in weighing the cost benefits when it comes to $$ being spent. I understand that. I'm not an author with her head in the clouds.
If a big book club wants to do an event at their local bookstore and they put in a request to my publicist, we will do all we can to make it happen. If a bookstore who does fun, fabulous events for authors invites me to visit, we will do all we can to make it happen. ✔︎ ✔︎ If it's a smaller market, I make myself available for SKYPE events with reading groups. So either way, I try everything to be a Yes woman for everyone!
I know we'll see each other again one day, darlin'. Unquestionably! ❤︎ Meantime, we have all these avenues (Goodreads chat party, Facebook, Twitter) to keep in touch!
xo
Sarah dear, so happy you had a great day. Do you get to choose your tour locations, or if not how does that work? Will you be back with Reading with Robin when your next book is finished? Would love to have some more of that Indian food! xo
I will pass on that cuddle from you and Gilly. I bet Doc B is a wonderful, caring Doctor. Rick is retired USAF, and we utilize our military treatment facilities for all of our care. We are luck to be in SA with great military hospitals and staff. I think it would be a wonderful assignment for you and Doc B in your future with the Army. Do you know how much longer you will be in El Paso? I aspire to be like Robin Krall, Tamara Welch and other book gurus who organize these wonderful author events. In the meantime, I'll just be content to be an avid, enthusiastic reader and spread the word about authors and books that I love and think everyone should read. xo
Sarah wrote: "Deborah wrote: "Hi Sarah dearest, do you get to choose where you go on your book tours? I hope to see you again with Robin, that was a great night for all! I am closer to Providence than Boston, ev..."Keep in touch we shall my dear. I know you will do Reading with robin again. She is a hoot and the two of you together, oh my. How long are you on for tonight? I adore you sweet Sarah and I treasure all the time we spent together. all the wonderful pictures on my desk and the great memories. I hope to create many more with you.All my love, xoxo
Susan wrote: "I will pass on that cuddle from you and Gilly. I bet Doc B is a wonderful, caring Doctor. Rick is retired USAF, and we utilize our military treatment facilities for all of our care. We are luck to ..."We're only in El Paso for 8 more months! I agree, San Antonio's Brooke Army Medical Center is one of the finest in the country. But sadly, our last 8 months in El Paso will also be Doc B's last 8 months in the military. He's finished his Army service in June and has already taken a position to be part of the Orthopedic Sports Department at Rush Medical Center in Chicago. He was wooed and won by the promise of being a team doc to the Bulls and White Sox (they share an owner, I'm told). So we're off to Chicago this summer. I figured, Doc B has done many, many years in the Army including a deployment to Afghanistan; he deserves to have a little 'recreation' in his job. He's a sports devotee--an ex-college soccer player-- so this was right up his alley.
I promised him I'd play good for a year or two in Chicago's frozen tundra and then he promised to take me back SOUTH where he'll set up permanent practice. ☺︎
Re: your role in literary-land. My dear... being an "avid, enthusiastic reader and spread the word about authors and books that I love and think everyone should read" is why I sit down to write every line of every book every day. It is PARAMOUNT. Thank you for being so true and so loving. I'm blessed to have you as a reader friend! ❤︎❧❤︎❧❤︎
XO
Patricia wrote: "I used to call them the "Lemon" sisters when I was young. Every time we visited my grandparents in Oklahoma we all sat on their gold and green floral sofa and watched Lawrence Welk. And a one and a two.... "Ha!! I love this memory given that I used to suck on Lemon Drop candies with my Oklahoma grandma and dad watching the Lawrence Welk show. I may (retroactively) start calling them that too now: The Lemon Sisters!
Where are your people in OK, m'dear? Mine were in Inola and Claremore outside of Tulsa. And my grandma had a similar gold flecked sofa! She also had a white glitter Christmas tree that used to spin like a ballerina and change colors red-green-silver blue-red-green-silver blue. I thought her the fanciest. She just passed away this past January so THANK YOU for allowing me to gush down memory lane. I know she's watching me from above, sucking on sweet candies and humming Lawrence Welk show tunes. ❤︎
Dee wrote: "i need to treat you and Doc B to dinner next time you are in VA...hopefully the Army lets him take some leave ;) "The next time I am in VA, I shall let you know, darlin'! I'd love to see you, too. So glad you were a part of our online chat party here! Have a wonderful last week before the holiday season (Halloween-Thanksgiving-Hanukkah-Christmas-NewYears) commences!
❤︎x❤︎x
That sounds like a dream job for Doc B!! He must be an excellent Doctor, which doesn't surprise me!! I hope that one day we can meet again, but I'm so grateful to have met you, and I think our friendship will bloom for many years!! Thank you so much for visiting with us here! It's been a joy and delight!
Deborah wrote: "I adore you sweet Sarah and I treasure all the time we spent together. all the wonderful pictures on my desk and the great memories. I hope to create many more with you.All my love, xoxo "❤︎ You are truly a gift, my friend. I'm only on for a little while longer. Doc B is on his way home from a business trip to Chicago (taste test?), so when he walks in, I'm going to pepper him with questions: Was it freezing already there? Did you get Lou Malnati's? I want to hear him storyteller for a change. ☺︎
Thank you for sending me so much love this week and always. Hugs to smother your pretty self! XO
I enjoyed everyone's comments and questions. What a fun group. Hope we get to discuss again.
Betty wrote: "Good question Constance. I was wondering that too, and I loved all the references throughout to various authors from that time :)"I'm thrilled that you enjoyed the real author references, Betty! Particularly because I gasped every time I found another connection between Sarah Brown and prominent historical figures in my research. This, of course, led me to be more dogged in asking, "Why don't we know about Sarah Brown??" And to write my theory of her life's legacy.
It's been such a pleasure having you and all the TNBBC-ers here this week. Such excellent THE MAPMAKER'S CHILDREN questions. You all are obviously Mensa readers. Ahem, as I believe all *my* readers to be. ☺︎ Do keep in touch. I would love to hear from you on Facebook and/or Twitter!
Happy harvest eve to you!
Sarah wrote: "Deborah wrote: "I adore you sweet Sarah and I treasure all the time we spent together. all the wonderful pictures on my desk and the great memories. I hope to create many more with you.All my love,..."Hi again Sarah dear,
We have had some cold days, but today was 63. It goes back and forth. heat on/heat off! LOL I did not get to Lou Malnati's, maybe one day. Thanks for returning the love this week and always. Tell Doc I said Hi and enjoy time for you guys. Smothering hugs to you as well. See you soon. All my love, Sassy Massy
Chris wrote: "I enjoyed everyone's comments and questions. What a fun group. Hope we get to discuss again."Hear, hear! ❇︎❉❇︎❉
I've thoroughly enjoyed our TNBBC chat party! Thank you for being a part, Chris, and for posting so many thoughtful questions. I couldn't have asked for more intuitive readers for THE MAPMAKER'S CHILDREN. Do keep in touch on Facebook and Twitter! I'd love to hear from you.
Have a delicious autumn night where you are!
http://www.sarahmccoy.com
2 Days ago Delaware Governor Jack Markell posthumously pardoned Samuel Burris a Black Conductor on the UGRR. After reading your book this news story was all the more touching and alive. Thank you for that! Georgette Symonds