A Sugar Island Bakery Event

I was lucky enough to be one of the people participating in the Sugar Island Bakery's RETRO WORD FROM THE BIRD Holiday 2016 Show.

It was a total delight!

Photo by Samantha, owner of Sugar Island Bakery

Harley was invited too!

Photo by Samantha

Donald and Harley and I are back home in Boone now after a week at Topsail Island (which I'll be writing all about a little later - with loads of pictures.  Some pretty great pictures, actually!). 

A week capped off by getting to spend some time signing books before hitting the road home this morning.

If it had not been for the long drive back home, I could have stayed right there and played with everyone all day.

There were a lot of things happening, a lot of cool things on sale from some pretty awesome artists and artisans that Samantha (Queen of Sugar Island!) invited to participate.  I was honored to be among them.

As it was, I was pleased as punch with the number of books I sold during the hour I was there.  Harley was over the moon happy with the number of books he sold also.

And we both left a few books for Samantha to put on the shelf.

She let me know this evening that she sold every one of them.

Every.  

One.

Yay!!!!!!

I've talked here often about how much I love Topsail Island - and is it any wonder?

Topsail Island loves my "Whimsey".

Donald and Harley and I are not Topsail locals.

We're only there once a year  -  twice when we're able.

And yet, we've been made to feel like a part of a pretty amazing community.

I'm not going to gain any friends by saying this, but since I'm on a mission of truth lately, here's the facts - I have two hometowns:  Cambridge, MD where I was born and raised, and Boone, NC where we now live.

Neither of those places has shown "Whimsey: A Novel" the kind of support Topsail Island has.

There are two bookstores on the island - Quarter Moon Books and Sugar Island Bakery.

Both have had me for signings.

Both carry my book (and Harley's).

I can walk into a shop on Topsail and someone is going to say, "aren't you the writer?  I've read your book - I love it!"

This happens.

It happens on Topsail Island.

and it makes me happy.

It does not, however, happen much in Boone, the small town where I've lived for 20 years.

And a lot of people I've known my whole life in the small town of Cambridge seem to not even know (or care) I've written so much as a grocery list.

(You know - it felt good to get that off my chest)

So.

Writer friends?

Check out Topsail Island - they love writers.

They appreciate creativity of all sorts.

And you know, it's damn nice feeling appreciated from time to time, I'm here to tell you.