Let’s set the scene: It was February 2014- a cold day in Greenwood, MS- but I was a happy bookish gal because I was seeing Deborah Johnson and Wiley Cash at their joint book signing.

Wiley, who recently had published THIS DARK ROAD TO MERCY, was getting quite the attention. TDRTM was a 2013 Deep South Magazine Fall/Winter Reading List selection and Deborah Johnson’s THE SECRET OF MAGIC had recently been chit-chat among several bloggers that I knew. So, I set out that day- and drove to Greenwood to see the 2 authors and hear their readings. Here’s a recap of that great afternoon:

With TDRTM being Wiley’s second book, he chatted about his first book a bit- A LAND MORE KIND THAN HOME- confessing that he had a fear of “no one reading LAND but he was more concerned with people reading DARK and the reviews he would get.”

He also talked about research for DARK- he spent lots of time researching homerun era, the politics, and more of 1998.

When asked about what Deborah and Wiley had been reading/enjoying lately- Deborah replied that “she had been reading many books set in the 1950’s era- partly for research for her next book.” Wiley says that “BEAUTIFUL RUINS was his 2013 book.”

One aspiring writer in the audience asked Wiley and Deborah about advice for young writers. After both of them took a minute to think, this is the advice they left our audience with:

Wiley: Read. Read more than you can write. Don’t give up.

Deborah Johnson paraphrases John Dufrense when she says this: The muse is at the desk.

Chatting with Deborah while she was signing my copy of THE SECRET OF MAGIC, she spoke lovingly about the book bloggers- how they were helping spread the word about books- and she appreciates each and every review.

Traveling With T and Deborah Johnson- author of THE SECRET OF MAGIC

After Deborah signed my book, I waited on Wally to sign and to pose for a picture with me. Wally was very charming- funny and gentlemanly!

Wiley Cash, author of A DARK ROAD TO MERCY and Traveling With T

Getting to meet both of them was a treat!

Happy Reading and Bookishly Yours,

T @ Traveling With T