Kimberly Brock

Kimberly Brock “The River Witch” book signing

Kimberly Brock and her fantastic book, The River Witch, was the event at TurnRow Books in Greenwood, MS on August 14.  Kimberly did not come alone, though- she brought the fun group, Anna Kline and the Grits and Soul Band with her. The band played for a bit, then Kim spoke about her book and read a bit from it, and then Grits and Soul played a bit more before they headed to Webster’s to play for more music-loving folks.

If you’ve never heard Anna Kline and the Grits and Soul Band- the music is interesting and good. A little hard for me to describe exactly- kind of blues-y, folksy music- music that will make you sit up and take notice because it’s interesting. I highly recommend seeing them perform. Anna Kline told the crowd of how they got the name “Grits and Soul”- she said that some time ago seeing a James Brown album with the title Grits and Soul, and thought that was perfect name to describe the group. I have to agree with Anna, I think the name describes the group to perfection- as well as helps describe the kind of entertaining music a person will be hearing.

Kimberly Brock- her tweets are sweet; but she’s even nice in real-life. Discussing her book, telling of how many years she put into The River Witch, and describing the characters- she was totally in her element. She teased the crowd by talking of the meaning about The River Witch-saying she wouldn’t spoil it for anyone by telling who is a river witch (although there is certainly some contenders for that title) or even if there is a river witch! I like the ambiguity of the title, and I like how she didn’t spoil anything about the book- it’s a book that doesn’t need to have things wrapped up perfectly.

Me and Kimberly Brock “The River Witch”

 

Me and Erin from Deep South Magazine

 

Me and Anna Kline

 

 

Literary Friday ya’ll….

Oh how I love Friday’s- it’s just the official beginning of the weekend for me. Friday was always the best day in school- an extra-long recess! Friday’s are good day for movies usually the movie opens on Friday night. For years Friday night was THE night to watch TV on ABC (TGIF line-up).  But I digress- Friday is the best.

A round up of information for Literary Friday:

1. Always check out Deep South Magazine– Literary Friday is the best there!
This week has news about The Great Gatsby film, The River Witch book signings for Jackson and Greenwood (be there or be square!), and a collection of book/town festivals. Also in Deep South Mag’s round-up of Literary Friday is my guest blog for Melinda McGuire about Rowan Oak and William Faulkner- thanks to Deep South Magazine for posting that link!

2. Are you a fan of reading book reviews? If so, She Reads is a place to stop by! Follow She Reads on Twitter (@SheReadsBookCLB) and use hashtag #SRblognetwork for reviews on great books!

3. My current #literaryconfession: I still have a copy of The Monster at the End of the Book- I actually have 2 copies- my childhood one and one that was given to me as an adult because of my great love for the book. I freely admit that this book holds a prominent place on my bookshelf!

4. My #fridayreads is Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and Love the One You’re With by Emily Giffin. Kind of fitting since Vanity Fair calls Emily Giffin “a modern day Jane Austen”.

5. My friend, Keetha, did a great blog post on handwritten letters/cards and how she loves that kind of mail, loves getting those kind of things for gifts. I have to 100% agree with her- cute mail makes me happy. And I adore buying or getting as a gift great cards/paper- throw in a good-writing pen and I’ll do a happy dance! So, thoughts: Is paper just paper? Do you like getting random cards or letters from friends in this day of digital communication? Do you save the cards or find them to be a nuisance that you have to throw away?

Have a happy Literary Friday- and chime in with what you are reading or book recommendations!

Literary Friday ya’ll…

F-R-I-D-A-Y!

Literary Friday is here!

The biggest news for Literary Friday is that Kimberly Brock’s book, The River Witch, is on sale today only for $1.99 as an Amazon Kindle Daily Deal. $1.99- that’s a steal my friends- a complete and total steal! It’s worth full price, but if you’ve been waiting to buy the book, on the fence about whether you want it (Trust me- you want this book!)- now is the time to buy! Carpe diem!

Here’s an idea- since the book is so cheap today- book clubs should buy it for their groups- Having a book that is good and amazing to discuss is a great thing!

Deep South Magazine and their weekly Literary Friday is filled with information: A giveaway of Faulkner books from Book Riot, a giveaway of Shine, Shine, Shine from Joshilyn Jackson, a mention of the hit summer book, Gone Girl, and Reese Witherspoon, and book festivals/book signings going on all over the South. For more information on the giveaways- read the Deep South Magazine’s Literary Friday!

Other Literary Friday things:

My Friday Reads- trying to decide between A Teeny Bit of Trouble or  Summerland. Thoughts?

Happy Reading!

Went to the library- came out with too many books….

Total #bookgirlproblems- going into the library and coming out with too many books. Yesterday’s visit: 2 James Patterson books, 1 Nancy Thayer, 1 Carol Higgins Clark, and 1 Janet Evanovich. Ok, 5 books- on the surface, not so bad- but, I have 3 other books from library that I need to read- plus a stack of books that I’m eager to read as well. I’m a book hoarder!

Next #bookgirlproblems- I’m still waiting on copy of The Rook by Daniel O’Malley that I requested eons (real time April 2012) ago from the inter-library loan. I’m feeling quite confident that the book will be on a bargain list before it comes in on inter-library loan.
A little Literary Friday teaser: I heard from a VERY reliable source that a certain book that I’ve been raving about will be on the Amazon Kindle Daily Deal Friday August 3rd for $1.99. Check here, check Amazon, check wherever on Friday to find out which book. And when you do find out- let the price be the deciding factor if you’ve been on the fence about the book- it’s worth more than a $1.99, but take advantage of the low, low, low price if you don’t have it. Even better- say you’ve read it and loved it, wanted friends to be able to experience the book. For the price of a $1.99, you can treat a friend to a book!

* I’m terrible at keeping secrets- so, the book has 3 words in title AND it’s by Kimberly Brock.

 

 

Literary Friday ya’ll…..

Friday- TGIF. Katy Perry Songs. #DAYSASTER (if you are a fan of Days of Our Lives). Oh yeah, and tonight- Opening Ceremonies of the Olympics- I love the Olympics!

So since this is a special Literary Friday (because of the Olympics) I’m going to change some things up- I’ll be raving and providing information on Literary things, but will tie it in with the Olympics by breaking categories down in Gold, Silver and Bronze worthy sections.

Gold Medal:

1. Deep South Magazine and their Literary Friday- a weekly what’s what in the world of literary gems. Always insightful!

2. Mia March The Meryl Streep Movie Club– I’m def giving it a Gold Medal. I enjoyed it that much.

Silver Medal:

1. Melinda Mcguire is still looking for people to guest-blog for her #STHRN idea. She’s had some interesting people (and my guest-blog on Rowan Oak, Faulkner, books will be posted in August!) so if you have ideas, please check her page out!

2. Francine Pascal- The Sweet Life– the stories of Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield at 30. Part soap-opera, part nostalgia- and all together a delicious little e-serial. It’s  really the only reason I look forward to Sunday now, so that I can read the latest installment.

3. The blog Man VS Books Club (@MVBClub) and the staff- they post reviews of books that are current and getting quite a buzz, committed to exposing readers to books that they might not know of , and always up for a literary chat on Twitter. Great work, ya’ll!

Bronze Medal:

1. Emily Giffin and the latest book- The book is great, actually, but there is a teensy spoiler to another couple in one of her books. I hadn’t read that book yet, so now I know basically how things work out. I’ll still read the other book, but I wish I’d known that she’d have these characters in her new book Where We Belong.

Other Literary Friday Tidbits:

1. Kimberly Brock, Anna Kline and the Grits and Soul Band will be making their way across the South to different bookstores. Kim will be signing The River Witch and Anna/Grits and Soul will be singing/playing. Don’t miss out!

2. My #fridayreads are as follows: Where We Belong by Emily Giffin (almost finished), Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, and The Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald.

Happy Reading!

Literary Friday ya’ll…

It’s Friday- Literary Friday!  Let’s break out some bubbly and toast the weekend.
1. Deep South Magazine has posted their edition of Literary Friday– it’s screamingly funny this week- from a link to the books that make you un-dateable (I checked the link and luckily none of my favorite books made the list!) to a round up of Southern events. Sign up to have Deep South Mag delivered to your inbox- that way you won’t miss out on any Southern goodies!

2. Deep South Mag also did a post on Summer Booksignings that can’t be missed- a huge thanks to Erin for posting my picture with Karen White and for mentioning my blog- grateful beyond words! Also mentioned is Kimberly Brock’s The River Witch tour- she’s making stops in Mississippi- so come and see her, listen to Anna Kline and the Grits and Soul Band, get your book signed, and mingle with other fans. Should be extremely fun!

3. I used the term “literary crushes” a few weeks ago- and I was all about Peeta from The Hunger Games (don’t judge and I still am!) However, Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice is gaining ground. I’ve enjoyed reading his and Elizabeth’s back and forth banter in Pride and Prejudice.

4. I’ve been raving about Gone Girl for weeks- it’s great, it’s a summer read, it’s wonderful- get ready for more raves- it’s going to be a MOVIE!

5. My Friday Reads is a bit of a mystery- I have way too many books to choose from- Emily Giffin’s Where We Belong, Elin Hilderbrand’s Summerland, and several others. What are you reading on this Friday?

Happy Reading!

 

First Literary Loves….

In hindsight, my first literary love was The Monster at the End of the Book. It’s such a cute kid’s book- Grover tries everything he can to keep you from turning the page to get to the end of the book- only to discover that he is the monster (albeit a loveable, furry monster).

I’d love to say that when reading this book- I was having all these thoughts like that the writer was pure genius, how groundbreaking the book was, and more thoughts like that- but the truth is: I was a kid. And no, I just loved the book. And loved having the book read to me. Full disclosure- this book still holds a prized place on my bookshelf- where real-estate is at a premium.

My next literary love is Ann M. Martin. Writing The Babysitter’s Club series- those books really solidified my love of reading. The girls of the BSC felt like best friends, the books were warm and comfortable- like a soft sweatshirt.

Judy Blume outranks Ann M. Martin, though in my total literary love. Her characters- Fudge, Peter, Sheila, Margaret, Vix, Caitlin, Allison, Rachel, and Stephanie (all from different books) were friends at various points in my life. And like old friends, I gladly welcome them back anytime.

Over the years, I’ve found many literary loves, lost some, replaced some. The author may change, but books are a pretty common staple in my life. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

So what authors are your literary first loves? Did your tastes change with age? Have you loved an author and then not so much anymore?

Two authors talk about their literary loves- Marybeth Whalen   and Kimberly Brock

Literary loves- an interesting thought. Does the first literary loves shape you as a reader? Or are they just the first brick in a yellow brick road that leads to untold riches as you embrace the love of reading?

Teaser Tuesdays

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

 

My Teaser Tuesday is from The River Witch by Kimberly Brock (page 104)

The best part, the only part worth anything, I’d left in another box, buried in Dalton.

I couldn’t keep this up, and neither could she, but I had no idea how to keep her safe inside.

 

 

A weekend of reading

While the temperature was a billion degrees this weekend, I spent time reading and hydrating with water. It was a fairly enjoyable weekend!

I read Cursed by Carol Higgins Clark and finished The River Witch by Kimberly Brock. I also began (and have a good chunk read) of Sprinkle with Murder by Jenn McKinlay.

Cursed– my first Carol Higgins Clark book. She’s attempting to write in a similar style to her mother, Mary Higgins Clark, style. Not a bad book, but not edge of my seat like a MHC book, either. It was in the realm of light and fluffy mystery- but enjoyable.

The River Witch– I don’t want to give to0 many details as I’m planning on writing a blog post on it exclusively; but it was good. Magical. Mystical. Read!

Sprinkle with Murder– it’s a cozy that is right up my alley. I love a good cozy AND I love cupcakes. Win-win.

Other weekend notes: People Like Us– good, bit depressing at times; but ultimately a good movie. A tough subject matter, emotions all over the place.

Sad to report because company was over for Sunday, I did not get my Drop Dead Diva fix. Must catch it on Hulu!

 

Social Media and Authors- good together?

I tweet like nobody’s business. I tweet about books, daily events, great restaurants, upcoming events- and a million more things. I tweet about TV shows, I tweet certain lines from books- I tweet! If I like you, like your book, show, event- I’ll tweet and spread the word (don’t get the wrong idea- if I don’t like you, I don’t sabotage- I’m just really kind to things I like!)

I’m not a writer, really, in any shape, form, or fashion. Tweeting was my blog (limited to 140 characters) before I decided to take the plunge and join the blog world. Blogging has been a fun way to write about different events and books that I’m loving, currently looking forward, or am re-reading.

I also enjoy posing a question for the people reading this- so today’s question is: Social Media and Authors- a good mix like peanut butter and chocolate or a terrible idea like dialing while intoxicated?

I’ve been thinking on it and I’ve got some ideas:

I think social media, for new authors, especially is probably a good idea- if used correctly. You should use it to connect to fans, to connect to would-be fans. Hosting a giveaway is never a bad idea (people LOVE free books). Hosting a giveaway where you’ll buy the book from the nearest independent bookseller is even better idea (Thanks, Hallie Sawyer!)

I think fans like to connect with authors they admire or enjoy their books.

The bad side of social media- as I’ve said, I’m in no way a “writer”. I also don’t work for a publishing house. Maybe it’s because I tweet about books a lot- but I get MANY follows from self-publishing authors- and while I respect that writing is hard, it’s some of those people that give pause to other authors trying to decide if and how to use social media to their advantage.

I’m curious to hear thoughts on this subject- and also do you think established authors should jump on social media train or is for the newly established and trying to get established?

Last thought on social media- you start following an author, see them tweeting with fans- so you try to interact and never hear any interaction from them? Chalk it up to their being exceptionally busy? Leave a bitter taste in your mouth? Would social media, in this instance, be harmful to the author (maybe you won’t recommend book to friends)?

Finally, a shout-out to 3 debut authors that I think are using social media to their advantage AND gaining fans/attention all along the way : Kimberly Brock The River Witch, Erika Marks Little Gale Gumbo, and Robin O’Bryant Ketchup is a Vegetable: And Other Lies Moms Tell Themselves. Well done, ladies!