Fabulous Day at the Library!

I attended my first book signing at the Bruce Hutchison Branch of the Greater Victoria Library. I signed copies of my young adult novella, THAT NIGHT (Evernight Teen/Evernight Publishing), as well as copies of various Chicken Soup for the Soul anthologies in which my slice-of-life stories appear. Many friends and new friends stopped by and chatted and left with either a signed book or a bookmark!

Among all the fabulous folks I met was my table-mate, Thora Kerr Illing author of 'Gold Rush Queen: The Extraordinary Life of Nellie Cashman' a historical biography, as well as, 'Adèle: Wilderness Bride. A story of New France'. I very much enjoyed chatting with Thora who was a journalist in Britain 'back in the day' and later became a travel journalist with a magazine. A retired librarian herself with the Greater Victoria Libraries, Thora and I got to chatting about writing and one thing she said that resonated with me was the importance of writing every day - even if it's not a lot, little 'gulps' of writing every day is important. I liked that - gulps of writing. We had a great day together and the new experience of my first book signing was made all the better with Thora at my side. It was a great day all around, thank you to all who attended!

Little Free Libraries - Books Taking Neighborhoods by Storm

'Little free libraries,' 'neighborhood libraries,' 'book nooks' - whatever you want to call them, they're everywhere. On sidestreets, busy streets and everywhere in between. Quiet neighborhoods and busy urban areas have taken to the 'take a book/leave a book' idea and little libraries are popping up everywhere - and often when you least expect it. They're taking our neighborhoods by storm, and I'm loving it!

Someone, or often a group of someone's, builds a little box, erects it in a common area, and on the honor system invites folks to leave a book/take a book/borrow a book. The concept is to promote reading while fostering a sense of community. These little biblio-gems have been spotted all over the world in recent years, and even though I had heard of them in-and-around the city where I live, I had yet to actually see one.

And then I finally did.

We must have traveled down this particular scenic side-road a dozen times, yet never saw the little library there before. Maybe we had been so focused on our own busy lives and never noticed it, or maybe it had only JUST been recently erected, I don't know, but I was surprised when my husband said he found one on this particular road. Given my infatuation with books, I was beyond excited.

So the next time we knew we were to travel down this road, I was ready. With camera in hand and a few signed anthologies containing my work along with my young adult novel, THAT NIGHT, (Evernight Teen/Evernight Publishing), off we went - and at last there it was!

Complete with a latch, glass doors, decorative painting and gosh! - a shingled roof for all kinds of stormy weather - the library was open for business! So among the romances, a mystery or two, and a cookbook featuring salads, I tucked in my books with the hope that someone will enjoy them. I didn't take a book - if you only knew how I many I have at home - but the temptation was there! Instead I took a few photos (of course!), secured the latch, flicked away a leaf, and headed back to the car thrilled that I had, too, been part of the little free library trend that is taking our neighborhoods by storm.

Interested in more about these little libraries? Visit here and here.