Tag: Hazel Guilford Memorial Library

Posted in event, inspiration, my books, News, promo

You Are Invited to a Book Signing

Posted on by Sherri

Evergreen Crystals is the fourth in the Leeward Files Series. Most of you were expecting Red Steel and that’s coming soon, I promise, but I thought I could whip out a little holiday romance, give the gals of Leeward their happy endings and move on, BUT….

When I started writing Evergreen Crystals it was just going to be something sweet and fluffy for the holidays. I thought, I’d write a truly romantic story for my heroines and let them have their happy ever after, but I stalled. The quick story wasn’t so quick. In fact, I was having trouble getting started. When I tried to write just a happy romantic story my brain seized, and I couldn’t think what to write. I couldn’t do it. I was getting depressed and worried and it was getting down to crunch time. I mean, if you’re going to have a holiday story, you should really have it out in time for the holidays, right? The writing is usually the easy part because after the rough draft comes the revisions and rewriting, the editing and more editing, the publishing and proof reading and editing some more. Yeah, I was running out of time. Should I scrap this idea of a happy holiday story and just write my firefighter story? But I needed closure for Rae Lynne, Jenna and Dana. They deserved a little happy in their lives.

We often tell people stuff, give them advice but we don’t even hear our own words. This is what happened when I attended a writers’ retreat after a hurricane. My friend and fellow Pamlico Writer Adrienne Dunning went to Murfreesboro for a writers’ retreat. Y’all may remember me talking about my adventures on my website, “An Exotic Retreat in Murfreesboro, North Carolina.” During this retreat I met some amazing people both published authors and unpublished. While sitting around the table our last day together, I was offering words of wisdom to one of the unpublished authors when my friend, Adrienne cornered me and pointed out that I was doing just what I was telling her not to do. I was trying to force the story to be something it was not. As we talked, I realized she was right. As much as I wanted to be a true romance writer, I am not. I like to kill people and blow things up and create mayhem. I like a little romance, a lot of sex added in but that doesn’t lead the story. Once I embraced my darker side and just decided to have fun with the story, it all began to flow. It’s true. Trying to force a story to be something it is not, doesn’t work. Can I write romance? Sure, I can. But if I’m having fun writing my stories my way, why worry about a label, except for when trying to market them. So, from now on, unless I’m writing for an anthology or something, I’m just going to enjoy the journey and write.

I hope you all will check out Evergreen Crystals, and if you’re in Aurora or Eastern North Carolina, Thursday, December 5th at 7 pm, drop by the Hazel Guilford Memorial Library and celebrate with us. We will have games, prizes, gifts and a lot of fun, come join us. Thank you all for your support. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

White Gold book signing HGM Library Aurora
Posted in event, News, promo

Back Where It All Started

Posted on by Sherri

Join me Tuesday, June 18th, 2019, 7 pm at the Hazel Guilford Memorial Library. Back to where it all started.

I have been writing since I was a kid. I remember writing my first romantic story in fifth grade. I wrote short stories, poems, skits and plays for church and school but my passion has always been fiction, namely romance.

As a teenager, I had a short story published in the Pamlico News, later I became a reporter for the paper, writing up the local happenings. Even with all the writing I was doing, I had boxes full of notebooks in the bottom of my closet, under my bed and stacked on shelves in my tiny office, I shared very little of my writing.

It was only after becoming friends with Alice and Robina Norman, that I became brave enough to share some of what I’d written. Their encouragement gave me the boost to start thinking of doing something more with my passion.

I took classes with Stephan Horvath at Pamlico Community College, took classes by mail, sent off short stories and essays to contests, attended two Romantic Times Readers and Writers Conventions, joined Romance Writers of America and Heart of Carolina Romance Writers, as well as Writers Read NC and Pamlico Writers’ Group. I would still be hiding my work in boxes if not for the support and encouragement of my family and friends.

When Robina and my husband, David teamed up to push me out of my comfort zone, I should have known I’d never be the same again. While I miss those days of writing for my own pleasure, the feeling of accomplishment that comes from seeing your idea in print is priceless.

The support of this community has been humbling. It has meant so much to me to be able to thank each of you for your continued support. I hope you all will join me at the library for another book signing. I’ll share with you my plans for the next part of the Leeward Files and my upcoming Holiday book, where most of the characters get there happy ever after and a few only get a “the end.”

Contests, prizes, readings and books for sale. Come join me where it all began, at the library.

Posted in Book Review, event

Scarlet Wench by M K Graff

Posted on by Sherri

The Scarlet Wench A Nora Tierney Mystery
A cozy mystery series set in the Lake District of the United Kingdom. The first book, The Blue Virgin set in Oxford, introduces us to Nora an American writer living in the United Kingdom. Determined to clear her best friend’s name, she proceeds to get in the way of the murder investigation and D I Declan Barnes. In The Green Remains she is staying at Ramsey Lodge with her friend and illustrator, awaiting the birth of her child. A peaceful walk around the lake turns her friend into a murder suspect and her investigation jeopardizes her pregnancy.
The third book in the Nora Tierney series, set at the Ramsey Lodge, I feel it is the best so far, perhaps it is the romance between Nora and D I Declan Barnes that has been brewing for two books that has finally come to fruition. Nora’s maturity and stability, acquired with the birth of her son Sean helps add to her character’s growth and breadth. I find myself liking Nora more and more with each book like a neighbor she is a person I’ve come to know and love. Her character is charming and intelligent and while she sometimes lies too easily when it suits her purposes, it is usually for a good cause. She has good instincts although sometimes she leaps to conclusions, her willingness to look at things and consider every possibility makes her a good amateur detective.
The play or farce, Blythe Spirit by Noel Coward is a great vehicle for the murder. As the actor come to the lodge to stay with plans to put on the play, it is obvious there are several under currents simmering among the players. When several mishaps and pranks begin happening amid the cast they are first thought to me just morbid pranks but as they escalate, Declan has to come out of vacation and lead the investigation, grudgingly allowing Nora to assist him.
As storms brew the show must go on and Nora is able to step in and save the day. With several twists and turns, Nora and Declan unravel the mystery and save the day.
For a lovely read with a beautiful setting and interesting characters, check out this series and join us at the Hazel Guilford Memorial Library, Main Street, Aurora, Wednesday, September 24th, 6 pm until 9 pm to hear author M K Graff talk about her series with co-host, Allen Paul who will be talking about his book Honey the American Dingo Dog.