Buttonwood's Breakfast with the Authors

                                                       

Hello, dear friends.  I hope that you are having a good weekend.  We had some rain yesterday, but this morning is a beauty.  I've got a long walk planned in my not-so-distant future.

Last week, I attended another delightful Breakfast With The Authors sponsored by Buttonwood Books and Toys.  I've gone to a couple of functions hosted by this lovely bookstore and wrote about them here and here. 

The event was held in the Lightkeeper's House in the quaint town of Cohasset.  

Books and a water view... the makings for a perfect day.

The featured books. 

Buttonwood Books owner Kathy Detwiler and author Stephen P. Kiernan chatting it up before the event.

Side note:  isn't the wrap and scarf that Kathy is wearing adorable?

They are for sale in assorted colors in her shop.  

Guess who will be stopping by and treating herself to an early Mother's Day present this week.

Another fabulous turn out.  Kathy knows practically every one of these ladies by name through her shop.  I have met the nicest people at these events.

Kathy doing the introductions.  

Synopsis

Randy Susan Meyers is the author that I was most excited to meet because I had just finished The Widow of Wall Street and I couldn't put it down.  I did a review of this colorful page-turner in my last post.

Randy Susan Meyers is nothing like I had imagined.  I had expected her to be fairly serious.  Boy, was I wrong!  She is a tiny ball of energy that had the crowd in stitches from the moment she spoke her first word.  

Ms. Meyers began by telling her enraptured audience that the big news story concerning the Madoff Ponzi scheme intrigued her.  But not from Bernie's angle.  What piqued her interest was Ruth Madoff's story and how challenging and tragic her life had turned out to be.  This is not the Madoff story but rather a tale featuring fictional characters based on the actual event.  The French term for this genre is roman`a clef.   

That's your English lesson for the day.  
You can thank Ms. Meyers for that one.

In the book, the main character, Phoebe, becomes involved with a non-profit project which requires her to bake and sell cupcakes.  Ms. Meyers passed out these cards with a recipe.  She claimed to have never baked a cupcake in her life (I knew I liked her) and asked her friend and fellow author, Jane Green for a recipe.  Coincidentally, I went to an Author Luncheon on the Cape featuring Jane Green last Summer, and she is quite the character, as well. 

If this writing thing doesn't work out, Randy Susan Meyers should go on the road and try stand-up.  But fortunately for us, her writing career is a success, and I predict that The Widow On Wall Street will be on the best seller list in no time.  It never hurts to have a backup plan, though.   

Synopsis

Julie Lekstrom Himes' book Mikhail and Margarita is the story of a passionate love triangle in 1930's Russia.  It involves Mikhail Bulgakov, a famous author and an agent of Stalin's secret police and the beautiful, outspoken Margarita.   This book has all the components for a stirring novel: love, intrigue, and obsession.

Ms. Himes read an excerpt from her novel, and it sounds like a good one.

Synopsis

If you have been reading my blog for awhile, you know one of my deep dark secrets:  I judge a book by its cover.  The Baker's Secret had me at first glance.  This is my next read, and I can hardly wait to sink my teeth into this bread book.

The author, Stephen P. Kiernan, is a charming guy and his speech, as well as his manner, managed to deliver this audience of ladies into the palm of his hand.  He shared with us that the inspiration for his novel came to him in the most unusual place.  The TV in his gym was televising a story about D-Day, and that's when the wheels began to turn. 

The story revolves around Emma, the village baker on the coast of Normandy in 1944, who helps her neighbors in her own special way.  The theme of the book is hope and resilience. Kathy read it and said that she could almost smell the aroma of fresh bread baking with every turn of the page.  

This book has all the ingredients for a great novel: a captivating story, an inspiring message, some fresh baked bread, and no calories. 

The authors signed books and answered questions after the presentation.

A few representatives of the stellar staff at Buttonwood Books and Toys.

If Massachusetts is on your list to visit this Summer, stop in and browse at Buttonwood in Cohasset.  Not only does it have a great selection of the latest books, but it also has great accessories and gift items.
  

Even Miss Daisy had a great time! 


Until next time...

dog hub