Kudos to Debbie Beamer of the Mechanicsburg Mystery Book Shop and Cindy Dlugolecki of Jumpstreet for bringing everyone together for such a wonderful event.

To catch everybody up, Author Mike spent a great evening attending the play Appetite. Playwright Arden Kass wove a compelling plot about survivor’s guilt and the freedom that comes from reconciling with the past. The cast was top notch and brought home this poignant tale to each and every one in the audience. Bravo to Arden, the actors, and to Cindy Dlugolecki for bringing this troupe all the way from Philly!!!

Now that we’re into the bleak midwinter, Author Mike is returning to the keyboard to resume work on a World War II novel, and a Lazy Dog mystery. But all that will have to be put aside when editor Rida Allen sends me the edits to The Gospel of Matthias Kent. It’s going to be a busy winter!!!

On the day after the keynote, Author Mike had a book signing for It Came From Beyond the Sun at the Mechanicsburg Mystery Book Shop where Debbie Beamer hosted a discussion of the book’s creation and a chat about writing styles before a rapt and congenial audience of ardent readers. What a great gang of folks!!!

And last, but not least, Author Mike signed copies of Sun for those brave and hearty souls that ventured out into the snow this past Saturday at the Bookworm Bookstore in the West Shore Farmers Market. Sam and Rae were wonderful hosts and author Mike got to meet a lot of new faces. If only I could have landed one of those cheese Danishs I could see from my 2nd floor perch!!!

The Bookworm is one of those great bookstores  of collectible, used, and new books that’s a pleasure to browse and buy. Plus, the author’s signing table is right above one of the Farmer’s Market bakers whose sweet treats waft up and make your mouth water for cinnamon buns.  Hopefully, I won’t get any icing on any books I sign!!!

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Jumpstreet coordinator Cindy Dlugolecki has been equally hard at work lending her shoulder to the proverbial grindstone, and making sure all the niggling details have been hammered out. BRAVO CINDY!!!

The program begins at 2:00 PM this Saturday, November 21st at the Midtown Scholar Bookstore on 3rd Street in Harrisburg. It’s right across from the Broad Street Market. Keep in mind that the store moved last September, so those of you counting on your GPS to guide the way may find yourselves a few blocks up the street. Fear not! Just come down 3rd or set your navicomputer to the Broad Street  Market.

My advice is to come early and drink in both the atmosphere and/or some hot coffee or tea. The Midtown also offers desserts and such that are pretty good.

I’ll look for you there!!!

It’s the number you should give to the person at the register of your local Barnes & Noble on Saturday, October 24th, 2009. By giving them that number, a portion of the proceeds goes to support Jumpstreet. This means ANYTHING purchased in ANY Barnes and Noble. Latte’s, brownies, fine novels like Bark of the Tree - ANYTHING.  

I’m definitely in support of Jumpstreet. They’ve participated in the NEA’s Big Read for a number of years and are a huge advocate of the literary and other fine arts right here in our community!

So fellow readers & writers, save your B & N purchases for Saturday, October 24th, 2009. Then go on out and say “I’m supporting Jumpstreet today - 10004422.”

The Spectrum Awards are Jumpstreet’s way of recognizing community and business leaders for their amazing and generous support of Jumpstreet’s mission to bring arts to schools and communities.

One of these missions connects to the National Endowment of the Arts Big Read of Fahrenheit 451 this year - that’s where Author Mike will try to blame Ray Bradbury’s classic for a host of modern ills from iPods to the end of life as we know it.

Special thanks to Cindy Dlugolecki who served up a fine intro and who works so tirelessly to put fine writing into the hands of so many, many people.

This is the point where you commit your manuscript - your passion - your characters - your strengths - your weaknesses - your BABY - to someone else. It’s hard to let go.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m excited as all-get-out to begin the editing process that will bring The Gospel of Matthias Kent to the bookshelf, but now it’s all for keeps, so to speak. I can’t go back and constantly meddle with my character’s lives, or twirl sentences around my mouth to make sure each and every one comes out sounding just right.

But letting go is the only way to let your characters breathe, to let them spell out their lives in a world of ink and paper, one word at a time in a reader’s mind.

And that, fellow writers, is what it’s all about.

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