Thanks for joining me on the 2012 MARA-thon! This includes a physical book tour through Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and California, and it includes a national blog tour. During the entire MARA-thon, please be sure to download your FREE prequel short story, When Whales Watch at www.MaraPurl.com/downloads. As of January 1, you’ll be able to find purchase links for all e-readers at https://marapurl.com/books/when-whales-watch. As of January 1, you’ll be able to find purchase links for all e-readers at https://marapurl.com/books/when-whales-watch.
This is posted from the road during my All-Indie-Bookstore book tour titled MAPPING THE JOURNEY OF YOUR HEART. Revisit the entire tour at any time by visiting www.MaraPurl.com/calendar where you’ll see event details, links to the bookstores, and soon, photo archives. Also join me on the ongoing Double Blog Tour, which will be archived at https://marapurl.com/fall-blog-tour-schedule.
It’s become a tradition now—starting my book tour at Tattered Cover Bookstore, a perfect place to launch a new book. Starting here is geographically a high point, Denver being the Mile High City. The LoDo store is still my favorite, it’s worn hardwood floors pleasantly grooved by the footsteps of previous readers, a tangible proof that the pursuit of all things bookish is still worthwhile, interesting, and very cool.
My event was at Tattered Cover’s third store, an expansive retreat in Highlands Ranch, a Denver, Colorado, suburb. It’s a welcoming spot for discovery and connection, for browsing and eating in their own charming café, for tucking yourself between shelves and sitting cross-legged on the floor or cozying into a comfy chair to inspect a possible purchase.
One thing I love about signing at this store is that some sort of magic invariably happens, in that unexpected guests wander in. Really—it happens every time. “We were on our way up to the mountains,” said the fabulous Pam and Todd Herzer, “and saw your posting on Facebook. We read you’d be here and didn’t want to miss what you had to say.” “I wouldn’t miss one of your events,” said the remarkable Jane Stanfield. Each guest had some wonderful path that’d crossed the map, not unlike the cover art of my new novel.
There’s no way to explain these delightful surprises except the synergy that exists between authors and readers, and the partnership between the written and the spoken word. The root of “author” is the same as the root for “authentic,” as I’ve often mentioned. Somehow the test of author authenticity seems to be that partnership. If you find the book first, you want to hear what the author has to say in person; if you hear the author first, you want to see the pages to assure yourself it’s all real.
I’ve always been a storyteller. And I’ve always told stories in multiple ways—on stage, on radio, on television, on the page. But only when I became an author did a platform suddenly appear for the telling of real-life stories in person. These stories are getting better as I add to my cache of experiences. So we had some good laughs at Tattered Cover. And readers who attended asked some great questions, which I always treasure because they make me think, reflect and grow.
So here’s what I hope: that the cover of each copy of my brand new book becomes tattered through being well-read and well-worn. That’ll be the truest test of all for author authenticity.
As a reminder . . . Where the Heart Lives makes a wonderful holiday for the women in your life . . . including yourself! And if you’re in Denver, Tattered Cover has a few signed copies for you.
For more information on the evolving world of The Milford Haven Novels, visit my new website www.MaraPurl.com where you can subscribe to my newsletter, follow me on social media, enjoy photos and videos, discover more special offers and more.
