Halloween Event

We welcomed Joe Desantis and Roxie Zwicker as our guest authors for our Halloween event! More than 20 people turned out to meet the writers, and the event was a blast for everyone!

Joe spoke about his novel, Blue Dawn Over Gettysburg. Joe was incredibly witty and charming and the audience loved him!

Roxie then did a powerpoint presentation and we learned about local legends as well as the folkart of tombstones. (And footstones, and wolfstones!) Roxie was very well-spoken and personable, and eventgoers shared their own stories with her at the end of the evening.

If you happen to be in the New Hampshire area, and don't know what a footstone is but would like to find out, you can take a walking tour with Roxie!

Visit her website to learn more, www.newenglandcuriosities.com

We absolutely loved our guest speakers, and give a big thank you to Roxie, her husband Kenny, and Joe for visiting!
Also, thank you to Bakla Java for our delicious Halloween-themed cupcakes!
We have signed copies of Joe's and Roxie's books in stock, feel free to come look at one.
See you at our next signing!

Aging/Retirement Author Panel

The Cove was pleased to host four writers for our author panel on retirement and aging!

This well-attended event was a very interesting listen for the friends, fans, and family members that came.

Howard Massey and Marvin Tolkin spoke about their co-authored book, When I'm 64: Planning for the Best of Your Life.

Emily Upham and Linda Gravenstone read from their co-edited title, In the Fullness of Time.

Thank you to our authors and to our eventgoers for a wonderful morning! We hope to see you all again soon.

The Best Time with Joanne Bellontine!

When we first met Joanne Bellontine, we knew we were going to have a great time hosting an event here for her. And we were right!

Today Joanne came to speak and sign her memoir, Resilience Matters. This phenomenal memoir is about Joanne's "journey through the foster care system, an abusive first marriage, and the ordeal of breast cancer," and learning to hold tight to your dreams. This is a story that inspired the staff here and many other people as well!

Joanne was joined by her husband, children, and grandchildren. Many friends and family members stopped by, and Joanne made and met new fans!

A passerby said it best when she stopped, looked into the events room, and said, "That sounds like success." It definitely is, and we are so appreciative to everyone who made it so wonderful!

The Red Thread of Destiny

We were lucky enough to have Ann Hood come to the Cove not once, but twice!

Ann's new novel is called The Red Thread, and she read this section from the book to her audience:

"There exists a silken red thread of destiny. It is said that this magical cord may tangle or stretch but never break. When a child is born, that invisible red thread connects the child's soul to all the people-past, present, and future-who will play a part in that child's life. Over time, that thread shortens and tightens, bringing closer and closer those people that are fated to be together."

This reading served as a great introduction to the conversation that followed. A few highlights, in no particular order: Ann said her own adoption process was so smooth, that it would not have made an interesting book, which is why The Red Thread is fictional instead of based on her experiences. When Ann adopted in the early 2000s, the wait for a baby from China was about a year; today, the wait is about 5 years.

Did you miss Ann's visit? We have signed copies of Comfort, The Knitting Circle, An Ornithologist's Guide to Life, Somewhere off the Coast of Maine, and The Red Thread on hand for you.

Plus, Ann is now on Twitter! Follow her @annhood56

Thank you to Ann and her friend Tracey for making the trek up to see us again, and thank you to our audience members!

Jim Benn and the Birth of Billy Boyle

Jim Benn, author of the "Billy Boyle" World War II mystery series, visited the Cove last weekend...and turned the Covies into instant fans! Jim was a wonderful speaker, who greeted a number of eagerly waiting readers, and also attracted passing shoppers with the passion and wit of his talk.

Of particular interest? Jim has traveled to almost all of the countries he writes about, including Ireland and England.

We have autographed stock on hand of Jim's books, in case you missed the signing, and we hope to see Jim again in the fall with the release of his fifth book, Rag and Bone!

To learn more about the author, visit http://www.jamesrbenn.com/

An Afternoon with Aimee!

Bestselling young adult author Aimee Friedman visited us today! Aimee's enchanting Sea Change just came out in paperback, and she has also written a new book in the Poison Apple Series called This Totally Bites. Aimee had a great conversation with the audience about writing for YA and pre-teens, the trends emerging in current literature, and some of the influences in her writing. Everyone really enjoyed meeting and chatting with Aimee, and we have autographed copies of her books on hand if you missed the signing and would like one. Many thanks to Aimee and to our eventgoers!

To learn more about the author, visit http://www.aimeefriedmanbooks.com/

"Saddled" Signing with Susan Richards!

Several years ago, the Covie crew flipped for a book called Chosen by a Horse. The book made its way from one staff person to another, winning rave reviews from all of us. Throughout the country, Chosen by a Horse was having the same effect on countless other people. Little did we know that the author, Susan Richards, would one day come to the Cove. Even less did we know that Susan would come not once, but twice!

Today marks Susan's second visit to Pawling. Her new memoir, Saddled, serves as a sort of prequel to the "Chosen" books. Horse lovers from as far away as Ridgefield Connecticut turned out to meet the New York Times-bestselling author, with one person confessing that she had not read a book in years until she stumbled across Chosen by a Horse. The audience members traded stories with our author, ranging from their love of horses to balancing family and work obligations with that aforementioned passion.

As Susan explained in her talk, Saddled tells the story of two very important figures in her life: Georgia, her beloved mare, and alcoholism, the unwanted specter in her past. Susan said that she did not delve into her battle with addiction in her other two books, but felt ready to do so with Saddled. The reading Susan gave from the beginning of the book was profoundly moving, and showed how her positive relationship with Georgia enabled her to confront the less positive relationships she had with her husband and alcohol. Beautifully written, as all her books are, it was amazing to hear the words in Susan's voice. Susan was a very inspiring speaker, and we were so happy to see her again. Many thanks to our author and our audience!

A Winner with Spinner!

Popular children's author Stephanie Spinner came to the Cove today!

Stephanie's newest book, Paddywack, tells the story of a young girl and her pony. Stephanie was visited by a steady stream of children, horse lovers, and friends alike, including a group of kids from a local school.

We have signed copies on hand of Stephanie's books, including her previous titles such as Aliens for Breakfast and Uno: Blue Ribbon Beagle. In case you missed her event and would like one, do stop in!

Many thanks to our author and our audience. We look forward to doing many more enjoyable signings over the summer months. Visit our website, www.pawlingbookcove.com, to see a list of everyone who is coming!

Feiffer Mania at the Cove!

Today we were joined by first Kate Feiffer, and then Jules Feiffer!

Kate read President Pennybaker to the assembled group of excited children, many of whom had already met her through school visits. Kate had such a warm way of interacting with her little fans, and she impressed them by guessing which book of hers they already had! After the reading, Kate's books began selling out! We do have signed copies in stock of The Wild Wild Inside: A View from Mommy's Tummy and But I Wanted a Baby Brother, in case you missed the event and would like one.

After Kate's event finished, Pulitzer prize-winning cartoonist Jules sat down to discuss his memoir, Backing Into Forward. Jules' memoir was featured in Oprah's "O" Magazine and the New York Times. The audience members asked great questions, ranging from where he got his inspiration to what advice he would give to budding artists. Joining us was a gentleman all the way from Finland, who was in the area for a cartooning conference.
Every seat in the house was taken for both authors, and the day was such a treat for eventgoers, the authors, and the Cove staff. Many thanks to Kate and Jules for coming, and many thanks also to Katie B., without whom this day would not have been possible. And as always - thanks to our eventgoers!

The photo of Jules and Kate at the top of this post is courtesy of www.roycecarlton.com

April Authors, Pt. II

Rosemary Harris is back! Rosemary visited us in March of 2009 and won so many new fans that our readers were special requesting her as a guest author for 2010.

Rosemary's new book, the third in her popular Dirty Business series, is called Dead Head.

On a sunny Thursday evening, Rosemary and the Covies held a party to celebrate the release of her new mystery. We were joined by over half a dozen of her loyal followers, some of whom met her last year, and some of whom have met her protagonist Paula Holliday and wanted to meet Paula's creator in person.

Equipped with doughnuts from the actual restaurant that inspired her fictional Paradise Diner, as well as other delicious snacks and drinks, we were ready for an enjoyable evening. Rosemary made the night completely spectacular, by talking about her writing process (she often draws inspiration from unusual headlines in newspapers) and her next book, Slug Fest. If you missed her this time, we hope to see Ro again when Slug Fest comes out!

A sincere thank you to Rosemary and our eventgoers! It was a blast as always.

Visit the author's website, http://www.rosemaryharris.com/ to learn more!

April Authors, Pt. I

Our first author of April is Dani Shapiro!
Dani's new memoir, Devotion, was chosen by the New York Times as an Editor's Choice book.
People Magazine raves about Devotion, "Brave, compelling, unexpectedly witty...the journey is indeed the reward."
Devotion was also featured in Elle Magazine.

We were very excited that Dani was able to join us for an event - especially because she scheduled us on her birthday! Bakla Java custom designed a cake based on the cover of Dani's book, in honor of the big day.

Our audience really bonded with Dani, who read several excerpts from Devotion and discussed a variety of topics. The conversation was so intriguing that the signing ran almost 2 hours, with eventgoers eventually sharing their own stories with the author. Many thanks to Dani for coming, and to our loyal readers!

To learn more about Dani's memoirs and novels, visit http://danishapiro.com/

To visit Bakla Java's website, http://www.baklajava.com/

Love To Our February Authors

Katharine Weber, Joanne Dobson, and Hans Wilhelm all came Coveside this month!

Katharine was our first guest author. Her newest novel, True Confections, received a glowing write-up in the New York Times in January, and Katharine was met with a warm reception by our eventgoers. Plus, check out the custom-designed cake that Bakla Java created to cater the True Confections event. Many readers stopped by for a chocolate and a chat!

Joanne's latest mystery is called Death Without Tenure. With many friends in the area, Joanne drew a crowd of admirers and well-wishers, and she was even interviewed by Hudson Valley Magazine!

Hans arrived, to the delight of over two dozen children, parents, and grandparents. In addition to the families, our favorite newswoman Susan Macura of Pawling Public Radio was on the scene. After reading I'll Always Love You and Noodles: I Love Snow, Hans signed and drew a picture for each enraptured listener who wanted one.

Author Awards, 2009 Edition

We were so pleased to host events for more than 50 authors in 2009! This was an amazing year for us, with more writers than ever before and a record number of attendees.
Many thanks to each and every person who came to our little shop for a signing.
Every single author who came was amazing, and a complete delight.
We would like to acknowledge a few people who went above and beyond and were truly phenomenal presences in the Cove.

♥MOST THOUGHT-PROVOKING: Dr. Julie Holland, author of Weekends at Bellevue.

♥MOST INSPIRING: Deanie Humphrys-Dunne, author of Tails of Sweetbrier.

♥MOST CHARMING: Frank Delaney, author of Shannon.

♥BEST READER: Isabel Gillies, author of Happens Every Day.

♥MOST DYNAMIC GROUP DISCUSSION: Our young adult panel with Daniel and Dina Nayeri (Another Faust), Michael Northrop (Gentlemen), and Sarah Maclean (The Season).

♥MOST UPLIFTING: Tie between Susan Richards, author of Chosen by a Horse, and Ann Hood, author of The Knitting Circle.

♥MOST KIND: Rosemary Harris, author of "The Big Dirt Nap" series.

♥BEST PARTNERSHIP: Joel Rose, author of The Blackest Bird, and his wife/editor, Karen.

♥BIGGEST DRAW: Every author that visited us attracted an audience!

♥STAFF FAVE: Everybody who came to do a signing with us was our favorite. Thank you all so much for coming, and we hope to see you again with your new books in the upcoming years!

Did you enjoy a visit to the Cove? Leave us a comment and tell us about it!

The Book Cove's Annual Halloween Party, 2009 Edition

Pumpkin decorating, costume contests, pin-the-wand-on-the-wizard, and so much more.... Not to mention our four guest authors, Michael Garland, Taeuun Yoo, Iza Trapani, and Peter McCarty! Our 30+ partygoers had a blast!

Ann Hood Draws a Crowd

All the seats were filled. Bestselling author Ann Hood began her talk, and then read an excerpt from The Knitting Circle. As Ann read, more and more people filed through the door. By the time Q&A started, more than 2 dozen people filled the room. A fair number of knitters had come, as well as some Ann Hood fans, and those just in the mood for a good read. Everyone listened avidly as Ann shared anecdotes from her life, drawing laughs and empathy from her listeners.

Ann and her friend Tracy came all the way from Providence, RI to join us! A sincere thank you to both ladies for making the trip, as well as to our audience members for being so great.

Visit the author's website: http://www.annhood.us/
Visit the Yarn and Craft Box's website, our local knitting haven: http://www.yarnandcraftbox.com/

Children's Celebration

We were very pleased to host five children's authors at the Cove! Helen Lester, Ed Young, Patricia Hubbell, Elizabeth Cody Kimmel, and James Warhola joined us to sign their books.
Each author is very distinguished in their field, and they were all pleased to meet each other and "talk shop." A big thank you to each author for coming!

Another Signing Success!

Almost every member of our staff read it, and everyone loved it! We were especially excited to meet Joel Rose and ask him all our questions about his phenomenal novel, The Blackest Bird. Joel arrived with his lovely wife Karen and two vivacious boys, and people filed in off the streets to listen to Joel speak. Our most burning question was answered; it has to do with the end of the novel though, so we will post it below the jump. The Blackest Bird took an unbelievable 17 years to be completed, with Joel working on it even when he was very ill. Karen also worked on it as the editor. The finished product shows the amount of research and imagination that was poured into it. Definitely a labor of love, The Blackest Bird has become a bestseller at The Book Cove.

After Joel's autographing, sports writer Howard Megdal joined us with Rachel. The beautiful young couple had several avid baseball fans waiting for them. Howard discussed his first book, The Baseball Talmud, as well as Judaism and anti-Semitism.

Visit Joel's website: http://www.joelrosebooks.com/
Read an interview with Howard: http://www.metsgeek.com/articles/2008/05/02/interview-howard-megdal/

Hudson River Celebration

The Henry Hudson Celebration went off without a hitch! Five authors joined us to speak and sign their books. Hudson Talbott, Joanne Michels, Sheila Buff, Kevin Woyce, and Lucey Bowen formed our panelist of experts. The event drew quite a nice crowd, with lots of questions and animated discussion. Two of the authors had written travel books, one had written for children, and the other two were histories of the Hudson. All in all, it was a great event!

Home Run

Allen Barra joined us today! Allen just published a bestselling biography of Yogi Berra. A number of avid baseball fans turned out to listen to Allen share Yogi anecdotes and trivia. Allen has met Yogi numerous times over the years, and has written a very intimate, glowing tribute to the famous Yankees catcher. Allen is sharing "Yogisms," identifying the real ones and discrediting the invented ones.

Audience members were leaning forward in their seats, entranced by Allen's stories.

And the signing!

Signing in the Summer

On a beautiful sunny Saturday afternoon, the Book Cove was fortunate enough to host two lovely ladies. Our first author, Jayanti Tamm, entered the store with such a graceful presence, we knew it was her right away! Jayanti journeyed from NJ with her friend Jose, who doubled as a camera man. Jayanti was incredibly beautiful and poised; she was arguably one of the most well-spoken authors we have ever had the privilege to listen to. Jayanti talked with the audience and read from her book, Cartwheels in a Sari: A Memoir of Growing Up Cult. Jayanti was very candid about the confusing and harrowing experiences that characterize cult life, including the futile desire to blend in socially, despite the associations with the (somewhat notorious) Sri Chinmoy sect. Listening to Jayanti speak about "Guru" was very thought-provoking. The stories of the guru's ploys for power, desire for fame, and manipulations of his followers were as fascinating as they were chilling, and Jayanti's audience listened spellbound as she read from Cartwheels and shared anecdotes. Selected as the "chosen one" by the guru for the cult, Jayanti grew up as the cult grew more powerful. The guru attracted followers such as Carlos Santana and Roberta Flack, among others.

Upon the guru's death in 2007, the New York Times wrote a warm obituary of the cult leader. Jayanti paints a different, yet fair, picture of this man. That was something the audience responded to, how honest and open Jayanti was, and how tranquil she seemed. Many people would have become embittered by such a turbulent childhood and traumatic young adulthood, but this woman has learned from it and gone on to build a life of her own. In attendence were Jayanti's mother, who also lived in and then left from the cult, and Jayanti's 19-month-old daughter, who was super cute in her yellow outfit and matching patterned shoes. Jayanti was so popular with the people in attendence that her signing ran for over an hour, with everyone asking questions and sharing personal stories and feedback.

As Jayanti's signing wrapped up, Gail Graham and Beaux, her faithful dog, took the stage. Gail is a very distinguished novelist, who has received numerous international accolades for her superb writing. Sea Changes is Gail's newest offering, and quite a few fans turned out to have a copy signed. Gail amiably chatted every one of them up, and random passerby grew intrigued and approached to learn more. Gail had a great deal of passion about her writing, and that came through and charmed our clientele. Gail joined us all the way from California, and we very much appreciate that she was able to stop by.

Thanks again, as always, to our audience members for coming and asking such great questions.