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!