February 12, 2016 - I made a
special appearance in Burlington, Ontario!
The
Event Was: COZY UP WITH A GOOD BOOK
On: FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12
6:30 – 8:00 PM
Interested readers signed up in advance
for a print copy of "As Angels Weep" for a tasting and book
discussion experience that blew my mind!
This event was arranged in the winter
schedule for LCBO Greater Toronto guide. I had two lovely hostesses in the
kitchen of the Burlington LCBO, (Corinne & Julia) for what turned out to be
the most unique and intriguing author-reader interaction I've attended
yet.
12 readers registered, and arrived,
despite trying weather conditions. Our hostesses paired 3 different beverages
with the theme of the book, and served up a delightful array of goodies as
we mixed and mingled for two hours.
We learned about champagne, sparkling
wine, specific wine regions, different taste aspects, and to top it off, tried
an incredible Tequila-coffee liqueur. To better understand the association of
these flavours with As Angels Weep, you really should read the book, but I'll
give you a hint: our anti-hero in the beginning of the book has a love of the
finer things in life, and Mexico played a pivotal role in the story. That's all
I'm going to say, except, the evening was complete perfection!
The readers were able to sample and learn
about the products and ask me any questions they wanted about my books and my
writing career. They had so many questions, I swooned at their interest. There
were many new-to-me readers and an already dedicated fan. A second fan wanted
to attend, but had to work. We agreed we would make up the missed chance this
coming May at Romancing the Capital in Ottawa. Even LCBO staff members wandered
in from time to time, curious about my banners, books and topics! The store is
massive and beautifully run, the staff all sublime and the kitchen is
exquisite. I could totally envision serving up many of my own creations in
there!
People always ask if I'm nervous in front
of readers, and the truth is, I'm really not. Serving in the child welfare
sector for over 27 years, and being a trainer, I developed a comfort in groups.
That's not to say I don't stammer from time to time, but I love the interaction
and the chance to meet my readers in person. It's highly rewarding to hear
their take on my stories and I love feedback. (It would seem a growing
population of "As Angels Weep" fans would like a second story! I
can't make any promises, but I won't rule it out, either.)
I came to learn, there are only 6 LCBO's
in Ontario with kitchens, none of which are close to my Eastern Ontario home,
sadly. These locations provide cooking classes, wine tastings and other events
to provide the public with more product knowledge and learning to improve the
taste and enhance the quality of their entertainment options. Because they
are so few and far between, I had not ever been aware of them until this
fantastic opportunity was presented to me.
If there is one business proposition I
could offer as a Canadian connoisseur, it would be to invest in more locations
like this. They bring in top chefs across the region, provide a high caliber of
cooking instruction and educate patrons on flavours that enhance meals, snacks,
parties and more!
It's not just good Canadian business,
it's great Canadian living!
Stay tuned for more public appearances,
the Canadian authors are on the rise!
Until then, please leave a comment and
happy reading!
