Come Join Me at a Special Event

As the pub date for The Wedding Dress Quilt draws near, I've set up several events in central Texas that the public is welcome to attend. I'll be discussing the genesis of the story, reading a chapter from the book, and selling books onsite that I will sign if requested. And you'll be able to see an awfully special treat -- a real quilt made from six wedding dresses. The one in the book was made from one dress, but the quilt you will see is made from six glorious dresses. 

Hope to see some of you at one of the events.


Sept 15, 2024
Oak Street House
410 West Oak St, West, TX 76691 5-7 pm


Sept 23, 2024
Creative Quilters Guild of Ellis County,
Bible Church 621 N. Grand Ave, Waxahachie, TX 75165
6pm - 8:30 pm


Oct 5, 2024
Stitchin' Heaven
321 Richards St., Quitman, TX 75783
10 am


Oct 19, 2024
Nicholas P. Sims Library
515 W. Main St, Waxahachie, TX 75165
11a-1p


Dec 2, 2024
Austin Area Quilt Guild Westminster Presbyterian Church,
3208 Exposition Blvd.,
Austin, TX 78703
6pm


Hope to see some of you at these events. Stay tuned to this FB page as I may be adding more.

 

Oh my goodness! It's July already. What happened to June? And what happened to the first half of the year? I suppose the old adage about how life passes quickly when you're having fun is true. I can tell you what I've been doing -- quilting, a lot! Indeed, that is what I love to do for fun. 

Above is a photo of the quilt top my friend Judy Steward made from six wedding dresses. It depicts the double wedding ring quilt I wrote about in my new novel, The Wedding Dress Quilt. The photo was taken before I hand quilted it which I completed last night. Once the lace has been added and the binding I'll post another photo. 

Next month, on August 25th my book comes out, and then life will get a bit crazy. I've set up a half dozen programs at guilds, quilt shops, a library, and private events to share my book with readers. I'm both excited and nervous! I wrote the first draft of the story five years ago. It was a simple short story with none of the twists and turns that the story contains today. A friend read that short story and suggested that I expand it into a novel. I couldn't imagine what else I could say that hadn't already been said. Even so, I gave it a shot and before I knew it I had the beginnings of a novel. 

For several years I played with it until I thought it was worth sending to a publisher. I figured that even if it was rejected I might get some good pointers in the rejection letter on ways to improve it. That didn't happen at all. C&T Publishing accepted it and offered me a contract. I was flabbergasted. Next, they gave me numerous suggestions on changes they'd like to see, the primary one being it should be a cozy mystery. I figured, "why not?" And that's what it has become. This is not the first book I've written with a murder mystery, Call of the Whisperwind had one too and it was a doozy. It was kinda fun to write another. Just think of me as a Texas version of Jessica Fletcher from Murder She Wrote.