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Hello, Reader
Four Launch Events…One Crazy Week…and why New Hampshire is awesome.
My Launch Week in Review...
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Perhaps it was overly-ambitious, but what did I know?
I’d never launched a book before. And so, within the space of eight days in mid-November, I travelled around the state to talk about my novel. I worried I would get sick. I worried that not enough people would show up. I worried about running out of books…or having too many books left over.
NONE of those things happened. Launch week was flat-out perfect. I’m so grateful to the people who hosted me, interviewed me, managed book sales…everything. Plus, each event had its own unique personality, reminding me, yet again, why I love this state so much.
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The Hometown Crowd, Concord: The event sold out. Yes, every seat in the 300-seat BNH Stage downtown was full! Two heavy-hitters really helped make this a success: Gibson’s Bookstore and NHPR, especially Morning Edition host Rick Ganley, who conducted the interview. Weeks later, people are still telling me how much they loved Rick’s warm, conversational approach, and the rapport we had, as longtime former colleagues. (photo by Sonja Bolton) |
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The French Connection, Manchester: The Franco-American Centre was the lead organizer here, especially fellow author Robert Perrault. Robert’s French-Canadian themed novel “Courtship in Purgatory” had also just launched, and it was his idea to hold a joint event. We had a near-full house, with our conversation expertly conducted by Jesse Martineau. It’s not easy to interview two authors whose books are quite different. But Jesse - as host of the French-Canadian Legacy podcast - wove it together seamlessly.
(photo by FACNH staff)
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An Elegant Evening on the Seacoast: The Lounge at the Music Hall in Portsmouth is a cozy, sophisticated space that seemed pretty darn full the night I spoke. My former boss, NHPR President and CEO Jim Schachter, conducted the interview. Jim is a veteran journalist, who’s worked at several top-tier news organizations. He asked questions I had not received before, especially about my presentation of Jewish life 100 years ago. Jim is Jewish and I am not, so his gentle probing in this area was important and most welcome. This magical evening was capped off by our last audience question, from an Alsatian woman who now lives in Maine, and whose father endured some of the extreme hardships young Alsatian men, in particular, faced during the war. (Indoor photo: PJ Cooke) |
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Fun Up North with “The Other Laura”: North Conway’s White Birch Books partnered with the Pope Memorial Library for this event, and many thanks to White Birch owner Laura Cummings for organizing. Laura and her patrons asked questions that were fun and different - for example, what about the Alsatian wine that comes up rather often in the novel! It was a wonderful, friendly crowd, including everyone’s favorite participant, Clarence, the St. Bernard. (photo by Abigail Allen) |
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Coming up: Libraries, Bookclubs and Beyond: In the New Year, I have half-a-dozen engagements at libraries around the state, and more are being finalized. Planning winter events takes more thought and care; I like to set both an event date and a back-up snow date. I’ll be updating my website with upcoming event information soon… |
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Thank you, readers: From the bottom of my heart, thank you for your interest in my novel.
You can leave a review on Amazon even if you didn’t purchase the book there…and please reach out on my website if you have ideas of people/groups/venues who you think might be captivated by Sarah, my amazing real-life heroine and The Shopkeeper of Alsace.
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All my best,
Laura Knoy
P.S. I invite you to forward this newsletter to friends & colleagues who would be interested in my work. Thanks in advance!
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