books

What Should I Do This Weekend?

 

Marie Sutton

This weekend head out to Books-A-Million in Brookwood Village to support Birmingham-based writer Marie Sutton.

From 2 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sutton will be signing copies of her new book The A.G. Gaston Motel in Birmingham: A Civil Rights Landmark.

The book chronicles the story of how Birmingham black entrepreneur and eventual millionaire A.G. Gaston created a first-class motel and lounge for African Americans. The Gaston Motel was a revolving door for famous entertainers, activists, politicians and other pillars of the national black community, and served as the headquarters for Birmingham’s civil rights movement.

Sutton will also be signing books on Saturday, Nov. 22 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Barnes & Noble at the Summit.

A.G. Gaston Motel Book Signing with Marie Sutton
Saturday, Nov. 15
2-4 p.m.
Books-A-Million, Brookwood Village
757 Brookwood Village, Birmingham, AL 35209
Saturday, Nov. 22
5-7 p.m.
Barnes & Noble at the Summit
201 Summit Blvd., Birmingham, AL 35243

 

DISCO Supply Store

Also this weekend, The Desert Island Supply Co. (DISCO) and The Southern Letterpress will host the grand opening of the Desert Island Supply Store.

Swing by Saturday anytime between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. and stock up on message-in-a-bottle bottles, urchin decoys, water finders and other desert island essentials.

The Desert Island Supply Co. (DISCO) is a creative writing center for students in Birmingham, Alabama. Based in the city’s Woodlawn neighborhood, DISCO’s mission is simple: to give kids in the Birmingham area more opportunities to write.

Desert Island Supply Store Grand Opening
11 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 15
Desert Island Supply Co. (DISCO),
5500 First Avenue North in Woodlawn

 

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A Conversation with Carla Jean Whitley

CJ Whitley

When The History Press, a small publishing company located in South Carolina, contacted Carla Jean Whitley and asked her if she’d like to write a book, she gave the answer most of us would — “Uh, YES!”

And with that Whitley set off on an adventure of combining her love for music and the South to write the book Muscle Shoals Sound Studio: How the Swampers Changed American Music. Whitley wrote this book while juggling her job as managing editor of Birmingham magazine and teaching college-level journalism classes.

At a recent See Jane Write members-only event, Whitley shared how she managed her time during this process and how she’s managed to successfully promote her book. Muscle Shoals Studio was released in July and is already in its second printing.

While writing her book, Whitley said she wrote before and after work every day. She set small daily goals for herself to make the task of writing a book less daunting and more manageable. But she said she also gave herself grace on those days when she don’t accomplish those small goals.

She also was careful not to forget about self-care. She made time to decompress by spending time with friends or doing things she enjoys like yoga.

Javacia and Carla Jean
Here I am with Carla Jean at her first book signing this summer!

Though the History Press is a small publishing company, Whitley has had the privilege of working with a publicist. Whitley raved about her publicist and recommended that all authors have one. For non-fiction writers, Whitley said it is especially helpful to have a publicist with connections in a field related to the topic of your book.

Whitley stressed, however, that you are your own best advocate, even if you have a publicist. You must promote yourself with book signings. Look for local businesses with which you can partner to host different types of events that will help promote your book.

Blogging is a great way to promote yourself and your book as well. Not only can you use your own blog to show off your writing and help potential fans get to know you, you can also guest blog for other people’s sites to expand your reach.

Leading up to the release of her book, Whitley wrote a series of guest posts for Church Street Coffee and Books’ blog.  Church Street now carries Whitley’s book and, thanks to those blog posts, many of their customers were eager to buy the book once it hit the shelves.

Whitley recommends having an email newsletter too.

Today Whitley is working on her second book which will be about the history of beer in Birmingham.

We can’t wait to read it!

T.K. Thorne to give book signings for Last Chance for Justice

 

Here in Birmingham, residents and city officials all year have been  commemorating the events of the 1963 civil rights movement. The hope is that we will pave the path for a better future as we reflect on our past. 50 Years Forward has been the theme, the mantra, of the events held this year. 

Sunday marks the 50th anniversary of the infamous bombing at Sixteenth Street Baptist Church that claimed the lives of four little girls. Tomorrow and on Saturday, Sept. 28 author T.K. Thorne will be at local bookstores signing her new book Last Chance for Justice: How Relentless Investigators Uncovered New Evidence Convicting the Birmingham Church Bombers.

Thirty-seven years the bombing, the FBI reopened what some thought was a hopeless case.  In Last Chance for Justice,  Thorne gives readers an inside look into the investigation from the perspectives of police detective Sergeant Ben Herren and FBI Special Agent Bill Fleming.  Publisher’s Weekly says, “Thorne’s story is a stunning reminder of just how tough the fight for freedom—and justice—really is.”   

Upcoming book signings by T.K. Thorne, author of Last Chance for Justice: How Relentless Investigators Uncovered New Evidence Convicting the Birmingham Church Bombers:

 
T.K. Thorne
Reed Books
Friday, Sept. 13, 2013
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
2021 3rd Avenue North
Birmingham, AL 35203
 
Books-A-Million
Saturday, Sept. 28, 2013
1 – 3 p.m.
Brookwood Mall
757 Brookwood Village
Birmingham, AL 35209

Liza Elliott of Red Camel Press

Sponsor Spotlight: Red Camel Press

Liza Elliott 1
Liza Elliott of Red Camel Press
You could say that author Liza Elliott thinks like a rock star.
“Just like a musician can set up their own production company to write, produce, and sell their music, I thought, why not authors,” Elliott says. And two years ago she started Red Camel Press, a small publishing house based in Birmingham, Ala.
“Movie stars set up their own production companies to write, direct, and star in, too,” Elliot says. “Since the technology has developed where writers can use print-on-demand printing and/or  electronic book formats, it seemed worth a try.”
Elliott says she had already had a positive experience being published by an independent press, HOPE Publishing House, and this further encouraged her to start Red Camel Press.
“Working with a small press means there are less layers of bureaucracy,” Elliott says.  “The writer works with one or two persons at most and all contracts and details are done via email and is very straightforward.”
The first book published by Red Camel Press was Elliott’s mystery novel, 30-A Supper Club.  “This was the book Red Camel Press used to learn the trade,” she says.
The second was a coffee table book by John Lonergan, an artist from Pell City, Ala.  John Lonergan Painter is biographical and features images of Lonergan’s paintings. This fall Red Camel Press will publish a cookbook that coincides with 30-A Supper Club.
Red Camel Press has plans to publish a number of other titles in the future including works of fiction, non-fiction, and more picture books.
Red Camel Press is not a vanity press.  Authors must send queries and Elliott makes it clear that only works with excellent writing, good character development, and interesting plots are considered.
“Because it is so small, very few books are selected because there has to be a ready market for the story,” Elliott explains.  “For a writer whose work is chosen, in addition to publication, they will get a press packet in electronic format they can use for marketing and an initial press release to relevant media.”
Writers working with Red Camel Press will be responsible for doing the bulk of their own marketing, but Elliott says that’s the case with nearly any publishing company.
“Large publishing companies do very little marketing of books of new authors. They concentrate on their big, best selling authors, or celebrity authors,” she says.  “Small presses simply don’t have the budget to do marketing. So authors must engage in this. The only way to sell books is to do marketing.”

Visit RedCamelPress.com to learn more.

What If Carrie Bradshaw Wrote a Murder Mystery?

I’m not usually a fan of murder mystery novels. And I hope that doesn’t make me sound like a book snob. I’m certainly not one. You can find The Carrie Diaries series on my bookshelf right now.

But I like reading fluffy fiction about Carrie Bradshaw for the same reason I enjoy heavy classics like Toni Morison’s The Bluest Eye and Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar: I am a sucker for well-developed and relatable characters.  And these are hard to find in most mystery novels.

Nevertheless, over the Christmas holidays I read Billie Thomas’ Murder on the First Day of Christmas and I’m sure glad I did.

Set in Birmingham, Alabama, the novel follows Chloe Carstairs and her mother Amanda, two decorators who find themselves in the middle of a homicide investigation after two of their clients are killed. Chloe and her mom soon become amateur sleuths determined to crack the case and complete hilarity ensues.

You may remember that I interviewed Thomas in December shortly after the book was made available on Kindle. I’m happy to announce that Murder on the First Day of Christmas is now available in paperback.

Whether you like murder mysteries or not, you should give this novel a try largely because of the charismatic main characters.  

You will immediately love Chloe Carstairs because she’ll remind you of your best friend, or yourself, or both. Like many of us, she’s a 30-something gal struggling to navigate her personal and professional lives and having many hilarious and humbling encounters along the way.

But it’s Chloe’s relationship with her mom that really got me hooked. Their mother-daughter banter will have you laughing out loud, while the obvious love they have for each other will have you picking up the phone to call your parents just to say “hi.”

Thomas does a great job of unraveling the mystery as well and soon you will have put on your detective hat too, trying to figure out who done it along with Chloe and Amanda.

Of course, I enjoyed all the references to Birmingham and I hope non-natives will read it and realize there’s more to Birmingham than they once believed.

Overall, I just love how cleverly this story is put together. Even the funny little anecdotes told throughout narrative come to serve a purpose in the end, showing you just how talented Thomas really is.
Cross-posted at The Writeous Babe Project.