5 Best Events from 1959

An excerpt from a guest post I made at With Love for Books to celebrate the release last month of Son of a Preacher Man. 

Back when I first started blogging, somewhere around 2012, I created a series of posts called “The 5 Best…” The 5 Best What, you ask? It could be the 5 Best of anything: books, songs that tell stories, holiday movies, flavors of ice cream, etc.

I don’t blog as often anymore, but I still love those 5 Best Lists, so I thought I’d revive them for this new release.

In Son of a Preacher Man, set in the US South, 1959 is a significant year because during that summer, Billy Ray Davenport and Lizzie Quinlan find each other. If we in the states remember anything about 1959 today, it’s often some tragedy like the airplane crash that killed musicians Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper, and Ritchie Valens in an Iowa snowstorm. Or some political event like Fidel Castro ascending to power in Cuba.

Other things happened that year, however. Maybe they weren’t serious events, but they made the world just a bit better or more interesting.

And so, I give you, the 5 Best (or at least Very Good) things that happened in 1959 (besides Billy Ray meeting Lizzie, of course!)

1. Alaska and Hawaii were granted statehood in the US – Alaska was first in January followed by Hawaii in August. They were the last two states added to the United States of America.

2. The Sound of Music, Rogers & Hammerstein’s musical about the Von Trapp Family, premiered on Broadway. It was made into a film, starring the fabulous Julie Andrews, in 1965.

3. The Boeing 707 Jet Airliner came into service, cutting 8 hours off the time of a transatlantic flight.

4. The Guggenheim Museum, which collects, preserves and interprets contemporary and modern art and was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, opened in New York City. And finally…

5. Hugh Laurie, actor famous for the “House” TV series, as well as an inspired portrayal of Mr. Palmer in Ang Lee’s “Sense and Sensibility”, was born on June 11th.

If you remember 1959, what were some of the best things for you from that year? If you weren’t around then (I wasn’t), did your parents or grandparents tell you anything interesting from that time?

Son of a Preacher Man: An Outtake

Hi all! Have a listen to an outtake that came from my new book, Son of a Preacher Man, due out this weekend. It’s a little scene that didn’t make it into the final published version, but I still wanted to share it with readers. Enjoy…

I hope you enjoyed the outtake! Son of Preacher Man releases July 1st.

“I forget that you’re a fella sometimes.”

“Gee, thanks.”

I never forgot that she was a girl. Not for one second…

1959. The long, hot Southern summer bakes the sleepy town of Orchard Hill. Billy Ray Davenport, an aspiring physician and only son of an indomitable traveling minister, is a young man with a plan that starts with working in a small-town doctor’s office before he begins medical school in the fall.Handsome, principled, and keenly observant, he arrives in town to lodge with the Millers, the local doctor’s family. He never bargained for Lizzie Quinlan—a complex, kindred spirit who is beautiful and compassionate, yet scorned by the townsfolk. Could a girl with a reputation be different than she seems? With her quirky wisdom and a spine of steel hidden beneath an effortless sensuality, Lizzie is about to change Billy Ray’s life—and his heart—forever.

A realistic look at first love, told by an idealistic young man, Son of a Preacher Man is a heartwarming coming of age tale set in a simpler time.

Amazon Link

Apple, Barnes&Noble, Kobo, and other ebook formats

Son of a Preacher Man Cover Reveal

 

It’s coming soon – July 1st is the anticipated release date!

Son of a Preacher Man is the story of Billy Ray Davenport, the son of a widowed itinerant minister, who is heading off to medical school in the fall of 1959. He’s spending the summer in Orchard Hill, assisting in the medical office of Dr. Alvin Miller.

But just as he’s settling in, he runs headlong into Lizzie Quinlan, Orchard Hill’s girl with a questionable reputation. She’s prickly, beautiful, complex, and compassionate, and she intrigues him like no young woman has before.

Previously released as the award-winning At the Edge of the Sea (2013), this original story was inspired by Pride and Prejudice. Son of a Preacher Man is a realistic look at first love, told by an idealistic young man.

Please join me for an announcement and cover reveal at several Austen blogs today, including a few with excerpts:

JustJane1813

Austenesque Reviews

From Pemberley to Milton

Of Pens and Pages

Margie’s Must Reads

So Little Time

Sophia Rose on Tumblr and Bloglovin’

And if you just can’t wait to see:

Find it on Good Reads! 

Cover Wars Win!

I Could Write a Book was voted Author Shout’s Cover Wars Book of the Week. Thanks to the folks at Author Shout for hosting the Cover Wars and to the readers who voted.

I Could Write a Book is available on Kindle Unlimited and in print. 

It Takes a Village….

…to launch a book.

It’s true. So many people help behind the scenes so that readers can find the books they love. Editors—content editors, copy editors, proofreaders, fact checkers; Cover designers; Publicity People—blog tour mistresses, blogger participants, professional reviewers, readers…

Wait a second…Readers?

Yes! Readers are a huge part of a book’s entry into the world. How?

Readers tell other readers what they like. It’s as simple and as complicated as that. And I refuse to subscribe to the cynicism that proclaims that readers’ opinions don’t matter. They do—because the connections between people of like mind are what makes the world go ’round—and the books get read.

There are many ways to tell other readers what you like: an Amazon review, a review on a site like GoodReads, a review on another site that the book isn’t on already, a Facebook post, a tweet, a photo on Instagram with the book’s cover (in some exotic vacation locale, or sitting on your couch), putting in a request at your local library, and word of mouth (either virtual, telephone or in person).

As part of the September 2017 release of my new novel, my blog tour guru (Claudine from JustJane1813.com) and I are gathering a group of readers/reviewers/bloggers to read, review, and help spread the word about the book’s release. Launch Team members will receive a FREE ebook of the novel and have access to promo material, exclusive fun tidbits, and some info ahead of the general public.
Sound interesting? Then, you need to follow the link below:

ICWaB Launch Team

This will take you to a Google form that explains more about the Launch Team, and if you like what you see there, you can submit the form. A few things to remember:
1. The main purpose of this is to HAVE FUN while telling people about a new book that (hopefully) they will like to read too. If you are added to the team, you will be sent an invitation to a private Facebook group, that will be our base of operations. If you don’t Facebook, and still want to be part of this, let me know. We can find ways for you to participate.
2. My whole career in real life has been spent in either health care or special education. We are BIG on confidentiality in those fields, and I’m big on privacy with my book promotions and newsletters too. I will not share your email address or any other information with anyone that isn’t helping me run this team, and that’s like, two people- who also will respect your privacy.
3. You DO NOT have to be a “Social Media Maven” to be a part of this. Everyone has different ways they can participate, and we’re all about that!

I would be beyond thrilled to have you on the ICWaB Launch Team. If you need a few days to mull it over, that’s fine. We will accept form submissions until midnight EDT on August 20th, 2017, and will let folks know if they’ve been selected by midnight EDT August 22nd, 2017.

Please consider joining us. You’re a reader—and your opinion matters.

With gratitude,
Karen