April 16,2025
Over the past weekend, I had the chance to participate in an amazing activity, my first of this kind actually. I attended a book fair/wine tasting at the Cloudland Vineyards in Buford, Georgia. It was an amazing experience, but not just because it was my first time participating in a book fair. Everyone involved made it a special occasion.
Originally, there was some concern that the weather would not cooperate. And frankly, mother nature tried to ruin things. There were strong gusts of wind as well as rain drops from time to time. But it turns out that nothing can dampen the spirits of wine tasters, authors and readers. It turned out to be an enjoyable evening.
Cloudland Vineyards is a quaint little winery with a very nice location. There was a good crowd that turned out for the event. Bear in mind that I had no idea what to expect. It turned out that several groups of readers knew exactly what they were doing when they arrived. They headed promptly to the wine stores and got a glass to walk around with. And I must say, talking to readers while they enjoyed wine made for an enjoyable experience.
I was also the only murder mystery writer in the bunch. Most of the authors present were romance novelists. This group included Mary Marvella, my editor and very good friend. I always enjoy talking with her and this setting was no exception. Without a doubt, I always learn from her and this time was no exception.
So, not only did I get to sell a few of my books and meet potential readers, I got to have some fascinating conversations with other authors and learn from them. I loved it! There are some truly great writers in Georgia and I am proud to count them as friends.
And did I mention some of my friends showed up to support me? These people are some of the best people on Earth. I simply don’t know what I would do without them. Thank you to Dan, Jewelee, Tom, Christine, Jon, Barbara, and of course, Carly. You are such wonderful friends and I love you all more than I can say.
All the best!
Rodney