Raise your hand if you're a dog lover. Even if you aren't, I know you have friends whose canines are full-fledged family members. It's SO hard to say goodbye to them, and that's what Hal Kitchings--a long-time dog lover himself--had in mind when he wrote Dog-Gone, It Hurts, a 30-day devotional published by the Sunrise Press division of Dogwood Press. It's a beautiful little book comprised of gentle encouragement and support, relevant scripture, and meaningful quotes from people ranging from C.S. Lewis and Billy Graham to Tim Tebow and Rudyard Kipling. The release is about a month away, so be watching for it and grab a copy . . . or several. Your friends that love dogs will thank you!
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| The cute cover portrait was painted by the author's late sister, Kathy |
Also coming in November is another Sunrise Press title, Lean Into Lent by author Monica Walton, whose first book, Advent Reflections For This Day, found a sizable audience ahead of last year's Christmas season. Lean Into Lent, like its predecessor, is a weekly devotional with the busyness of the season in mind . . . all the spiritual nourishment you're looking for in an easy-to-read format that will make an already special season even more memorable.
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| It, too, will make a wonderful Christmas gift! |
The decision to move the Mississippi Book Festival from August to September turned out to be a very good one, as attendance at the literary panels and the numbers of browsers on the grounds broke all previous records. Authors Candace Cox Wheeler and Scott Lenoir and I enjoyed a beautiful, breezy day and the company of quite a few shoppers that stopped by the Dogwood Press tent, and I was honored to be included on the Mississippi Culture panel--it was fun to discuss my new work of non-fiction, Raphael's Men, in front of a packed room, and share the stage with fellow authors Diane Williams, Lawrence Wells, Josh Foreman, and moderator Germaine Flood.
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| Scott Lenoir extolling the virtues of his terrific first novel, The Amendment |
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| Great to see Candace Wheeler fans eager to buy the final volume of her trilogy. |
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| The panels were filmed by C-Span and are being archived on the MBF website. |
Public library participation is a huge component for so many authors, and the pandemic absolutely devastated Friends of the Library groups. Some haven't come back at all, but many have, and visiting those loyal readers in different towns across Mississippi remains a thoroughly enjoyable experience. When Candace Wheeler was invited to speak on back to back days at the public libraries in Starkville and Louisville recently, she and husband David (both avid travelers) booked a room at a quaint Main Street hotel in Starkville and enjoyed meals at a couple of landmark eateries while in the area.
My visit to the public library in Aberdeen on October 16 will mark the first author talk the Aberdeen Friends have had since the pandemic. I'm honored to go, and Dogwood Press will make a nice donation of books to the library in an attempt to catch them up on the books they've missed since anyone from our team was there last.
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| At my hometown library in Starkville. I just flew in from Pittsburgh, and boy, my arms are tired! |
Be sure to visit dogwoodpress.com to find out when and where you can meet our authors, and certainly plan on getting copies of Dog-Gone, It Hurts and Lean Into Lent next month. Signed copies of all Dogwood Press and Sunrise Press titles can be ordered through the website, too. There isn't a thing wrong with ordering those Christmas gifts and having them shipped to you a little early!
