I had a terrific time chatting with author Mary Ann Poll on her podcast! We talked about my true-life ghostly encounter, our pets, our books, and more books.
You can enjoy the podcast here: Ghost Chatter with Mary Ann Poll.
Guest Writer for BACCA Literary
I’m the guest author this month over at BACCA Literary, a writer’s group in Charlottesville.
I share a story of poor judgment, bad taste, and creative sandwich making.
Like Salami and Peanut Butter: AI and Editing Don’t Mix.
Enjoy!
It Was Mine Selected as Top Novella, Receives Great Reviews
My novella, It Was Mine, is receiving pure 5-star ratings on both Amazon and Goodreads – the top rating you can give a book. Shortly after Christmas, I found out that the blogger over at Franciscan Mom had awarded It Was Mine the title of “Best Novella” of 2018.
I’m thrilled. It’s not a Pulitzer, but it’s something, and it gives me a great sense of satisfaction to know that my story touched at least one person so much that she wanted to share it as a book worthy of recommendation to others.
If you haven’t purchased your copy of It Was Mine yet, it is available in paperback and as a Kindle e-book on Amazon.
The story, as some have said, is a sort of George Bailey meets the Twilight Zone. Elderly, lonely schoolteacher Stanley Huckle wonders what his life would have been like if he had made other choices. He’s always been the good son, the dependable one. He stays home to care for his aging parents. His shyness keeps him from asking his best girl to marry him. And now he is alone and lonely, and he wonders what if he had made different choices?
Then along comes a strange furnace repairman who offers him much, much more than a money back guarantee. He offers him a new chance at life. Should he choose a fork in the road not taken? Should Stanely go back in time and relive a moment of his life to change his destiny? What if he does…and what if he doesn’t?
There’s a surprise twist at the end that I almost didn’t put into the book but which seems to delight my readers so I’m glad I kept it. It’s a short read (I think Amazon puts the book at “one-hour reads” or something like it) and very “clean” Twilight Zone kind of fun with more character than spookiness. I think you will enjoy it and I hope you buy, borrow, or find a copy of It Was Mine.
Pictures from the Book Signing
My first book signing and reading event on October 28th was a success – thanks to YOU! A huge thank-you to all of the people who came to the event, and to those on social media who so generously shared the information with their friends and family about it. We had coverage in all the local newspapers, posters in the windows of the bookstore, and my very first book-on-the-shelf moment when I saw my books on a bookstore shelf and went, “Ah…yes…that’s it! Author!”
Here, a few pictures from the day’s fun and festivities. I read a brief excerpt from the prologue to my new Majek Family Mystery, “The Red Boy House”, and a short excerpt from “The Last Run of the 6:01.”
Meet Local Author Jeanne Grunert at Book Signing Event, Baines Books & Coffee, October 28, 2017
PROSPECT, VIRGINIA — Local author Jeanne Grunert will be signing copies of her novel, I Believe You, and her new novella, The Last Run of the 6:01 at Baines Books & Coffee, Main Street, Appomattox, on Saturday, October 28, 2017, from 12 noon to 3 p.m. Copies will be available for purchase.
Last year, Grunert released her first novel, I Believe You, to considerable acclaim. Her work blends elements of traditional Gothic fiction, ghost stories, and the mystery genre. One reviewer called her writing “A cross between Flannery O’Connor and Edgar Allan Poe.” Her stories are tales of mystery and imagination akin to spooky tales such as those in the Twilight Zone and other supernatural tales.
Grunert grew up on Long Island, New York, in the shadows of the Gold Coast region made famous by authors such as F. Scott Fitzgerald and Nelson Demille. Working with the area’s rich and famous families while employed as a marketing manager at a local garden center inspired much of the setting for I Believe You. Her latest work, The Last Run of the 6:01, was partially inspired by the opening of the High Bridge Trail and the many train-related stories found locally.
Before moving to the Prospect area, Grunert worked in New York City as a marketing manager for publishing, retail, and financial services companies. She is the recipient of the Brockport Science Fiction and Fantasy Writer’s award and holds an M.A. in Writing from Queens College, New York City. In addition to her fiction works, she is also the author of several gardening books, writes marketing and sales materials for companies worldwide through her company, Seven Oaks Consulting, and writes the popular gardening blog, www.homegardenjoy.com.
For more information on the author’s works, visit her website at www.jeannegrunert.com. Her books will be available for purchase locally from Baines Books and Coffee starting October 28, 2017. You can meet the author in person at Baines on October 28 from noon to 3 p.m. Books will be available at a special event price.
DETAILS
Book Signing Event, Saturday, October 28, 2017, from 12 noon to 3 p.m.
Author Jeanne Grunert. Author website: www.jeannegrunert.com
Baines Books & Coffee, 205 Main Street, Appomattox, Virginia
The event is free to attend. Books may be purchased at the event. The author will be signing books and if time permits, reading from her works.
The Monday Book: I BELIEVE YOU by Jeanne Grunert
A review of my book, “I Believe You”, from author Wendy Welch.