Summer vacation must be over because my calendar is full of Agatha Annotated events from author fairs to book fests to radio shows!
This past Saturday, I attended an author fair at the Elmhurst Library. Sales are always hit or miss at library events because these are book-loving people, but they come to the library for free books, right? I'd say sales were reasonable for a lovely summer day when folks would rather be outside.
Better than sales is making contacts, in my opinion, and I made some good ones. I had a chance to chat with author friends like Lizzie Nelson and Emma Golding, and made some new friends like Tara N Gabrys and Raymond J. McKoski. Raymond's book on Lincoln's favorite judge, David Davis, is less than a month old and Tara's latest romantasy launched just days ago. Emma's pirate romance and Lizzie's humorous menopause poems aren't quite as new, and great fun, each in their own way. That's one of the great joys of local author fairs!
I also made some new contacts that will be teriffic, including a books & brews event and a really big book club. I plan on keeping in touch with those wonderful people!
On Sunday, I was part of a radio theatre production of two Agatha Christie plays. One she wrote herself, Personal Call, and the other was part of a series in which Poirot solved mysteries in New York City, The Case of The Careless Victim.
The troupe recreates the feel of being in the studio audience while a show is being broadcast. I'm not an actress, but I helped out with the sound effects. Back in the day, sounds would be created live. For instance, walking sounds would be made by tapping shoes on a table and the sounds of dialing a telephone would be someone actually dialing a telephone.
Not having those resources, I was just manning a computer with recorded sounds, but it took some concentration to time it right with the actors' lines. As you can see, I tried to dress the part as a 1940s era woman like the actors did.
Up next, Agatha Annotated-wise, is the Printers Row Lit Fest on September 7 and the Wolfden Brewing Books & Brews on September 14. I've got some other plans in the works, so check in again later!