Doyle Suit and Baker Mountain Featured in the Montgomery County, Arkansas, News

During last Tuesday's Coffee and Critique session, Doyle Suit shared some exciting news about his recent book signing.

Last weekend Doyle returned to his roots in Mount Ida, Arkansas, for a signing and discussion at the Montgomery County Library of his YA novel, Baker Mountain.

Suit's YA novel, Baker Mountain, is a story about Gary Hill, a 17-year-old sent to live with his grandparents in Arkansas' Ouachita Mountains during the Great Depression.

Doyle's Mt. Ida connection and novel resonated with many of the locals who visited the library for his discussion and signing -- because Doyle sold out of books!

In addition to his appearance at the library, Doyle and his book were featured in the September 18 edition of the "Montgomery County News."

Congratulations, Doyle! We're all proud of you and your many accomplishments!

They Sold, They Signed, They Survived!

Cathi, Linda, Lynn (front)
Donna and Alice (rear)

Last Saturday, I had a great time visiting with four local celebrity writers (Cathi LaMarche, Linda O'Connell, Lynn Obermoeller, and Alice Muschany) at Barnes and Noble in St. Peters.

Coffee and Critique's own Alice Muschany is one of the four local contributors whose true stories of survival are included in "We Will Survive" by Grammy Award-winning artist, Gloria Gaynor, and Sue Carswell.

I arrived at the event a bit late -- after 2 p.m. -- straight from celebrating my baby sister Bridget's birthday lunch at McGurk's in O'Fallon. (Yum)

By the time I got to the book store, I stood in a rather long line. One of the contributors told me they sold out of the 25 copies of books the store had ordered in the first hour of their signing, so the ladies had to run out to their cars to get their private stashes of books.

In addition to the four local celebrity authors, I met several other celebrities: members of Alice's family, including her granddaughter Peyton, who was also celebrating a birthday on Saturday, and chatted with local writers Tammy, Teresa, Kim, and Jack.

Thanks to Kim for taking this photo with my iPhone.

Alice Muschany's Book Signing at Barnes and Noble in St. Peters

Alice Muschany, aka Coffee and Critique's "fastest red pen west of the Mississippi," is one of four  St. Louis area authors whose stories of survival are included in Gloria Gaynor's recently released anthology,  We Will Survive: True Stories of Encouragement, Inspiration, and the Power of Song.

In addition to Alice, local writers Lynn Obermoeller, Linda O'Connell, and Cathi LaMarche have stories in the anthology and will be on hand to sign copies of the book.

The event will be this coming Saturday, December 7 at Barnes & Noble, Mid Rivers Center Drive, St. Peters, MO from 1-3:00 p.m.

Noble Deeds: Jack Zerr to Speak at Duchesne High School on Veterans Day

Coffee and Critique member extraordinaire Jack Zerr will be a featured speaker at 7 p.m. on November 11 at Duchesne High School in St. Charles, Missouri, for a Veterans' Day talk and book signing event. His presentation will be on “Life on an Aircraft Carrier.”

 

Zerr graduated from Duchesne in 1959 and entered the navy, where he served for thirty-six years, most of that time as a carrier pilot.  

Following the presentation, Zerr will discuss his latest novel: “Noble Deeds.” The story involves a commanding officer taking his ship to sea for the first time and experiencing a devastating fire.

 When Zerr was asked what inspired him to become a writer, he said, “Sister Mathew. She taught me literature and creative writing my junior year at DHS. I also consider her to be the first drill instructor I encountered. She gave me an F as a mid-semester grade. I told her I should have gotten a C. She told me I should have gotten an A, and that for the semester I’d get either an A or an F. I did not get an F. Sister Mathew. That’s why I wanted to do this event here at DHS. I appreciate the DHS administration allowing me the opportunity.”

Copies of Zerr’s book will be for sale. All proceeds will benefit Duchesne High School.

 

In addition, everyone who buys a book will get a chance to win an iPad.

Coffee and Critique Members Signing Books this Weekend

There's lots of exciting news for members of Coffee and Critique this weekend.

Jack Zerr and Janet Bettag, two regular members of our wonderful critique group -- and both award-winning writers -- will be among a trio of authors signing books in St. Charles on Saturday.

Jack Zerr is a former Navy Admiral, jet pilot, and Vietnam Veteran. He will be signing copies of Sundown Town Duty Station and The Ensign Locker. If you enjoy reading books about military life, Jack's books are just the ticket.

Janet Bettag will be signing copies of her book Normal, a true story about her survival after a ruptured cerebral aneurysm. Janet is an accomplished writer whose book has been described as "amazing" and "inspirational."

Jack and Janet, along with local writer Ann Hazelwood, will be signing copies of their books on Saturday, June 1, from 8 till 11 a.m. at the Parkview Gardens Florist and Greenhouse, which is located at 1925 Randolph in St. Charles.

I just visited the florist's website, and it is lovely.

How fitting that two writers like Jack and Janet will be signing books there. Janet is quite the gardener, and I remember reading a story about Jack and an incident he had mowing his lawn.

Another former member of Coffee and Critique, and an award-winning writer, will be part of a book signing on Sunday .

Sioux Roslawski is a full-time teacher who has attended C&C in the past during her summer vacations. Sioux is funny and smart and generous. She will be among a group of local writers signing copies of Not Your Mother's Book on Travel on Sunday, June 2 from 1-3 p.m. at Main Street Books in St. Charles. Other local writers participating in Sunday's event are Linda O'Connell and Sheree Nielsen.

I'm leaving to go out of town on Sunday and have a full day of activities lined up on Saturday, so I won't be able to make the signings. But if anyone in the St. Charles-St. Louis area has some free time, these are all great writers who would appreciate your support, even if it's just to stop by and say "Hi."

To all the local writers with book signings this weekend, I hope you sell lots of books -- so many that your fingers get cramped from signing them all.

I'm just kidding about the last part of that sentence; you need those fingers for writing and typing.