Scuppernong Books in Greensboro

I finally had the opportunity to visit Scuppernong Books in Greensboro, North Carolina. Scuppernong Books is an independent bookstore that has only been in business for a little more than 16 months. It is located in historic downtown Greensboro and includes a cafe.

Outdoor sign at Scuppernong Books in Greensboro
Outdoor sign at Scuppernong Books in Greensboro

Brian welcomed me to his establishment, and we sat down at a cafe table so he could leaf through my vintage postcard book, The Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. He was surprised that Arcadia Publishing had not made him aware the book and said he will order the book right away. Thank you, Brian!

For those of you not from The South, scuppernong is a variety of muscadines that are native to the southern region of the United States. In fact, the scuppernong is the state fruit of North Carolina, and my mother loved to eat them. Muscadines are a species of grapes; hence, the bunch of green grapes hanging over the fox’s head in the logo for Scuppernong Books. Early explorers wrote about the abundance of scuppernongs along coastal North Carolina as early as the 1500s.

I would be remiss if I failed to mention another marvelous independent bookstore in Shelby, North Carolina. I am distressed to report that Fireside Books in downtown Shelby is closing its doors on May 9 because it cannot compete with the internet and the “big box” stores.

Fireside Books and Gifts in Shelby, NC
Fireside Books and Gifts in Shelby, NC

Support every independent bookstore you find. They struggle to stay in business. Once a town loses its independent bookstore, it loses a bit of charm, warmth, and local flavor that no other type of store can replace.

Local Author Fair in Kannapolis

Last Saturday I had the privilege of participating in a Local Author Fair in Kannapolis, North Carolina, along with 15 to 20 other Cabarrus County authors. This was the first of what we hope will be an annual event, rotating among the branches of the Cabarrus County Public Library system. I was there to sell copies of my book, The Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.

Janet at her table at the Local Author Fair in Kannapolis on April 25, 2015.
Janet at her table at the Local Author Fair in Kannapolis on April 25, 2015.

Joyce and Jim Lavene, a husband and wife author team from Midland, North Carolina, also participated in the fair. It was good to see them again. They have spoken two or three times at Rocky River Readers Book Club and they have been supportive of me as a beginning writer. Joyce and Jim have written several series of mysteries.

Joyce and Jim Lavene, authors from Midland, NC, at the Local Author Fair in Kannapolis.
Joyce and Jim Lavene, authors from Midland, NC, at the Local Author Fair in Kannapolis.

I enjoyed chatting with the Lavenes, Michael and Rose Eury of Concord, and Linda Leigh Hargrove of Kannapolis. Michael Eury has written several books for Arcadia Publishing and is currently writing a book of “legendary locals” of Cabarrus County. Linda Leigh Hargrove has written several novels, including The Making of Isaac Hunt: A Novel and Loving Cee Cee Johnson.

Perhaps at a future Local Author Fair I will have a novel to sell in addition to my vintage postcard book, The Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina!

A Tribute to Harper Lee

My blog post today is a tribute to Harper Lee on the occasion of her 89th birthday. Born in Monroeville, Alabama on April 28, 1926, she finished writing To Kill a Mockingbird in 1959 at the age of 33. It was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1961 and has been translated into approximately 40 languages.

What an iconic book of 20th century American literature! The book makes an indelible impression on just about everyone who reads it. The story shines a light on racism in a powerful way and, in so doing, reminds us that racism still exists today in every part of the United States. It is my hope that To Kill a Mockingbird will prompt everyone who reads it to strive to stamp out racism in his or her own life and community.

In honor of Harper Lee’s birthday today, I challenge you to read To Kill a Mockingbird again. Take it to heart. Put yourself in the place of each of the main characters. Get inside their skin and their hearts.

I would be remiss if I did not mention the racial unrest happening today in Baltimore, Maryland. Our country has come a long way, but there is much work to do. There are lessons for each of us to learn. I am reminded of one of my favorite quotes from Maya Angelou:

“I did then what I knew how to do. Now that I know better, I do better.”
― Maya Angelou

William Shakespeare’s Birthday

Yesterday would have been William Shakespeare’s 451st birthday. He died when he was only 52 years old. Imagine how many more plays he could have written if he had lived to a ripe old age. He could not imagine that people would still be reading and performing his plays in 2015.

Will people still be reading my writing 400 years from now? What form will books take in 2415? We can’t imagine that any more than William Shakespeare could imagine his plays being on the TV or movie screens or being read on an e-reader.

Moot Point or Mute Point?

Trying to be a writer isn’t easy. While editing my manuscript for The Spanish Coin this afternoon, Word highlighted “mute point” in my text. I am going to show my ignorance now. I thought “mute point” was correct.

When I looked into the matter, I discovered an interesting blog about this very thing on https//languagerules.wordpress.com from September 25, 2006. The following is what that blogger had to say on the subject:

“I haven’t heard this myself, but my friend Celeste has and it’s so hilarious it deserves a blog entry.

“Apparently Celeste has heard people say, “It’s a mute point.”

“That’s ‘mute’ pronounced ‘mee-yoot’ as in remaining silent.

“The correct term is ‘moot point’ and the correct first word, its spelling, and pronunciation is ‘moot.’ Like adding T to the end of what a cow would say.

“And what is meant by ‘moot point’? A moot point is one that need not be decided, due to a change of circumstances. Very interesting, because the word ‘moot’ by itself means ‘debatable, or subject to discussion,’ the opposite of its use in the legal context. The shift in usage is slowly happening, starting here in the United States.

“But what’s this about a ‘mute point’? As Celeste reports to me, some people say this thinking it means, ‘Let’s put the mute button on and cease any discussion on this.’

“Wouldn’t it be funny if the term evolves this way to become correct? After all, with the ubiquity of remote controls and mute buttons, a ‘mute point’ may make more sense than a ‘moot point’ to someone who’s not a lawyer.

“For today, however, it’s wrong. Say ‘moot point’ and try not to stick a ‘y’ sound in there.”

That’s interesting, to say the least. “Moot point” is correct, although by definition it is not correct! It brings to mind one of my pet peeves. I cringe when I hear someone say, “could care less” instead of “couldn’t care less.” Think about it. If your point is that someone couldn’t possibly care less, then why say that they “could care less?” This is like fingernails on a blackboard to me, which I realize identifies me as a senior citizen.

Stay tuned to our ever-changing English language usage. Perhaps the day will come that “mute point” is correct and I’ll have to unlearn what I learned today.

A Tribute to Janet Evanovich

Today’s post is a tribute to Janet Evanovich on the occasion of her birthday. I discovered her brilliantly funny Stephanie Plum series of novels several years ago and devoured each one in chronological order.

If you are looking for something light and hilarious to read, I recommend Ms. Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum books. The first one is titled One for the Money. Seldom do I get to read a novel that makes me laugh out loud, but the antics of Stephanie Plum and her side-kick, Lula, never disappoint.

I will mark Janet Evanovich’s birthday today by eating chicken, since fried chicken always works its way into her story lines when Lula is involved. Sadly, mine won’t come from “Cluck in a Bucket.”

Thank you, Ms. Evanovich for the reading enjoyment you’ve provided your fans. Happy Birthday!

Book signing at The Book Shelf in Tryon, NC

Saturday afternoon I had the privilege of having a book signing at The Book Shelf in Tryon, North Carolina. Penny Padgett, the owner had issued the invitation when I stopped by her independent bookstore in December to promote my vintage postcard book, The Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.

Janet with Penny Padgett, owner of The Book Shelf.
Janet with Penny Padgett, owner of The Book Shelf.

It was a beautiful spring day and a delightful day to travel to the edge of the mountains. Tryon is a lovely little town just off I-26 in Polk County. The downtown business district includes a number of interesting shops. The Book Shelf has been there since 1952.

Janet, autographing a copy of her book at The Book Shelf.
Janet, autographing a copy of her book at The Book Shelf.

After learning about my reading interests, Penny recommended three books to me, so I came home with three intriguing books — The Carolina Mountains, by Margaret W. Morley; A Passel of Hate, by Joe Epley; and The Road to Guilford Courthouse: The American Revolution in the Carolinas, by John Buchanan.

I had the pleasure of meeting Susan McNabb, an author from Asheville who lives in Tryon. Joe Epley also lives there, as do a number of other writers.

It was exciting to see young readers and middle school readers come into the bookstore and search the shelves for treasures to take home. It warms my heart to see children and youth who love to read!

Lunch at The Lavender Bistro, just a couple of doors from The Book Shelf on Trade Street was just as enjoyable as it was in December. If you are looking for a nice day trip, or somewhere to eat lunch and shop in a nice bookstore on your way to of from the mountains, I highly recommend that you get off the interstate and spend some time in Tryon, North Carolina.

Front door of The Book Shelf with a poster promoting my book signing.
Front door of The Book Shelf with a poster promoting my book signing.

I’ve Entered Another Writing Contest

In case you’re keeping score, I’ve entered another writing contest. The Sixth Annual Gemini Magazine Short Story Contest caught my eye for two reasons. First, the entrance fee was just $5. Second, the prizes are nice. By the law of averages, I figure if I enter enough writing contests I’m bound to win another one eventually.

I won the first writing contest I entered, which gave me a false sense of confidence. That was in 2003. It was the first and last writing contest I have won or even placed in. This is a good thing. I no longer puff myself up with illusions of grandeur when submitting an article or story for a magazine or writing contest.

The contest that I won was the November 2003 Writers’ Journal Travel Writing Contest. I wrote about a fascinating day trip I took to Orkney while visiting Scotland. My article won first place in the competition and was printed in the May/June 2004 issue of Writers’ Journal. Winning that contest validated me as a writer, which was much more important than the $50 prize.

I will know by June if I won or placed in the Gemini Magazine Short Story Contest, and you’ll be the second one to know.

“The Other Woman” Submitted for Bevel Summers Prize

In a continuing effort to hone my writing skills, I submitted a 1,000-word short short story titled “The Other Woman,” in competition for the Bevel Summers Prize. The prize is offered by Shenandoah, the literary review sponsored by Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia.

I wrote “The Other Woman” in the vein of O. Henry’s short stories. False assumptions are made by the narrator throughout the story. She and the reader do not know the truth until the end of the story. It will be interesting to see how the story is received, since O. Henry’s style is not in vogue today. It was through reading the short stories of O. Henry that I developed my love of short stories.

Never one to conform or to do things just because “everybody’s doing it,” I wrote this short short story the way I wanted to write it. If I enjoy a story with a surprise ending, perhaps other readers do as well.

The winner of the 2015 Bevel Summers Prize will be announced in August. I will report on this blog when I learn my story’s fate.

Slip Sliding Away! entered in Northern Colorado Writers Short Fiction Contest

There was a plethora of writing contests this month that attracted my attention. I submitted “Slip Sliding Away!” in the Northern Colorado Short Fiction Contest. It is a 4,981-word revision of a story I wrote a decade or more ago.

I recently discovered the Northern Colorado Writers contests. The entire process of entering writing competitions is beneficial to me. I tend to need deadlines, so contests force me to put words on the page. Knowing a story is going to be judged causes me to revise and edit with a keen eye and tighten up my writing.

The winning entry and honorable mention pieces will be published in the Northern Colorado Writers annual anthology. I’ll keep you posted on the results.