Happy New Year!  

Whether you were happy or sad to see 2016 end, with the dawning of each New Year there is always the promise of starting fresh, beginning anew.  Of individual growth, learning from past mistakes, making resolutions for a healthier lifestyle,  or persevering toward goals that often make you feel like a never-gonna-make-it long distance runner.

Well, on the theme of persevering toward one’s goals, I am pleased to announce that I will be participating in an Author Event and Book Signing on 14 January 2017 at the North Richland Hills Public Library in North Richland Hills, Texas.  Although I’ve participated in many book signings over the years, having an opportunity to personally speak with readers about writing and my books is (to be honest) somewhat daunting to consider.

What do I talk about? The process of writing a book? How historical research is not only time-consuming but — more often than not — makes this writer feel like she has fallen into a never-ending rabbit hole like Alice in Wonderland?

   Do I confess that many times I considered giving up writing altogether, especially when confronted with the daily realities of  2016?  Frustrated beyond belief, I felt like a helpless witness to a train wreck of violence, division, and political party maneuverings that endorsed contempt for anyone who had an opposing viewpoint, aided and abetted by a ratings motivated, biased media as they juggled with one another to occupy the center ring in what had become the circus of our lives.

Should I say the reason I write historical rather than contemporary fiction is because it’s a means of escape? After all, what better way to forget about the present than to journey into the past? And there is a wonderful sense of control when creating compelling characters and intriguing plots where challenges in life are faced, scars heal, mysteries are solved, light overcomes darkness, and love always wins.

To be honest, there is truth to all of these statements. But the bottom line is I am a storyteller at heart.  And I love history.

Here is another truth.  We all need a means of escape at times. Whether it is in the pages of a book, watching movies about superheroes, going to concerts, or turning off electronic devices to make precious memories with your family, one thing is certain. There is only so much ‘reality’ we can take these days.

And yet, what almost always happens when you think you are escaping, is that you learn more about life, about yourself, and that despite our differences, we are all connected — whether we admit it or not.  Perhaps we think there is little we can do to change the world, but there is much we can do to change how we deal with it.

And so, I write.

So, if you are in the Dallas-Ft. Worth neighborhood, and you love books and libraries, I hope you will stop by the North Richland Hills Library on Saturday, 14 January 2017.  What better way to celebrate a New Year than in a library? Sounds great to me. 🙂

~ AKB