Book Launch Party!

  

That's us above...Lisa and Lori around 6 years old. Can you tell us apart?? We eventually grew up and along with us grew a dream to tell stories to an appreciative audience. My sister, Lori, has been doing just that for years in her role as an actress, but last night that dream came true for me as well.

OMG...we just had our Hazel Moon book launch party and the event was absolutely Splendiferous!!! I had to make up a word with enough panache to even begin to sum up how delightful the entire happening was from start to finish! To begin with, we couldn't have asked for a more lush and beautiful setting...Peabody's Interiors (see decorated main entrance above).

I'm an interior designer with Peabody's and our fearless leader, Kelly Gallion, above standing next to our author poster which our gifted cover photographer and friend, Larry Zamba created, who arranged for our back cover author pic to be blown up as a book poster, was more than generous in agreeing to host our launch party there. It was a busy few days getting ready, but in the end it was all more than worth it.

I found an old wooden chest that served as the display case for our book, set up right in the front lobby so that when people came in they could buy one. 

Lori got the idea to make sure that some of the snacks were the same ones mentioned in the book as being provided for the RATT band after-party that character, Angela, attended, including Nacho Cheese Doritos and Striped Dainties (right)! Go Lori!

We'd written out a script for the program which went beyond the traditional signing by adding songs with moon themes sung by local professionals, including Rick Mach (above left) singing Frank Sinatra "moon" classics along with David E. Kirby and Lori.

We also had an acting troupe including professional Elvis tribute artist, David E. Kirby (seated right) as Hazel Moon character, Cash Reynolds, local actor Jimmy Iaquinta, dressed in a Santa costume, served as our narrator, with Lori as both Angela & Lady Luna, and me, Lisa, acting the part of November.

After introductions by our narrator covering the background for how Hazel Moon was inspired, Lori and I, David E. Kirby, Rick Mach, and Lori each sang a moon-themed song. Lori then sang acapella several lines from a song written by her husband, Kent, before he died, to honor our brother, Mark, who'd also died way too young.

That led to an opening monologue from the Hazel Moon Prologue. Lori and I took turns reading paragraphs from the book.

That was followed by our acting troupe reading lines from Chapter 1, White Chocolate and later Chapter 3 Tourmaline. (cover photographer Larry Zamba seated right)

After a few more songs, the formal part of the book signing ended, we took some questions, and signed books.

All in all, it was a surreal experience mainly because only a few months earlier being authors of a published book was literally only a dream...and as these magical months unfolded it became apparent that Dreams Can Come True...