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BEACHING it.
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Hello, friend!
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THERE HAS BEEN so much winter this winter, I thought I might kick off this February Grace Notes newsletter with a photograph I took as Tim and I arrived on Edisto Beach, where last week we spent a couple of days with dear friends. Not that we had a lot of beach time; to the contrary, we wintered quite a bit as we mostly stayed piled up on the two sofas, cozy blankets across our legs, Winter Olympics on the telly.
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Still, we were at the beach, and that in itself is worth celebrating!
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I also had the grand pleasure of joining the HCBC book club there on the island, where during our discussion of That Which Binds Us there was so much laughter and there were so many great questions my heart truly filled to overflowing! Then I zipped off to Clemson for a lovely, heart-filled afternoon with The Browsers Book Club.
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Apologies to the Browsers!
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I didn't remember to take a photo until many in the group had left.
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I gathered with these sweet friends in January!
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I am reminded to remind you—if you will allow—how much I LOVE meeting with book clubs in person (if possible) or via Zoom. If your club is interested, do reach out! You can email me at cathy@cathyriggauthor.com.
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I do hope you've enjoyed some wintering time yourself, and as we look toward spring, may you lift your face to the sun in anticipation of those longer, warmer days. They will be here before we know it!
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101 East Jackson Street, Gate City, VA
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How happy I am to meet readers and sign books at Maple Tree Book Shop & Coffee House, the wonderful independent book store located in Gate City, Virginia, the heart of the primary location of the story of That Which Binds Us. (In the novel it is known as Estilville, the historic name of Gate City.) Books will be for sale, or bring your copy to have it signed! I cannot wait to see you there!
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Richland Public Library, Columbia, SC
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I am jacked to be a featured author at this fantastic two-day book festival in my hometown of Columbia! I attended as a reader last year, and I was blown away by the scope and energy of the event. Truly special! My session is Sunday afternoon, when I'll be on the Main Stage with the very fine novelists Donna Everhart and Angela Jackson-Brown. Our topic: Living the Past Through Story
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130 S. Main Street, Greenville, SC
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Such a special one! I can’t wait to be in conversation with fellow Clemson grad Katherine Scott Crawford, author of the The Miniaturist’s Assistant—which just received the Sir Walter Raleigh Award for Fiction (!)—at this private “Orange Shoes” gathering sponsored by the Clemson Women’s Council. Clemson women (and their non-Clemson-grad friends) are invited. Tickets are $40 and include a signed hardback copy of my novel, That Which Binds Us, as well as a signature cocktail or mocktail. As soon as I receive the ticket order link, I'll add it to my website at the EVENTS tab.
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304 S. Elm St, Greensboro, NC
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NEW DATE: Friday, April 3
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I'll be in conversation with Stacia Pelletier, author of the wonderful historical fiction novel The Deliverance of Barker McRae. I wrote about Stacia's stunning novel in last month's newsletter—it is truly one of my favorite books of all time, so needless to say I can't wait to talk with her about it!. If you're in the Greensboro area or if you have friends or family there, I'd love to see you/them!
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297 W. Jackson Street, Gate City, VA
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What a joy to be taking my novel back home to SW Virginia, where I'll be in conversation with Scott County’s own Rita Sue Quillen, musician, poet and author of the novels Hiding Ezra and Wayland. This a free event and reservations are not required. Join us!
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I'm not over—I'll never be over—the thrill of being the featured author at the Queen's University Friends of the Library WINTER WORDS gathering in January. The event was moved to the Queen's University Chapel due to brisk ticket sales (whoa), and stepping up to the podium in that beautiful holy space left me nearly breathless. I cannot say it often enough—book people are the best people—and that was certainly true in Charlotte. What an honor.
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We were at dinner with friends when the inevitable topic of "What are you watching?" came up. Ripley was a unanimous "must see" recommendation, so Tim and I promptly started the series. It is dark (which we expected) and we did enjoy it! Andrew Scott as Tom Ripley is a wonder.
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In New York in 1961, Tom Ripley is a down-at-heel con man. Unaware of his situation, a wealthy man hires him to convince his prodigal son to return home from Italy. But Tom's introduction to Dickie Greenleaf's comfortable and leisurely life abroad turns out to be "the first step into a complex life of deceit, fraud and murder."
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ALONE, Season 11, on Netflix
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We just finished Season 11 of ALONE, Arctic Circle, a couple of nights ago and I have been OBSESSED. In this reality series, survivalist experts endure the harsh conditions of the wilderness totally isolated (truly totally isolated) and equipped with not much! The last one standing wins. It's fascinating to see the survival skills these folks have, and man-oh-man watching them problem-solve is wild. Plus watching the mind games as they deal with the isolation and as their bodies starve? Fascinating. This show is SO SO good.
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I'd never heard of a bespoke reading vacation, but I kind of love this idea!
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THIS IS THE BEST, I promise you, friend. Many years ago, I came upon Miss Freddy, a photo organization guru who is a wizard at helping those of us who are overwhelmed with the number of photos we have on our phones, laptops, you name it. Earlier this month, on her Instagram wall, Miss Freddy posted 14 days of tips to Fall in Love With Your Camera Roll. The tips about working with all the features of your iPhone photos app are so good! Sample topics: Autosort your library; remove duplicates; daily delete (so good!); search; and more. Check it out. You'll thank me!
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Songs of the Dead Road, by Carolyn Newton
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It was my joy to receive an Advanced Reader Copy and to offer a blurb for Carolyn Newton's fine book. I wrote that this historical fiction novel is a triumph, and I mean that with all of my heart.
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In the shadows of post-war Soviet Union, Ján Balik, a quiet composer, has spent decades gathering the stories of the missing and the broken. He weaves their grief into melodies, ensuring every composition preserves their memory.
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But Ján carries his own hidden scars: the loss of his family in Nazi-occupied Poland, the brutal years inside an orphanage and a labour camp, and the memories of the infamous "Dead Road" that refuse to let him go. For years, he has buried his pain in his music.
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When Harper Burns, an ambitious reporter, arrives in search of the truth about Soviet orphanages, she believes Ján is the key to a long-overdue reckoning. To help her uncover the fate of the missing children and to complete his final composition, Ján must finally confront the story he has spent a lifetime avoiding: his own.
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You know I'm a gal who eats the same thing for lunch every single day. I mean, why complicate things? And after, oh, two years (or longer) I've given my shredded brussels and arugula salad a break and moved to this TREAT, which I tend to eat late morning as a combo breakfast/lunch. It is YUMMY and so filling! I do use PB2 (peanut butter powder) as a substitute for real peanut butter and I have to tell you, it tastes great and has far fewer calories. Did I happen to mention 17 grams of protein? Highly recommend.
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from THE DAILY GRACE archives
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Note from Cathy: It was so fun to come upon this old post and realize how far I've come! I mean, a 33-day RV trip, for instance, during which there was gracious plenty hiking OFTEN WITH RATTLERS AND LORD KNOWS WHAT ALL and I loved every minute!
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Fear and No Loathing
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I'm a bit of a scaredy cat, a situation that seems to be getting worse with age. This is not categorical fear—just to be clear—but rather a defined, easy-to-spot, anxiety-producing fear that seems to center rather neatly around things and situations that have inherent potential for bodily harm. I decided to do something about it.
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We not only went to the zoo, we paid the extra dough to take Posey to pet the goats! She lost interest rather quickly, still we had a grand time!
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NOW AVAILABLE
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