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WONDER and awe
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Hello, friend!
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I took this photo on April 1, during a long, peaceful stay at our mountain place in Western North Carolina. Tim and I did travel from there to a couple of fabulous book events—lord knows I still have lots going on with That Which Binds Us even all these months in yay!—but the visit was, for the most part, quiet. Restful. I worked, but I also read, and painted, and for the first time in many months, I even cooked.
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(I also worked a bit on Novel #2.)
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The time felt special, and the place felt wondrous, and Tim and I both could sense the quiet cadence as the buds and blooms and shoots counted down to their eruption into glorious Mountain Spring; to their beautiful unfurling.
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My hope is that over this last month, you've had the same kind of experience. I pray you looked out or over or up or in and that when you did, you saw something that caused your eyes to widen, that pushed your heart into a gleeful grin. Because in spite of the chaos and uncertainty and fear, we live in a world that is still wildly beautiful.
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Also: FOUR HUMAN PERSONS WENT TO THE MOON AND BACK!
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I LOVE MY HOMETOWN BOOK STORE!!! And what a thrill it is to be having an event there at All Good Books—truly a dream come true! Friday, May 1 at 6pm, Carolyn Newton and I will be in conversation as we discuss the ins and outs of writing historical fiction; why we were drawn to these particular stories; tips and tricks for bringing a story to life. Reservations are not required, and everyone is welcome. Grab a friend (or your book club!) and join us!
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Fort Henry Mall, 2101 Fort Henry Drive, Kingsport, TN
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Books and Beyond: Hindman Settlement School
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I'm delighted to be among 16 writers with affiliations to the Hindman Settlement School who are gathering for an afternoon of storytelling and readings at the Kingsport Public Library. Book sales and signing will follow.
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I was a featured author at Read Freely Fest, the literary festival right here in Columbia at the fabulous Main Branch of the Richland Library. Thousands of folks attended, and I was thrilled to serve on a historical fiction panel with the esteemed authors Angela Jackson-Brown and Donna Everhart. Our moderator, Adele Chase, was wonderful!
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The Orange Shoes Event at M. Judson Booksellers in Greenville, SC. sponsored by the Clemson Women's Alumni Council, was FAB! I loved being in conversation with Katherine Scott Crawford, and we opened our talk with an oh-so-fun round of "Never Have I Ever," Clemson-version! (Just look at the giddy on our faces in the first photo—that's me, Katie Crawford and Lauren Harr, our shared publicist, of Gold Leaf Literary.)
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I might have been fan-girling a little bit as I chatted with Stacia Pelletier, author of one of my favorite books, The Deliverance of Barker McRae, at Scuppernong Books in Greensboro, NC.
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My novel is a novel of Southwest Virginia, so it was a joy to take her home to the Scott County Library in Gate City, the town known as Estilville (its historic name) in That Which Binds Us. It was such an honor to be in conversation with Rita Sims Quillen, a musician, poet and author of her own fine Scott County historical fiction novel, Hiding Ezra. Rita and I never run out of things to talk about, and our hosts at the library could not have been more enthusiastic or supportive. Talk about a spread of delicious baked goods. It was a sweet, sweet gathering!
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Reminder: I do love meeting with book clubs! I'm happy to come to your meeting in person, if geography and schedule allow. Also, Zoom meetings are a blast! Do reach out if your club is interested. You can reach me via my socials, my website or cathy@cathyriggauthor.com. There's never a fee; it's my joy to be among readers!
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Tim and I are relative newcomers to the Survivor universe, and I must say we are most enthusiastic about this "in the hands of the fans" Season 50. We find the twists and turns really fun, and we always look forward to new episodes. (That might partly be due to our inclination to also have a big bowl of popcorn as we watch.)
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Everything Belongs: Living the Teachings of Richard Rohr Forward
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I love Father Richard Rohr, and when I saw the podcast's new season is dedicated to "one of Richard Rohr's most foundational teachings: The Enneagram—an ancient tool revealing how our wounds lead to our wisdom and our work in the world," I was immediately in. It's so good.
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Lady Tremaine, by Rachel Hochhauser
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I love Glennon Doyle's blurb for Lady Tremaine, as it mirrors my own strong feelings about this novel:
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"Feminist, fierce, and wildly fresh: Lady Tremaine is my kind of fairy tale. As we resurrect and re-examine the historical women we’ve maligned, Hochhauser insists we include the wicked stepmothers. Hochhauser’s prose is poetic, her story hypnotic, and her characters will live in my head and heart forever. Lady Tremaine is destined to be one of the biggest books of the year."
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I read Lady Tremaine on audio, and I loved it.
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Twice-widowed, Lady Etheldreda Verity Isolde Tremaine Bramley is solely responsible for her two children, a priggish stepdaughter, a razor-taloned peregrine falcon, and a crumbling manor. Fierce and determined, Ethel clings to the respectability her deceased husband’s title affords her, hoping it will secure her daughters’ future through marriage.
When a royal ball offers the chance to change everything, Ethel risks her pride in pursuit of an invitation for all three of her daughters―only to see her hopes fulfilled by the wrong one. As an engagement to the future king unfolds, Ethel discovers a sordid secret hidden in the depths of the royal family, forcing her to choose between the security she craves and the wellbeing of the stepdaughter who has rebuffed her at every turn.
As if Bridgerton met Circe, and exhilarating to its core, Lady Tremaine reimagines the myth of the evil stepmother at the heart of the world’s most famous fairy tale. It is a battle cry for a mother’s love for her daughters, and a celebration of women everywhere who make their own fortunes.
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recently on THE DAILY GRACE
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To the Moon and Back
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Oh, the awe and wonder so many of us experienced as we followed the journey of the Artemis II. Still there was something that felt inherently different about this particular mission and for me, it was a recognition that people are just people, even when they are astronauts who have circled the moon.
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Speaking of wonder and awe. My precious granddaughter, Posey Catherine, who is two years old today!
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NOW AVAILABLE
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