Greetings

Greeting good friends and gentle readers,

In keeping with the universal need to reduce our collective and individual carbon footprints, I will not be flying on the SWEETHEART DEAL book tour, and will be staying in the Southeast, close to home. This doesn't mean I wouldn't like to meet you--so email me--but it does mean I am trying to do what I can to consume less fossil fuel. So if you live in Georgia, Alabama, or Florida, you can catch me at:

Nov. 18, 2 p.m., Books-A-Million, Signing Sweetheart Deals, 4225 14th Street West, Bradenton, FL 34205.

Nov. 28, Tallahassee Book Club, evening, details TBA

Dec. 1, 11 a.m., Barnes and Noble, 2416 North Monroe, Tallahassee, FL (Tallahassee Mall)

Jan. 8, 2008 Bainbridge (GA) Library, Time TBA

Jan. 13, 2008 Brunswick (GA) Library, Time TBA

Jan. 25-27, 2008, Murder Goes South, Smyrna, GA Details coming.
Visit Murder Goes South at Murder Goes South

Jan. 29, 2008, Thomasville (GA) Library, 6 p.m.

Feb. 9, 2008, Murder in the Magic City, a mystery festival, Birmingham, AL, website and details coming soon.

Feb. 10, 2008, Murder on the Menu, Wetumpka, AL, a moveable feast of mystery authors, details coming soon.

Feb. 14, 2008, Sweetheart Deal Valentine’s Day Program, 6 p.m.,
Jacaranda Library in Venice, FL, 4143 Woodmere Blvd, Venice, FL. 34293.

Feb. 19, 2008, Special programs at Manatee Community College, Venice and Bradenton campuses, details coming.

March 19-20, LaGrange Library and Harris County Library in West Georgia,
details forthcoming.

March 31-April 2, 2008, March 31-April 1, 2008, Women of Mystery, 3 locations, 5th Annual Festival of Reading, Lake County, FL. More details forthcoming. The schedule of author events and programs will be available in the upcoming months at Festival of Reading.

Sept. 22, 2008, Book Talk Cafe, Ponte Verda, FL, details coming.


In other news, I had a delightful time at the Georgia Council of Media Organizations on Oct. 19, enjoyed meeting new folks and catching up with some people I already knew, and was warmed by the reception at my presentation on Chick Lit Mysteries. And many thanks goes out to Lace and JoEllen for their organization of this splendid event, and many thanks to the wonderful people at AVON MYSTERY for making it possible for me to hand out some classic chick lit mystery books.

Be well, and do what you can to save us from Global Warming.

Claire


Past Newsletter

In the red hills of south Georgia, we finally have a cool breeze. Despite the drought, here on our homestead, we had enough pears and muscadine grapes to make wine--Bill, my husband, is the chemist; Peter, our neighbor and friend, and I are the fruit-pickers and work the manual fruit press. (You don't want to know how much sweat equity goes into producing 10 gallons of pear juice from sand pears. But, the grapes are easy. Well, easier.) Just yesterday, I had germination in my lettuce and arugula beds in the veggie garden, and we are still getting peppers and eggplants out of the garden. It's a far cry from my old life at the law firm and this one suits me far better. Bill and I are making plans to build a cold-frame so we can have lettuce all winter long. Bunni, our 100-year-old cat, is just fine. (In cat-years, she's 21.)

In that spirit of eat local, eat healthy, save-the-globe via organic, sustainable farming, and the old, can-do do-it-yourself, I highly recommend reading Barbara Kingsolver's newest book, "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle." It's a joy, and an inspiration. Even if you don't garden, you eat. This is not only an entertaining book to read, it's an important book to read.

During those too-hot to be outside afternoons, I decided to learn some basic graphic arts techniques and HTML commands and design and launch my own website and blog--here it is. The basis of the artwork is Ted Morris' wonderful painting of the lilies. And, Ted and Ted fans, I apologize for the alterations! This website is not flashy, but, hey, two weeks ago I didn't know a HTML command from Adam's House-cat.

And I am letting Chloe Weil, my webmaster, update my regular website, so I can keep the flash animation and other things I don't yet know how to do. Please feel free to visit www.clairematturro.com.

And if you want to comment on any of this, or anything else, click on Blogging and type away.

Be well, stay cool, and don't be eating anything you can't pronounce or anything that's a color that doesn't naturally occur in the food chain.

Claire Hamner Matturro