April Flowers
When it rains, it pours...
Hello to one and all, Amy Peele, here!
They say April showers bring May flowers, but I’ve been so drenched in good things recently that I seem to be getting my flowers a touch early this year. No complaints!
Between spending regular time with our grandbaby, celebrating our 39th wedding anniversary, and the Last Bite celebration extravaganza, I’ve had a lot of joy to be grateful about lately.
Three different book launch events have come and gone since I wrote you last, and I am still beaming at all the memories made.
My first event was close to home.
I was in conversation with Allison Bainbridge at my favorite local independent bookstore, Book Passage, in Corte Madera, California.
We had a packed house, and lots of people tuned in online, too!
I had a lot of fun signing books at this one - so many friendly faces. Book Passage always does a brilliant job of welcoming authors, and this event was no exception!
And then we took the show on the road to CHICAGO!
We made a vacation out of it, traveling to the Midwest for a total of eight days.
It was a busy week! We rented a fabulous house in the city, visited with friends and family, feasted on amazing food, attended a Cubs game, and of course celebrated Last Bite, which, as you know, is basically a love letter to the Windy City.
I was lucky enough to have two Last Bite events while we were there.
My first stop was in conversation with Sara Connell at The Book Cellar, where the book store surprised me with the Last Bite cookies in the opening picture up above - how thoughful was that?!
And then, the grand finale!
The next night we threw a party at the beautiful Rago Brothers Funeral Parlor, and a good time was had by all, which is not something you can always say about time spent in a funeral parlor.
The entire Last Bite journey has been magic, and this night was the cherry on top.
We had an incredible turnout, there was great food and great music, we played Last Bite Bingo and Last Bite Mad Libs, I read from the book and did a group Q&A with my dear pal Mindy Malecki (who co-created the “Scratch? My Ass!” cookbook with me), Jake from the Chicago Cubs ticket office came by and brought me a bobblehead, and a reporter from Block Club Chicago was there to interview me for this story: Author Holds Book Launch At Rago Bros Funeral Home, Featured Prominently In New Novel!
It’s been a good month. I feel loved.
I hope the same is true for you.
As a reminder, Last Bite is also available as an audiobook. I like to use libro.fm for my audios, but it’s on all of the others, as well.💜(And yes, I narrated this one!)
Take care and be well,
Amy
Amy S. Peele, RN, is an award-winning, best-selling author who studied improv at Second City Players and has a fascinating 35-year career in the organ transplant field under her belt. Her experiences provide authentic backdrops for not only for her medical mysteries Cut, Match, and Hold, a series with a mission and a sense of humor, but also her childhood memoir, Aunt Mary’s Guide to Raising Children the Old-Fashioned Way, and her latest “mouthwatering home run of a beach read,” Last Bite. Amy’s books have gained national recognition with accolades such as the NYC Big Book Award, Chanticleer International Book Awards, IPPY, Independent Press Awards, and more. Amy always has been, is, and always will be a die-hard Cubs fan. Find out more and get in touch at: www.amyspeele.com.
