Debbie Harpham
by Carol Van Den Hende
I’ve loved many aspects of being an author, from the creative process, meeting readers at events, and teaching at industry conferences.
One of the most unique events I’ve attended is The Pulpwood Queens convention. Last month, dozens of authors and book club readers joined together on Amelia Island, Florida, for a fun-filled weekend.
Banish any images of a dusty library setting with monotone readings. Instead, this event kicked off with a Bollywood party, featured an Under the Silver Moon Ball in which all attendees dressed in white and silver attire, and ended with a gala that celebrated the winning books of 2022 and 2023.
The organization’s founder, Kathy L. Murphy, started this international book club to celebrate the love of literature. Each year, she reads more than 1000 books to recommend the best ones to her book clubs around the world. This year, she selected books from Adriana Trigiani, Barbara Kingsolver, Jamie Ford, fellow Novel Network author Kim Taylor Blakemore, Ann Hood, Wendy Willis Baldwin, myself, and so many more!
For me, highlights of the convention included meeting wonderful book lovers, celebrating my novel Goodbye, Orchid as a 2022 Bonus Book-of-the-Month, honoring my prequel Orchid Blooming as a 2023 International Book-of-the-Month, and speaking on a multicultural author panel about how our books reflect “East meets West.”
Most of all, I’ll never forget being selected Queen of the Silver Moon Ball!
Schedule time with me to learn more about author life, the inspiration for my women’s fiction, and the hidden Easter Egg details in my novels! https://adventuresbythebook.com/our-authors/members/carol-van-den-hende/