Goldsboro Reading and Reader Comments

Judy and Katherine after Goldsboro reading Nov. 12, 2013

What a lovely time I had in Goldsboro last Tuesday, November 12.

Katherine Wolfe, who was my student in the late nineties, driving up from Goldsboro for our weekly sessions, is such a great host. She had rounded up my best audience so far, about fourteen folks, and they even applauded after the first and last Beaver Soul poems.

They bought books, too.  Katherine had prepared elegant refreshments, lots of fruits and vegetables, plus pumpkin muffins and apple cakes and apple juice.  Mary Susan Heath took the blog photos today of that occasion.  I met new writers and fans I met last year, some of whom bought Beaver Soul during the pre-sale period, when I was trying to get at least 55.  I made it!  Thanks to all the good Goldsboro folks, and especially Katherine.

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Judy signing books for Marian and Liz at Goldsboro Reading

I’ve had now eight events to promote Farm Fresh and Fatal and Beaver Soul, and three remain: I’ll be Tuesday, November 19, 7 PM at Regulator Bookshop at 720 W. Ninth St, Durham (919-386-2700).  December 3, Tues, 7 PM I’ll be at South Regional Library, 4505 S. Alston Ave, Durham (919-560-7409), and December 8, Sunday, at 2 PM, I’ll be at McIntyre’s Books in Fearrington Village, off 15-501, between Chapel Hill and Pittsboro (919-542-3030).  

BEAVER SOUL AND FARM FRESH AND FATAL
READER COMMENTS–FALL 2013

From Katherine Wolfe, Goldsboro writer (email Oct 28): 
I did finish reading Farm Fresh and Fatal. Wow! Your characters will stay with me forever. I have read so much about "character development" and the importance of "fully developed characters." Your book will be a model for me in how to accomplish this. I really felt I knew your characters, and I cared about them. I felt very emotional at the end--a surprise ending. 
I look forward to the next novel. You are a master at blending character, plot, and all the ingredients of a good mystery.

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From Marie Hammond, Durham writer and author of the forthcoming The Rabbi of Worms (letters of Nov 2 and 13): 

I’m enjoying [Farm Fresh and Fatal], especially the good, practical advice about how to deal with your adult children.  Their problems are not ours to solve, no matter how hard it is for us to stand on the sidelines and watch.

The plot is nicely framed and interesting.  The characters are well-developed, with sufficient flaws that we might suspect any of them of the crime, except a few obvious “good guys.”  In fact, the ending surprised me–I had thought all along that ______ was the culprit... What I liked most about the ending was that Penny was wrong, even though she thinks her intuition is infallible.  I would have liked Penny to admit this to Kenneth, but maybe you will include such a scene in a future book.  Their relationship was left a little unclear at the end, and I’d like to read more about it.  But all in all, the ending was satisfying.... Good job!

KILLER FROST (2012)

–New comment from Jill Amadio, another Mainly Murder Press author, of Digging Too Deep.  She posted this on Amazon recently.

Judy Hogan's depth of compassion and understanding of her theme is incredibly enriching to the reader. Following her character, Penny Weaver, through her trials and travails, as well as her successes, is a wonderful journey, as is Penny's dilemma about love. As a foreigner, I learned a lot about academia in the South, relationships between the ethnic peoples and their philosophies. Hogan's admirable heroine is aptly named - she does indeed weave her detecting skills around characters and crimes.

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I’d love to post more reader comments.  Send yours!  Judy Hogan

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Judy with Emily, Rosalyn, and Billye at the Goldsboro Reading