From Judith: Sunday, Aug. 31

Today we had the privilege of being special guest authors at the Erie Lackawanna Dining Car Preservation Society’s celebration of Railroad Days in Scranton, PA. In honor of our appearance, the Mayor of Scranton issued a Proclamation declaring August 31, 2008, as Inspirational Authors’ Day. We signed books and had fun meeting with Phoebe Snow, who modeled for the Lackawanna Railroad Advertising Campaign in the early 1900’s. She was lovely and hasn’t aged a bit! ~Judy

From Judith: Saturday Aug., 30

Our first stop was Sacred Melody bookstore in Syracuse where we were greeted by Steve, the manager, who had set up four decorated tables where we could sign and greet the customers. In addition, they had a table laden with sandwiches, fruit, and wonderful zucchini bread. By the time this tour is over I doubt any of my clothes are going to fit!
We met with several ladies who shared with us and we were privileged to pray for needs in their lives.

At 1:00 pm, we hurried out the door and Debra, with her trusty directions in hand, delivered us to the Arrowhead Christian Bookstore a beautiful bookstore with a large meeting room, in Johnson City, NY. We spoke to a full house, answered questions, and were each given a bottle of the famous Spiedie Marinade Sauce that is a specialty of the area. Debra has agreed that she will use her bottle of Spiedie’s and host a cookout for all the folks at Bethany House Publishing upon her return. (Don’t tell her I’ve told you or it will ruin her surprise).

From Kim

I've been gone a week now, and I'm starting to feel homesick for my family...and my cats! Pepper, the resident feline at Hotel Beau Fleuve in Buffalo let me scratch his chin and hold him a bit, so that helped. I've also been given a few "remniscent of Kansas" glimpses.

While driving from Albion to Alexandria Bay, I saw a field of sunflowers. Ah, Kansas!!! But alas, I couldn't get my camera out of my purse quick enough to snap a pic. *sigh* However, I did capture a grove of trees changing into their fall colors as well as a group of Amish children loading hay. Both immediately transported me to the Heartland.

New York is a lovely state. I have admired the thick stands of trees (including massive weeping willows!), rolling green pastures laden with wildflowers (another pic that has escaped my camera), and winding rivers. The people are also lovely. From a sweet young girl named Tressa to a dear retired lady named Eloise who was born in Italy, they have been so warm and welcoming, making us feel right at home. I will carry those memories back to Kansas with me, too.

I'm still waiting to hear a strong "New Yawk" accent, though...

From Judith

Friday was another fun and busy day for all of us. We visit Boldt Castle in the beautiful Thousand Islands. After arriving at the waterfront in Alexandria Bay, we ferried across the St. Lawrence River to the castle—an unbelievable place and we all highly recommend a tour if you are anywhere in the vicinity. It truly is a castle. We had a signing at the gift shop at the marina dock and Nancy and her staff were great fun. There were lots of visitors who stopped to visit and purchase our books—even a few of the ship captains picked up a copy. They said they were buying for their wives, but we think otherwise. :)

Afterward we ferried back across the river and then on to Clayton, NY where we had people waiting for our arrival at Corbin’s River Heritage shop. Now, that’s a great welcome! We met lots of New Yorkers as well as summer visitors to the islands. Corbin’s is a wonderful little shop that has old prints and wonderful books. In fact, most of our research books were purchased at Corbin’s before writing the series. It was fun to again visit with Marilyn, the shop owner, and her mother-in-law, Verda.

Then we were on to the DeWitt Library in Syracuse where we met with a group of interested readers and aspiring writers. One of our favorites was Adrienne who brought along her "bag ‘o books" for us to sign. She was a true delight and even came to see us the following morning at Sacred Melody Bookstore to purchase some additional books that hadn’t been available the evening before. She is a true fan of Christian fiction!

More Photos from the Book Tour

Here's a set of photos from Cathy (and one from Kim) of some of their adventures on book tour. Included: a B & B in Buffalo, Niagara Falls, Erie Canal, Swan Library (one of the booksigning stops), Bullwinkle the moose (Cathy's "first true love"), a church built by George Pullman, and lots and lots of socks!

From Cathy

Packed is just two letters short of PAniCKED. This morning we pried everything into our suitcases and hauled them down the gorgeous staircase of the bed and breakfast. I came to the realization that they call it that because you need both bed and breakfast after you finish getting your luggage to the floor level. Five women. Five suitcases, Five computer cases. Five purses. One case of water, a box of snacks, and a partridge in a pear tree... Well, it was all that and more, with the exception of the partridge. It all went into the van. *THAT* is enough to make anyone start believe in miracles! Tracie has an astonishing talent developed from hours of playing a game called Tetris. With her skill, and a double holster of Pam, and a crowbar, everything fit in the van. No need to panic after all. God is on our side and worry was for naught.

I bought socks for this trip--a pair for each of us on the tour, and enough to send out a pair each day in a drawing to one lucky person who reads the blog and leaves a comment/remark.

The first pair of socks says "Follow in the steps of Jesus," and each of us wants to draw closer to Him, to reflect His life, His love, and His timeless truth. Sharing the Good News with other believers at a library event and Bible bookstore today were pure joy. Well... most of the time it was. These women pick on me at times because I've never lived in Kansas. I love them anyway. The Bible says "Beautiful are the feet that bring the Good News." I/We didn't have time for pedicures, but the socks work well...Check in on our travel blog each day. Join us on the trip, and maybe you could have beautiful feet, too!

Cathy

From Judith: Pictures from the Carousel Factory

From Judith

Having arrived in Buffalo a full day before our book tour began, I decided to use part of my time to do a bit of research. The Herschell Carousel Factory Museum is located in North Tonawanda, New York, and is the only carousel museum located in the original factory site. Even better, North Tonawanda is only a twenty minute drive from the Bed & Breakfast where we are staying. So, with my camera and laptop in my bag, Tracie dropped me at the museum while she and Cathy headed off to Niagara Falls. It was my good fortune to meet Rae Proefrock, one of the museum trustees and also one of the painters who helps with the restoration of the carousel animals. The museum is listed on both the New York State and National Registers of Historic Sites. The Allan Herschell Company shipped its first ride from this factory complex in 1916.

I was able to view a video produced by one of the master carvers that details the carving process. The museum offers carving classes for those interested in the restoration process. They offer excellent tours that appeal to adults and children. Once you've completed your tour, you can visit the roundhouse where they tested the carousels before shipment and you can enjoy a carousel ride. Once the music begins and the carousel begins to turn, you can't help but recall those fond memories of childhood!

From Tracie: Beginning of the Book Tour

Wahoo! Just 4 more days until I get to spend a week and a half with 4 of my favorite ladies. The New England booktour of the Bethany House Babes is about to begin and I hope to see you there! Cathy Hake is sure to keep us in stitches with her comical sense of humor and slapstick behavior. Cathy is well known for her penchant for taking a fall, but we're hoping to keep her upright during the tour. Judy Miller is definitely a fun addition to any group. Judy's dry wit and great sense of history will keep us well informed and amused. Judy is the elegance of the group as she is always stylish and lovely. Kim Sawyer is the sweetness of the collection. Kim is the petite blond of the bunch, but she's no dummy. If Deb Larsen drives too fast and gets us stopped by the highway patrol, we'll simply have Kim bat her eyes and sweet talk the officer. And as for Deb Larsen, well, Deb is the real looker of the bunch. She's tall and gorgeous and in charge of the trip. If we wind up in Nova Scotia instead of Rochester, we won't worry a bit, cause Deb will no doubt have a plan.

Oh, and then there's me. I'm taking off for Buffalo only 4 days after getting home from Europe. I'll be the sleepy one. So if you come to the Bethany Babes booksigning - I'll be the one in the corner taking a nap.

Hope to see you there!
Tracie Peterson