Holiday Events

Our book launch for Three Gifts was a success! To date there have been 1200 copies sold since June 2011. Upcoming events are the St. Francis Day School Holiday Market at 3506 Lawndale Dr. in Greensboro, on Saturday, December 3 from 10:00-4:00 pm. On Saturday December 10, find us at Banner Elk Winery from 1:30-4:30 pm at 135 Deer Run Lane in Banner Elk, NC. Taste some excellent wine and buy a book ofr yourself or to give as a Christmas gift. What's better than reading a Christmas story by the tree?

Three Gifts Launch Tuesday November 22

Three Gifts book launch party is STILL ON! You may have read that the Aztec Dragon in Greensboro has closed their doors, BUT they are remaining open for big events and holiday parties, including our event on Tuesday, November 22nd from 6-9 pm. Please come out and help us celebrate! All three books will be for sale. The set of three will be available for $50. If you need a Christmas gift for the reader on your list, this party should be your first stop!

Just in: an article from Appalachian State Her Campus www.hercampus.com/school/appstate

The Books and Background of Mary Flinn

Wednesday, October 12, 2011By Brittany Fielding

This past summer, after countless weekday evenings of lounging around, watching television and doing nothing particularly productive with my time, I had a revelation of sorts; it had been so long since I had actually engaged in any activity that gave me the simplest kind of happiness and joy. At the time, I was so busy spending every day in and out of class in the mornings and working one of my two jobs that I literally forgot how to relax happily. So, I started making a list. On a piece of recycled notebook paper I wrote everything I wanted to do in a single summer that would make me happy. Among some of the tasks were: paint my desk, pick up that sewing project that I stopped working on two years ago, and exercise three times a week. But, my favorite task, and by far the simplest, actually ended up first on my list: read a book for fun.

Well, it didn’t take a trip to the library or countless hours of browsing the fiction section to know what book I wanted to read first. In fact, this was a novel I had been meaning to read for months prior to the creation of “the list”. So, the first book I picked up was The One by Mary Flinn, who happens to be my best friend’s mother. After finishing it in about a week’s time, I realized that this was not just any other novel. This was one of those great reads that you find yourself so engulfed in that you can’t help but wish for more long after every page has been turned. Written with so much passion and substance, you could literally feel the reality in the story, which makes sense because all of Flinn’s stories stem from real life situations. Whether it be her own experiences, her two daughters’ experiences, or a close friend’s experience, she writes stories that we can all relate to in one way or another.

Take her first book, The One. It is the story of two high school seniors, Chelsea and Kyle, living in the fictional community of Doughton County and struggling with college decisions, loss, heartache, first love, and the typical high school drama that we all lived through at one point in our lives. The real life Kyle, however, was “a very bright and good-looking guy who was traveling around working as a dishwasher, and trying to put the tragedies of his life in perspective,” that Flinn met while working in the Outer Banks one summer many years ago.

And the settings of her novels? Well, they are all places that we recognize and know like the back of our hand. In fact, don’t be surprised to read about her characters going to dinner at Macado’s or The Red Onion Café and attending Appalachian State football games. While not a graduate of ASU, Flinn has always loved the mountains and the beach, often spending family vacations at The Outer Banks, where her second novel, Second Time’s a Charm, takes place.

Now Flinn is preparing to release her third novel titled Three Gifts, which is a direct sequel to her first. Three Gifts picks up right where The One left off, and answers all of the questions readers may have had about what happened to Chelsea and Kyle. While she could not tell me too much about the novel without giving it away, she did say that it is an awesome Christmas story with some predictable moments and some surprises along the way too. Not to mention that it is set to be released on November 22, just in time for the Holiday Season. When asked how writing has changed her life, Flinn said; “Writing has given me my voice, even at fifty-three years old, when I started. After my life and career and whatever else I have accomplished, I believe that writing this series has brought all of my passions, beliefs, and the humor within me to the surface. Handing over the raw manuscript to an editor was like handing my heart and soul on a silver platter to a stranger.” I truly believe that sometimes the best way to take a break from reality is to step into someone else’s for a while. The reality that Mary Flinn creates in her novels is sweet, heartfelt, real, and most importantly, relatable. Her voice is captivating and will truly leave you wanting more. So, I encourage you all to make a little time for yourself and pick up a copy of any of her three novels. The best part is, they are available literally right around the corner at Black Bear Books in the mall, Boone Drug, and even the ASU bookstore! Happy reading!Show pagedAdd new comment
More in:AppStateAppalachian State Author Profile
GS_googleAddAdSenseService("ca-pub-6729995444575525");
GS_googleEnableAllServices();
GA_googleAddSlot("ca-pub-6729995444575525", "Right_bar_top");
GA_googleAddSlot("ca-pub-6729995444575525", "Middle_Side_Bar");
GA_googleAddSlot("ca-pub-6729995444575525", "Right_Bar_Center_New");
GA_googleAddSlot("ca-pub-6729995444575525", "Bottom_Bar_Left");
GA_googleAddSlot("ca-pub-6729995444575525", "Bottom_Bar_Center");
GA_googleFetchAds();
GA_googleFillSlot("Right_bar_top");
OAS_url ='http://oasc17.247realmedia.com';
OAS_sitepage ='campustrendsetters';
OAS_pos ='x01';
OAS_pubclick ='';
var OAS_RN = new String (Math.random());
var OAS_RNS = OAS_RN.substring (2,11);
document.write('');http://adclick.g.doubleclick.net/aclk?sa=L&ai=BVvIobaWcToOWCqe7sQfphPX_CIv1-4oCAAAAEAEg1ZbMDTgAWLuNn58gYMn2oYqkpJwQsgERd3d3LmhlcmNhbXB1cy5jb226AQlnZnBfaW1hZ2XIAQnaAVJodHRwOi8vd3d3LmhlcmNhbXB1cy5jb20vc2Nob29sL2FwcHN0YXRlL2Jvb2tzLWFuZC1iYWNrZ3JvdW5kLW1hcnktZmxpbm4_cGFnZT1zaG93mALiCcACAuACAOoCDVJpZ2h0X2Jhcl90b3D4AvDRHpAD4AOYA-ADqAMB4AQBoAYW&num=0&sig=AOD64_2mz4AIBNHGIKMYnhDK_KopMfxcsQ&client=ca-pub-6729995444575525&adurl=

New Release!

Three Gifts, the true sequel to The One is set to be released on November 22,2011. Our celebration will be held at the Aztec Dragon, formerly the Asiano Bistro on Lawndale Drive in Greensboro, NC, from 6-9 pm. Mimi Skerrett Williams has allowed me to use her beautiful photograph of the Blue Ridge mountains for the cover of Three Gifts.

Other upcoming events are as follows:

September 25 from 1-3 pm Art Walk book signing, King St. Boone, NC

October 1 from 10:00-4:00 Davie County Festival of Books at Rich Park, Mocksville, NC

November 22 from 6-9 pm Book Release Party for Three Gifts at Aztec Dragon, Lawndale Dr.

in Greensboro, across from Target

December 3 from 10:00-4:00 St. Francis Episcopal Church Day School Holiday Market,

3506 Lawndale Dr., Greensboro, NC

Outer Banks Book Tour 2011

A visit to the Outer Banks would never be the same for me if I didn't stop and eat at Sam & Omie's. We kicked off our Second Time's a Charm book tour at Sam & Omie's in Nags Head on August 1st, thanks to owner, Carole Sykes and her wonderful hospitality, just one year after our first visit with The One. Judy Waits and Kathleen Breony returned to visit with Mike and me, along with some new folks we met that day. After leaving them we walked across the street to behold the newly reconstructed Jennette's Fishing Pier. If you are in the area you shouldn't pass it up. The aquarium tanks, personalized fishing benches and the wind power turbine are spectacular on this piece of Nags Head history that will not die. It's a nice place for a wedding too, so I've been told. Don't forget to eat at Sam & Omie's while you're there!

Scarborough Faire was our next stop on Wednesday, at the Island Bookstore in Duck, where we stayed. We met lots of nice ladies and their daughters, looking for a good, clean teen read, so needless to say, they bought The One!

Duck's Cottage Coffee and Books is definitely the place to be on any given morning from 9-11 AM! Coffee drinkers there are passionate about their reading and I had lots of nice chats with folks from Virginia to New York, and one man and his lovely daughter from Australia. We even met a man who went to high school with both of our brothers, assuring us that it is a small world, after all.

Next up was Page After Page in Elizabeth City on Thursday evening. They were ready for us with flyers in the window, my book on the shelf facing the window, right above John Hart's Iron House (!) and book marks advertising the visit. Thanks to owner, Susan Hinkle, we had one very enthusiastic young lady waiting for us, whose mother bought both books.

If you want to stay in Duck, check out Twiddy & Company Realtors for a clean rental with a friendly and efficient staff. Our house, just a short walk from the beach, was exactly what we wanted for a week's worth of R & R, complete with a porch swing and a kitchen we could actually cook in. My favorite part was the outdoor shower! Jessica and Shelby liked the jet skis at Sunset Water Sports, which has a good restuarant, called Sunset Bar and Grille, too. Don't leave there without trying the she-crab soup!

On to the editing phase of Three Gifts. We are getting close now! I hope to release this third installment in the trilogy of the Davis and Davenport families by mid-November.

Upcoming events schedule

July 23, 2011 Saturday: Book signing at Pages Books and Cafe, 235 N. Main St. in Mt. Airy from

from 2-4 pm

August 1st Monday: Book signing at Sam and Omie's Restaurant at Whalebone Junction

where the beach road meets the by-pass across from Jeanette's Fishing Pier in Nags Head,

NC from 2-4 pm

August 3rd Wednesday: Book signing at Scarborough Faire- Island Bookstore, 1177 Duck Rd. in

Duck, NC from 4-6 pm

August 4th Thursday: Book signing at Duck's Cottage Books, 1240 Duck Rd. in Duck, NC from

9-11 am

August 4th Thursday: Book signing at Page After Page Bookstore, 111 S. Water St. in Elizabeth

City from 5-7 pm

Happy Birthday to The One!

It was one year ago on July 9th that nine boxes of books arrived on my doorstep and the second leg of our journey- the real fun- began! No stork was in sight, but it was like the birth of a baby in the form of 200 books had happened to my family and me. Tomorrow, July 9, 2011, Mike and I will celebrate the book's birthday at the Banner Elk Winery, armed with cupcakes, birthday buttons and confetti. What better place to toast a birthday! We will also be presenting copies of Second Time's a Charm for sale, and talking about Three Gifts, the final installment in the trilogy about the Davis and Davenport families that ends up back in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina, with a mention or two about the Banner Elk Winery, the Gamekeeper Restaurant, and of course, Appalachian State University!

So here's to The One, for giving us a year's worth of pleasure, connecting with readers and friends across seven states. Happy Birthday!

See the previous post for more about Three Gifts, and the events itinerary for the summer.

Looking ahead to Three Gifts

Three Gifts, coming in 2011

Kyle watched her pull out of the parking lot and head toward Rivers Street, disappearing to the right as he climbed the steps to the restaurant where he downed the last of his beer. The others were standing to leave and he was glad to be leaving too. Where was that robust and energetic young college man that would just be getting started on his weekend? He thought this with a smile to himself, knowing that guy was back in another world and probably wouldn't be seen again, especially after the baby came. A tug of concern made him more anxious to get in his car and meet Chelsea at home.

He was the first to get in the car after seeing Tom and Liz to the parking lot and bidding Lauren another Happy Birthday, the first of many twenty-ninths, they'd joked. He followed Chelsea's path out of the lot and turned his music up, putting down windows for the ride home. Now the sky was his favorite shade of horizon blue afther the dusk had descended as he drove close by the river on the winding road toward home. He was beat! The work of the two projects was catching up with him. He had not seen the inside of a gym since before the wedding. At least he was running.

The curves in the road grew deeper as he climbed the mountain before the last descent before his cabin road. As he wove around a tight curve he saw a deer on the opposite side of the road, sitting, stunned and wide-eyed as if it had just been hit. A large man with gray hair and a cigarette dangling from his mouth had pulled over and was loping back toward the spot Kyle had just passed. The poor guy had probably hit the doe and was going to help, for whatever good it would do. Kyle's dad would have been itching to pull out his rifle, put the animal out of its misery, and then throw it in the back of his truck for dinner. He shook his head, remembering those days.

In a few minutes he was pulling into the drive and stopped short as his headlights illuminated the empty parking spot in front of the cabin. Chelsea's car should have been there. Had she stopped off to pick up something at the store? She hadn't mentioned it. A sickening feeling swept over him and he jammed the Range Rover into reverse and gunned it back out onto the road. If she had been the one to hit the deer then where was her car? Panic slammed against the walls of his stomach and he felt his leg vibrating oddly as he tried to hold it steady in order to drive back to the site of the deer. His phone played on the dash where he had tossed it as usual.

He looked quickly at the screen while tearing around the curves. "Glen?" he shouted urgently into the phone.


"There is a Celtic saying that heaven and earth are only three feet apart, but in the thin places that distance is even smaller."

Newlyweds Kyle and Chelsea Davis return from their honeymoon consummated and rejuvenated, ready to take the world by the tail. They have both made sacrifices to be together, returning to Kyle's father's cabin to live in the mountains of North Carolina. Stuart Davis' ominous presence makes itself known immediately, haunting Kyle, making him question his own life choices. How much of his father is truly in him, and how much can he fight the commonalities? Meanwhile, Chelsea learns quickly that her life is not falling into place as easily as she'd predicted, driving doubts and fears into everything she believes, even her connection with Kyle. Life in the adult world is challenging enough without the unexpected surprises they both encounter as a couple. Will the true love they think they deserve be possible for them?

Three Gifts is a story of growing together, finding strength and ultimately faith in the character-building experiences Kyle and Chelsea endure together in this tale that returns the readers to the mountains and to Kyle's "thin place" with the woman he loves. Told alternatively from each of the couple's perspectives, readers will experience both sides of their story. As the third installment of the trilogy beginning with The One, Three Gifts brings back the original cast of characters, grown up now, and facing life head-on in this enigmatic love story.

June 19, 2011

So much has happened since the last entry. Being out for summer break I should be able to stay on top of new developments. Next year at this time I will be retired and can keep this blog current!

Second Time's a Charm was released on April 28, 2011 and to date about 147 copies have been sold. Last year at this time no books had been sold, but The One has exceeded 700 copies in circulation, so I am very happy with my "Johnny Appleseed" campaign. Thanks to my husband Mike, who has sold many copies for me in several states, the marketing strategy has extended to the "Flat Stanley" approach as well! I think The One is in about six states, maybe more! My daughters, Jessica and Shelby have done their part to promote the books, and all of you who are reading this blog have helped in your way as well, so to you all I am grateful for your continued interest and enthusiasm. Get ready for Three Gifts to appear in cyberspace around November of 2011. It will make a good Christmas gift as it ends at Christmastime!

Events:


July 5, Tuesday from 2-5 pm Book signing at Black Bear Books at Boone Mall

August 1, Monday from 2-4 pm Book signing at Sam and Omie's Restaurant in Nags Head, NC

August 4, Thursday from 9-11 am Book signing at Duck's Cottage Books in Duck, NC

August 4, from 5-7 pm at Page After Page Book Store in Elizabeth City, NC


Check my website: http://www.theonenovel.com/ for book reviews, testimonials, ordering information, and an interview about how the trilogy got started.

The One and Second Time's a Charm are both available in e-book format on Amazon.com for Kindle and Barnes and Noble on Nook.