Dinner with Nancy

Can there be a more gracious author than Nancy Pickard? I really don't think so--and I suspect there are another 50-some people who agree with me.

The icing on the cake for Tuesday night's gathering was Nancy's presentation over The Virgin of Small Plains, the 2009 Kansas Reads pick. Yes, the food was good, but Nancy was definitely the draw for the nearly 60 persons who packed our meeting room. Nearly all in attendance had previously read the book and no doubt some wanted to see just what the woman who came up with that story looked and sounded like! (I still don't understand those who find the book "grisly" or"graphic", which no doubt says more about me than it does them). I'm sure that even if Nancy didn't live up to their mental image (she does rather look like a writer of gentle, refined fiction--not that her books aren't refined!), they went away as fans.

As one who has been reading Nancy's books since Generous Death--and I've never forgotten how Jenny Cain stopped the bad guy!--I'm thrilled to have served with her on the Kansas Reads committee and have her in my email address book. For those who still haven't been introduced to her writing, do it now! Although you may have to wait until her books come back in.