Do you love touring historical mansions and learning the history behind the homes (and the novels written about them)?
Do you appreciate delicious Southern food? Do you adore talking history and novels and writing and romance?
Have you ever wanted to have dinner in the grand salon at Belmont Mansion where Adelicia Acklen threw her magnificient party for Madame Lavert in 1865?
Does the thought of breakfasting in Belle Meade’s historic carriage house tickle your fancy?
What about dining at Carnton, learning about the Battle of Franklin—the backdrop of my next novel that releases December 19—and touring the home and the largest privately held Civil War cemetery in the United States?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, then the Southern Mansion Reader Weekend is for you—and your book club! Talk about a fabulous girl’s weekend getaway!
Registration opens Wednesday, July 25 at 12 noon central
We’re busy finalizing all the details now but here’s the weekend from a “bird’s eye view.”
Friday evening
5:30 PM Welcome and appetizers at Belmont Mansion
6:15 PM Dinner in Belmont Mansion’s grand salon
Special presentations by Tamera Alexander and Belmont curators and historians
7:30 -9:30 PM Tour the home and grounds with Tamera
Saturday morning
8:30 AM Breakfast at Belle Meade Plantation
Special presentations by Tamera Alexander and Belle Meade curators and historians
9:45 AM Take the “behind the scenes” Tour of Belle Meade Plantation with Tamera
11:00 AM – 12 PM Meet with Tamera at the Old Harding Cabin where Uncle Bob (a character in the Belle Meade novels) lived
Saturday late afternoon
3:30 PM – 5:15 PM Tour Carnton and the largest privately owned Civil War cemetery in the U.S., and learn about the Battle of Franklin (the backdrop for Tamera’s upcoming December release, With This Pledge, that releases December 19)
5:30 – 8:30 PM Dinner at Carnton and farewell
Special presentations by Tamera Alexander and Carnton curators and historians
Read about With This Pledge
We’ve been working on this weekend for some time now, and I’m so excited to share these mansions with you.
All the details will be made available on the Southern Mansion Reader Weekend website next week.
Ticket price will include all house tours and meals at the mansions (Friday dinner at Belmont, Saturday breakfast at Belle Meade, Saturday dinner at Carnton). Recommendations will be provided for trusted hotels and Air B&Bs in the Franklin and Brentwood areas, as well as restaurants, additional sightseeing opportunities, and, of course, shopping!
If you’d appreciate a reminder on the morning of registration, sign up for my eUpdates here, and I’ll give you a nudge!
Have you ever participated in a reader event like this before? If yes, who was the author sponsoring the event? And what did you like most about it?
Happy Tuesday!
Tammy
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There’s still time!
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Tamera Alexander
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Your reader weekend sounds fabulous, Tammy! I love touring historic homes and cemeteries. And how wonderful that you get to actually have meals in the plantation homes! Such a rich experience.
Thanks, Karen. The mansions have been after me to do this for a while. So…now’s the time! ; )
That looks like so much fun! Of course the mansions themselves are wonderful, but getting to see them with you and other readers? Priceless! 🙂
I’m excited too, D’Ann! 😉
Your upcoming reader weekend looks fantastic. What fun!
Thanks, Becky!
Oh, man! Wish I lived close enough to come! Sounds amazing! Hope you’ll post photos of the event!
Me too! And will do! ; )
I was really excited about this when you first mentioned it because I live in Virginia, and Tennessee is doable for me. I’ve been trying to get the mansion books read, and only have 3 to go. They are wonderful! I thought you had mentioned having this event at the end of September, but November/December will be a little iffy to travel through the mountains.
So sorry to miss this and hope everyone has a great time. Looking forward to some pictures.
I’d hoped for September, Betty, but the mansions are all slammed with weddings. It was hard to get dates that worked for all three of them. Sorry you can’t make it. : (
Yes, I can imagine they would be in high demand. Thanks for putting this together.