Honey Grove, TX boasts a population of a little over 1600 people. What they lack in numbers, however, they more than make up for in community spirit. This became abundantly clear to me this past Saturday when they graciously hosted me for my official book launch of More Than Words Can Say.
Honey Grove is the setting for Zach and Abby’s story in More Than Words Can Say, and after finding a research gold mine on the Honey Grove Preservation League’s website, I started thinking about how fun it would be to walk the same streets my characters walked, and have my book launch in this sweet little town. So I reached out to the Preservation League, and they graciously agreed to host. Well, not just host – they became true partners in the endeavor. They helped me brainstorm activities and avidly promoted the event to every library and civic group in Fannin County. Nearly 100 people showed up for the event, and while I might be able to claim about 20 who drove in because they were already fans of mine, the rest were all the result of the heroic efforts of these ladies.
These Honey Grove ladies not only ran the bake sale (a fun tie-in to my baker heroine) to raise money for the local Friends of the Library, but they also drew the biggest crowd I’ve ever had at a signing. (And don’t you love those adorable homemade aprons? So fun and colorful!)
The surprise of the day was that the mayor named me an honorary citizen of Honey Grove! How fun is that? I have the plaque up in my office.
After the main event concluded, we had a lovely group stay for a walking tour that I put together. We visited many of the places that are mentioned in the book. This was so much fun for me. I hadn’t actually stepped foot in Honey Grove prior to this, so being able to see the places I had researched was a joy.
Not everything that I wrote about was still standing, of course. The lumberyard and Commercial Hotel down on Rail Road (now Commerce Street) were vacant lots. But we still walked there so we could gain a feel for what it had been like in 1896.
We did get to see some fabulous Victorian homes that had been restored to their former glory. The pink and green houses were built around the turn of the century, a few years after my story takes place. I don’t have a date for the gray house, but when I saw the red, white, and blue bunting, I knew I had to snap a photo since my story includes much bunting and decorating for a Fourth of July parade and celebration in Honey Grove. The white house, the one that is not quite as aesthetic as the rest is actually my favorite. That’s because this is the James Gilmer house that I reference in the book. It was being built in 1896, and in my story, Zach delivered the lumber for this house. And it’s still standing!
The church Zach and Abby attended was moved from its original location, so we had to walk a few more blocks to get to it, but the building is still standing and has some lovely stained glass. The stained glass was not in the church during Zach and Abby’s time period, but all the history living in those walls certainly was.
This is another church we got to tour – St. Mark the Evangelist Episcopal. It was built in 1883 and contained gorgeous woodwork and stained glass, not to mention an organ and an alms box for the poor. I felt like we had stepped back in time when we walked through these doors.
As we approached the town square, I selected the cute little building with the teal awning as my location for Abigail’s Taste of Heaven Bakery.
The Walking tour concluded at City Hall, which was the starting point for the fictional parade on July Fourth. A couple of our group members snapped a great photo!
All in all, it was a fabulous day. Small towns have BIG THINGS to offer.
What are some of your favorite small towns?
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That looks like an absolute blast, Karen! The coolest idea for a book launch I think I’ve ever heard of! And I love the storefront you chose!
Thanks, Deb. I was so thankful for all the help the ladies of Honey Grove gave me. I couldn’t have pulled this off without them.
What a fun book launch! Great idea! This sounds like a great place to set a story and to live. They have real community spirit.
Yes, they do. One of my favorite moments was when a local lady came up to me and asked if I would take a picture with her 2 year-old daughter who happened to be named Abigail – the same name as my heroine. How perfect is that? She had me sign a book to her daughter saying that since her Abigail was growing up in Honey Grove, too, it just seemed right. I loved it!
What a fascinating event you had in Honey Grove, Texas! I’m very fond of a small town in Michigan west of Lansing called Grand Ledge, where my mother was raised. The older of my two sisters lived there many years as well and gave me a tour during one of my visits. She took me to see the homes and highlights of our various relatives and the house where we lived until I turned five, when we moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan. As we toured, I took photographs and made a list of the places we visited so that I could recall the details. It was a personal history lesson!
How wonderful to discover that personal history, Suzanne! It’s amazing how much more meaning we attach to things when we have a personal connection or learn of the history behind the place.
Karen, what fun! And those cakes!!!Good home cooking! I love the ladies. They look like a fun group!! I know they fell in love with you, too!
I was a little disappointed that all those yummy treats were sold out by the time I finished signing books. I was hoping to buy some. Ha! But I love that the library benefited from those tasty treats being so appreciated!
What a wonderful book launch! Thanks for such lovely pictures that will be a great reference when I read More Than Words Can Say. Picked it up last week.
Congratulations on 100 people!
Thanks, Betty. I hope the pictures help bring the setting to life for you as you read. 🙂
Karen, what a fun and creative way to launch a book! How wonderful that the town got behind you to make it successful. I LOVE the historical buildings you pictured. How cool to walk the paths your characters walked!
Thanks, Marilyn. This was my favorite launch by far. Usually, I don’t really even do much of a launch, but when a divine whisper sparked this idea, I knew I had to follow it through. I’m so glad I did. It was a wonderful experience.
I just finished More than Words Can Say and love seeing the pictures of the places I just read about. What a fantastic idea to have the book launch there. I wish I lived close enough to attend, but unfortunately, Indiana is a bit far. There are lots of small towns in my area that do fun things and have good community spirit. The town that neighbors mine has a wonderful festival each September. They also have lots of initiatives designed to attract and hold local businesses in the town.
Sounds like you have some wonderful small towns with big hearts in your area, Rebecca. Though I’m SHOCKED that you didn’t make the commute from Indiana to Honey Grove. Ha! So glad you enjoyed Zach and Abigail’s story.
Thanks for sharing–y’all had a great time! 🙂
I enjoyed your new novel and seeing the characters from “More Than Meets the Eye” appear during Zach and Abigail’s big day!
Thanks, Elisa. So glad you enjoyed Evie’s cameo. 🙂 While we were in Honey Grove, my hubby and I drove the 17 miles down to Pecan Gap so we could get a picture made by the town sign in honor of More Than Meets the Eye. We even had a couple ladies from Pecan Gap come to the signing. 🙂
This is just the coolest idea! Bravo for putting it together! Loved seeing the pictures. Although I suspect it is a sprawling town now, I loved going to Geneva , Illinois when I was a teen. We lived two towns north on the Fox River. They had lots of antiques, quaint buildings and Swedish Days festival. My parents retired to Mt. Morris, Illinois and the next town over Oregon is a pretty little town. That’s where the giant statue of Blackhawk is on the bluff above the river. More antiques and quaint storefronts.
That sounds so charming, Paula!
I loved sharing this trip through Honey Grove through your photos. I can tell it was a wonderful day for everyone.
I was lucky enough to grow up in two small beach towns on the Gulf coast in Florida, first, Redington Beach, and later, Madeira Beach, where our library was in a small house I could walk to. Those were much simpler days and were a joy. Today they are building more and more condos and these towns are very congested, but I still have my memories of carefree days growing up by the water.
Sometimes progress is a shame, isn’t it? So thankful you have such wonderful memories to cling to.
What a wonderful idea for your book launch!! Love seeing the ladies and hearing how they supported you. I grew up in a small town in Kansas named Haven between Hutchinson and Wichita. The second novel in my Harvey Girl Legacy Series, Home for the Heart, ends up in Hutchinson at the Santa Fe Hotel and Bisonte. I would love to go there for my launch.