Stonewall Kitchen – Karen Creamer Author, Coach, Speaker

Mary Ann and me

January 30, 2017 by Karen, posted in (it's all about the) food, author, books, italian, Karen's Kitchen, local fun

Mary mary-ann-esposito Ann Esposito and I go way back. Okay, sort of.

I met her in real life at a Stonewall Kitchen Cooking School event in 2008. (Also, once I saw her at the Market Basket, but I didn’t actually talk to her. Does that count?)

I really met her for the first time in my younger years, watching her on TV. She hosted Ciao Italia on PBS. Years later, I watched all the reruns, too.

She is a skilled, wonderful cook, as anyone who has ever watched Ciao Italia knows. She was as warm and funny and caring in person as she was on TV.

I’m Italian, as anyone who knows me knows. I learned so much not only about cooking, but about life and how to live it from my Italian nana, Mary. Meeting Mary Ann, watching her cook in the Stonewall Kitchen Cooking School’s cucina, gave me back that feeling of being with my grandmother in her kitchen again for a few hours.
Being with your people: Priceless.

Anyway, Mary Ann Esposito is also an author. The Stonewall event was a cooking class and a book signing. She was kind enough to sign my book, and gracious enough to pose for a photo with me. Here’s how much it meant to me: I was able to put my hand on this photo of us from 2008 literally in seconds. I knew exactly where it was.

I am beyond excited to tell you that she will be at the New England Authors Expo March 31st event: 2017 Authors Night by the Sea, in Portsmouth, NH, signing her books. I will be there, too, signing my novel, One Brave Thing.

And visiting with Mary Ann. Maybe I’ll even get another photo with her.

Life’s funny, isn’t it?

me-and-mary-ann-on-the-authors-list

Click here for the information, if you want to come!

SPOTLIGHT ON: Nonesuch Books, Biddeford ME

July 15, 2016July 15, 2016 by Karen, posted in author, books, Crystals, local fun, shopping

There is a great book store in Biddeford: Nonesuch Books. They have books for sale, of course, both new and used. They also have a lot of interesting magazines along the left side wall of the store, complete with strategically placed chairs, to aid and abet your magazine perusal.

🙂

What you might not know is how many other cool things they sell.

Some of the best little greeting cards I’ve ever seen; I buy them in lots.
Himalayan Salt Lamps! At a very good price!
Lots of wind chimes and prisms!
Engraved stones…I found one with myoneword for 2016 on it! Grace!
Tarot card decks! As if you can ever have enough of those…
Stonewall Kitchen products!
Candles!
Chocolate!

And of course, the best thing they sell is my book, One Brave Thing! I stopped by last night and they still have 2 copies left.

Just sayin’.

Top 10 best tips for selling your books at a yard sale

May 28, 2016May 28, 2016 by Karen, posted in Adult children, author, books, Brave books, local fun

I had the good fortune to be part of Stonewall Kitchen Employee’s Yard Sale this morning in York (by invitation from my son, Anthony). I set up my table and brought copies of my book, One Brave Thing.

(Hmmm…maybe next time I should have someone else take the picture so that I can be IN it.)

Anyway, it went very well! I was so happy to see my friend Dawny’s face bright and early at 8am when I arrived. I am here to tell you that it’s WONDERFUL to have the support of friends when you go to do your book events.

Here’s some things what worked for me today:

First of all, bring change. Bring 10’s, 5’s, and 1’s. The first rule of yard sales (and farmer’s markets, for that matter) is that your first customer will pay you with a twenty. Every time.
Bring index cards and Post-it notes. These are useful for writing down price specials or whatever statements you can think of to attract your potential customers. You can make a tent out of an index card to act as a little standing sign.
Bring tape, because the wind will blow your tented index cards away.
The plastic Godzilla that was on my son’s side of the table attracted a lot of people to our table. Just sayin’.
Don’t bring chocolate to your yard sale if it’s going to be 80 degrees. Or if you do, bring some napkins.
If you have a buddy with you, it helps a lot. It’s nice to have someone watch your table if you need to take a bio break (okay, so maybe I shouldn’t have had that second cup of coffee).
Bring some bags. Many people didn’t want them, but the ones that did want them really did.
Be willing to be flexible on your price (hello, it’s a yard sale). Know your rock bottom price in advance.
Bring more than one pen to sign your books. One pen has a bad habit of going missing right when you need it.
Try to find a shady spot, or bring some shade with you. Someone had a tent thing that I was coveting (not that I would have wanted to have to set it up though). Bring a hat. Bring sunscreen.