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Andra Watkins

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I feel like I'm back on the Natchez Trace. Except my feet aren't bleeding. And I'm not about to kill Dad. For the next week, I'm doing a marathon series of book appearances. Lowcountry South Carolina. Boston area Massachusetts. Eleven appearances in seven days. And I got my period early. Yay me.

I feel like I’m back on the Natchez Trace. Except my feet aren’t bleeding. And I’m not about to kill Dad.

For the next week, I’m doing a marathon series of book appearances. Lowcountry South Carolina. Boston area Massachusetts. Eleven appearances in seven days.

And I got my period early. Yay me.

Last night, Cindy and Ed Duryea fed me frogmore stew and gave me a bed in their lovely Beaufort, South Carolina home. If Cindy’s name sounds familiar, it’s because she drove all the way from Beaufort to greet me at the finish line of my walk of the Natchez Trace.

She meant for her appearance to be a surprise.

I got a text from her that morning.

Cindy: What time are you finishing today?

Me: Why? Are you coming to Nashville?

Cindy: No!!! Of course not.

Me: Okay……well…….I’m finishing at 2.

An hour later…….Cindy’s daughter Katy texts me FROM CINDY’S PHONE. Which wouldn’t be a problem, except that Katy lives in Nashville.

Katy: Andra. It’s Katy. From Mom’s phone. Can you speak at my Nashville Rotary club in the morning?

Me: Does that mean I’m gonna see you in an hour?

Katy: ……………..

Cindy and Katy play prominently in the ending of Not Without My Father. I’m grateful to Cindy and Ed for letting me crash at their house for two nights, though you may read a Thursday post about my playing piano in public for the first time in more than a decade and my first foray in a handbell choir in two decades.

I try to be spontaneous. Really. I try.

Please think of me as I charge through new experiences today.

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40 Comments

  1. all good stuff and you can do it, hand in there andra )

    1. Equal parts excited and terrified. I was rusty in front of the room this morning.

  2. Handbells – wonder if Kenneth Andrews can make something dirty of that. 😉

      1. I guess it depends on whether your choir uses the one handed or two handed style…. Often the crescendo varies on handbell technique…

    1. I have two bookstore appearances in the area.

      Sunday, September 7, 1 – 3pm, Tatnuck Bookseller in Westborough.
      http://www.tatnuck.com/events_detail.php?eventid=AEW090714

      Wednesday, September 10, 7pm – 8pm at New England Mobile Book Fair in Newton Highlands.

      If you plan to attend one of the events, please message me and let me know. I’d love to meet you and be able to plan to chat before or after.

      1. Yes! The PBL (Plush Bunny of Love) and I will see you in Westboro on Sunday! Let’s plan on chatting afterwards! (You can’t miss me – I’m 6’8″!)

  4. Where in the Lowcountry? I was in Beaufort on Monday, 9/1/14.

    1. I’m in Beaufort today. I speak in Hilton Head tomorrow and then head home. What were you doing in Beaufort?

      1. I’m in Beaufort a lot doing research on the Agnes and Daniel Mann family that lived in the Saltus/Habersham house on Bay Street across from the John Mark Verdier house. We were touring the John Mark Verdier house. I live in Ridgeland.

        1. I didn’t know that’s where you lived, Ruth. I went to Bluffton this morning and have to go to Hilton Head for lunch tomorrow. I went right past the turnoff for Ridgeland. If you’re free for a coffee early afternoon tomorrow, let me know. I’m done in HH at 1:30.

      2. Drat. I have to work tomorrow, but thank you for the invitation!

  6. I want video of the piano AND especially the handbells.

    1. If our morning practice was any indication, save your eardrums the strain. Gosh, I’m rusty.

  7. So many folks are going to have the delight of meeting you and then reading your book!

    1. I hope so. I’m looking forward to going to Duxbury, thanks to you.

  8. Oh that’s so cool! And I’m glad you’re meeting up with Maria!

    1. Me, too. And Cam Garriepy and spending three days with Lisa Kramer. And meeting Laurence King.

  9. Enjoy the new experiences and the redeeming of old skills. Sounds like your having fun on the ride in spite of the occasional “reality moment”. Thinking of you.

    1. Lisa, this is great fun. The appearances are the antithesis of writing in some ways, but they’re so much fun.

  10. Sounds like an experience-filled and very social week coming up. I only have one question: Can you play AC/DC on the piano or with the handbells? I’d like to make a request if you can answer yes… :-p

    1. I cannot. We’re doing show tunes. Badly. I’m doing them badly. Cindy’s great and very patient.

      1. Serve lots of wine to the audience and they will never know if you flub a note. Actually, I believe you will do just fine. Smile and be confident. 🙂

  11. A whirlwind in a whirlwind. I love the concept.

  12. You make it all look so easy. Enjoy and carry on! Just remember to tell us everything that happens because we’re all living vicariously through you.

    1. I haven’t done it yet, but I’ll try to make it easy in public, however I feel about it.

  13. I’m right there with Ally – living vicariously through you. 😀

  15. Well… at least we know you won’t be having a baby during any of your appearances. Good luck and knock ’em dead!

  16. *thinks of you as you experience wonderful new experiences* 😀

  17. I’m sending you some good energy to help get you by, Andra. You are the writer in demand! Enjoy the many moments. You worked hard to get to this point! ox

  18. That’s such a great story! Can’t wait to read it in the pages of your memoir. xo

  20. I was in massachusetts the past 2 weeks for work, thus why no blogging from me. I was everywhere but Boston.

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