Read Like Grandma

A dedication and a cover reveal!

Dear reader,

Grandma Shirley lived two doors down from the house I grew up in. And I’d often find her in her spot at their kitchen table with her coffee, her cigarettes, and a suspense novel. This was the eighties and nineties, when smoking was still an indoor activity, and heavy glass ashtrays were common centerpieces. I can remember that kitchen and her closing her book, pushing it aside, and listening to whatever I’d come in to say. Grandma Shirley liked Agatha Christie and John Grisham. I still have her hardcover copy of The Client; she gave it to me when I was in high school because I told her how much I liked The Firm.

Grandma Doris lived four hours south of us. She read quickly, and she preferred women’s fiction and romances. Nicholas Sparks was one of her favorites. When my brother and I visited, often for a week in the summer, she’d take us to the library and let us pick out as many books as we wanted. No limits! And she always brought home a stack of eight or ten novels for herself, which I can remember being awed by. Then, when she wasn’t making the next meal or engaged in some sewing project with me, she’d sit in a lounge chair on her screened-in porch and read.

Sometimes I like to read their favorite writers just because I feel lucky to know who they liked. Especially because when I was a kid and knew them best, I was more interested in their televisions. We lived too far out in the country for cable; I had six, sometimes seven, channels at my house. My close-by grandma had a giant satellite dish in the yard. And my further-away grandma had cable and, most importantly, MTV. But I suppose this is proof that kids notice even when they’re distracted by other things.

I also feel lucky to have had two awesome grandmas. They’ve been gone for years now, but I think they both would have been excited that I’m publishing a book. Because of the nuances of printing, and because I’ve never designed a book interior before, it looks like I may not be able to include a dedication page in the printed version. But even if the printed copies won’t say so, the book is dedicated to my grandmas because they loved to read, and in many ways, my book is about reading.

And check out my pretty cover!

Book covers are so important, even though we’re not supposed to judge books by them. Mine was illustrated and designed by LA Villavicencio. I found him by searching on Instagram, which amazes me because I don’t even really know how to work Instagram. And his work has not only fit my vision but also enhanced and solidified it in a way that I didn’t even know was possible. Maybe all writers feel this way about their book covers. I hope they do because it’s been awesome.

Developing the idea and working with an artist to make it has been one of the greatest parts of independent publishing. And, honestly, I would not have been able to do it without my newsletter subscribers. So thank you for reading and supporting me!

Without further ado…

The book is now available for preorder in both print and ebook for Kindle. You can find out all the details and order a copy here: https://www.melinda-copp.com/books

Thank you again!

Melinda