Give Presentations to Connect with New Readers

Sean Fitzgibbon, Author let me snap this photo of him during his presentation.

Hello readers,

A couple of weeks ago a kind neighbor, Clarice, asked me if I’d be interested in giving a presentation at an event called Lunch with the Author. Clarice is a member of a local nonprofit, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, located in Fayetteville. Most of the time, they host it at a brewery, The Apple Blossom. The place has wonderful soups and salads. Delighted, I said yes, and googled the OLLI website to complete the official forms.

So what does that have to do with the man in my photo above? His name is Sean Fitzgibbon and he wrote What Follows is True: Crescent Hotel. Last week, Clarice invited me to attend his Lunch with the Author presentation. I had a chance to meet the guest of honor, a great guy.

I must admit, the Crescent Hotel has been a topic of interest for me. For those of you who don’t know, the controversial building is located in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. People go there for the ghost tours. Truth be known, they spend the night hoping spirits will come. The colorful history and tales of hauntings sparked Fitzgibbon’s desire to write about it.

Sean went to great lengths to research the legendary stories. For ten years he worked on his project. In addition to writing, he’s a fabulous artist. His Powerpoint lecture gave us a glimpse of his talent. Watercolor pictures graced the 240 page book. To learn more about his writing journey, visit his website at https://www.seanfitzgibbonart.com. I loved browsing his art gallery there. And check out his new release linked above.

Sean used the opportunity to captivate his audience, including me. Several OLLI members attended, and bought Fitzgibbon’s book. Before going, I didn’t know much about Sean or his work. I wanted support him, observe how he presented his material, and see how the attendees responded. He connected well with his audience. New readers flocked to him.

Now I look forward to giving my own presentation in July, The Secrets of Storytelling. During my talk, I’ll introduce my young adult novel, Run Girl Run . This will be a fantastic opportunity to tell everyone about my book, and to connect with readers. I’ll post details on my event page as the date approaches. Sign up for my newsletter below for all my latest news.

Have you ever been invited to give a presentation? If so, drop a comment below and share your experience. Or if you have a topic you would like me to blog about, leave a request.