Thanks for dropping by my blog today. For fun, with Along a Storied Trail about to be released in eight short days, I decided to turn the floor over to Tansy Calhoun, my book woman, to let her tell you a little about herself and what she likes about being a packhorse librarian. So meet Tansy.
Thank you for letting me drop by and talk about being a book woman. If you read that quote there in that picture you can see how happy I am to be carrying books out to folks around me. But first let me ask you something. Have you ever had a dream of doing something that other folks thought you couldn’t do? Or maybe shouldn’t do. Could be you’re something like me and not right sure what it is you want to do but you know it’s something.
My pa said I got to thinking above myself. That I ought to have just latched onto the first fellow that came calling and been happy about that. I guess he thought I did something to chase off Jeremy and make him decide on Jolene instead of me. But we just weren’t a fit. We both knew it and I was just as glad he did go off and find somebody else instead of me having to turn him down. That would have upset Pa even more.
Pa thinks the books I want to read has given me ideas I should shun. That it’s made me think on romance too much instead of facing the reality of mountain life. I think he’s afraid I’ll either leave the mountains hunting for some impossible dream or end up an old maid with naught but books to keep me company. I’m not sure which worries him most. Ma, now, I know she’s afraid I’ll take off out of the mountains the way, my sister, Hilda, did. But Hilda and me, we never were much alike.
I do admit that in stolen moments, books take me beyond the mountains. They let me fly like an eagle to take in the view of other places and ways of living. That doesn’t mean I don’t want to roost right here where I am. I love the mountains. But that doesn’t mean I can’t hope some romance sneaks my way before I have to settle down. A girl can wish for that, can’t she?
But I figured romance could wait a spell once I got the packhorse librarian job. That was a gift for sure since it was a way I could help Ma after Pa left for the flatlands to hunt work. We don’t know if he found anything or not since we haven’t heard from him since. We were fixing to have to beg the county for help to keep eating which we sorely didn’t want to do when I hired on as a book woman. I became a traveling library on horseback taking books right up to folks’ cabins or to the schools.
Not that anything about it is all that easy. I ride out no matter the weather. Rain, snow or shine. The trails are rough. Sometimes I have to get off my horse, Shadrach, and walk beside him when the going gets too steep . He’s a game little horse. He’ll wade right into those creeks and tackle the iciest trail.
What’s that you’re saying? Oh, you want to know what I like best about being a book woman. Well, I won’t deny the money is needful, but I think the best thing about it is seeing the faces of the folks along my route when I ride up with some new books for them to read. Some of the folks had to sort of get used to me showing up at their cabins, but once they took a book or two, they were watching for me next time. Some of the time I can go in and sit awhile and read a story aloud to somebody who is needing a little boost.
I hate to say it but some of the folks along my route never had the chance to learn to read, but I have heard tell more than a few of them have used the packhorse library books to do some reading learning with the help of their kids and grandkids. Thinking about that make me extra glad to carry my books around.
Sometimes at the library room in Booneville we piece together extra books with pictures from magazines that are falling apart. Sometimes we paste the story from the magazine in there and sometimes we print out stories or poems that will go along with the pictures. Since the government doesn’t supply any books and we have to get them through donations and such, every extra book we make adds to what we can loan out.
What is that? You have another question? Now that question is bound to make my cheeks heat up. Some of you are wanting to know if I ever found that romance I was wishing for. I guess you might just have to ride along with me on my story trail to find that out. It’s all in that book, Along a Storied Trail. But here’s another something you can read to let you do some guessing about whether romance showed up on my trails.
Back to Ann
I hope you enjoyed meeting Tansy and that you will want to ride Along a Storied Trail with her. Some people are already reading the story and some reviews are trickling in. The graphic up top was a gift from Susan Snodgrass who also posted a review. Here’s a snippet of what she said, “I found myself invested in their lives as I let myself be carried away with the flow. Such wonderful characters and powerful emotions they had! I was captivated! I can highly recommend this one.”
Thanks, Susan, for that great recommendation. Reviews are always appreciated.
You can still do a quick pre-order at Baker Book House and get a nice discount or the book is available at most internet sites. Also, I’m sure your bookstore will get it for you if they don’t have it in stock.
You still have time to enter the book giveaway on Goodreads too although the time is counting down to the end of the month.
Last but not least, the winner of the giveaway here on my blog this week is Crissie. I’ve sent you an e-mail, Crissie.
I plan to send out a newsletter to celebrate release day and of course, there will be some kind of giveaway in it. And we’ll do something fun here. Maybe a mystery picture game to let you have a chance to win more books. So stay tuned.
Did you like meeting Tansy?