We always love having Chicks friend Judy Penz Sheluk join us. Today, she brings a co-author… and shares how they planned for the release of their fascinating new book.
Planning a Book Launch
Today is a special day for me, and not just because I’m returning as a guest on the Chicks. It’s special because today is publication day for my latest book, A Fatal Affair: The Murder of Helen Grier.
I’ve published a few books over the past decade, but this one’s a bit different. For one, it’s a true crime cold case. It’s also the first time I’ve worked with a co-author (Amanda Capper).
But I digress. I’m here to talk about planning our book launch:
Step 1: Picking the day. This was remarkably easy. October 28th happens to be the day Helen Grier’s body was found by her married lover at a remote hunt camp in the Algoma District of Northern Ontario. The cause of death: a bullet wound to the head. That Helen was also 28 on the 28th has always struck me as an ironic twist of fate.
Step 2: Day or Night? Here in Sault Ste. Marie, night falls early at the end of October. By 5:30, it’s pretty much dark, it’s almost certainly cold, and most folks, once home, don’t want to race out the door to attend a book launch. Even though the 28th was a weekday, daytime with extended hours made the most sense.
Step 3: Location. We thought of the main library, the art gallery, or one of two museums, but for various reasons, none of those worked out. Fortunately, Amanda volunteers two days a week as treasurer at the local Royal Canadian Legion. The building housed a generous meeting space, an adjoining restaurant/lounge with bar, plenty of free parking, and it was central. Didn’t matter if you lived east, south, north, or west, you could get there in fifteen minutes or less. Even better, because of Amanda’s volunteerism over the past few years, it was free.
Step 4: The Launch. I’m sure you’ve all been to one where the author(s) read excerpt from their book, often badly. I’m better at that sort of thing than I used to be, but it’s by no means my strong suit. And as much as I adore Amanda, she’s not going to win any performance awards. Even so, a book reading was expected. Further, the current owner of the hunt camp wanted to say a few words, as did his partner, who assisted us with much of the research. There were also numerous individuals to thank, all intending to be present on the day. We decided on 30 minutes. Hopefully folks can stay awake that long!
Judy and Amanda at the hunting camp, Judy in a vest that will ensure no one mistakes her for a moose
Step 5: The Event. We’ve created a PowerPoint slide show of vintage photographs, some from the book, others from our daily social media posts, that will loop and run throughout the day. Our local library provided handouts of two newspaper articles which had been used as part of our research. The current camp owner (he’s owned the property for 50 years) and his partner will display vintage photo albums, related artifacts, and a binder filled with 1937/38 newspaper clippings about the case. The Legion Museum will also be open for visitors to explore. There will even be snacks and sweet treats, graciously supplied by the Ladies Auxiliary and a few friends.
Step 6: Book Sales & Signing. The end goal, for sure. The reason Amanda and I have been consumed with this project for the past twelve months. No “fictionalizing,” no “guessing whodunit” (at least not by us). Just well-researched facts told chronologically and without bias, in the best way we knew how.
We hope Helen would approve.
Readers: Share your best (or worst) book launch memory!
About the Book: On October 28, 1937, at a remote cabin in the Algoma District of Northern Ontario, the body of 28-year-old Helen Grier was discovered by her lover, Vernon Spencer. The cause of death was a bullet to the brain.
A married father of two, Spencer, 43, was held as a material witness for 71 days before being charged with Helen’s murder. A gruelling six-day trial in Sault Ste. Marie followed. Vernon Spencer was acquitted after a scant three hours of jury deliberation.
Was the jury wrong? Did Vernon Spencer, former professional baseball player and Michigan dairy farmer, get away with murder? Could it have been someone local who dropped in to visit and found the pretty young brunette alone and vulnerable? Or is it possible, as was suggested by Spencer’s defence team, that it was Helen Grier who fired the fatal bullet?
You be the judge.
Available in print and e-book at multiple booksellers. www.books2read.com/afatalaffair.
About the Authors: A former journalist and magazine editor, Judy Penz Sheluk is the multiple award-winning author of seven bestselling mystery novels, two books on publishing, and several short stories. Amanda Capper is a writer of short fiction, and the author of the “Maybe” mystery series (coming 2027). Learn more at judypenzsheluk.com and amandacapper.com.
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