Deltaville Book Club

Deltaville, a charming town on the Chesapeake Bay, is the sailboat capital of Virginia. The seafood there is some of the best I've ever eaten, and the little shops in Deltaville and the surrounding small towns are unique. So you can imagine how tickled I was when several months ago Keaton Garber invited me to speak to the Deltaville Book Club on September 14th.

Some of the ladies on the Kelly House sun porch. I'm wearing the white jacket.
Photo by Martha Stokes

The meeting was held in the Kelly House, a restored 1840's Virginia planter's home. Furnished with period antiques, the house is lovely. Around 20 delightful ladies came to hear me. Southern hospitality was everywhere, and a lavish spread of goodies covered the dining room table. The centerpiece, created by Keaton and inspired by my first novel "Secrets at Spawning Run," surprised me.


If you've read "Secrets at Spawning Run," you will recognize the black Labrador retriever, King, complete with red collar, sitting on the dock. On my book cover, King is on the dock. Look carefully and you will see the Jack Russell terrier, Little Guy, tied to a tree, an overturned red boat with anchor and rope attached to a man lying in the water, a water bird, and a jeep and police cars. All of these things are in the book! It must have taken Keaton days to come up with all the figures. One of the ladies who had not yet read the book kept turning the boat back up and putting the man back in it because she didn't want him to drown!

I had fun, met some nice ladies, sold some books, and had the opportunity to spend a few days in Deltaville again. If you're looking for a nice place to visit, you won't want to miss Deltaville.