Reading & Signings
If there is one thing most authors love, it’s reading and signing their books. Martha Egan is happiest in bookstores where she can sign and sell her books—and buy somebody else’s. Some of Papalote’s favorite independent bookstore events have taken place at: Maria’s Book Shop, Durango, CO; Singing Wind Books, Benson, AZ; Books and Books, Coral Gables, FL; Sam Weller’s Bookstore, Salt Lake City; Twig Bookstore, San Antonio; and The Reader’s Loft in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Where she can also talk football.)
Sometimes the most fun is to be had closer to home. These New Mexico booksellers have been tremendous, holding multiple readings for Papalote Press as each new title has been published: op. cit. in Santa Fe and in Taos, (formerly Moby Dickens), and Tome on the Range, Las Vegas, NM. Collected Works and Garcia Street Books in Santa Fe; Bookworks, Bound to Be Read, and Treasure House Books and Gifts in Albuquerque; Coas, My Bookstore in Las Cruces and El Centro Cultural de Mesilla, NM..
Other venues include libraries, university bookstores, and museums. Egan gave an unauthorized presention on her novel, Clearing Customs, 2003 at l’Institut Universitaire de Tecnologie d’Angoulême, France, en françias.
The amazing Mesa Public Library in Los Alamos, NM, held a signing for La Ranfla in conjunction with a show of lowrider photos by Alex Harris, who supplied the cover photograph. The Albuquerque Public Library, The Rio Rancho Public Library, Corrales Public Library, Lordsburg Public Library in New Mexico and El Segundo Public Library, El Segundo, CA, have held readings.
Martha was a guest of SOMOS, (Society of the Muse of the Southwest) at The Harwood Museum in Taos; The Cibola Arts Council in Grants, NM, hosted a reading for La Ranfla complete with fabulous lowriders in their parking lot. The New Mexico History Museum Shop in the Palace of the Governors in Santa Fe was the scene of a Valentine’s Day signing with free chocolate hearts from Todos Santos with each book purchase. Other signings with good food available have taken place at The Frontier Mart in Corrales and with Homegrown Authors at Santa Fe Farmers Market in the Railyard.
Papalote has participated in book signings at The NMSU Bookstore in Las Cruces, NM; The UNM Bookstore, in Albuquerque; and The University of Arizona Bookstore, in Tucson. In conjunction with the publication of Coyota, Carol Eastes and Martha Egan traveled to various bookstore venues in Mexico for Papalote Press’ Most Memorable Magical Mexican Mystery Book Tour with signings at Zócolo, San Miguel de Allende; Zócalo Dos, Pátzcuaro; El Zaguán in Guanajuato; and the unofficial ex-pat bookclub and margarita sipping society in Ajijíc.
Book Festivals
Martha Egan and Papalote Press have participated in book festivals large and small, all over the US. They include: the gargantuan Book Expo America in Los Angeles; Washington, DC, and at the Javits Center in New York; and the tiny Washington Island Literary Festival beyond Death’s Door on Washington Island, in Wisconsin. Others include the Southwest Festival of the Written Word in Silver City, NM; the Miami Book Fair: the L.A. Times Festival of Books at UCLA; and the beloved, much missed Border Book Festival on the plaza in Mesilla, NM. Papalote Press had a fabulous time at the Tucson Festival of Books, and at the American Library Association, in New Orleans, The Texas Book Festival in Austin, The Chicago Tribune’s Printers Row Book Fair with its all star cast; and The Egg Harbor Book Festival, in Door County, Wisconsin. Our slogan: Have books; will travel!