Books, Brews & Boos

It started with a simple idea: a book signing at a local brewery.

I had reached out to several breweries throughout the Hudson Valley, hoping to find a place to spend an evening sharing Horseman Rising with readers. Round Table Brewery was the first to respond, and their enthusiasm was immediate. They loved the idea of hosting an author, and when they realized they could showcase their Legend of Sleepy Hollow IPA alongside a reimagining of the Headless Horseman legend, the possibilities started to grow.

And grow.

And grow some more.

Somewhere along the way, my little solo signing became Books, Brews & Boos: an evening of spooky stories, local authors, creative vendors, raffles, and a brewery willing to let my imagination run absolutely wild.

It was the first time I'd ever organized an event on that scale. Suddenly, I wasn't just planning my own appearance. I was coordinating authors across multiple genres (all with a spooky twist), bringing together vendors, working with the brewery, reaching out to businesses for donations and sponsorships, assembling special experiences, and trying to make sure every person involved had an opportunity to shine.

I didn't want it to feel like just another vendor fair or book signing. I wanted people to walk in and feel like they'd stepped into something special. I wanted to introduce readers to authors they might never have discovered otherwise, showcase the creativity of the participating vendors, and build an evening that felt like a celebration of storytelling in all its forms.

It was exciting. It was overwhelming. It was fun.

And it was an absolutely tremendous amount of work.

One of the things I'll remember most fondly is how completely Round Table embraced the whole thing. Every time I came up with another idea, they seemed ready to say yes.

A giant Horseman video looping across the brewery's screen? Absolutely.

Drinks for the VIP bags? Of course.

A whole collection of authors and vendors filling the space? Bring them in.

They never once tried to rein in my chaos, and I will always be grateful for that. They gave me the freedom to turn a small signing into something much bigger than I'd originally imagined.

Of course, October weather had a few ideas of its own.

A Friday evening after a long workweek is already a tough time to convince people to venture back out. Add cold, wind, and a severe thunderstorm warning, and suddenly even the most exciting plans are competing with the very reasonable temptation to stay home.

We still welcomed guests, shared stories, and enjoyed the evening together. Would I have loved to see even more people come through those doors? Absolutely. But putting together an event of this size for the first time taught me a great deal about what works, what can be improved, and what I'd do differently next time.

And there were moments when I looked around and felt genuinely amazed by what we'd created.

The Horseman moving across that enormous screen. The tables filled with books and handmade creations. The authors and vendors who had trusted me with their time and talents. The brewery buzzing with conversations and people discovering something new.

Something that had begun as an email about a simple book signing had become all of this.

I also have to mention the dress.

For the first time during the launch, I wore my burnt-orange dress instead of my usual black. I barely had time to do my hair and makeup before everything began, but somehow, in the middle of all that beautiful chaos, I felt beautiful. I felt happy. And I had an amazing time.

But if there's one thing I want to make absolutely clear about this evening, it's that I could never have done it alone.

The people who stepped in to help—setting up, managing the raffle, assisting me throughout the night, coordinating vendors, and handling the countless little things that make an event actually function—were the undisputed MVPs of Books, Brews & Boos. Some of those helpers have since become friends, which might be one of the very best things to come out of the entire experience.

I am grateful beyond words to every author, vendor, sponsor, donor, volunteer, guest, and member of the Round Table team who helped bring the evening to life.

Not every part of the night unfolded exactly as I'd envisioned. Some things worked beautifully. Others taught me lessons I'll carry into whatever I dream up next.

But when I think back on Books, Brews & Boos, I don't think about the weather or the things I might do differently.

I think about standing in that brewery, wearing a dress that was decidedly not black, watching the Horseman move across the screen, and looking around at all the people who had helped turn one little idea into an entire evening.

I think about the authors who trusted me to bring them together, the vendors who shared their creativity, the brewery that never once questioned just how far I intended to take things, and the people who showed up to help simply because they wanted to see me succeed.

Some of those people started the evening as acquaintances or collaborators and became friends along the way.

And that, more than anything, is what I'll remember.

I started out looking for a place to sign books. I ended up with an experience, a whole lot of lessons, and some wonderful people I might never have known otherwise.

I'd call that a pretty successful night.

And Round Table, if you're reading this... I already have ideas for next year.

Just maybe let's order better weather. 🍂