Book Signing - Joy Hensley's Rites of Passage

I'm lucky to live in Philadelphia where signings aren't hard to find--and going to NYC for them is always a quick jump in the car. I've been trying to go to more signings to learn more about that public part of promoting a book and interacting with readers.

So when writer friend and all-around awesome person, Joy Hensley was celebrating the launch of her book Rites of Passage, I trekked down to Virginia. Not only did I get to crash on Jodi Meadows' couch, but I got to attend one of the coolest, most unique signings ever!

Because Rites of Passage is based on Joy's own experiences attending a military school, the signing was held at the Staunton Military Academy (SMA) and Virginia Women's Institute for Leadership museum. Joy did the usual reading and taking questions--but then the women who were attending the school presented her with a really nice jacket and showed us some of their drills.

The turnout was amazing, with a lot of Joy's family in attendance as well as her former students (she taught 8th grade), former colleagues and military school friends. She talked about her experience at military school--some of which made it into her book! She advised anyone who is considering military college or an ROTC program that, "It will suck. But it will be worth it in the end."

Plus, she had cool swag and cupcakes!

I loved Rites of Passage. It was full of chilling suspense and gave me a huge appreciation for those who pursue military careers. Add Joy's book on GoodReads here.