"Quilt lovers will flock to this novel which offers mystery, love, betrayal, and family reconciliation played out in two connecting eras." Barbara Lounsberry, Author, Virginia Woolf diaries trilogy, Emerita Professor of English, University of Northern Iowa

Check out my post on Gail Kittleson's blog, https://www.gailkittleson.com/bringing-the-book-baby-home/

Events posted on my Facebook page

Book Talk, The Gift -- Hosted by the Hearst Center for the Arts

Saturday, January 21, from 2:00-4:00 pm

304 W Seerley Blvd.

Cedar Falls

Join us for a book reading by debut novelist Cherie Dargan at The Hearst Center for the Arts on Saturday, January 21. The book talk begins at 2:00 in the Mae Latta Hall. Cherie will do a brief reading and presentation about the inspiration for the series Grandmother’s Treasures, Book One, The Gift. She’ll answer questions from the audience, and we’ll do a drawing for a handcrafted quilted potholder with the name of the book printed on one side. Books will be available for sale and signing and we’ll serve light refreshments.

Book Talk, "The Strong Women in the Gift," New Hartford Library

Friday, Feb. 24, at 5:00

Book Signing, TJ's Christian Bookstore

Saturday, February 25, from 10:30 to Noon

1806 Waterloo Road, Cedar Falls

Cherie will sign books and visit with readers. TJ's will carry copies of the book in case you can't come on Saturday.

The Waterloo Courier's Melody Parker came to see me several weeks ago and we had a great chat about my quilts, the series Grandmother's Treasures, and my first book, The Gift.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1i4Y9GECsQ

Snippet of an interview with Melody Parker, from the Waterloo Courier's Dec. 11 edition.

https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/every-quilt-has-a-story-cedar-falls-authors-first-book-the-gift-inspired-by-family/article_2fc379da-8520-5f2e-9538-722d462c1ad9.html

BUZZ for the book!

https://www.westernhomecommunities.org/blog/villa-resident-awaits-book-debut

The Western Home Journal's article about me and my book.

https://www.facebook.com/mike.dargan/videos/663237471974295

Video invite to come to the market for a book signing event, 2-4 today, Thursday, Nov. 17.

We had fun at the events last week. The first event, on Wednesday, November 9th, was a morning book talk at Prairie Wind hosted by local artist and author Felicia Babb. Prairie Wind is attached to the Jorgensen Plaza, and is part of the Western Home Communities, at 5313 Caraway Lane. I talked about my inspiration for Grandmother’s Treasures, Book One, and The Gift.

The second event took place on Thursday evening, November 9th, at the Waterloo Public Library. We used it to raise money for House of Hope. Her publisher donates five percent of all sales to House of Hope, her designated charity. I donated $5 per book Thursday evening and sold a few more books over the weekend. I will continue to sell the book map towels for $25.00 and donate the entire amount to House of Hope.

More details in my first newsletter

Grandmother treasures Newsletter Book Launch edition Nov 2022CD.docx

The Cover of The Gift

Grandmother's Treasures, Book One, The Gift, was published by WordCrafts Press in October!

The Gift is a dual timeline story about three sisters—a country school teacher Grace, and her younger twin sisters Violet and Vera—who take the train from their Iowa farm to California to build B-17 bombers and nurse injured soldiers during WWII. It's also about her granddaughter, Gracie O’Connor, who juggles teaching at the local community college with curating exhibits at the county museum and writing for her family’s weekly newspaper. Her boyfriend Steve thinks she should move to Des Moines and get “a real job,” but Gracie loves Jubilee Junction. Aunt Violet moves to town and gives Gracie a gift from her deceased grandma Grace. It’s a large wicker basket with a quilt, some aprons, a photo album, and a shoebox filled with two dozen cassette tapes and a tape recorder. As Gracie listens to the tapes with Aunt Violet, Grandma Grace narrates the story of traveling to California with her twin sisters, Violet and Vera, during WWII. Gracie comes to understand her family history and unlocks the mystery of the 'California quilt' that's been hidden away for 60 years. As Grandma Grace used to say, “Every quilt has a story.”

It’s the first in a series of novels in Grandmother’s Treasures. Set in the fictional town of Jubilee Junction, a pioneer town near the Jubilee River, Gracie's family can trace their roots back seven generations on their rich Iowa farmland.

Wordcrafts Press calls it Historical Fiction. I'm calling it Women’s Fiction—set in the Midwest—with a twist of history, mystery, love, and faith.

Visit my friend Gail Kittleson's website to read my post about Waiting for the Book (baby), www.gailkittleson.com/waiting-for-the-book-baby/

My friend Beth came up with this clever acrostic to describe my series.

F A I T H

L O V E

M Y S T E R Y

https://tinyurl.com/ccut7d7e

Press release on The Gift from Wordcrafts Press.

Book Two, The Legacy, is off to my editor.

Come to my events for a chance to win one of these beautiful handcrafted 'hot mitts.'