Author Event Recap - Kristen Simmons at Union Avenue Books

Last night I made my first trip to Knoxville's Union Avenue Books for an author event.  It was so nice to be back in Knoxville again and made me regret not having visited the downtown area more often when I lived there.  Union Avenue Books is a cozy bookstore with a great atmosphere located just a few blocks off Henley Street.  It made for a comfortable setting for meeting such a fantastic author as Kristen Simmons.

The event was conducted in the front of the store, where several chairs were placed in a circle, which meant face-to-face time with the author was possible.  It made for a very interactive setting, as the event felt more conversational.  There were some great questions put forth by various attendees, so we all learned a lot about both the book-writing process and the ideas behind Article 5. 

When asked as to what inspired her to write Article 5, Kristen said that both she and her husband enjoy survivor stories.  She cited several examples, including Man vs. Wild and The Walking Dead.  She also said she drew inspiration from a book banning that took place in Louisville at the time she lived there.  She said that she wondered what would happen of such events ran rampant.  Where does it end?  My question was, "Why did you choose Knoxville for one of the primary settings?"  She stated that since the coastal areas had to be evacuated in her book, everyone needed to move inland.  She researched several cities and said that Knoxville appealed to her.  She had been there before and says that it looks like it would withstand such cataclysmic events well.

Kristen also filled us in on her road to publication.  She told us that it took several manuscripts and several query letters, but she did eventually have the right manuscript and the right query letter reached the right agent at the right time.  She said that a lot of things had to fall into alignment, but that she did find the perfect agent for her.

I had a great time at this event.  Not only did I get to meet Kristen Simmons, I also had the pleasure of meeting Jessica from Confessions of a Bookaholic.  Getting recruited to Team Simmons was also a highlight :-P.  If you, too, would like to attend one of Kristen Simmons tour stops, I encourage you to keep your eyes peeled!  The most current tour ended yesterday, but you should definitely try to make it to a stop when next she goes out on tour.