Pluto’s, a former service station artfully transformed to a fifties-style restaurant, proved to be an excellent venue for the launch party of my first book, The White Limousine. White, red and grey balloons, matching the book cover colors, enhanced the decor and the festive mood. We were delighted that fifty-one family members, friends, neighbors, former work colleagues and fellow writers took the time out of their busy schedules on a warm summer night to join the celebration. Guests were welcomed as the arrived and invited to sign the mat of a framed poster of The White Limousine book cover. It will be a keepsake that I will treasure. The open seating arrangement enabled everyone to mingle with a cold drink or two. I enjoyed the opportunity of meeting friends and catching up.
A 50’s party wouldn’t be the same without Elvis. He arrived in style his red Mustang convertible and gave such lively performances during the course of the evening that it wasn’t hard to imagine that we’d time traveled back to the 50’s – and the heat felt by the ladies in the front row wasn’t just from the warm summer night! A special thanks to Elvis, (aka Tom Turnbull) for helping make the evening especially memorable.
I’m usually nervous in front of a microphone, but with the casual atmosphere, I was quite relaxed when it came time to do my reading. It’s not every first-book author who gets an introduction by Elvis!
Pluto’s Hostess, Lindsey O’Brien made up a special food and drink menu for the event, and provided excellent service, and Pluto’s owner, Brun Vahlquist, a baker by trade, made a red velvet sheet cake with butter cream icing, a delicious fifties era treat.
Our goal for The White Limousine launch was for everyone to have a good time, and I think that we succeeded. It was truly a team affair, with the planning and staging of the event carried out flawlessly by my wife, Jan-Louise, daughter Kirstie & son-in -law Goncalo; son Scott and his partner Aleah Kostiuk. Special thanks to Marg and Brian Dow for helping keep the event running smoothly.
Rob Willie let us all rest a lot easier by providing and operating the sound system. A big Thanks to Rob and to his assistant – his Dad.
I’d love to hear your candid thoughts about The White Limousine when you’ve had a chance to read it. You can leave a comment below, or send me an e-mail at johnrpaterson57(a)gmail.com.
You can order your copy of The White Limousine here>
A Big Thank You to everyone for your support. Enjoy the photos from the event at Plutos!
John R. Paterson, Author 