On Tuesday, October 20, 2009, Jimmy & Angel Valiant held a book reading followed by a Q&A session & a signing at Meadowbrook Public Library in Shawsville, VA. When I first found out about the event I was really hoping I would be able to attend. Imagine my disappointment when I found out that I was scheduled to work that Tuesday. Thankfully, due to an understanding supervisor, I was able to get the night off on short notice & soon I was off to Shawsville for the unique opportunity to see two of my favorite authors reading from their works & answering questions. After a more or less ninety minute drive from my house to Alleghany Springs Road, I arrived in the library parking lot. I was very impressed w/the library facilities. In addition to the expected expanse of books, Meadowbrook also boasts a wide variety of current DVD movies & also a comic book section which I especially enjoyed since I also happen to be a big fan of the sequential arts. After flipping through a cool Batman comic for a few minutes, I went off in search of the man & woman of the hour. I usually show up early for events like this & tonight was no exception. One advantage of my early arrival was the fact that Boogie had time to take me on a quick tour of the library’s Shawsville Museum. I’ve never been in a library w/its own museum before, so I was all kinds of impressed. This museum consists of two big rooms filled w/a wealth of items from Shawsville’s rich history. & of course no Shawsville Museum would be complete w/out a display dedicated to Boogie’s Wrestling Camp.
BWC represented in the Shawsville Museum
When the tour was finished & I had helped myself to some delicious refreshments, I took my seat & the presentation began. After a warm welcome from the famous couple, Angel read selections from both the Woo… Mercy Daddy book & her own Piggy in a Blanket children’s book. Boogie told road stories as only he can tell them, including a hilarious story that I had never heard before about Ric Flair. You can hear that story yourself on Boogie’s brand new Ultimate Shoot Interview DVD. The evening ended w/a Q&A full of great questions from the crowd. I myself made sure not to miss the opportunity to ask Angel if any of her future books would feature the same characters from her first fabulous story. Time will tell!
Angel & Jimmy entertain the audience
Afterward, Boogie & Angel gladly signed books for the fans & of course everyone left w/a big hug from the authors. One added bonus for me was the fact that I got to spend a moment talking w/pro wrestler & BWC graduate Kidd Lightning who was in attendance that night. You never know who you might run into at any event featuring Boogie & Angel! It was also a thrill for me to meet Tom Angleberger who writes for the Roanoke Times & is the author of the upcoming novel, The Strange Case of Origami Yoda. I gave him one of my Boogie comics & he was nice enough to contact me later to thank me & to offer some kind words. You can find out more about Tom & his new book at his origamiyoda.com website. It was a special night that I will always treasure. If Boogie & Angel ever do another special evening like that one, I would highly recommend it to anyone. I know I will do everything in my power to be there! & if you are ever anywhere near the area, be sure to stop by Meadowbrook Library, if for no other reason than to see a library w/its own museum inside! & be sure to check out the Book Tour dates because you never know where Boogie, & maybe even Angel too, might show up next!
The authors signing books for their fans
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