FRAMED and Celebrated

A Book Launch Party to Remember

Jul 25, 2025

This past Sunday, was one of those days that reminded me exactly why I love being a writer and why I'm so grateful for the incredible community of readers who support my work.

We gathered to celebrate the release of my newest mystery, FRAMED, and what a celebration it was! Around 30 wonderful people showed up to help me mark this milestone. My heart did a little happy dance every time someone approached the signing table. We sold 48 books!

The Perfect Mix of Mystery and Merriment

The afternoon had all the essentials: cookies, a well-stocked charcuterie spread, and plenty of laughter throughout the space.

A slideshow of photos from my recent research trip to Baltimore played in the background—travel often sparks ideas for my stories, and Baltimore certainly delivered. Several readers struck up conversations about the photos, especially the ones from the Walter's Art Museum, where I saw the actual painting that's featured on the cover of FRAMED. Standing in front of that artwork in person, knowing it would be part of my book's cover, was definitely one of those author moments. It was fun discussing the connection between the art, the city, and the story with people who were curious about the research process.

The Best Kind of Reader Conversations

One of the highlights of the afternoon was talking with readers who had already read my first book and were excited for this next adventure. There's great energy when someone is genuinely invested in your characters and wants to know what happens next. These conversations reminded me why I enjoy writing mysteries: crafting puzzles that keep people guessing and hopefully surprising them with the resolution.

I also enjoyed meeting new readers who were discovering my work for the first time. Watching someone flip through FRAMED, read the back cover, and decide to give a new author a try never gets old. Each new reader is a new opportunity to share the stories I've been working on.

And then there was the jigsaw puzzle.

You know that feeling when you're confident about something, and then reality hits? That was me with this puzzle. The pieces were impossibly tiny and we spent more time squinting than solving. But nobody seemed to mind that we didn't finish it.

Gratitude and What's Next

To everyone who came out on Sunday—thank you. Whether you've been reading my mysteries from the beginning or picked up FRAMED as your first adventure with my characters, your support means a lot. It was great seeing familiar faces and meeting new readers.

If you missed the party but want to get your hands on FRAMED, you can find it at amethystdrake.com/framed or anywhere books are sold in both ebook and paperback formats. And if you're in the area this Saturday, July 26th, I'll be at the Mulberry Orchard in Shelbyville, KY from 9-3 for their Peach Festival! There will be peach picking, vendors, and of course, more books to sign. It's going to be a beautiful way to spend a summer Saturday, and I'd love to see you there.

Stay tuned—I'm already plotting what comes next, and I have a feeling you're going to love where the story goes.

Here's to more mysteries, more celebrations, and hopefully jigsaw puzzles with more reasonably-sized pieces.

Happy reading!

Amethyst Drake