the first three events celebrating the launch of Chocolatour
It’s been a terrific six weeks celebrating the launch of Chocolatour: A Quest for the World’s Best Chocolate. We began on July 18th, 2013, with a launch at the beautiful Evergreen Gate B&B in St. Andrews, Manitoba. Laurel and Rob Sarginson were kind enough to host a launch for my previous book, Before You Say Yes … A Guide to the Pleasure & Pitfalls of Volunteer Boards back in April, 2010, and here we are three and a half years later, enjoying the same experience. I can’t think of a more elegant yet welcoming venue for a book launch or literary event.
Rob and Laurel Sarginson of the Evergreen Gate B&B hosted the launch of Chocolatour in St. Andrews, Manitoba.
And on July 25th, 2013, we had a second launch at the Ponemah Arts Centre hosted by Betty Jackson and Bruce Smith. I love this venue because it’s artsy and informal, and very close to my home in Matlock. Below is a photo of some of the attendees waiting for the chocolate to be shared. We sampled a good selection of lovely chocolate made in Budapest, Hungary, by Zsolt Szabad, an innovative bean-to-bar award-winning chocolate maker. The square Roszavolgyi Csokolade bars are wrapped in eye-catching cheery paper with colourful motifs and contain pure decorated chocolate that comes in a single origin series and exotic flavours such as Lavender, Bread Olives & Bread, and Pistachio Gianduja.
Guests at the Chocolatour launch at the Ponbemah Arts Centre waiting for the chocolate to make its rounds.
Rozsavoigyi Chocolate from Hungary is beautiful to look at and interesting to eat.
The most exciting part of any book launch is the opportunity to sell and sign books for enthusiastic readers. I love meeting readers and chocolate enthusiasts, and look forward to meeting many more in the months to come.
It was fun signing books at the Ponemah Arts Centre launch.
The third event for Chocolatour was held August 20th at the Caboto Centre in Winnipeg in conjunction with Journeys Travel, the parent of the Worldly Women Travel Club. It was great to see a packed house of 50 chocolate-loving women who also love to travel. We’re planning a real-life Chocolatour with these ladies to Switzerland from March 29-April 8, 2014, when we’ll become immersed in the world of Swiss chocolate. It will be terrific to visit some of the amazing chocolate shops I was introduced to on my first Chocolatour to Zurich in 2009. Stay tuned to https://chocolatour.net for details of this and future chocolate trips. A big thanks to Angela and the staff at Lindt Chocolatier outlet store at 1570 Kenaston Blvd. in Winnipeg who donated a generous supply of dark chocolate with sea salt bars for sampling and a beautiful basket of chocolate for one lucky attendee. We also sampled some milk chocolate from Ukraine and some raw chocolate made by Peruvian farmers.
The staff at the Lindt Chocolatier outlet store in Winnipeg generously donated a gift basket and tasting chocolate for the August 20th event.
And of course, if you haven’t yet got your copy of Chocolatour: A Quest for the World’s Best Chocolate, both e-books and paperbacks are available via https://chocolatour.net. It’s truly been satisfying and rewarding signing each and every book that gets mailed out to chocolate lovers around the world. I look forward to sending you yours!
I found myself laughing, crying, and feeling every emotion possible while reading your book. Thx for this enlightening book about the world of chocolate.
I rarely leave responses, but I browsed some remarks here
the first three events celebrating the launch of Chocolatour.
I actually do have some questions for you if it’s allright.
Could it be simply me or does it give the impression like a few of these remarks look like
they are coming from brain dead visitors? 😛 And, if you
are writing at other online social sites, I’d like
to follow you. Would you list of all of all your social networking pages like
your Facebook page, twitter feed, or linkedin profile?
Thank you for your comment. I scrutinize comments religiously, and rarely approve comments with a questionable URL, which is why yours has been removed from your comment.
Regarding my social media contacts, they are all listed in this post: https://chocolatour.net/social-media-surviving-or-thriving/.
It’s great reading about your book launches Doreen. Best of luck with Chocoatour!
Thanks so much, Sherryl! It’s hard to believe the book has now been out three and a half months! Lots of exciting chocolate events planned for the next few months.
Congrats on your book launch. It looks like you had a yummy time as well as a great deal of fun. Nice article and pictures.
Thanks, Marge. It’s been fun releasing Chocolatour as a soft launch over the summer with fun, local events.
It’s late, so I’ll take the totally articulate route and say how cool that is! What a great start you’re off to. It’s inspiring to see the steps you are taking in promoting your book.
Thanks, Jeri. I’m really liking being in the driver’s seat, and organizing events that suit me and the book. It’s a lot of fun sharing Chocolatour with chocolate lovers!
Hi Mireille, and thanks so much for your comment! This might even be your first comment on the blog, so it’s especially wonderful. Thanks so much for your friendship and encouragement. I look forward to seeing you Nov 2nd if not before.
Many ,many congratulations on the take-off of this project, Doreen. I have just entered the Nov. 2nd date in my calendar to attend the McNally event. You certainly should enjoy the sweet taste of success as you worked for very hard for it every step of the way.
Excellent and professional ways of promoting your book, Doreen. Am also sure you are enjoying it and that the audience will get a craving:-)
Congratulations Doreen on the publication of your new book and what a delicious subject you have chosen. I wish you all the best.
Thanks a lot, Catherine! It’s hard not to get excited about fine chocolate. It really changes the mood and uplifts the spirit at any gathering. 🙂
Super to see multiple launches, all deliciously different! Thanks for your gracious remarks about Evergreen Gate ; it was a pleasure to host your event here. This Chocolatour seems to have taken on a life of its own! Congratulations and best of luck with plans for upcoming events.
Thanks so much for your encouragement and friendship, Laurel. And thanks so much for taking the time to make a comment on the blog! I know you’re not into blogging, but it’s sure nice to see you here.
You and Rob might like to attend the Nov 2nd dinner at McNally’s Prairie Ink resto. It should be a fun and incredibly delicious evening!
Congratulations on your book launch and your recent successes, Doreen! You’re a natural!
Thanks, Esther! Have you had any public events for your book yet, or are you strictly marketing it online?
Congratulations Doreen. I know how exciting a book launch can be.
Thanks, Harry. I’m really enjoying having a series of smaller events as opposed to having just one singular launch. Each event has its own distinct character and focus. Cheers!
Rozsavoigyi Chocolate sounds WONDERFUL! Wish I was close enough to attend you next “tasting” … ‘specially if you would be having more of that Hungarian chocolate. I’m heading to their site now to see what I see there … shame the Net can’t send smells and actual items for immediate consumption LOL!
Hi Sue: Yes, I’ve actually had quite a few people tell me that the book should come WITH chocolate, as it definitely induces chocolate cravings! Perhaps on a future print run/volume, we can partner with a chocolate company that sees the value in such a collaboration …
Doreen — why do you get to have all the fun, tasting chocolate and traveling the world while the rest of us toil at our desks? I actually have a friend who doesn’t like chocolate. Unbelievable to me. I just love chocolate. The other day I had warm chocolate cake — which means the center dissolved into a pool of warm liquid chocolate. It was to die for.
I know what you mean, Jeannette. It’s hard to imagine anyone not liking chocolate. But I do know that it has caused migraines in some people, and for that reason, I can understand them steering clear of it. But wow! Dark chocolate is definitely a food for the gods!
Hey, Doreen,
Wish I could have been at any of these events. What fun to sign books AND eat chocolate!
All the best,
Thanks, Suzanne! Yes, I’m beginning to think I may be the luckiest girl in the world! It’s so much fun writing about what I’m passionate about: travel, fine chocolate and passionate people all rolled into one package in Chocolatour. But actually getting to eat the chocolate as well is the icing on the cake … so to speak. 🙂
Great to see that your book is on a tour of its own, well almost on its own. Nov. 2nd sounds like fun.
Hi Mary-Anne: Yes, it’s fun taking Chocolatour on the road. And it will be even more fun doing a real live Chocolatour in Switzerland next spring!
I hope you can make it to the Nov 2nd dinner at McNally’s and that you pass the word along to any chocolate lovers you may know. I’m sure it will be an exquisite dinner!
How fun and how exciting this must be for you. It would so fun to go to one of these event if I were a bit closer. I would have loved getting the Lindt Chocolatier basket. Yum!!!
Hi Susan: Yes, it would indeed be lovely to have you at an event, or Chocolatouring with us. That Lindt basket was indeed an amazing prize! Cheers!