Richards holds book signing at museum

By Staff, 07/29/21 3:43 PM

PRESCOTT – Former resident Penny Richards was on hand Thursday to sign her newest book, “Hasten to the End”, the fourth in the Lilly Long series.

The signing was done at the Nevada Depot Museum, where she was surrounded by some of her previous books, along with the new one. The Long series includes: “An Untimely Frost”, “Though this be Madness”, “Murder will Speak”, and, of course, “Hasten to the End.” Long, Richards said, is a Shakespearean actress who becomes a Pinkerton agent in the 1800s and works to right wrongs done to women. This series is being published by Level Best Books.

In all, Richards has written 43 books, starting with the first, “No Perfect Season”, written in 1983 with Sandra Canfield. The two wrote four books together, getting two published.

Richards talked about her time in Prescott, where she and her husband owned and operated a Bed and Breakfast, and she was involved with the Artesian Arts League. She and Karen Ward co-wrote a play about Old Mike that was performed in the old City Hall auditorium.

She has two sons, a daughter, four grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

When asked what got her into writing, Richards said she’s always been an avid reader, and, while in high school, figured she could do as good a job as those authors she read.

“Hasten to the End,” she added, is about endurance walking.

Richards was at the museum from 2-6 p.m. and spent as much time talking with old friends as signing books.