The bestselling female authors of Outlander, Wild and Sex and the City are now hosting European river cruises
They’ve sold tens of million of books between them and are considered the enfant terribles of feminist fiction, but authors including Diana Gabaldon and Sex and the City’s Candace Bushnell have all signed up for a very unexpected venture.
There are few places better to dive into a rollicking romance or twisting crime novel than the deck of a river boat.
A home is full of distractions, beaches pose environmental hazards like heat, sand and sun glare, and gardens are often lacking shiny beverage carts and sheltered, padded sun loungers.
It wouldn’t be a stretch, then, to assume Diana Gabaldon’s steamy Outlander series and Gillian Flynn’s best selling whodunit Gone Girl have been devoured on more than a few poop decks in their time.
So in a major coup for the cruising industry, a European operator has secured the female rock stars of the literary world to spend a week divulging unpublished plot lines and anecdotes to 160 of their diehard fans.
At about AU$5000 a pop, it’s a bit more than your standard author signing, even when you consider paying for parking and at least two hardcover copies.
But can you really put a price on being the first to know if Claire Fraser and her handsome Highlander husband Jamie reunite in Outlander book eight?
The Storyteller Series, which will be hosted by Gabaldon, Sex & the City ‘s Candace Bushnell, Wild author Cheryl Strayed and Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl, Sharp Objects), was initially postponed due to the pandemic but has now been slated for this October and May, July and September 2022.
“Our new, exclusive Storyteller Seriesinvites travelers to enhance the storytelling tapestry of their lives by embarking on incredible, ‘once upon a river’ vacations,” said Avalon Waterways’ Pam Hoffee.
“Through this special series of sailings, Avalon guests get to spend a week in Europe with their favorite storytellers. They’re invited to meet legends in legendary landscapes.”
The cruises will include Q&A sessions, book signings and “off-the-cuff opportunities” to meet the authors during the week-long cruises.
“From the German Black Forest of fairytales to the historic canals of Amsterdam, disappear in the magic of this Rhine River cruise with author Diana Gabaldon,” a blurb on Gabaldon’s official website reads.
“On the [2021] departure of the Romantic Rhine cruise from Basel to Amsterdam, this inspiring storyteller will share an inspired cruise — and daily excursions — with an intimate group of her fans.”
Gabaldon will no doubt have a hard time keeping the details on her new book under wraps, with Go Tell the Bees I am Gone, the penultimate installment in the Outlander series, due for release later that month.
