Author Fun!
The Medina County Public Library hosted an author event today. The awesome Donna MacMeans (historical romance author and RWA board member) gave a plotting lecture and among the 38 writers from all different genres, I was happy to join up with some of my amazing NEORWA (Northeast Ohio Romance Writers of America) sisters. A great day!
NEORWA sisters: Me, Wendy Larken, AE Jones, IreAnne Chambers, Chloe Flowers
Historical Romance author Becky Lowers poses by the many books of her Cotillion Ball series.
Me! The backdrop is the beautiful Medina Library.
Historical Romance Author Donna MacMeans
Historical Romance Author Marin McGinnis
Event Today!
I’m doing a local author event today…pics later!
Just a reminder…My next newsletter is about to come out and I’m giving away Amazon gift cards to 2 random subscribers. Sign up here!
Loss of an Artistic Genius
It’s hard not to think with great sadness about the loss of musical genius Prince this week.
Not long ago he dominated the music world with Michael Jackson and Madonna. He was a prolific creator, at one point told he had too much product to offer. He was rumored at one time to write a song a day, and is known to have a Vault of songs tucked away somewhere that no one has ever heard (yet). He also sang, wrote, produced, and played a litany of instruments, often recording his music one instrument at a time.
He was an original. Carson Daly said on the Today Show that in the 90’s, everyone imitated him, tried to be like him, tried to capture that magic sauce. Freedom was important to him, to be able to create anything he wanted to, and he stood up for that.
He was a musician, and he knew who he was. Original, flamboyant, prolific, joyful, confident. A show master.
Being a writer gives me a small inkling of understanding into the creative process. I don’t understand much about the creation of art, just that it is at times stressful, competitive, and difficult. To be a person who embraces all of that and so clearly knows who he is is a feat few of us master in a lifetime. To unlock that freedom within yourself and not be affected by outside pressures and become a full expression of who you are is…miraculous.
Rest in peace.
Along the Towpath
Just a reminder, dear readers…I’m giving away $10 Amazon gift cards to two randomly selected newsletter subscribers before my next newsletter goes out later this month (last week in April). All you have to do to be eligible is to sign up for my newsletter here.
I don’t know if you’ve had a childhood like mine–where there were two ways to get around, and your mom or dad driving you around wasn’t one of them! Our friends were the kids on our street (period) and if you couldn’t walk it or bike it to wherever you had to go, you stayed home. This is of course very different from today when we drive our kids EVERYWHERE.
The fabulous bike path tin the Cuyahoga Valley Metroparks.
Yes, it was a simpler time, yada yada. But I think the best thing I got from those years of getting around on our own (besides a love of independence and maybe even a sense of exploration) was a love of walking and of riding my bicycle. Sometimes I’m sad when I think my kids never got to experience going anywhere alone. (But the world is a different place now, isn’t it? More fears and worries, yes?)
I live in northern Ohio. We are a strong people here. According to the internet, Cleveland ranks as the 5th cloudiest city in the U.S., tallying in with a grand total of 55% of all days with heavy cloud cover (Thank you, Lake Erie!). Between the clouds and the long winters, we pride ourselves on a certain amount of mental and physical toughness.
One of the old locks (from the 1800’s) of the Ohio and Erie Canal.
So when the weather finally turns nice (around now, April) we Northeastern Ohioans come out in droves, I mean absolute droves, to our beautiful Metroparks along the old Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath trail. The leaves aren’t quite out yet, but these parks are stunningly beautiful whatever the weather. And the bike trails are phenomenal!
In these pics, you can see the glassy Cuyahoga river, fields that will be loaded with corn in a few months, and a quaint town along one of the bike paths. And most importantly, ice cream in my bike helmet at a half-way point. (Hey, it’s fuel for the journey!)
After weeks of buckling down to get a book done, it is a great joy to get out there in the beautiful spring!
Corn!…In a few months 🙂
The clear-glass surface of the Cuyahoga River.
Have a great week!
Meet Preston from A Man of Honor
–Hi, folks! I’ve got one more week of deadline! So in the meantime, here are a few items to share:
–Wanted to remind you to please sign up for my newsletter! (You can do this by clicking the “Join My Newsletter” button on the very top of the Home page here. My next newsletter will go out later this month and will include a prize for a lucky subscriber. To enter, all you have to do is be on the list!
–Meet my hero Preston Guthrie’s…um…chest. And I think you’ll agree it’s a very fine one! This cover is a little edgy, but then so is Preston…he’s’s a war hero but he’s still got a lot to fight for once he returns home…I’m excited to say that you’ll get to meet him on June 20, the release date of A MAN OF HONOR, coming from Entangled Publishing.
Back to work for me, and see you next week! (Please don’t drool on the dragon :))
