Mara Purl's Blog, page 4

God-Mothering from the Heart

Enjoy my special Mother’s Day promotion! For a limited time, the e-editions of What the Heart Knows and Where the Heart Lives, are each available for only $.99! Visit BellekeepBooks.com or your favorite bookseller to find direct links to all e-reader downloads!

Nothing could have been a greater honor than my friend’s request that I be her baby’s God-mother. We didn’t know exactly what that might mean, as this special relationship would occur without religious affiliation. But since Erin and I refer to one another as spiritual sisters, it made perfect sense that I’d be involved in the spiritual life of her daughter.

Samantha was a stunner from day one, wrapping us around her tiny fingers, breaking our hearts with pouty faces, cracking the room with sunshine when she smiled. I remember how huge she seemed, substantial in my arms as I rocked her, and how petite she appeared three years later in pink tights and a tutu, shy to dance for me. Erin and I were co-writing a book in Sami’s earliest years, and to start her reading-life, I’d given her an early-version Nancy Drew story. One day she marched into the office clutching the little tome to her chest. “I love this book!” she proclaimed. “I’ve loved it all my life!” (Needless to say, I proceeded to give her the whole set.) When her school established a special visiting day for favorite grown-ups other than parents to visit, Sami chose me. When I began traveling a lot, she painted me an airplane surrounded by a rainbow to keep me safe, which I still carry. Erin and I hosted her very first tea party at my house — fancy dresses, bone china, and all the trimmings. We managed to keep straight faces when she dove into the scones and emerged with a dollop of clotted cream on her nose. One year we dressed as cheetahs and tigers for Halloween, and that photo is still framed on my shelf. The very best Oscar party I ever attended was the year Erin and her husband and I watched the show on television at their home: during each commercial, Sami gave us her interpretation of the films under consideration in dance and recitation. If grade school and Junior High seemed to have sped by, highschool passed like a flash of lightning, and soon we were watching her process through Disney Hall in her elegant blue cap-and-gown, dazzling in both beauty and accomplishments.

Along with being a successful actress, business woman and civic leader, Erin is an imaginative, devoted mother, both to Sami and her older brother. I love being a sounding board when big choices are afoot, or an assistant when major events are being planned. Of course, through the years it was Sami’s parents who did the heavy lifting: discipline and homework, wardrobes and tuitions, friendships and pets. I seemed mostly to float above these earthbound duties, offering special moments and the occasional words of wisdom from my God-mother cloud. And yet this precious young woman will forever remain on my radar screen, and I check her position and altitude as I pilot my own plane through the skies. Dear as they were, those early years were really prelude to the life-long friendship we’re just beginning to enjoy.

Samantha is now an actress already listed on and a writer with her own blog Tinselhound.tumblr.com, created for the appreciation and review of up-and-coming indie artists. “It’s my goal to have their voices and melodies heard,” she explained. While she supports other artists, she’s also working toward balancing her own life — the artist with the business woman, the brains with the beauty, the thinker with the feeler. Her own words say it best: “I’m focusing on finding a way to have the heart of a starving artist, the mindset of a responsible and contributing member of society, and the soul of a caring and outgoing friend and family member.” With this vivid statement of purpose, she’ll succeed at all this, and in some ways already has. I’d say she and I are in different chapters of the same pursuit: balancing head and heart.

When a child is present in our lives, the question of nature or nurture always comes up. Samantha has taught me the answer. We have to use our heads — every bit of our ingenuity and intelligence — to notice what they need and do our utmost to nurture. But it’s with our hearts that we support their essential nature, loving the essence of who they are, and taking a stand to protect their individuality even when it might be at odds with our own beliefs. What I’ve learned from my God-daughter is how to love unconditionally. No matter what choices she makes in her life — even if they’re choices my head doesn’t understand — I’ll always be able to love her with my whole heart.

A Year for Mom: January Foreshadows

“A Year for Mom” is a collection of posts written during 2013, the year of my mother’s final illness and of her passing. Some of the most heartfelt and extraordinary communications I’ve ever sent or received took place during this challenging year. I feel I learned so much that ultimately it was as much a year of gain as of loss. Many of my friends and readers have expressed a wish that I share my experiences. These personal moments are shared . . . from my heart.

My family all had a fabulous Whirl-Purl of a holiday season. I’m sure you’ve had years like this. We all gathered in Colorado. Friends and family who’d said at various times they’d like to visit from out of town, did. Friends who’d wanted to give holiday parties, did so. And if ever we were going to visit local spots that decorated to-the-nines for the holidays, this would be the year.

From our closets we plucked every outfit that could be made to look Christmas-y. We got out our jewels, polished our silver, and hung tiny white lights. We festooned the houses with poinsettias, dug to the very bottom of the boxes to use all the decorations. We planned special menus, practiced-up for a carol-sing, and wrapped presents till our hands cramped. We raced from home to home to celebrate with children and grand-children, parents and siblings, nieces, nephews and God-children.

My elderly parents kept pace with all this, scarcely noticing their advanced years. They did have help from us, but managed a lot of it on their own as well. Mom outdid us all. First she created her annual “House Beautiful,” till their home gleamed and sparkled with seasonal treasures. Then she hosted her ninety-three-year-old sister for a month-long visit. Next she hosted two other short-term house guests, whose stays overlapped with my aunt. One guest sprained an ankle and had to be waited on hand-and-foot, as it were. And to top it off, after managing Dad’s wardrobe, she dressed in her velvets and silks, looking like a million dollars at a round of holiday parties and at my sister Linda’s fabulous Christmas performances at the Broadmoor Hotel.

It seemed like a lot. It seemed like too much. Yet any mention of resting or postponing, cancelling or delaying, was met with vehement dismissal. She Who Must Be Obeyed would not have it any other way.

In January, we recovered. We all put away Christmas. We got started with New Year projects, the first of which was sending out my parents’ annual letter, a task I’ve been doing with and for them for the past decade or so. My sister was scheduled to sing at a gala fund raiser for a theatre company in our favorite little mountain town. We saw a chance for a getaway to force my folks to put their feet up for a long weekend.

That first morning, Mom and Pere slept till 10a.m. for possibly the first time since 1974 (and then, it was because of jet lag). My husband and I waited on them, and they absorbed the attentions gleefully, with Mom actually giggling at the idea of “room service.” The morning we left for home, she pronounced, “I feel like a new woman!” We bundled them into our car, renewed and refreshed. My husband and I were tired, but gratified, pleased at the opportunity to give them a respite.

As a meditation for the new year, I’d been working with a quotation I love that says “giving does not impoverish.” It seemed to have ramifications personally and professionally, economically and emotionally. I thought about giving in a new light, saw giving at the heart of all my work, wondered if I’d given enough. I examined past hurts and was able to forgive them more completely by realizing what really mattered was that I’d given, even when gifts weren’t recognized or appreciated.

The previous year had been filled with professional breakthroughs: five book tours; a keynote address for the American Heart Association’s major Go Red event, which Mom attended as my guest; best-seller status for the first novel in my series. My heart brimmed with gratitude. My head spun with possibilities and responsibilities. How would I take my work to the next level? How would I keep up the pace? How could I do an even better job with my writing and presentations?

As she often did, Mom invited me over. “I have some lovely orange roughy. Would you like to come for lunch?” As usual, I said “Yes!” wondering whether she really thought that only her superb cooking would entice me. She added, “I know you’re very busy. We can make it quick.” Happily, lunch was never quick. My parents asked about every detail of my life: my family and close friends; my time allocations and plans; and always, my writing. “You’re such a good writer,” Mom said, lifting her glass and chinking it against my dad’s. “Let’s drink a toast to Mara. I want to live long enough to see her name on the New York Times Bestsellers list.”

Indie Book Tour – Linn’s of Cambria, CA

Thanks for joining me on the 2012 MARA-thon! This includes a physical book tour through Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and California. And it includes a national blog tour. During the entire MARA-thon, please be sure to download your FREE prequel short story, When Whales Watch at http://www.MaraPurl.com/downloads. As of January 1, you’ll be able to find purchase links for all e-readers at http://marapurl.com/books/when-whales-watch.

This is posted from the road during my All-Indie-Bookstore book tour titled MAPPING THE JOURNEY OF YOUR HEART. Revisit the entire tour at any time by visiting http://www.MaraPurl.com/calendar where you’ll see event details, links to the bookstores, and soon, photo archives. Also join me on the ongoing Double Blog Tour , which will be archived at http://marapurl.com/fall-blog-tour-schedule.

Back when Milford-Haven the radio drama was just a twinkle in my eye, I found myself calling upon new friends in Cambria, California. I’d managed to sell the idea of my radio drama to the local radio station, if I could find my own local sponsorship. Lots of people in that lovely little town knew me by then, as I’d spent a summer co-starring in Sea Marks in the local playhouse. Those who watched television also saw me regularly on Days of Our Lives. So when I visited local businesses with an inquiry as to whether or not they might like to sponsor my new radio drama, many gave me an immediate “Yes!”

It was so inspiring and encouraging! I’d never sold anything in my life, but felt such a passion about this story and its potential that my heart was aflame. Though I didn’t quite realize this at the time, several of the businesses I approached were as young as mine was, and we’ve later discovered for how long we’ve been in synch. Such is the case with John and Renee Linn, who preceded me to Cambria by only a few years. Having moved there with their young kids from Detroit, they’d bought a lovely farm and begun growing fruit and creating scrumptious fruit pies. The fruit pies became famous, and traffic began to beat a path down the quiet, country road to their farm—so much so, that neighbors complained. So they opened their first retail business in town, called Linn’s Fruit Binn.

The Linns became one of my very first sponsors, paying a modest weekly fee in exchange for being broadcast as a sponsor of Milford-Haven, and so we came to help one another get established. Ultimately, my radio drama became a hit with a few million listeners in the U.K., and now a series of novels with as many followers in the U.S. And Linn’s had become a nationally know brand, offering not only their famous pies (frozen for shipment) but sauces and jams, mixes for pancakes and muffins, seasoned oils and hand-blended spices. They long ago outgrew their original Main Street location and now have their own enclave, a charming cluster of cafes and retail shops that surround an umbrella-ed garden.

Nothing could have delighted me more than to be invited to do an event at Linns, and the garden-facing porch of their HomeStyle Gifts & Sale Loft. The gracious and dynamic woman who invited me is Roxane Broderick, herself a former professional editor, who wouldn’t agree to my event until she’d had a careful read of my first novel. Happily, I passed muster, and Roxane then devoted her considerable energies to creating an event with all the trimmings. Her compatriot who runs the books-and-sundries shop lent her support and creativity, and by the time the event began, we had an inviting display, delectable food, and an appreciative crowd, creating a full-circle experience that allowed me to conclude this long and winding book tour exactly where the entire story itself began, signing my new book Where the Heart Lives. In so many ways, this really is where my heart lives.

For more information on the evolving world of The Milford Haven Novels, visit my new website www.MaraPurl.com where you can subscribe to my newsletter, follow me on social media, enjoy photos and videos, discover more special offers and more.

Indie Book Tour – Women’s Voices at Kepler’s Bookstore, Menlo Park, CA

Thanks for joining me on the 2012 MARA-thon! This includes a physical book tour through Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and California. And it includes a national blog tour. During the entire MARA-thon, please be sure to download your FREE prequel short story, When Whales Watch at http://www.MaraPurl.com/downloads. As of January 1, you’ll be able to find purchase links for all e-readers at http://marapurl.com/books/when-whales-watch.

This is posted from the road during my All-Indie-Bookstore book tour titled MAPPING THE JOURNEY OF YOUR HEART. Revisit the entire tour at any time by visiting http://www.MaraPurl.com/calendar where you’ll see event details, links to the bookstores, and soon, photo archives. Also join me on the ongoing Double Blog Tour, which will be archived at http://marapurl.com/fall-blog-tour-schedule.

In September, I wrote about what a joy it was to speak at the Central Coast Writers’ Conference. I also mentioned my brilliant new friend, the multi-faceted author Victoria Zackheim. We stayed in touch after the book festival. And we began discussing the book tour that I’d soon be doing, and the fact that I’d be in the Bay Area, which is her neck of the woods. Wondering whether it might work to do a book signing together, we came to a stumbling block: her new books are non-fiction and mine are fiction. But when I thought about the essays she writes and edits—for example in her book The Other Woman—and the storylines of my protagonists, it struck me that me that at the core, we’re each interested in women’s lives: what we’re facing, where we find our allies, why we work so hard to live our best lives.

“What about Women’s Voices?” I asked. “How about that for the name of our event?” “Women’s Voices!” she cried. And by later that same day she had moved forward so fast, we had our first bookstore invitation! The store that invited us was Kepler’s . . . a fixture in Menlo Park with a rich history woven into that of this culturally colorful region. Maybe I particularly resonated with this store because, like me, its founder started in radio: Roy Kepler was a staff member at Berkeley’s KPFA, and as soon as the bookstore opened its doors it became an epicenter for both students and faculty at Berkeley and Stanford. In the ‘60s it hosted concerts by the likes of the Grateful Dead and Joan Baez and by 1990 Publishers Weekly named it Bookseller of the Year. With the encroachment of chain and on-line bookstores, Kepler’s actually closed its doors in 2005. But that didn’t last long. Three months later, local investments and donations had sprung the doors open again and all three locations of Kepler’s are thriving.

Women’s Voices at Kepler’s proved to be a fantastic event! Victoria expanded our event by inviting three other outstanding local authors with followings of their own.

Zoe Fitzgerald Carter, a noted journalist, wrote her first book, Imperfect Endings, a haunting memoire about her mother’s suicide. Its publication was followed by a slew of awards, starred reviews, and talks around the country. Elizabeth Rosner wrote the novel The Speed of Light, in which she drew upon the experiences of her own parents to chronicle the story of descendants of holocaust survivors. The novel has won multiple awards, been translated into nine languages, lauded by reviewers around the world and remains a favorite among book clubs. Her second novel Blue Nude brings together an Israeli model and a German artist who must confront their legacies. Elizabeth also writes poetry and teaches. Pam Houston, who lives on a Colorado ranch but is also Director of Creative Writing at UC Davis, is the author of two collections of linked short stories, Cowboys Are My Weakness and Waltzing the Cat, and the novel, Sight Hound. These and other works have earned her multiple awards, a loyal following and an active social media community.

As these accomplished writers began to read from their books, I began to wonder whether I was even fit to be in the same room. Their imagery, metaphor, and literary mastery powered over the mic. But then it was my turn, and I could feel their support and sisterhood. To hear them read from their hearts was to really hear women’s voices. And our voices both challenge and inspire us and those who hear us. What mattered most at this event was the authenticity of these tales, the words serving to rip away the veil that too often obscures the vital messages women have to share. These were messages that reached the heart of everyone in the audience. We hope to do more of these. I’ll keep you posted when they get scheduled.

If you’re just south of San Francisco in Menlo Park or Palo Alto, Kepler’s has a few signed copies of my new novel Where the Heart Lives. Or you can order your hardcover or e-book at your favorite on-line bookseller. Join me in Milford-Haven and discover where your heart lives.

For more information on the evolving world of The Milford Haven Novels, visit my new website http://www.MaraPurl.com where you can subscribe to my newsletter, follow me on social media, enjoy photos and videos, discover more special offers and more.

Indie Book Tour – Chaucer���s Bookstore, Santa Barbara, CA

Thanks for joining me on the 2012 MARA-thon! This includes a physical book tour through Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and California, and it includes a national blog tour. During the entire MARA-thon, please be sure to download your FREE prequel short story, When Whales Watch at www.MaraPurl.com/downloads. As of January 1, you���ll be able to find purchase-links for all e-readers at http://marapurl.com/books/when-whales-watch.

This is posted from the road during my All-Indie-Bookstore book tour titled MAPPING THE JOURNEY OF YOUR HEART. Revisit the entire tour at any time by visiting www.MaraPurl.com/calendar where you���ll see event details, links to the bookstores, and soon, photo archives. Also join me on the ongoing Double Blog Tour, which will be archived at http://marapurl.com/fall-blog-tour-schedule.

Two hours north of Los Angeles, the coastline takes a surprising turn for a short distance, creating a south-facing stretch known as the California Riviera. Nestled along this section of the map is the storied town of Santa Barbara. The town has been part of my own personal story since childhood, thanks to a lifelong friendship between my parents and a couple they met during World War II. Eventually each couple had two children, and another generation of friendships were born. We visited this wonderful family many times through the years. As a young teenager I remember being waked in the middle of the night by a perfectly round moon that hovered over the ocean and streamed its golden rays over the high mountain perch. That moon was a call to adventure and a signpost to the California coast that would later become my home, and the setting for my novel series.

Those of you who are already readers of the Milford-Haven Novels know that several key characters live here. They may appear at first to live idyllic lives with their wealth and access. Yet none is exempt from having to unravel their snarls, a process sometimes made more difficult when under the mesmerizing spell of such beauty and privilege. Once I���d become an Angelina (a resident of Los Angeles) I also began exploring coastal regions to the north, naturally drawn to this special childhood haunt. There���s a polish and energy to the place, a commitment to the arts in all its forms, a huge community of readers and writers, and more non-profits per capita than any other location in the U.S.

Santa Barbara is also a microcosm that provides insight into the story of bookstores that has played out nationally in recent years. Chaucer���s Books opened its doors in 1974, the creation of Mahri Kerley, who invested a modest inheritance when she moved south from the Bay Area. Despite the subsequent encroachment of the first wave of discount giants B. Dalton, Crown Books, and Waldenbooks, Kerley���s store endured, not by offering competitive prices, but by offering a level of service that created a loyal following.

Then came the next Big Box Bookstore Boom. Borders pitched an all-out battle to take over another indie���s downtown location, and despite vociferous protests from residents, won the day. Soon they occupied a strategic downtown corner and offered three floors of browsing and a charming caf�� that spilled out onto a wide sidewalk patio. Not to be outdone, Barnes & Noble opened its own enormous store. Where? Almost directly across the street from Borders. It became a clash of titans that didn���t seem to actually service the community so much as it encouraged wretched excess in the local economy.

Was either store truly supported by the citizenry? It appeared so on the face of things. And yet the day came fifteen years later when both of these large, attractive stores closed their doors, leaving hulking empty shells to blight the otherwise thriving downtown area. But it also left Chaucers, in a location of its own, as the last full bookstore standing. So the store truly has an extraordinary legacy. This small ship plays the turbulent bookselling waters with aplomb, becoming a must-stop location for touring authors from across the country and the state. A local author did her first signing there, years before she became the mega-selling success she is now. So I���ve eagerly awaited my chance to sign my books at this legendary place. When I saw the store���s logo, I realized there���s one more connection too. For twenty-two years I kept company with a remarkable black kitty named Kage (Kah-gay) which means ���Shadow��� in Japanese. My beloved feline lives on in my books as a cat named Shadow, and I feel she kept me company at the bookstore too.

The thoughtful, experienced staff created a special poster for my event, set up their signing area complete with fresh-cut flowers, and arranged seating for the gang of readers who appeared in the store the evening of my signing. After introducing me very professionally, they left me to my audience. Yet during my remarks, I noticed all the booksellers were quietly listening with rapt attention, a professional courtesy that���s good for the author���s soul.

If you���re in the Santa Barbara area, Chaucer���s has a few signed copies of my new novel Where the Heart Lives. Or you can order your hardcover or e-book at your favorite on-line bookseller. And don���t forget that my gift to you is the FREE short story prequel, When Whales Watch. The special page where you can find links to all e-book readers, or a PDF download if you don���t have an e-reader is www.MaraPurl.com/downloads. Join me in Milford-Haven and discover where your heart lives.

For more information on the evolving world of The Milford Haven Novels, visit my new website www.MaraPurl.com where you can subscribe to my newsletter, follow me on social media, enjoy photos and videos, discover more special offers and more.

Indie Book Tour – Chaucer’s Bookstore, Santa Barbara, CA

Thanks for joining me on the 2012 MARA-thon! This includes a physical book tour through Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and California, and it includes a national blog tour. During the entire MARA-thon, please be sure to download your FREE prequel short story, When Whales Watch at www.MaraPurl.com/downloads. As of January 1, you’ll be able to find purchase-links for all e-readers at http://marapurl.com/books/when-whales-watch.

This is posted from the road during my All-Indie-Bookstore book tour titled MAPPING THE JOURNEY OF YOUR HEART. Revisit the entire tour at any time by visiting www.MaraPurl.com/calendar where you’ll see event details, links to the bookstores, and soon, photo archives. Also join me on the ongoing Double Blog Tour, which will be archived at http://marapurl.com/fall-blog-tour-schedule.

Two hours north of Los Angeles, the coastline takes a surprising turn for a short distance, creating a south-facing stretch known as the California Riviera. Nestled along this section of the map is the storied town of Santa Barbara. The town has been part of my own personal story since childhood, thanks to a lifelong friendship between my parents and a couple they met during World War II. Eventually each couple had two children, and another generation of friendships were born. We visited this wonderful family many times through the years. As a young teenager I remember being waked in the middle of the night by a perfectly round moon that hovered over the ocean and streamed its golden rays over the high mountain perch. That moon was a call to adventure and a signpost to the California coast that would later become my home, and the setting for my novel series.

Those of you who are already readers of the Milford-Haven Novels know that several key characters live here. They may appear at first to live idyllic lives with their wealth and access. Yet none is exempt from having to unravel their snarls, a process sometimes made more difficult when under the mesmerizing spell of such beauty and privilege. Once I’d become an Angelina (a resident of Los Angeles) I also began exploring coastal regions to the north, naturally drawn to this special childhood haunt. There’s a polish and energy to the place, a commitment to the arts in all its forms, a huge community of readers and writers, and more non-profits per capita than any other location in the U.S.

Santa Barbara is also a microcosm that provides insight into the story of bookstores that has played out nationally in recent years. Chaucer’s Books opened its doors in 1974, the creation of Mahri Kerley, who invested a modest inheritance when she moved south from the Bay Area. Despite the subsequent encroachment of the first wave of discount giants B. Dalton, Crown Books, and Waldenbooks, Kerley’s store endured, not by offering competitive prices, but by offering a level of service that created a loyal following.

Then came the next Big Box Bookstore Boom. Borders pitched an all-out battle to take over another indie’s downtown location, and despite vociferous protests from residents, won the day. Soon they occupied a strategic downtown corner and offered three floors of browsing and a charming café that spilled out onto a wide sidewalk patio. Not to be outdone, Barnes & Noble opened its own enormous store. Where? Almost directly across the street from Borders. It became a clash of titans that didn’t seem to actually service the community so much as it encouraged wretched excess in the local economy.

Was either store truly supported by the citizenry? It appeared so on the face of things. And yet the day came fifteen years later when both of these large, attractive stores closed their doors, leaving hulking empty shells to blight the otherwise thriving downtown area. But it also left Chaucers, in a location of its own, as the last full bookstore standing. So the store truly has an extraordinary legacy. This small ship plays the turbulent bookselling waters with aplomb, becoming a must-stop location for touring authors from across the country and the state. A local author did her first signing there, years before she became the mega-selling success she is now. So I’ve eagerly awaited my chance to sign my books at this legendary place. When I saw the store’s logo, I realized there’s one more connection too. For twenty-two years I kept company with a remarkable black kitty named Kage (Kah-gay) which means “Shadow” in Japanese. My beloved feline lives on in my books as a cat named Shadow, and I feel she kept me company at the bookstore too.

The thoughtful, experienced staff created a special poster for my event, set up their signing area complete with fresh-cut flowers, and arranged seating for the gang of readers who appeared in the store the evening of my signing. After introducing me very professionally, they left me to my audience. Yet during my remarks, I noticed all the booksellers were quietly listening with rapt attention, a professional courtesy that’s good for the author’s soul.

If you’re in the Santa Barbara area, Chaucer’s has a few signed copies of my new novel Where the Heart Lives. Or you can order your hardcover or e-book at your favorite on-line bookseller. And don’t forget that my gift to you is the FREE short story prequel, When Whales Watch. The special page where you can find links to all e-book readers, or a PDF download if you don’t have an e-reader is www.MaraPurl.com/downloads. Join me in Milford-Haven and discover where your heart lives.

For more information on the evolving world of The Milford Haven Novels, visit my new website www.MaraPurl.com where you can subscribe to my newsletter, follow me on social media, enjoy photos and videos, discover more special offers and more.

Blog Tour #7 Novice Christian

Thanks for joining me on the 2012 MARA-thon! This includes a national blog tour, as well as a physical book tour through Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and California. During the entire MARA-thon, please be sure to download your FREE prequel short story, When Whales Watch at http://www.MaraPurl.com/downloads. As of January 1, you’ll be able to find purchase links for all e-readers here: When Whales Watch.

This is posted from the road during my All-Indie-Bookstore book tour titled MAPPING THE JOURNEY OF YOUR HEART. Revisit the entire tour at any time by visiting http://www.MaraPurl.com/calendar where you’ll see event details, links to the bookstores, and soon, photo archives. To thank my blog hosts, I created the Double Blog Tour which includes “blog-backs” like this one. The Blog Tour will be archived at http://marapurl.com/fall-blog-tour-schedule.

Melissa Clark has a passion for books. She’s a reviewer, a blogger, and a blog tour host for Charisma Media. As one of her blog tour guests, it was my pleasure to answer her thoughtful questions, and to sense her own enthusiasm for the written word. Melissa also describes herself as a born-again Christian, and it’s clear she has an equal passion for her faith. A recent convert, she has chosen a blog title that shows both her religious persuasion, and her humility.

One thing I found fascinating about Melissa is that she finds inspiration in the recurring themes she observes — either in waking life, or in dreams. To me, that makes her a kindred spirit, in that we both enjoy sharpening our awareness of human behavior. But beyond that, we seem to have a mutual interest in the layers of consciousness. I imagine, like me, Melissa finds herself asking, “Why?” If behaviors, responses, and experiences do repeat enough to become thematic, what is the cause? What, at the deepest level, are we working on? And though she and I may use different religious reference points, I would also agree with her that this is largely a spiritual endeavor.

My contention is that everyone of us is already on our spiritual journey, whether or not the signposts are painted with a religious paintbrush. When faith is as tangible as it is to a generous blogger and reviewer like Melissa, it is “the substance of things hoped for.” So whether or not you share her faith, her blog is an invitation to explore spiritual awareness on many levels, and to discover a host of other authors committed to their own faith-journeys. Some of my readers are finding it interesting to trace the evolving inner journey of my protagonist Miranda from reason to faith, or from head to . . . Where the Heart Lives.

For more information on the evolving world of The Milford Haven Novels, visit my new website www.MaraPurl.com where you can subscribe to my newsletter, follow me on social media, enjoy photos and videos, discover more special offers and more.

Indie Book Tour – The Book Loft, Solvang, CA

Thanks for joining me on the 2012 MARA-thon! This includes a physical book tour through Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and California. And it includes a national blog tour. During the entire MARA-thon, please be sure to download your FREE prequel short story, When Whales Watch at http://www.MaraPurl.com/downloads.

This is posted from the road during my All-Indie-Bookstore book tour titled MAPPING THE JOURNEY OF YOUR HEART. Revisit the entire tour at any time by visiting http://www.MaraPurl.com/calendar where you’ll see event details, links to the bookstores, and soon, photo archives. Also join me on the ongoing Double Blog Tour , which will be archived at http://marapurl.com/fall-blog-tour-schedule. As of January 1, you’ll be able to find purchase links for all e-readers at http://marapurl.com/books/when-whales-watch.

One of California’s most beautiful regions is the Santa Ynez Valley. Famous for its equine community and now also for its wineries, the valley has five towns. One of these is the unlikely village of Solvang which seems to have been air-lifted directly from Denmark and carefully nestled in the winding hills that also has some of the state’s finest scenery.

The Book Loft was founded in 1970 and is still run with a deft hand by Kathy Mullins, whose wisdom in locating far from the madding chain stores has served her well. Kathy has cleverly built a following among the locals. How? By continuing the time-honored tradition of “hand-selling” which truly is one of the irreplaceable services an indie bookstore can offer. The staff are savvy about two things: the books they sell, and the customers who come in on a regular basis. What they do is match these two far more effectively than any Amazon algorithm ever can. Kathy also wisely created a Reader’s Advantage program where customers earn $10 back for every $100 spent.

Solvang is also a major tourist destination, and to attract this other group of customers, Kathy added a Hans Christian Anderson Book Museum to her second floor. Filled with memorabilia and a short walking-tour through Danish history, her quaint second story also serves as an area for authors to share stories while they sign books.

My signing at the Book Loft was a two-author event, co-created with my friend and colleague Sandy Nathan. This was our second joint venture, a total delight because when Sandy and I get together the conversation just seems to take off. We have a lot of overlap in our beliefs and subject matter. We both think a lot about the heart, and this was the topic of our last joint signing. We also think about how to balance things like technology and holistic living, family and career, intuition and intellect.

Sandy is a woman of both head and heart. A true brainiac, she grew up in the competitive culture of the early Silicon Valley, earned a master’s degrees in economics and counseling and was a student in the doctoral program at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business. At various times in her career, she’s been an economist, negotiation coach, and businesswoman. Meanwhile, she was also developing her spiritual side with a practice of meditation. All this rich experience now combines and flows into writing her extraordinary novels, which are part mystery, part romance, and part spiritual exploration, defying categorization and thrilling her followers. To her events, she brings both preparation and spontaneity, and as our interests and idea overlap and we share stories with our readers, the room itself begins to vibrate.

Sandy and her husband are also devoted equestrians and live on a beautiful horse ranch in the Santa Ynez Valley. I can’t thank them enough for their professional and personal hospitality. Be sure to explore Sandy’s website and sample her wonderful books.

If you’re in the Solvang area, The Book Loft has a few signed copies of my new novel Where the Heart Lives. Or you can order your hardcover or e-book at your favorite on-line bookseller. And don’t forget that my gift to you is the FREE short story prequel, When Whales Watch. The special page where you can find links to all e-book readers, or a PDF download if you don’t have an e-reader is http://www.MaraPurl.com/downloads. Join me in Milford-Haven and discover where your heart lives.

For more information on the evolving world of The Milford Haven Novels, visit my new website http://www.MaraPurl.com where you can subscribe to my newsletter, follow me on social media, enjoy photos and videos, discover more special offers and more.

Indie Book Tour – Bank of Books, Malibu, CA

Thanks for joining me on the 2012 MARA-thon! This includes a physical book tour through Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and California, and it includes a national blog tour. During the entire MARA-thon, please be sure to download your FREE prequel short story, When Whales Watch at www.MaraPurl.com/downloads. As of January 1, you’ll be able to find purchase links for all e-readers at http://marapurl.com/books/when-whales-watch.

This is posted from the road during my All-Indie-Bookstore book tour titled MAPPING THE JOURNEY OF YOUR HEART. Revisit the entire tour at any time by visiting www.MaraPurl.com/calendar where you’ll see event details, links to the bookstores, and soon, photo archives. Also join me on the ongoing Double Blog Tour, which will be archived at http://marapurl.com/fall-blog-tour-schedule.

Legends adhere to certain locations the way perfume clings to a silk scarf. So although one stretch of magnificent coastline might be much like another geographically, there’s something about Malibu and its storied past that hangs in its rarified ocean air like a fine aroma.

When I first moved to Los Angeles as a young actress and writer I had no awareness of this rich history, but Malibu was a magnet for me as a place to find refuge from the city, communion with the ocean, and inspiration from the Muse. Malibu was a small, coastal village with weather-beaten structures and salt-sprayed vehicles. The well-worn Malibu pier offered a way to step away from land and float over the Pacific for a few moments. On sunny days the crystalline beauty would restore my sense of magic. When low clouds or fog shrouded the coastline, I could escape the perpetual California sun-bake and drift into the moodiness needed to write my mystery storylines.

Then I’d head for a funky little shack that offered diner-food and good, strong coffee served in a thick, white mug. I’d sit on the narrow balcony, which seemed to be fastened to the building by nothing more than a pair of nails. I’d let my gaze find the horizon, then glance down at the fresh yellow pad I always carried with me. My pen would start to fly across that paper, filling the pages with episodic television scripts and song lyrics, screenplays and story treatments, disembodied scenes that might later fit into a play, and even the beginnings of a serial drama I hoped to write one day.

Eventually I had several friends who lived in Malibu and joined them for mountain hikes with panoramic ocean views, or dinner parties where the background sound of pounding surf was nearly drowned out by the pounding of my heart at keeping company with directors and writers I so admired, As I gathered some credits of my own and, Malibu became once again a place of refuge where I’d meet friends for Sunday brunches, catching up while we waited in long lines then sitting at minuscule tables for some fabulous seafood Benedicts. I even house sat in Malibu for a stretch, writing feverishly in that rarified setting, all my moments spent there over the years becoming seeds that later bloomed into my own coastal serial story Milford-Haven.

So it was a full-circle thrill—and perfect timing—when Malibu’s brand new independent store invited me to be part of their Grand Opening as part of the tour for my brand new (California coastal) novel. Located strategically in one of Malibu’s only shopping centers, the store is as enticing and delightful as you might hope, with a few extras not every indie bookstore can boast. Café? Check. Good children’s section? Check. Places to sit and relax? Check. And the brand new Kobo Reader download service? Check. But then there are the extras: collectible first editions; a list of local authors that reads like a who’s-who of celebrities; and, of course, the view.

Who is it who dared to open an independent store in this era of bookstore closures? None other than Clarey Rudd, an independent book seller with thirty year personal experience and a family history of bookselling. You might think he actually knows what he’s doing. And he does! We became acquainted when we both served on the board of the California Literary Arts Society in Ventura. That’s when I first visited his original store — Bank of Books on Ventura’s Main Street. His original two-storied store is a treasure trove of every new or used book imaginable. It restores the word “browse” to its original meaning, where instead of squinting at tiny book-cover images on a screen, one picks up volumes fo test their heft and thickness, detailed cover imagery and font, paper quality and dust-covers.

All this experience came into play when they hired the lovely Anne Vanoy as the store’s manager, and she in turn proved her worth immediately at their Grand Opening. She chose an impressive line-up of authors, provided a small stage with a sound system that pulled in the folks who’d otherwise have walked by, and invited authors to share their reasons for writing their newest book. Nearby Pepperdine University sent their broadcast journalist to cover the event for local cable television and a photographer captured images for the store’s archives. When it was my turn, I found an engaged audience who asked the kind of stimulating questions that keep me coming back for more.

The new store is the latest jewel in the Rudd family’s crown. Their decision to open a new bookstore at this moment is both a stroke of genius and a vote of confidence in the recovering economy. It provides a Main-Street-style service to a busy, active community of smart, accomplished people. It makes a new wave in a place famous for making waves. And on the California coastal map, it has added a small jewel that will only get more polished as visitors discover it.

If you’re in the Malibu area, Bank of Books has a few signed copies of my new novel Where the Heart Lives. Or you can order your hardcover or e-book at your favorite on-line bookseller. And don’t forget that my gift to you is the FREE short story prequel, When Whales Watch. The special page where you can find links to all e-book readers, or a PDF download if you don’t have an e-reader is www.MaraPurl.com/downloads. Join me in Milford-Haven and discover where your heart lives.

For more information on the evolving world of The Milford Haven Novels, visit my new website www.MaraPurl.com where you can subscribe to my newsletter, follow me on social media, enjoy photos and videos, discover more special offers and more.

Indie Book Tour – Coalesce Bookstore, Morro Bay, CA

Thanks for joining me on the 2012 MARA-thon! This includes a physical book tour through Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and California, and it includes a national blog tour. During the entire MARA-thon, please be sure to download your FREE prequel short story, When Whales Watch at www.MaraPurl.com/downloads. As of January 1, you’ll be able to find purchase links for all e-readers at http://marapurl.com/books/when-whales-watch.

This is posted from the road during my All-Indie-Bookstore book tour titled MAPPING THE JOURNEY OF YOUR HEART. Revisit the entire tour at any time by visiting www.MaraPurl.com/calendar where you’ll see event details, links to the bookstores, and soon, photo archives. Also join me on the ongoing Double Blog Tour, which will be archived at http://marapurl.com/fall-blog-tour-schedule.

Coalesce is one of those favorite words—an elegant, mystically dynamic word that describes the particular transformation that occurs when things come together. Getting things to coalesce is sometimes a key goal in life: when a project and its funding coalesces, the project can become a reality; when characters and plot point coalesce, a good story can be written.

When Linna Thomas sailed down the California coast from Oregon after graduating from college, she found a friendly port called Morro Bay. When she decided to stay and co-found her bookstore in the 1970s, her love of words and her sense of timing and opportunity coalesced and she created a unique independent store that has now been a Morro Bay landmark for thirty years. Once you peer into the beautifully gilded late glass window and find yourself wandering through the book shelves, you discover a back door that leads to a beautiful garden where a charming little chapel is nestled. The complex hosts not only book signings but classes, parties, and even wedding receptions.

The store caught my attention several years ago when I was on one of my many Central Coast research runs. Though my fictional town Milford-Haven is located about thirty minutes and is loosely based on Cambria, my story naturally expanded to include Morro Bay with its harbor and boating, qualities that make it distinct from my other story locations.

Authors always have to make choices about what to fictionalize and what to report authentically. The heart of my story had to be a fictional town to give me maximum freedom to tell my story. Yet the fictional Milford-Haven is surrounded by the real towns that dot the California coastal map, including Morro Bay. Having decided to include this real town, of course I had to do my homework and include real places. I knew I wanted a bookstore as my starting point, and when I found this one, ideas . . . coalesced.

My story is set in the late 1990s. Was the store actually there at the time? In my new novel Where the Heart Lives, my character Samantha wanders in, just as I did myself. What fun it was to research the actual books she’d have found displayed on the shelves back then, and to give my readers this anchor as they float through time in my story.

Imagine my delight when the real Linna invited me to do a real book signing in her real bookstore as the starting point of my California book tour!

If you’re in the Morro Bay area, Coalesce has a few signed copies of my new novel Where the Heart Lives. Or you can order your hardcover or e-book at your favorite on-line bookseller. And don’t forget that my gift to you is the FREE short story prequel, When Whales Watch. The special page where you can find links to all e-book readers, or a PDF download if you don’t have an e-reader is www.MaraPurl.com/downloads. Join me in Milford-Haven and discover where your heart lives.

For more information on the evolving world of The Milford Haven Novels, visit my new website www.MaraPurl.com where you can subscribe to my newsletter, follow me on social media, enjoy photos and videos, discover more special offers and more.