Lynn Austin's Blog, page 17

Pages to Canvas 2 day Workshop

Join me in Mokena, Il for a fun new event, Pages to Canvas, where a Book Club meets Paint Night!

I will be there April 17th – can’t wait to meet you all!

 

Day 1- April 17th (2 pm – 4 pm)

Day 2 -May 15th (1 pm – 4:30 pm)

Day 1 – join us for an author’s talk, book signing and refreshments as Lynn Austin makes a special appearance at Little Pastiche Studio!

Day 2 – Return to the art studio for an afternoon of art making and book discussion

A fun and exciting twist

This is the first in a new series of mixed media art workshops that marry the love of reading with art making. Wonderland Creek is the book chosen for our first workshop. Lynn will be here on Sunday, April 17th to present it and inspire as well as sign books.

There will be a month between sessions so you will have plenty of time to read the book and find a scene that inspires you. Return back on Sunday, May 15th for a relaxing afternoon of art making with like minded folks. Our instructors will be there to help you every step of the way. We will provide you with a 14″ X 18″ canvas and all the paint and collage materials you will need to bring your scene to life. When everyone is finished creating we will discuss the book, using our artworks as visuals.

Pages to Canvas workshops are designed for all skill levels and includes all the art supplies you’ll need. Book is not included. Lynn will have books on hand for purchase, or feel free to bring along your own copy for signing. (Lynn will not be present in May for the art making portion of our workshop.)

If you would like to only participate in Day 1- Meet the Author, the fee is $5.

Meet the Author only

April 17th

$5.00

Register now ›

Pages to Canvas Workshop

Meet the Author &

Mixed Media Art

April 17th & May 15th

$35.00

Register now ›

You MUST register in advance for this event.

www.littlepastichestudio.com

708-580-6036

Little Pastiche Art Studio

19820-b Wolf Rd

Mokena, IL 60448

 

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

Today is one of those days that probably inspired the lyrics of that famous song: “Oh, the weather outside is frightful, but inside it’s so delightful. And since there’s no place to go…let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!” I live in Michigan, so there is plenty of snow here. But I lived in Canada for eleven years, so I know lots of great things to do on a blustery, winter day. Here are just a few.

My favorite? Grab a warm quilt like this one that my dear daughter-in-law Vanessa stitched for me, and snuggle up with a good book. If there’s a cozy fire in the fireplace or the wood stove, even better. With so many great books to read and so little time to indulge, it’s nice once in a while to be forced to stay home and hunker down. I have a stack of books on my night stand just waiting for a day like this.

My second favorite thing to do is to go for a walk outside. I know, I know, who wants to leave a nice, warm house and go out in the cold? All I can say is, give it a try when cabin-fever strikes. The beauty alone makes it worth the effort, not to mention the benefits of exercise. I love the sound of snow crunching beneath my boots and the way my face tingles from the cold. Nearby Lake Michigan is beautiful in the winter. Besides, when I get home I’ll have a good excuse to snuggle by the fire and read a good book.

Winter is also the time when I like to tackle one of my long-neglected hobbies. Maybe I can finally finish my scrapbooking projects if I’m housebound. I could start a new sewing project, too—like these curtains and window seat cover that I made for my office. This year I purchased a nice supply of sketchbooks and watercolors so I can try my hand at painting again. There are so many hobbies I enjoy doing but rarely have time for, so I make sure I have everything ready for snowy days like these.

Another thing I love about winter is the warm, delicious food that it inspires. Foods like fresh, hot soup and homemade bread. Is there anything more wonderful than the aroma of baking bread? I love to roll up my sleeves and knead the dough myself, but the smell of frozen bread dough baking is just as tantalizing. So is the fragrance from a pot of soup that has simmered on the stove all day. I firmly believe that hot chocolate tastes better in wintertime than in summer. I especially enjoy a cup of hot chocolate when I return from my walk outside and sit down to read by the fire. See how nicely this all works out?

Time slows when we’re snowed in, so why not toss out our to-do list and simply enjoy the day. I know I’ll be tired of the wintry weather by March, but in the meantime I’m thankful for the excuse to stay home and enjoy some of my favorite things. In other words, “Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow…”

What is your favorite thing to do on a snowy day?

King Hezekiah’s Seal

It’s been in the news but you may have missed it during the busy Christmas season. Archaeologists digging near Jerusalem’s Temple Mount have found a stamped clay seal that once belonged to the biblical King Hezekiah. As my readers know, I “wrote the book” on King Hezekiah—three books, in fact, and two more on his son King Manasseh. I used stories from the Old Testament along with my own research to create the five-book “Chronicles of the King” series about King Hezekiah’s life.

The Ophel in Jerusalem near where the seal was discovered

The clay seal that the archaeologists found was stamped with his name: Hezekiah son of Ahaz. It had once been used to seal a papyrus scroll, a document that was probably signed by Hezekiah himself. Archaeologists discovered it in a section of ancient Jerusalem where the king’s palace once stood.

Hezekiah’s Broad Wall

I love King Hezekiah! This descendant of King David and ancestor of Jesus Christ ruled from about 715 to 686 BC. And what a life he lived! A contemporary of the prophets Isaiah and Micah, he lived through the exile of Israel’s ten northern tribes by the brutal Assyrians. In fact, so many refugees fled to Jerusalem that Hezekiah enlarged the city and built a new wall around it for protection. A portion can still be seen in Jerusalem’s Old City. Hezekiah also dug a tunnel beneath the city to safeguard his water supply from the Assyrians, bringing water from the Gihon Spring to the newly built Pool of Siloam. He was in such a hurry to finish that his workmen began tunneling from both ends and met in the middle, an engineering marvel. It still carries water (and tourists) beneath Jerusalem.

Hezekiah’s Tunnel

But what I love most about King Hezekiah, and what inspired me to write all those books about him, was his faith—his imperfect, often wavering, but true-to-the-end faith. I was intrigued by the fact that his wicked father, King Ahaz, sacrificed his sons to the pagan god Moloch, yet Hezekiah launched a religious revival in the first month of his reign, purifying the temple that his father had desecrated. He invited everyone to return to God and celebrate Passover, which hadn’t been kept in decades. Hezekiah’s faith grew as he faced trials. When the Assyrians first attacked, he asked Isaiah to pray for him. When they returned a second time, he went up to the Temple and bowed before God himself, asking Him to save Jerusalem so that all the kingdoms on earth would know that He alone is God.

Hezekiah’s Tunnel and Gihon Spring

Hezekiah’s newly-discovered seal depicts a winged sun. Several news stories questioned his use of a non-Jewish symbol. But knowing what I do of his life, I think it’s a perfect symbol. Hezekiah became seriously ill and Isaiah told him to get his house in order because he was going to die. But Hezekiah prayed and God graciously granted him fifteen more years to live. As a sign that Hezekiah would indeed get well, God “gave wings” to the sun and caused it to briefly retreat backwards.

A few years later, the Assyrians surrounded Jerusalem and demanded Hezekiah’s surrender. Isaiah convinced him to trust God, promising that He would save the city. During the night, the Angel of Death killed 185,000 enemy troops and “the next morning—there were all the dead bodies!” God’s salvation from the Assyrians appeared as the sun was rising—just as centuries later our salvation through Hezekiah’s descendant Jesus Christ would come at dawn on Easter morning.

Jerusalem

For a world that believes scripture is made up of fables and fairy tales, that its stories and people are fabricated and embellished, Hezekiah’s newly discovered seal offers proof to those who doubt, that God’s word is Truth.

For more information, try one of these links from December 4, 2015: colsoncenter@colsoncenter.org

http://www.timesofisrael.com/seal-bea...

Christmas Traditions

For many years now, my book deadline has been January 15. That means I’m always racing to finish my novel during the holidays. With three children and a musician-husband whose busiest season is also Christmas, I decided several years ago to stop trying to produce a perfect “Hallmark” holiday. I sat everyone down and asked which traditions were most important to them, and together we came up with a Christmas celebration that is perfect for our family.

My husband’s family is mostly Dutch (except for his father, who barged into town and added the Austin name). To celebrate his heritage we set a pair of wooden shoes near our front door for St. Nicholas Day. Our kids never believed in Santa Claus since we wanted them to celebrate Christmas as Jesus’s birthday, but they loved those wooden shoes—and the fact that their father marched in them in Holland’s Tulip Time Parade when he was young.

We also bake traditional Dutch Jan Hagel cookies and serve them with egg nog as we decorate our Christmas tree. The background music for this event is a CD that our church choir in Winnipeg, Canada recorded when my husband was their music director. Our tree isn’t magazine-worthy but we decorate it with love and with ornaments the kids made in school, as well as decorations from all the places we’ve lived and traveled.

On Christmas Eve we hang the stockings that my sister Bonnie pieced and quilted for us years ago. She’s in heaven now, but we remember her with love when we see her beautiful handiwork. Our dinner on Christmas Day reflects my German background. Five days ahead of time, I begin marinating a beef roast in vinegar, onions and mixed pickling spices to make Sauerbraten. I also bake ginger snaps, which get crumbled up to thicken the traditional gravy. Served with spätzle and cooked red cabbage, this has become our favorite Christmas meal. Dessert is cake with candles for Jesus’s birthday.

When our children were very small, I purchased an inexpensive nativity scene that they could handle without breaking. Every year they divvy up the shepherds and wise men and other figures and set each piece in place as my husband reads the Christmas story from the Bible. Now that our kids are grown and married, their spouses join in the tradition. I could buy a fancier nativity set but none of us wants to part with that old, well-worn one.

Our traditions have continued to transform as our family has grown and added new members. We now celebrate Chanukah, the Festival of Lights, by lighting menorah candles and placing them in our window. I love eating warm potato latkes like the ones my great-grandmother used to make with sour cream and applesauce. Jesus also celebrated this traditional Jewish holiday (see John 10:22-23), a reminder of God’s provision and the rededication of His temple. For me, it’s a reminder that Jesus came at Christmas to bring light into a very dark world.

Jesus wants me to let my light shine too, but I can’t do that if I’m stressed out from trying to achieve Christmas perfection. The celebration of Christ’s birth should be a time to relax with my family and friends and enjoy God’s gracious gift of His Son. It’s in those moments with my loved ones close, that I feel the holy wonder of Christmas once again—Emmanuel, God with us!

Does your family have special Christmas traditions and foods?

A Race to the Finish

Life has its calm seasons and busy seasons, times when I can work at my leisure and actually enjoy what I do, and times when I’m forced to labor long into the night, fretting and worrying and racing to finish on time. Right now I’m in one of those crunch times. That’s because I’m within a few pages of finishing my newest novel and typing “The End.”

By now I know my characters and my plot very well. I know what my imaginary people were like in the beginning of the story and where I hoped they would end up. I’ve never piloted a jetliner but that’s what it feels like I’m doing in these final stages. I’ve been soaring high with great flights of imagination but now it’s time to land. I need to make sure all the plots and sub-plots are lined up correctly so I can touch down on solid ground and bring this enormous undertaking to a halt. If you’ve ever flown, I’m sure you remember how it feels to reach the airport terminal after a LONG journey, unbuckle your seatbelt, stand up straight, and give a sigh of relief that you’re finally home. That’s what it’s like when I type those wonderful words, “The End.”

If I can land this novel within the next few days, I will have about a month remaining before my deadline. I’ll use that time to do a final read-through and another edit, tying up any loose ends and searching for ways to make the story even better. I can ask important questions like: Did I accomplish what I set out to do? Are my readers going to be drawn into the story and stay interested? Are they going to feel satisfied when they get to the end? … And how many tissues are they going to need? (I absolutely LOVE to read a book that makes me cry, don’t you?)

But to me, the most important part of this newly-finished novel is its spiritual content. Yes, I want to entertain my readers, but if my story doesn’t also give them a new insight, or help them through their own life journey, or remind them how very much God loves them, then my work is incomplete. I’ll be praying about this aspect of my novel too, as I read through it.

Once I turn in this book to my editor, I’m going to reward myself with a trip to Florida. That’s the carrot at the end of the stick I’m currently using to flog myself to finish. I have a wonderful vacation planned with my husband and our dearest friends. It includes lots of fun and laughter and good eating and bicycling. I posted these pictures from a previous trip beside my computer to keep me motivated during these final weeks of work.

But I can’t pack my bathing suit and bike helmet just yet. First I have to get back to work and get this book finished!

So how do you celebrate when all your hard work is finished?

Thanksgiving Hospitality

It’s a tradition in our family to invite people who are alone on Thanksgiving to our family feast. The origins of our hospitality go back to when Ken and I were first married…

Ken was a graduate student and we lived in Connecticut at the time. After classes on Wednesday afternoon we packed the car and set off for my grandmother’s house in the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania. The rest of my family would gather there the next day for Thanksgiving. It was drizzling rain when we left Connecticut but we didn’t think to check the weather report. We didn’t even think to bring boots or gloves or warm coats.

By the time we reached the mountains in New York State, night had fallen and it was snowing very hard. The roads were a slippery mess and clogged with travelers. On one particularly steep stretch, cars were getting stuck halfway up the hill and blocking the road, so in the spirit of the season, everyone helped push each other’s cars up the slope. Our car was a cinch to push—a small, two-seater convertible sports car. Did I mention that we had our temperamental Siamese cat with us? She did not appreciate the excitement and howled and yowled in protest as only a Siamese can.

At this point, we were much closer to my parents’ house in New York State than to Grandma’s, and we could have detoured there for the night—we didn’t. After our boost up the hill we drove on, heedless of the snow and all the mountains ahead. We crossed into Pennsylvania near midnight and discovered that the state police had closed the road. The little border town had one small hotel, so we decided to get a room for the night. We arrived at the front desk at the same time as another couple our age.

“I don’t know who was here first,” the clerk said, “but we only have one room left with two single beds.” We decided to share the room with these strangers. The bathroom was down the hall and shared with everyone else on our floor. Not exactly five-star.

As we retrieved our luggage, the other husband said, “By the way, I hope you don’t mind but we have our cat with us.” Umm…so did we. The growling and hissing lasted all night as we tried to sleep squeezed together on our cot. We were lucky to have a bed at all. By morning, the hotel lobby was crammed with stranded Thanksgiving travelers.

Around noon, the snowplow came through and the road re-opened. We set off again, even though it was still snowing hard. We made it up a few more mountains before the road became impassable and cars got stuck again. Everything came to a halt in the middle of nowhere. We sat in a line of stranded cars in the Pennsylvania woods for the remainder of the day—Thanksgiving Day—watching the snow pile deeper and deeper. If Ken hadn’t gotten out of our car from time to time and shoveled snow away from our doors (with no hat or gloves or boots), our tiny sports car would have been buried. We ran the heater sparingly, worried about our gasoline supply. Our Siamese shivered and yowled.

Then, as the sun began to set once again, angels appeared! There were very few houses along this stretch of two-lane road, but one nearby family saw the line of stranded cars—there must have been twenty of us—and invited all of us (and our pets) inside their small home. With strangers crowded into every square inch of space, they not only shared their Thanksgiving dinner with us, they even thawed out food from their freezer until everyone was fed. Then, these kind, generous people allowed us to bed down for the night in their blessedly-warm home. The floors in every room were jammed with strangers. Their dog even shared his food with our cat, who finally settled down, grateful to be inside.

The snow stopped during the night. The sun came out the next morning and the snowplow came through, clearing the road to Grandma’s house. We helped each other dig out our cars then said goodbye to our wonderful, gracious hosts. Scripture says, “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by doing so some people have entertained angels without knowing it” (Hebrews 13:2). But I believe the angels hosted us that day.

Grandma had a 25 pound turkey with all the trimmings waiting, and since my family hadn’t driven in the snowstorm, Ken and I and the cat had the meal all to ourselves. For the rest of her life, our Siamese craved turkey.

We tell this story to our children every Thanksgiving, emphasizing the three valuable lessons their foolish young parents learned: (1) Always watch the weather report. (2) Always have warm clothing and an emergency kit in your car. (3) And always remember, it’s a joy and a blessing to extend hospitality at Thanksgiving, especially to strangers.

Have a wonderful holiday!

Mule-Headed Stubbornness

Stubborn as a mule. Image by © Bettmann/CORBIS

I’ve had my stubborn moments. Times when I’ve refused to do what I’m asked. When I’ve folded my arms and refused to budge. An incident in seventh grade art class comes to mind. The teacher assigned a short research report on any famous artist we chose. I liked art class. I liked our teacher, an exotic woman who wore her hair in a chignon and dressed in Bohemian clothes and seemed wildly out-of-place in our boring, conventional village. Writing came easily to me. The report would have been an easy A and I was an A student. But for reasons I still don’t understand, I didn’t do the assignment.

When my children used to turn stubborn I would get angry. When my husband turns stubborn I get frustrated. But when a character in a novel I’m writing becomes uncooperative, I’m baffled. I know, I know, I created these “people.” They exist only in my mind. How can they turn rebellious? Aren’t I in charge? Well, in a word . . . no. Once I’ve created them along with a resume of their likes and dislikes, quirks and fears, family histories and dreams, they become “real.” If I try to make them do something “out of character,” it rings false. They have a right to turn stubborn.

Have you ever read a story where the main character does something that doesn’t feel right? Something that makes you want to throw the book across the room in frustration and vow never to read a book by THAT author again? I suspect that the character did refuse to do what the author wanted but was forced to comply against her will.

One character who turned against me and my well-plotted plans was Kitty from my Civil War novel, “A Light to My Path.” She was a plantation slave who was supposed to escape. I had done tons of research about the Underground Railroad that I was eager to use. Grady, a fellow slave who she loved, was escaping with her. Conditions were perfect for a night-time getaway. But when the “now or never” moment came, Kitty refused to go. Grady left without her. And I was left with a plotting dilemma.

Depiction of the Underground Railroad

I could have forced Kitty to go, and maybe it would have turned out okay. Or maybe readers would have thrown my book across the room. From the moment I created Kitty, she was beaten down by her life of slavery. Her real name was Anna but her spoiled mistress renamed her and forced her to pretend she was a cat. Kitty was too terrified of the consequences to ever disobey. Slaves were chased down and mercilessly whipped for escaping. I researched the mosquito-filled, alligator-infested swampland on her escape route, and believe me, even the bravest soul might have refused. Kitty was not brave. To run away would have been completely out-of-character for her.

I used this swamp as inspiration

I’m now facing another stubborn character in the novel I’m currently writing. She has a difficult choice to make, one that’s going to affect the rest of her life—and the rest of my novel. I know what I want her to do. Readers will probably want her to do the opposite. But I’m relinquishing all of my plots and plans and letting her decide. She has to remain true to herself. I’m granting her free will.

My seventh grade art teacher was very surprised when I failed to turn in my paper. It was so out-of-character for me as an A student that she believed she had lost my paper. She asked if I still had the rough draft. Of course I didn’t. I would like to say that I confessed—but I didn’t. She asked if she could give me a B for the assignment and I agreed. I feel the guilt and shame of my deception to this day.

I hope I’ve developed more honesty and integrity as I’ve matured in my Christian life. The Apostle Paul writes in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” I hope it would be out-of-character for me now to behave in an un-Christ-like way. I long to be true to His character in all of the decisions and choices I make. To do otherwise after the price He paid as the Author of my salvation, would be sheer, mule-headed stubbornness.

The Last Step

The Restoration Chronicles

Authors perform hundreds of small steps in the process of publishing a book—some of them enjoyable and some…not so much. The last step is one of my favorites, and this week I had a chance to do it.

Researching in Jerusalem at Nehemiah’s Wall

Every novel I write begins as an idea—sometimes a grand one and sometimes just a tiny seed that needs to be nurtured. This involves brainstorming (alone and with my critique group), then researching (which is also an enjoyable step since it involves travel). Then I’m ready to start creating my characters. All of this takes about two months, and leads to the most time-consuming steps of all: writing drafts, and editing those drafts over and over and over for the next nine months until I’m happy with the result.

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Behind the scenes at the photo shoot for the cover of “On This Foundation”

Editing

Somewhere along the way, (and long before the novel is finished), my publisher asks for a title and cover ideas, and I spend time collecting images and brainstorming titles. This is done ahead of time so the book can be listed in the sales catalogue. Sometimes my title and cover ideas are used…and sometimes they’re not. I’ll let you guess which makes me happier.

At last my book is finished. Well…not quite. Once I turn in my manuscript (hopefully by my deadline), my editor steps in. He and a team of in-house readers get to read it and comment on areas that might need more work. They give me about a month to “fix” these problems and make it a better book. Few authors want to hear that their “baby” isn’t perfect—including me. By now I’m weary of the manuscript and eager to start something new.

“On This Foundation” hot off the press!

But I make the necessary changes and the book moves to the final editing and proof-reading stages. I’ll see the manuscript two more times, once to view the editor’s changes and make any last minute changes of my own, and again when the page proofs are all laid out in their final form so I can check them for errors. Then it goes to the printer and becomes a “real” book. It’s a great feeling to finally hold the fruit of all my labors in my hands. But that’s not the last step. The very last step—and one of my favorites—is sharing the new book with my readers.

On October 1st, I signed books at the Kregel Parable Christian Store in Grandville, Michigan and met these wonderful ladies who belong to a book club:

And on October 10, I made more new friends when I spoke at Providence Christian College in Pasadena, California. Meeting my readers reminds me why I’ve been working so hard this past year, alone in my office for hours and hours, glued to my chair. It’s for all for them! Each time I begin a new book I ask God to use my words to touch someone with His love and grace. And even if only one reader is blessed, my labor is never in vain. When I meet readers at events like these, their stories and words of encouragement assure me that God is answering my prayer.

Words are powerful things. I can’t begin to describe how a reader’s words of encouragement rejuvenate me. They motivate me to return to the work God has given me, and begin the year-long process of writing all over again. That’s why this last step is the best!

I’m sure you must have felt the power of an encouraging word in your life, too. If so, is there someone you can encourage in return today?

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up”(1 Thess. 5:11)

The Festival of Joy

This past week I had the privilege of celebrating the Jewish Festival of Succoth with some of my Jewish friends and family members. Also known as the Feast of Booths or Tabernacles, it commemorates God’s provision in the wilderness for 40 years when His people lived in temporary shelters, protected by His Clouds of Glory. To prepare for the week-long festival, we built a temporary structure or sukkah using leaves and other natural materials. We covered it with a roof made of branches that allowed us to see the night sky above. Here is the work in progress on our back deck.

When the booth was finished, we decorated it in fitting style for an outdoor, candlelit feast.

We enjoyed all our meals outside in the sukkah, but I especially loved our dinners after sunset when the air was cool and crisp and fall-scented. On the night of the lunar eclipse, we had a beautiful view of the “blood moon.” Dwelling outside is an act of faith. We leave our sturdy houses and all our material goods behind and step into a flimsy shelter to remind ourselves that our trust is in God and not in our own strength.

God commanded His people to “Celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days after you have gathered the produce of your threshing floor and your winepress. Be joyful at your feast . . .” (Deut. 16:13). Our menus included produce that we grew this summer in our garden, as well as fall favorites like carrots and beets and squash and apples from our local farmer’s market. The final harvest had been brought in, and we rejoiced in God’s provision.

The Feast of Succoth is one of the three great festivals that God’s people are commanded to celebrate each year in Jerusalem (see Leviticus 23). The Festival of Passover celebrates Israel’s redemption from slavery in Egypt—Christians celebrate Christ’s sacrifice for our redemption on Passover (Good Friday), when we were redeemed and given new life. The Feast of Pentecost celebrates God’s gift of the Torah, the instruction book for this new life of freedom—Christians celebrate God’s gift of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, equipping us to grow in faith and live for God. The Feast of Tabernacles celebrates our faith in God’s provision for our everyday lives; it’s a feast with God, our Beloved, where we invite Him to dine with us in our sukkah—Christians not only enjoy fellowship with God now, but we look forward to this promise given in Revelation 21:3– “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them and be their God.” To celebrate inside a sukkah is to get a tiny taste of the joy we will experience on that future day.

“Celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles . . . For the Lord your God will bless you in all your harvest and in all the work of your hands, and your joy will be complete” (Deut. 16: 15). May God bless the work of your hands and give you His joy.

Speaking and Book Signing Event!

I had so much fun meeting new friends at the Kregel Parable Bookstore in Grandville Michigan yesterday!

I will be speaking and signing books at Providence Christian College in Pasadena, California

Saturday, October 10 9:30am-11:30am

Providence Christian College

China Lounge

1539 E. Howard Street

Pasadena, CA

Can’t wait to meet you!

Here are some more upcoming events:

October 23, 2015 — Speaking at The Paulding County Carnegie Library in Paulding, OH

Evening event – About my book Wonderland Creek

Books, including newest release, On This Foundation will be available for purchase

October 24 — Women’s Retreat, Paulding, OH — Saturday, 9am -2pm

Book signing and books available for purchase

December 1, 2015 — Christmas Tea — Moraine Valley Church — 5:15-9:00 pm

At the Gaelic Park, Oak Forest, IL

Book signing and books available for purchase