Here’s my current adventure schedule!!!
For a list of my tales, please visit: https://inspiredbyvenice.org/about/
Adventure Schedule!
Tag Archives: Adventure
Ancient by Michelle Novak
At the close of one sweltering day’s journey beneath Egypt’s unrelenting sun, a young woman and her nomadic parents lead their flock into the calm of an unexpected and flourishing oasis. It is a place of ideal refuge in the desert, at least for one night along the family’s annual passage through a barren land…
Taking advantage of what little light remains, Hem trails away to search for nabk berries by her mother’s command. Only, finding a verdant spot right for fruit, this single child of Amosis and Oila will soon discover that she and her family are not alone. Someone else has also discovered the sanctuary in the wilderness. Someone who is about to endanger all of their lives, and alter each of their fates, forever.
There is a place where the sands run deep. High above, a scorching sun beams. Far below, the ancients sleep. Scorpions scuttle, and the ibis stalks. People chant, while the gods, they watch…
Sleek statues stare, and vipers slither. Incense streams like a gentle whisper. Hem has a perilous journey ahead, with no choice but endure. Whether or not she will live, no one’s destiny is sure.
Available on Amazon
Cover Artist: https://selfpubbookcovers.com/Viergacht
Sparkle-sparkle!
Wishing your holiday season filled with fairy tale moments! But if you need some…this fairy godwriter can point you in the ‘write’ direction! Tee-hee! Sparkle-sparkle! Stay inspired!
For a list of my magical works, please visit: https://www.amazon.com/author/mnovak
A Mysterious Tale!
Wonderful Readers ~ Please consider a mysterious tale to gift this season! Reading is such an adventure and so incredible for the imagination! Please also consider supporting indie authors, independent bookstores, small creators and small businesses, who strive to bring the world unique goods and special experiences!
For a list of my independently published works, please visit: https://www.amazon.com/author/mnovak
A Lovely Adventure
After visiting the museum with my best friend yesterday, we had an outdoor lunch and chatted for a while. The weather was beautiful! I had a berry salad with salmon. And goodness, I could eat that every day. It was a lovely adventure of a Saturday!
Stay Inspired!
My Eyebrows Know
Today I got in a few minutes of writing during my lunch hour and realized I was doing the funniest thing! My expressions were totally reacting to what I was writing. I mean, do I do that? Eyebrows going a little crazy every time a dragon screeches on the page?
This can only mean one thing. Dragons at Dusk is turning out an awesome adventure! My eyebrows know.
Reading Is So Wonderful!
My Dragons At Dawn and Once Upon A Star on a shelf at Studio Moonfall in Kenosha, WI.
Nothing makes me smile more than to imagine the adventure someone is going to have when they pick up one of my tales! Reading is so wonderful!
Stay Inspired!
For a list of my works, please visit here!
The Transcendent Moments
For the book lovers out there ~ what’s your favorite thing about reading?
For the writers ~ why do you write?
For the creators ~ when does making feel like magic?
Me? I write for the transcendent moments. Those times when it takes me some place incredible, within myself. A really focused, yet far away, beautiful place.
I Just Dig This Story!
I’m working on Dragons At Dusk, the follow-up to my Dragons At Dawn. I reread Dragons At Dawn last week as a refresher and I say…I could just live in that world! Scary screeching dragon in my village and all, I’m there!
I won’t pick one of my beloved tales over another, because they really each are special to me. But I have to say, I just dig this story, and I’m really excited to soon be sharing its sequel!
A Magical Kingdom by Michelle Novak
It’s summer vacation and Lizzy is eager to take a trip to visit her grandparents at their beautiful home in the countryside where all kinds of fun can be had!
One morning, Lizzy’s grandma offers her an exciting book to read. Hopping on her bike with the book and a picnic lunch, she settles down by a beautiful pond to begin reading the adventure.
After reading the first lines of the book, things are not as they should be. The pond is now a vast lake, and in the middle of it sits a magnificent castle! There’s also an oddly dressed woman who’s come looking for her. She looks like she’s just stepped out of the Renaissance! Her name is Milda, and she beckons ‘Princess Lizbeth’ to hurry, for she is expected at the castle.
Join Lizzy as she travels back in time to a magical kingdom and becomes a princess for a day!
~ This, and all my adventures are available on Amazon! ~
~ For a list of my other works, please visit here. ~
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To join me on Goodreads, click here.
The Book of Dragons by Michelle Novak
After his courage shines through during one unexpected act of valor, young Lambert finds himself knighted by the wise King Gerald of the Kingdom of Echoes. After five years of knightly training and surprising adventures, Lambert and his heroic brothers receive an urgent request from the King; all knights must go in search of a magical text that has gone missing from right under the King’s nose at Halves Castle.
This isn’t just any book however. It is the Book of Dragons, a text filled with magic. In the wrong hands, the peaceful Kingdom of Echoes could be destroyed forever.
As Sir Lambert embarks on his quest to return the book to King Gerald, he learns that its magic would be nothing without living, breathing dragons!
Join Sir Lambert, who with the true heart of an honorable knight will do anything to protect the good people of the realm. Even if it means he has to fight one ferocious red beast!
~ This, and all my adventures are available on Amazon! ~
For a list of my other works, please visit here.
Final Days of the Beauty Sleeping Giveaway!
Final few days of the Beauty Sleeping giveaway on Goodreads! Be sure to enter (and join me on Goodreads while you’re there!!). Here’s the link
Beauty Sleeping by Michelle Novak:
Four fair princesses, a long time ago, in a castle do dwell. Their father the king, has disappeared, from just right where he fell. The queen, their mother, walked away, floating into the wood. A sorceress watches, from her dark weald, ’tis certain she means no good…
Will-o’-the-wisps, water spirits, and many strange flowers that sigh. Fairies, goblins, nymphs, and of course, tameless dragons that fly. A time from the past, filled with peril, strange conjury, and swords. Just take one step into this world, and the journey ’twill be yours…
Could you fight a dragon?!
So, the question of the day…
Could you fight a dragon?! Cause I’d be hiding in the safety of that church way back there, screeching from a window for that knight to look out!
{Dragons At Dusk by Michelle Novak – Coming 2022}
For a list of my other tales, please visit: https://inspiredbyvenice.org/about/
Beauty Sleeping Giveaway on Goodreads!
Goodreads Book Giveaway
Beauty Sleeping
by Michelle Novak
Giveaway ends February 18, 2022.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter Giveaway
Giveaway on its way!
The winners of the 5 author signed copies of Ancient will be receiving their book shortly! Enjoy the journey!!!
I’ve another giveaway starting on Goodreads later this week! Can you guess which tale? Announcing soon!
Best BEST!!!
Ancient Giveaway!!
Goodreads Book Giveaway
Ancient
by Michelle Novak
Giveaway ends January 14, 2022.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter Giveaway
A Special Collection
I’ve always been fond of a Choose Your Own Adventure, and have my own little collection. If I see one in a used bookstore, I can’t help but consider it for my shelf.
The other night, I snatched one up for a quick reading adventure. Because, yes. It just so happened to be R.A. Montgomery’s Spooky Thanksgiving. Because of course – adding a little spooky to any holiday simply makes it more fun, no? Love it!!
To learn more about my Venice, a book written in just this interactive style, please visit: https://inspiredbyvenice.org/about/
Fairy Messages
Authoress Michelle Novak reads the messages the fairies have been leaving at her window.
Stay Inspired!
What A Wonderful Adventure…
What a wonderful adventure I had at Studio Moonfall today in Kenosha, WI. Thank you @donovanscherer for graciously hosting me and welcoming my tales to your wondrous bookshop! And a special thank you to the new readers I met today. My goodness – I won’t ever forget this sunny, welcoming, bookish day!
Friends! Special updates coming soon!!! What a magical season this has been! This author’s cup runneth over! How much I appreciate you all…
Stay Inspired!
Ancient by Michelle Novak
Authoress Michelle Novak shares the inspiration that moved her to write Ancient.
Fairy Gifts
Authoress Michelle Novak shares what gifts the fairies left in her hair.
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Offering just a little bit…
Do you know what fills my heart? Boxes of books. My books. The loves of my life. The works of my soul. The hundreds of hours spent to give them breath.
They may not look like much in the cardboard, stacked in their paper and plastic. But when I place each individually into someone’s hands, and they walk away, I somehow feel I’m doing what it was I’m here to do. Offering just a little bit of magic, love, happiness, adventure…This is what I have to give.
Stay Inspired
Take A Journey…
It may have been hotter than is bearable this past weekend, but with all those special moments at The Quill and Brush, it seemed nothing at all…
6 more festival weekends at Bristol. I hope to see you there!
And speaking of heat…take a journey through a vast Egyptian desert in my supernatural tale, Ancient. For a description, read here.
Keep cool. Stay Inspired.
Six Weeks Until The Quill And Brush Returns!
Good Day Good Friends! I hope this message finds you well!
I got two emails from my Mama this morning asking if I was okay. She does that when I get a little quiet – because she’s a good mom. So, I thought I better come up for air and just say Hello to everybody!!
You see, since the very second Bristol announced they would be opening this summer, I’ve been all hands on deck. Everything from car repairs (no breaking down on the way to Bristol for me – I don’t want to end up a damsel in distress), to vaccines (both round one and round two took me down – no joke), to writing nearly every evening after work (more on that soon!!), to getting all my small business odds and ends in order.
I’m still in the thick of it, so I might be just a little quiet for a few weeks more, but then it will be time to bring out the magic! AND THE BOOKS! HUZZAH!
Where’s the costumes! Where’s the glitter? Dust off your fairy wings! Where’s your hair wreath? Where’s your sword?! Practice your pirate yarrrrr! A whole summer of revelry is just around the corner, and I’ll be sure to share it with you here from The Quill and Brush!
Who’s coming to say hello at The Quill?! Say hi here – I can’t wait to see you there!
Beauty Sleeping – Audio Chapters 1 – 2
Greetings Dear Readers! I hope you are staying inspired?!
Maybe I can help? Let’s throw some fairy dust!! You’re about to get glittered!!!
And chased by monsters…
Ok – maybe the sparkle and beasts don’t make an appearance until after chapters 1 and 2. But since nothing inspires me more than an enchanted wood filled with ogres, maidens, witches, goblins, and terribly fierce dragons, I turned through a few pages to record the first two chapters of my Beauty Sleeping, just for you. This tale might be my most magical. A little eerie – yikes! But so, so, so romantic.
A story of eternal love.
Here’s wishing you, all the love and magic there is!
And forever, Stay Inspired.
If you would like to be a fairy godpatron to the authoress – please be sure to whirl your wand in the bookstore! Enjoy the adventure!
Milwaukee’s Antiques On Pierce
Hello All! How are you today? The sun is shining in Evanston, and the birds are singing that spring is coming! That makes me smile…even if I’m sniffling! Ha! These seasonal viruses (my second this winter) are just awful. But, what can you do? I’ve been wallowing in bed for days. But, I’m hoping that this one will be my last until next season.
Please Lord.
Therefore, though I wish I could be spending this sunny Saturday on an adventure, I’ll just have to reminisce over past fun, until my bug skedaddles…
A few weeks ago after a visit to the Milwaukee Domes, drove past a sign that made my car wheels, quite beyond my own control, emergency-bat-turn into a parking lot, in what appeared to be a more industrial neighborhood…
It’s funny sometimes, when there appears to be not a stray cat around, and the walkways are without any traffic, that there can be a hidden gem awaiting…
Milwaukee’s Antiques on Pierce has reminded me why emergency-bat-turns are a necessary driver’s skill to acquire…
And why being adventurous enough to explore, when you spot an intriguing sign, can really pay off!
This treasure trove of the bygone had my mouth gaping for at least the first five minutes…
Continuing on with a great many more oohhs, and ahhhs, and look at this-s!
Unfortunately, there was only about half an hour on the clock before this mind-boggling establishment was closing for the day…
Yet somehow I still felt like I’d been spellbound, and there for quite a while, in awe at every turn…
Antiques on Pierce reminded me of Volo Antique Mall in Volo, Illinois, which is one of my favorite places to go with my folks…
These places are a collector’s dreamland. Hunting for things in particular, is a real treat on antiquing excursions…
And if only you could know the history behind even just a handful of the items for sale, your mind would be broken. It’s just too awesome for the imagination!
I repeated at least five times, that next time, this was going to be the destination, with a much longer review of all of the displays.
And as the lights began to shutter off, one section at a time, darkening the circumference of this massive cave of curiosities…
I simply did not want to go…
Traveling out from that neighborhood, spotted at least one (maybe two) similar signs for antiques. I think I know what one of my next adventures is going to be! Think they’ll let me bring in a picnic lunch? I mean, one has to eat to keep their energy up on a day-long treasure hunt!
Stay Inspired!
Let Me Walk In Eden…
Good Day, Good Friends! Today, I am wishing you most well and happy! And, I am hoping, that you are ever finding ways to stay inspired!
I found my inspiration yesterday, by taking a walk through a transcendent Eden. Three such wonderful gardens, in fact. Would you like to come along and see?
On a completely impromptu whim, I found myself on an adventure at the Milwaukee Domes located in the city’s Mitchell Park…
Three massive glass houses, each with a unique botanic garden: The Show Dome, The Tropical Dome, and the Desert Dome.
The temperature and feel of the air was different going from dome to dome, the tropical dome warm and humid…
In the tropical dome, there were glorious palms reaching for the sky, and vibrant flowers that were of course, very unique…
Being that the sky was blue on this day, it truly made me feel for a time, that I had blessedly escaped winter…
There were even birds singing at the tops of the trees, while the matted roots and vines clambered around the trunks below…
I also immensely enjoyed watching large koi swirling together in a stream underfoot…
Their bright colors mesmerizing…
And their gliding like a dance…
They almost appeared to me like little dragons, floating through the air…
I now understand why these fish are so often prized! They were quite beautiful and relaxing to watch…
The Show Dome had a cooler temperature, with much low-lying greenery…
It was a cacophony of delightful scenes and plants…
With many unexpected little bursts…
And entertaining miniatures…
Even Godzilla made an appearance…
The Desert Dome seemed a little more arid, though without the blazing one would normally feel within such a zone…
The armadillo considered it a temperate day.
There were plenty of barbed little beasties, best to stay away from…yikes!
This brought to mind, a recollection of a cactus my grandma used to keep when I was a child, and the several unfortunate brushes I’d had with it.
I won’t keep a cactus. It doesn’t want to be kept, and will be happy to remind you of that.
I very much enjoyed this foreign view however, a desert scene being something completely alien to me…
I even paused to coo at the tan-blue tinted doves, flying through…
And for a moment, as if under a spell cast by the shifting of a late afternoon sun…
I forgot just where I was. I had left, and gone someplace else…
Small adventures are a gift to me. A respite from duty, and a forgetfulness from life’s pressures. A walk, through my own magical tales.
And even if they are as short as dreams, just an hour or a single day, they are as indispensable as any sustenance.
Take your adventures, no matter how small! And as always, stay inspired!
Milwaukee Public Museum Part II.
Having my first exploration of the Milwaukee Public Museum last Saturday was a wonderful adventure! I had a few favorites from my visit, but the collections that will be bringing me back to take a little more time, were all the bugs!
I have a serious love for insects.
Had I known I would have felt this way growing up, I might have studied to be an entomologist…
As you may have read here before, I took a natural field science class in college long ago, where each student had to pin their own collections. I’d always been intrigued by insects, but that added a generous amount of fuel to my fascination…
And if I had extra time now (don’t we all wish we had more time for our special hobbies), I would pin my own collections still…
Though, I have to tell you, my heart is so ridiculously tender these days, I’d have a hard time dispatching a single creature just to show it in the stage of a glass box. I can’t even kill a spider, and when I do by accident, I feel sad…
I believe these little beasties deserve to live their lives, as whisper short as they may often be…
…except for ticks perhaps. I’ve no comprehension for why God included them in His plan. Baffles me everyday. Why ticks, Lord? Why?
I just shivered imagining a tick on my neck. The horror.
Thankfully, I didn’t see any ticks on display at the museum! But I did see…
Lots and lots of butterflies!
Live butterflies! Baby newborn butterflies birthing from their chrysalises!
This brought me back to grade school, when our class eagerly awaited a butterfly to be born from a chrysalis. A lesson about life and nature. That was so special.
At the Milwaukee Public Museum, they have a room of live butterflies, that you can amble through as though walking in a dream…
What I found most interesting, was that I observed that different kinds of butterflies have unique flight patterns. Sort of like how a goldfinch, a swallow, and a sparrow, all fly quite differently. This is probably common sense, but I enjoyed noticing it on my own all the same…
I enjoyed too, observing all the color combinations and patterns of butterfly wings, when gazing at the pinned specimens…
I could spend a lot of time pondering before these displays.
Is not the butterfly, the very epitome, of the fragility and beauty of life?
If I were a butterfly, I would like to be her, the one with the cream and pink-tipped wings.
Precious little souls…
And now you have taken a walk with me, to see all the insects at the Milwaukee Public Museum! I sincerely can’t wait to go back, to take more time to view them!
Best wishes dear friends! Take good care of yourselves! And for those of you in the same northern climate as I, think on spring! It is not so very far.
Stay Inspired!
Every Day With Grace…
I woke up egregiously exhausted this morning. And when I am that tired, I am also for a spell, a mite melancholy. I have days where I feel like I’ve been taken out by a tranquilizer. Today, stress is to blame. If I was someplace warm, I would go have a lie down outside, by the sea, or in a garden, read a book and listen to the birds. There is no better restorative, or inspiration…
[Little Miss Michelle]
According to the reports here however, it is only 9 degrees outside. To the skin, it will seem even worse, on account of our icy winds. The other night even, I had to use heat packs in my gloves (thank you mama), to keep my poor fingers from freezing. The world outside, is glacial…
A touch forlorn, I opened a box of photos over my coffee. I shouldn’t do that. I become too wistful every time, even when I find myself smiling. My eyes were tearful just about immediately, remembering all the places I have been. All that I have already lived. And wondering, what is next?
Looking back, even memories I had nearly forgotten are still so powerful, both sad and happy. I wondered if the broken pieces in our hearts ever really mend, in spite of the strengths we forge, or if it just sits quietly with us…
And, I wondered how my mama did it, and my grandma, and my great-grandma before. How they met challenges, and stress, and worry, with grace…
Am I meeting life each day, with grace? If I am, then why do I always feel like such a wild, rebellious, rip-roaring, crazy-pants? Mom? Grandma? Did you feel that way too? Goodness. Goodness gracious…
If you have ever seen the movie Chocolat, you’ll recall the wind that draws up and makes the main character pack up her bags, sensing that it’s time to move on elsewhere. Sometimes, I feel that way.
But…what is here, will be there. I’m old enough to know that now. And as a friend once described, what’s inside, you take it along like a turtle shell on your back.
As for all the elements outside of yourself, frustrations are found anywhere you go…
Now, a change in scenery can be an incredible adventure! Moving someplace new might even be the right thing. It’s just that any notion of running away, well, it’s never really running away.
So, what is the key?
Listening to what you need, and arranging it as best you can in your life. Work toward it, wherever you find yourself. Contentment, happiness, and wellness, is different for each of us. If you listen, you know what’s important…
As for me, I progressively desire more peace, and quiet. Further, the demands to ‘keep up’, are becoming increasingly a challenge. Part of me loves an urban energy, but I don’t know that I can continue to digest the noise, and expense, and speed of it…
That mystical wind might soon blow me toward a hidden acre in the woods. With Sasquatch, and ticks, and dead silence and darkness at midnight. It’s days like today, when I’m so very tired, that I wish I could go right now…
Fun fact: I believe I’m more terrified of ticks, than I would be if I bumped into a big foot. I know God made all creatures, but I’m wrestling with why He included ticks in His design. Why God, why?
Well, I’m going to keep a quiet day in bed today, and write. And ponder just how I’d still be able to put food on my table, and pay my taxes, and my health insurance, when I run away to the woods…
Life really is a crazy adventure. Sometimes, it really wears me out.
But don’t worry. I have a knack for staying inspired…
An Inspired Heart…
Hello All! How are you today? I hope you are finding ways to stay inspired?
With the holidays surrounding us, sparkle, joy, and inspiration would seem naturally about. But, I know that this time of year isn’t always glitter and gold for everyone. Whether it’s lack of money, the drearier weather (at least in these parts), the absence of a supportive family or friend circle, or thoughts of a new year (and new decade!) and all the things one is still hoping to achieve…
{Painted wall, Milwaukee, WI}
But, you know what I think, dear friends?
I think, no matter what time of year, we should just try our best, to keep an inspired heart…
{Me in Milwaukee…La Croix in hand…of course!}
What keeps me inspired? I’ve a little treasure of ways…first, adventure…
{Painted wall, Milwaukee, WI.}
I presently don’t have the funds for faraway travels, something I really enjoy. However, I’ve always just as equally cherished, the adventure to be had, at my own back door…
{Summer street festival, Milwaukee, WI}
Whether it’s a ride to a nearby town for a bite and a stroll. A peek about a new neighborhood…
{A lakeside trail, Milwaukee, WI.}
A nature walk…
{Street festival delights, Milwaukee, WI.}
Or a display of sprinkly donuts, well I just love it…
{Mom & Charlie at Bristol, Kenosha, WI}
I’m thankful too, that I always have the adventure of Bristol before me! Mom (Lita) and step-dad (Charlie), always help me set up my little shop each summer, The Quill and Brush. We stage it all, and then have a bit of picnic lunch…
It’s a treat each year to see Bristol in the weeks before opening day!
So peaceful and green…
I’m already anticipating the 2020 season!
I’m also ever inspired and thankful for all of my wonderful Bristol friends. To name a few…
{Tammy & Dino, Bristol Renaissance Faire 2019}
{Priscilla & Nic, Bristol Renaissance Faire 2019}
{Stephanie & Bryan, Bristol Renaissance Faire 2019}
{Stephanie & Bryan, Bristol Renaissance Faire 2019}
Thank you to all who have supported me as an author. I can only hope that my tales will bring even a portion of the magic to your life, as your friendships have inspired in mine…
Well, it also seems I find adventure and inspiration no matter what the course of my day. Yesterday afternoon, for instance, was my regular 6-month cleaning at the dentist. I go to Smileworks in Chicago, and have for years and years. Recommended by a trusted friend, they are hands-down, the best. And they gave me a pink toothbrush in my swag bag yesterday, so…
Well, Smileworks moved offices recently, and now have a spectacularly trendy spot! Yesterday was the first time I’d visited the new office. Located right in the middle of one of Chicago’s Lincoln Square ‘community areas’, I was wowed by the old-timey meets hip-urban block. I didn’t have the money for shopping, and wanted to get home for a rest, so I didn’t stroll after my appointment, but let’s just say it’s a destination. If you live local, and want to have a day adventure, this is a gem. I’m going to make a point of planning an exploratory visit at some point…
I did however, stop in one store, Gene’s Sausage Shop & Delicatessen. I wish I’d taken photos, and next time will. It was a dreamland. An utter dreamland. I bought myself some weekend dinner, zesty quinoa salad, cucumber salad, chilled fried perch…
A block of Northwoods Cheddar…
Heaven. Truly heaven.
This might be the most beautiful photo I have ever taken. I call it, Cheese and Cracker.
Isn’t that an inspiring plate? Oh my word, it was delicious too!
I’ve also been finding inspiration lately in everything chocolate and mint!
I have always loved chocolate mint. My mom was eating chocolate-chip mint ice cream when I was in her belly. I know this because I’ve loved chocolate-mint since birth. It’s my favorite. I could eat a box of Andes Mints in one sitting all by myself. I’m pretty sure that I have.
So, Christmas-time means chocolate-mint time. Matt’s limited edition double chocolate peppermint cookies? I swoon. Superior on Main’s chocolate mint brownie bites? I faint…
Excuse me? Mint and dark chocolate KitKat? Crying tears of Christmas chocolate-mint joy…
I’m so silly.
To share, there’s a verse in Proverbs that I’ve been dwelling on the last few weeks, because I have plenty of moments (and hours, and days) when my joy and inspiration flicker…
A merry heart doeth good like a medicine; but a broken spirit drieth the bones. Proverbs 17:22 KJV
And so, in this season, and in every season, I’m wishing you too, a merry heart. Find the joy you’re given in each day. Try not to worry. Love yourself. Love each other. And so especially…
Stay Inspired!
Love Your Life…
Good Morning Friends! How are you today? I hope that you are staying inspired? I had a nice little chat with my mama last night, and she said some things that sparked my inspiration. We were talking about hopes and dreams, how we can plan to make them come true, and how thinking on them keeps one’s spirits buoyant…
So I’m passing the torch forward to you today to ask…what’s your dream? Think on it a little just now. A big dream, a teeny-tiny one…stay inspired, this is your life, ever keep the spark of your aspirations bright in your heart…
Do you have a thing, that you love, that you can’t do without? Mine is currently pouring M&M’s over popcorn every night, and crunching to high heaven like a lively, sometimes rabid, squirrel. I shouldn’t even be eating chocolate before bed…makes me have lively, rabid dreams…but I…can’t…stop.
No, regular sized packages of M&M’s wouldn’t do. They have to be Share Size…
Do you know what else I love? Deeply inhaling roses at their most full and beautiful bloom. I was spoiled to death the last day of faire with so many gorgeous flowers to celebrate my natal day…
I arranged them all just so…
And then sniffed them each longingly, one by one…
And then had to go lay down because I was dizzy…This may, or may not, be true…
Thank you, my friends, for the flowers. I enjoyed them so very much.
Know what else I’m loving right now?
Milwaukee, WI. This Chicago gal has a crush on another city! Because what’s better than adventure?!
I’ve had myself a good little handful of explorations, and have really enjoyed it…
Most especially when Belair Cantina tacos have been involved…
Because what’s better than tacos?
I’m actually heading to Milwaukee now, so I must skedaddle…
I dare you to look up the word skedaddle. It made me giggle!
Love Your Life. Love The Moments. Love Yourself. Keep Your Dreams Bright. Stay Inspired.
Ancient is Here! Enjoy the Adventure!
Hello All! Here’s wishing each and every one of you good health and happiness today! I wanted to share something very special today. After an almost two-year writing journey on this project, my newest novel Ancient, is finally here!
When I woke up this morning, one of first things I did was go to my computer to peek and see if Ancient was live, available to all. When I saw that it was, an instant little cry burst forth, tears spontaneously pooling. A total sneak attack cry that I wasn’t expecting. But it only took me a few seconds to understand the sudden emotion…
Writing Ancient felt a little different to me than my other books. Where before, I felt something like a puppeteer, moving my characters where I would, looking at them from above, or like a narrator, this time I felt like I’d taken the journey with my character. And this morning, when seeing that the story was now no longer just mine, I felt like I was letting go. Waving to Hem in the desert, as she disappeared like a mirage, out into a vast landscape of sand. Very bittersweet…
For everyone who reads Ancient, it is a wonderful adventure, with a delicious pinch of romance, and many thought-provoking twists of the spiritual. Hem, a nomad in the wilderness of ancient Egypt, loses everything, her family and her life, and is left dangerously and desperately alone. This is her journey from out of darkness, and back into the light. I was with her every step…
Ancient can be purchased here in the U.S., and is available in Europe through Amazon.
When reading Ancient, remember to take along your water bottle and sunscreen, and do beware the asps and scorpions. Maybe don’t wear sandals. Just saying…
And as ever, my dear, dear friends…stay inspired.
Ancient…An Audio Introduction!
Close your eyes and for a moment, imagine the stirring winds and swirling sands, just outside the door. Out there is an endless wild, and there are many dangers in it…
This night with Namma, Hem is safe, but it will not last for long. Still ahead of her, is a very great journey…out into an ancient world…
Ancient, coming soon!
Baroque Beauties…
As I mentioned in my post Looking Back, I’m perusing old photographs for some to share with you for what sparks of inspiration a few might contain. This photo in particular is one of my very favorites, for it is what my dreams are made of…
In 2005, my mother and I traveled to Venice, Italy (a most beloved city for me and a great influence for why I wrote Venice and subsequently Veleno). We visited during the annual Carnevale. Unfortunately, all we had was a disposable camera or two, which doesn’t help one catch all the dozens of shots they would wish for, especially during a once-in-a-lifetime event like this. For folks like my mom and I, who revel in history and costuming, Carnevale was a constant parade of mind-boggling delights. My brain still drifts there in my daydreams, this magical place in my memories. If only I could go back and hand us both a digital camera so that we could have captured so much more…
But alas, at least we got a few treasured shots, like this one. These three Baroque beauties broke my brain. No idea who they were, from what nation they’d hailed, or who their (utterly talented) costumer and wigmakers were, but to cross their path made this gal stop dead in her tracks. There was a crush of people in St. Mark’s Square where this photo was taken, which I’m sure made it even harder to capture more, or get around to secure better full-costume shots…
For the Venetian Carnevale, you have two options for costumes. You can have everything made by a costumer at home (like my oh-so-talented Mama) and carry everything with you to the city (praying that your luggage doesn’t get lost or your masks and accessories crushed..which would have devastated me. You would have heard my cries from Venice clear across the Adriatic). Or, you can rent a costume in Venice, and even have your hair (and I’m sure makeup) professionally done. That would, of course, cost you a pretty penny, and I’m certain wouldn’t be feasible to repeat each day of your visit (unless you’re a millionaire), but it certainly would be an experience…
In any case, those Baroque lovelies looked like they’d stepped right out of 1750 and rendered me speechless. Those pillared wigs, the grandeur of their flowered and ribboned hats, their satiny extravagance and furry muffs to cover chilled hands. Even the large pearl drops hanging from one woman’s ears (oh, pearls…so pure and pretty) inspire me. I swoon. I swoon and fall down…
It is my hope that my mom Lita and I will someday return to Venice, to once more take in the Carnevale, perhaps even holding two tickets to the Il Ballo del Doge. A gal can dream, and save her pennies. After all, sometimes, dreams really do come true…
Whatever your dreams, never let them go. Stay Inspired!
Run Little Dude! Run!
Have you had your dose of action and thrill yet today? Well look no further, for I have just the video for you! Last night while perusing Netflix, I paused over a short trailer for the nature documentary Planet Earth II. In it, an island iguana, just born, has to run his way from the sand where he was hatched to the safety of rocks above. He looks full-grown, but is apparently just a little guy. I have to tell you, I was so anxious for this creature! I actually squealed aloud, “Run! Hurry! Runnnnnn!“
I watched the clip more than once, my knuckles up to my mouth. Oh my word! Have you ever seen so many snakes? What’s the name of that beach? Nightmare Sands? I’ve got to tell you, nature documentaries are seriously more thrilling than blockbusters! You can read more about the clip here!
Stay Inspired Folks!
My Kind Of Town, Chicago Is…
On account of business, I had reason to be downtown several days this week. I lived, worked and went to university in Chicago for many years, as well I now live just on the cusp of the city, in Evanston. I could power walk over to the city limits if I was feeling up for a good workout, and I can see the skyscrapers from the lakeshore just down the street…
That’s why it’s kind of hilarious that while I was racing to and from the train in the city this week (appropriately wearing my ready-to-hike-those-long-city-blocks-sneakers and my extra-warm-winter-trappings-to-buffer-me-against-the-city’s-bone-chilling-winds), I kept halting in the middle of the sidewalk to take a photo. The city folk probably thought I was a tourist. What can I say? I’m still awed by the city, and probably always will be…
Nowadays, I’m not so sure I’d want to live in the city, as I have before. It’s still exciting, but hustle-and-bustle, expense-and-noise, are the song of any city, and I’m quite enjoying my slower-paced living these days…
I was baffled by the stream of commuters pouring out of the trains and walking over the river toward the skyscrapers, even though I’ve been amongst them hundreds of times. Thousands of workers flooding in, flowing out, each and every day…
I was of course absolutely delighted with the excess of tasty-looking dining options, and peered into many an eatery as I zipped right past. And as I walked over Michigan Ave., I hadn’t enough time to cross and stood standing between the lanes of speeding cars, hoping withal that I wouldn’t get misted with dirty water…
I stopped and pretended for all of 8 seconds as I peered down a dark, steaming alley that Chicago was in fact Gotham City (because it totally is) and that Batman was going to fly down at any moment and stop a bad guy (yes, I have a big imagination)…
I peered out over the river and pondered taking a ride on a water taxi…
I believe folks mainly take a water taxi on the Chicago River for sightseeing…commuters are in too much of a rush to hop on a boat!
I ate a delicious hot sandwich to fuel my work and walking, paired with my favorite…a fizzy, chilly berry La Croix! It was berry refreshing…
I kept looking up, every enormous building making me feel tiny and insignificant…
And I remembered some of my favorite things about the city, the museums, the ballet, the theater and the amazing dining. I especially smiled when I spotted an older couple walking hand-in-hand down the very busy sidewalk. It was like everyone was going in the opposite way at top speed, and they, dressed elegantly and walking peacefully, were going in another. They looked dressed as though they were heading to an early dinner and theater. They seemed very happy to be on an outing in the city, and I was happy for them…
It was fun to shake up my routine with a little work adventure in the city this week! It’s inspired me to visit again very soon…perhaps for a day at my favorite museum!
Here’s wishing you many life adventures, some planned, many unexpected! Keep smiling, stay inspired!
Ancient: Coming Soon!
There is a place where the sands run deep. High above, a scorching sun beams. Far below, the ancients sleep. Scorpions scuttle and the ibis stalks, Egyptians chant and the gods, they watch…
Thirsty jujube leaves stir under the slightest breeze. A lost woman cries out, hands risen as she falls to her knees. Where will she go, how will she survive, now parted forever from her only tribe?
Sleek statues stare and vipers slither. Incense streams like an angel’s whisper. Hem has a perilous journey ahead, with no choice but endure. Whether or not she will live, of that only the fates are sure…
The Itty Bitty Littles: Audio Chapter 1
Hello friends! I thought it would be fun to have a little story time! This morning, I recorded the first chapter of The Itty Bitty Littles (applying the theatrical accent I use at my tented shop The Quill and Brush at the Bristol Renaissance Faire)…
I will always remember what a pleasure it was when my grandma and I had story time when I was just an itty bitty myself. How we giggled when she read my favorite books! So I thought it would be a treat to share one of my tales here…
If you enjoy this audio version of the first chapter of The Itty Bitty Littles, I’ll happily record and post the rest of the chapters so that you can hear the adventure in its entirety. Be sure to comment if you’d like to hear what happens next in the tale!
I’m lovin’ your style, Newark!
With a recent flight to New York, we flew into Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey. Now, I’ve seen quite a few airports throughout the world. Some are comfortable, some are not so comfortable. Mostly they are simple, functional, designed to get you where you need to go. Perhaps you’ll do a bit of duty-free shopping, and get a decent bite to eat along the way…
Well I just want to say…Newark, you’re one happening airport! I love your style! As you walk through the terminal, there are colorful, internet accessible, chic places to grab a seat. Ambient music plays, which I’m certain keeps travelers calm and relaxed…
There were a variety of places to take your ease, and plenty of t.v. monitors for folks who need their daily dose of sports. The airport was clean and well, hip…
At the newsstand, there were no lines, for there were plenty of monitors for self-checkout. I tend not to like self-checkout because it never goes smoothly for me and an attendant has to come running to help. But here, things seemed to be running well…
Further, their selection of products in the quick-grab area were so interesting! Lots of fun foods, healthy items, unique snacks. Plenty of fresh choices, whatever your tastes…
I enjoyed the colors and the lights, and the unique flow…
Instead of looking travel-worn and agitated, folks were catching up on work, studying, chatting, relaxing. Everywhere I looked, it seemed like people were enjoying being at the airport. That’s a new one!
There were interesting paintings, cool chairs, patterned tiles, thoughtful lighting…
And I would have been content to sit at any of the restaurants we passed. As we walked past Riviera, it appeared as a peaceful oasis serving gourmet food. In…the…airport.
In any case, I got a real kick out of this airport’s modern design. It made for a fun entry into our New York outing. The designers clearly had the comfort and amusement of travelers in mind when they made such updates. Pretty cool!
Date Night in NYC!
On our way to Jamaica for our recent vacation, we took the roundabout way of flying first to New Jersey from Chicago, spending one night and then heading on down to the Caribbean. We could have flown straight to Montego Bay instead, but handsome was shopping his preferred airlines (which required a layover). This stopover proved very exciting, and I won’t forget our adventurous evening for all of my days…
Though this photo is blurry, I love it. It is of my old haunt…
Once we arrived at our hotel in Newark, we inquired how long it would take an Uber to deliver us to Manhattan. The desk attendant did not sound optimistic. Disappointment was written all over my face. We could see the city, but hours of traffic would make waste of an evening. I remained upbeat however, for handsome had booked dinner at an Italian restaurant in New Jersey!
However, after hopping in an Uber on our way to dinner, I couldn’t help looking longingly toward NYC. See, I lived there a decade ago, and I love New York City. So I asked the driver how long he felt it would take. Only an extra 20 minutes. Handsome canceled our dinner reservation and we were on our way to the Big Apple…
We directed the driver to Washington Square Park (amidst the campus of NYU where I am an alumna). He proceeded to drop us on Washington Street some distance away. However, the Uber driver’s mistake proved a zesty, exhilarating NYC walk for us! Block after city block built my anticipation to see my old neighborhood (and grew our appetite for dinner). Once there, we traversed my old memories while stamping a new NYC memory into my heart with our fun evening together…
Now, if you know anything about Manhattan, you know that it offers a bazillion restaurants (and shops, and cool things in abundance) in its 13.4 by 2.3 miles. Every other doorstep offers something you want to explore, something good to buy or to eat or to see. As we power walked approximately one mile from drop-off point, I blurted “I could eat my way around this city.” It might take me a little time, but I think I’d be up for the job…
After our explorations (and in spite of all the enticing eateries we noticed along the way), handsome expressed a hankering to visit Little Italy. And so, we hopped in a cab and headed on over to that delicious neighborhood! As you walk through Little Italy, gentlemen from various restaurants roll out, singing for you to come and take a seat at their tables. All of the menus looked so good, it was hard to walk away from many of them as we passed through. Finally, we settled upon Da Gennaro Ristorante…
We had a pleasant view of Mulberry Street from our table, glasses of Chianti to warm us up after our evening walk, and a meal that blew us away!
To start, tender calamari fritti with a fresh sauce and a cool squeeze of lemon…
I must say, I’ve been blessed to try a great many amazing dishes during my life, and amongst my many unique travels. I can say without hesitation, Da Gennaro’s fettuccine (meaning ‘little ribbons’ in Italian) with shrimp, salmon and a creamy tomato sauce was absolutely one of the best pasta dishes I’ve ever eaten…
What made this evening so special was the fact that it hadn’t been planned, yet turned out so surprisingly delightful in every way! It was random, refreshing, and reminded me how very much I love adventure!
Here’s wishing you many such wonderful adventures, whether they be within your own neighborhood or far from home…
“We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us.” ~Anonymous
Don’t Worry About A Thing…
This is how I thought yesterday would be. A blissful night’s sleep followed by an exciting view as I rode through the streets of Jamaica. Then, an awe-inspiring zip-line over the jungle, followed by a soothing swim in sparkling falls…
This isn’t exactly how things went. I woke up around 3:30 am and did not fall asleep again. Every trip I’ve ever taken into a new country has delivered at least one such night. The kind where you wake abruptly to the darkness and the noises outside are not familiar, and you realize you are very far away from everything that you’re sure of and you feel a bit frightened by that…
By sunrise, I was exhausted. However, the sun was shining and I was going to be a trooper. Onward with the adventure! Only, I had to make a quick call to the U.S., and it proved more difficult than expected, taking a chunk of time to connect. This made me feel again, a bit far from home…
Handsome kept me on track with positive motivations. Let’s go! Breakfast time! C’mon baby! Though breakfast was comforting and the Blue Mountain Jamaican Coffee reinforcing, I was still feeling fretful and tired. But, I was determined to carry on with a good attitude. Only, once inside the steamy vehicle that would take us to a remote falls in the jungle, all positiveness went out the window. You see, Jamaica is mountainous, the roads thin and twisting, the driving fast and furious. You zoom through villages at intense speed, and the fear of a crash is at the forefront of the mind. I was quickly car sick, just as I was on the way to our lodgings from the airport upon our arrival last week…
But let us pause for a moment so that you can zoom into this photo of this adorable little lizard. They are everywhere (and seemingly not afraid of my shockingly bright pink nail polish)…
But to continue…No, I did not lose my breakfast by my car sickness. That would have been humiliating (however, not much more humiliating than what happened next). When we arrived at the falls, I thought I would faint. Remember too, it’s a tropical climate. This Chicago gal is more accustomed to cold temperatures. I was splashing cool water on my face and neck and asking for something mint (a local woman here told me that mint works well on their twisty roads). A few mint confections were procured and it was like a miracle. Mint really does help abate motion sickness! Things were looking up…
That was, until I looked up. I am not afraid of heights, but something overcame me when I looked up. My danger radar was screaming! I kept silent until we were being geared up to zip through the canopy, high above the rushing waterfalls. It was then that tears began to fall out of my eyes in copious amounts. The tears would not abate. My hands began to shake and my heart started to race wildly. I…was…terrified. Though I would never have selected zip-lining in general (seemed risky), I was taking one for the team. I certainly wouldn’t have suspected that I would be overwhelmingly afraid…
Once finally climbing high up to the top of the trees (sweating, winded and seriously considering turning back), I realized there was no way down except by the zip-line. More heart-stopping, there were five lines to fly across/down, not just one. My tears began to mimic the waterfalls. I wasn’t whining loudly, or scaring the wildlife with sobbing. It was just silent, unstoppable tears (and possibly the strongest look of apprehension ever seen on my face). They wouldn’t stop flowing out of my eyes. The jungle was a blur. What can I say? However, with each lockdown upon the line, the Jamaican men who were safety guides greeted me with a smile and said, Sista, don cry. Every-ting will be alright! Don worry! So I’d take a deep breath, and fly…
I can’t say I overcame fear. I just pushed it aside and did what I had to do. And even though zip-lining might be easy for some, I’m not ashamed by my tears or how afraid I was. Yesterday didn’t go as smoothly as I’d anticipated, but in the end, it was so much better. I gained strength from it…
The blessing in travel is that you learn things about yourself you never expected, and are challenged and awed in ways that go beyond what you might have ever imagined.
If I wake again to the darkness while we’re here, I’m not going to be afraid. I’m going to let the tree frog songs sooth me back to sleep. They’ll be singing…Don’t worry, about a thing, ’cause every little thing gonna be alright!
Far And Away…
At present, I am in the island country of Jamaica in the Caribbean Sea! It took several days of travel to get here, for first we flew to NYC from Chicago and had one unforgettable date night in the city (which I’ll be sure to write about soon). I wanted to share a few special photos with you from the last few days of our adventure…
This is Washington Square Arch in Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village with the Empire State Building in the background. We took a stroll through NYU where I went to graduate school. It was a very fond walk down memory lane. Next stop, the south coast of Jamaica!
This was the beautiful little blue heron I stalked on the beach yesterday morning…
And the egret that stalked me as I ate grilled fish on the beach. I was pretty hungry, so I sadly didn’t share…
And here is the sweet island kitty that took shade in my chair. However, these cats (of which there is a little band) are far fiercer than they look. They hunt lizards and frogs. I’ve been witness to their dinners. Ewww!
And here was a fisherman who dives with a spear for his catch. As he was walking by, the lobsters at the top still moving, I was in awe…
The fish were so colorful! Tomorrow, we’ll be swimming and snorkeling amongst many such live creatures ourselves…
Tropical flowers grow everywhere. Their smell is absolutely intoxicating. There are several kinds of hummingbirds that zip and zoom about these flowers. My attempts to capture them on camera have failed thus far, but I’ll keep trying…
Here is wishing you special wonders in your life today, wherever you may be. As for me, I’m singing a song with my toes barefoot in the sand. “One Love. One Heart. Let’s get together and feel alright…Give thanks and praise to the Lord and I will feel alright.” Loving your lyrics Marley!
Lizzadro Museum Of Lapidary Art
There is a dazzling museum, so very special, that I visited with my folks a few years ago on a lovely spring day. We fell upon it by chance while perusing an outdoor craft fair nearby and on a whim decided to step inside…
The Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art in Elmhurst, IL has an incredible display of worked stone. Lapidary is an art where the cutting and polishing of stone and gemstones create something magnificent…
I’ve come to really adore small museums focusing on a particular theme, or part of history. It allows you to explore a topic in greater detail and gain a better appreciation for one subject. Look at all the different types of stone these little bottles are carved from! I wonder what was once kept inside each of them?
There were lots of little scenes to view, with the characters all carved from stone. I was so delighted, and completely in awe of the artists that make such careful, thoughtful creations…
Such delicate little baby birds of stone! I wonder how long it took to carve this precious family of robins? I can hear them singing the songs of spring, see them hopping around in the dirt in search of earthworms…
These antique cameos are so wonderful! So much of stone crafting is using the natural colors and uniqueness of each stone to produce certain effects. For instance, these are made of agate (which have different layers of color). Each cameo is made from one piece of stone, cut so that the darker colors create the background while the white images come alive at the front!
What divine detail in this rendering of The Last Supper, carved from ivory. I could never be a lapidary artist. How do they carve all those tiny little plates and hands without marring and chipping each one? They must be the most patient people on the planet…
There are so many one of a kind pieces to admire in this museum. In spite of its modest size, you could find yourself spending quite a bit of time pondering each miniature display. I was absolutely amazed! I encourage you to visit this gem (pun intended), or to support one such local museum where you live. What wonders are out there to experience! Enjoy the adventure!
What Life May Bring, I’ll Bear The Sting!
I’m a vivid dreamer in my sleep. And usually having no problem remembering my epic-like dreams after I’ve woken, I’m regularly amazed by the places I visit, filled with unimaginable detail. It makes me baffled of our brains. How can they produce such landscapes?
My dreams tend to be tangible too. Places that could be real places somewhere, nothing psychedelic. It’s like I’m making visits to new destinations. This week, I dreamt of an island with beautiful white sand that my feet sunk into. There were tropical waters, sunlight and open sky. Green, craggy peaks rose up out of the water at a distance…
I went wind sailing over the waters. My feet were bare and the salty water was spraying. It was beautiful, adventurous and warm. But lo! As I crossed over the water, I spotted a single jellyfish floating just below the surface…
Just a bit further along, I see three or four bobbing together under the water. As I skim along into deeper depths, there is soon to be seen a bloom of jellyfish below the surface so expansive, that there isn’t a spot of water where no jellyfish undulates. My vessel gliding fast through the waves scoops some up, and my feet begin to sting. Zap. Zap. Zap. I become nervous that I will topple into the blue. Falling into the water is unthinkable…
Just then, I woke up from the dream. Handsome was on his way out for work and had planted a smooch on my face to say goodbye. The jellyfish were gone. As I later poured a cup of coffee in the kitchen, pondering those creatures of the deep, it made some sense why I’d be dreaming of a stinging swarm in the blue…
We are soon to embark on another trip into the tropics, amidst sprawling acres of wildlife and endless blue waters. These excursions are exciting beyond words for we room comfortably, but also embrace adventure. Walking a sleeping volcano, sweating though the jungle, mountain climbing (never again), swimming, snorkeling…
My obsession is watching for wildlife, and swimming. I can swim hard, up and down to the ocean floor for a good span of time. I love it. I’m crazy about it. I get into the water and I forget that I’m a vulnerable human. I start believing I’m an invincible sea dweller, a crafty mermaid scouting the ocean floor for colorful fish and treasures…
Nothing will coax me to swim cautiously (not even handsome’s sweet and concerned finger-wagging), and nothing can get me out of the water until I’m good and ready (not even those sirens and helicopters once overhead while a mild earthquake rumbled. I thought those waves seemed a little turbulent)…
Nothing can pull me out of my water dance, except jellyfish. Have you ever met with a jellyfish? It’s mean. It’s shocking. It stings. It’s like lemon in a wound, and a bee sting, and an electric shock, all at the same time…
The worst I ever got were some tentacles to the thigh. It was not only painful that day, but some weeks later I experienced delayed hypersensitivity reaction. Though most jellyfish touches are shocking, they’re common and rarely serious. Zip, zap, ouch!! (I’d just be wary of swimming in waters known for the most dangerous variety or when high concentrations in general are about)…
On our last tropical snorkel, I found that I was having a rough time. It was more challenging than past swims. I felt strained, not as strong a swimmer as I know myself to be. I wondered if I just don’t have the stamina for more adventurous swimming anymore. Did I need to stick closer to shore?
Handsome acutely pointed out that it might not be physical. Hadn’t I been anxious swimming with the jellyfish? Yup! During that swim, little ones were having a sting fest on my exposed skin. They were just tiny little dudes, tiny little stings. Nothing to cry in my snorkel about. However, there were big jellyfish where we swam too. The size of salad bowls, with unique markings…
When one was detected, it would look to be many feet away. But in an instant, it would be floating right past. Way too close for comfort you jellyfish, you! Keep your tentacles away from my flesh! (Those were not the words I uttered underwater, but this blog is PG rated)…
The dream I had is clearly my subconscious working. Likely our upcoming trip triggered the tropical setting. I know I don’t have a jellyfish phobia (though they certainly make me uncomfortable). So perhaps more than a potential injury, that previous swim with the big bad jellyfish reminded me of vulnerability. That something can and might sting me in life, catch me unawares. My dream is the product of that simple worry. A worry we all have from time to time. That’s my best guess anyway, for I am no diviner of dreams…
But why share my jellyfish dream with you? To remind you, as much as myself, that no one can predict life’s stings. You can’t stop dreaming. You can’t stop swimming. You’ve just got to keep diving in! Enjoy your adventure!
The Book Of Dragons Giveaway!
Because it’s November 1st and the season of thankfulness is upon us…because it is an unbelievable 74 degrees and sunny in Evanston…because gift giving is so much fun…and because one of my greatest joys is to share my stories…I’m feeling like today is the day for a giveaway!
After his courage shines through during one unexpected act of valor, young Lambert finds himself knighted by the wise King Gerald of the Kingdom of Echoes. After five years of knightly training and surprising adventures, Lambert and his heroic brothers receive an urgent request from the King; all knights must go in search of a magical text that has gone missing from right under the King’s nose at Halves Castle.
This isn’t just any book however. It is the Book of Dragons, a text filled with magic. In the wrong hands, the peaceful Kingdom of Echoes could be destroyed forever.
As Sir Lambert embarks on his quest to return the book to King Gerald, he learns that its magic would be nothing without living, breathing dragons!
Join Sir Lambert, who with the true heart of an honorable knight will do anything to protect the good people of the realm. Even if it means he has to fight one ferocious red beast!
To enter for your chance to win one free copy of The Book of Dragons, please tell us in the comments what your dragon’s name would be if you owned one as a pet. Further descriptions, such as what your pet dragon looks like, its temperament or habits, would also be highly amusing to hear about (but is not mandatory). Have fun with your imagination!
One winner will be selected at random this coming Sunday, November 6th at 10 a.m. Chicago time and announced here, and the magic inside The Book of Dragons will be theirs!
Maid of Honour is Here!
I am so, so excited to share Maid of Honour with you! This wonderful story is adventurous, and so endearing. After holding it in my hands and reading it myself this week, my heart was filled with warmth by the time I reached the last page. Maid of Honour is a very special tale about bravery, humility and honor, and I sincerely hope you’ll enjoy it!
Every young lady of noble birth dreams of being selected by Queen Carolina to be one of her maids of honour. So, when Jane receives a missive inviting her to take her place by the queen’s side at Castle Wellstone in one week’s time, she is overwhelmed with excitement and pride!
It is a beautiful day when she settles into her carriage with her friend and handmaiden Katie, especially as a dazzling court, prestigious status and days filled with merriment await. Escorted by guards on horseback, she begins her journey thinking only of her future happiness. However, as their caravan passes through a thick wood, miles from home, a terrible fray breaks out. They are being assailed by archers hiding in the forest! Confused and afraid, Jane can only wonder why this sudden attack has come upon them, and whether or not they will survive.
A harrowing run through the woods soon leads Jane to discover the veiled truth behind sustaining peace in their kingdom. And though she never expected the need to summon such great courage in the face of danger, especially on this special day, her cleverness, kindness and humility will shine through. Jane is about to become a true maid of honour!
Available now on Amazon and Amazon Europe!
Abducted & Packing For Mars
I love books that strike my mind, challenge my intellect and make me look at the world differently. I’ve just finished Abducted: How People Come To Believe They Were Kidnapped by Aliens by Susan Clancy and Packing For Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void by Mary Roach, and my brain has officially turned to pudding…
These two books are completely different, but I’m sharing them together as both challenged my mind about what’s out there. I seriously dig science fiction, the wonders of outer space, pondering the possibility of alien life and what people are seeing in the skies…
No matter my fascinations or beliefs on these topics however, one thing is for certain; I’d never want to experience it for myself. If alien life exists, I’d be too overwhelmed to meet it. And if I had the chance to travel into space, I’d never go. My feet steadfastly cling to my beloved Earth…
I’ve always felt this way, but let’s just say Packing for Mars solidified my inclinations of terror toward space travel. Mary Roach is a brilliant writer. I also read her Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife last month and am thoroughly impressed by her writing style, the considerable research she can make palatable and her hilarious wit!
Packing For Mars shares insight into the immense undertaking that is going on right now, to prepare for human launches to the ‘red planet’. Roach takes the reader through initial space exploration (American chimps and trained dogs from Russia being rocketed past the earth’s atmosphere in capsules) on through the many great trials that eventually brought men to the moon, and what advances have come since…
Primarily however, this book is about what inconveniences, physical tortures, wild unknowns and abject fears astronauts must face when leaving earth. Every page I turned, I felt a sort of motion sickness and uneasiness, even though I wasn’t moving and all was safe and sound…
Astronauts are up against cramped, airtight spaces, causing instant claustrophobia. Radiation is ever present beyond earth’s atmosphere, penetrating right through the vessel, making cancers in their futures a heightened possibility. Zero gravity brings with it, many human inconveniences and can harm the human body with long-term exposure. Leaving earth and re-entering the atmosphere are incredibly dangerous feats and every minute of space travel can become life-threatening from one minute to the next…NO THANKS!
So why go? Why not just send more and more technology out into space to gather information, and keep humans safe where they belong? The only practical reason I gathered from this narrative seems to be that no matter how advanced technology becomes, humans have skills that only a human can have (such as being alive, cognizant of their past, having an understanding of place, time and feelings). Humans can problem solve in ways technology can’t, and can bring back information that is felt/experienced, rather than just ‘collected’. Further, for a human to have lived it, seems to be the undying purpose and pride in exploration…
But, what do I know? I prefer to stay at home where it’s cozy!
However, according to Clancy’s Abducted, lots of folks don’t seem so cozy at home, believing they are being visited (and even abducted) by strangers not of this planet. Eeekk!
Abducted isn’t necessarily an argument for or against the possibility of alien life though. Published by Harvard University Press (and its author being one highly educated psychologist hailing from that esteemed university), the book approaches this surreal topic far differently than I expected. It takes a look deep into the human mind.
After interviewing a great many “abductees”, Clancy makes the claim that abductions are all in peoples’ heads. Yet, her text doesn’t conclude that “abductees” are crazy. Rather, it leaves you reeling as you consider what the human brain is capable of, its depths and what places it can go…
There is much, much more to both Roach’s Packing For Mars and Clancy’s Abducted than I have shared here. Therefore, if you are interested in any topic of science that these two books cover, I invite you to enjoy the read. If you dare to ride, they are both roller-coasters in book form…wheee!
The Mermaiden
Can you smell the briny air? Hear the seagulls screeching? See the sand crabs scuttling? Feel the power of the ocean’s waves? Won’t you come sit a moment with a mermaiden and get lost at sea?
Bess lives in a cottage beside the sea in the village of Salty Row. Her father is a respected fisherman, providing fish to both the people of their town, and also the nobles who live nearby in a great castle.
Bess loves her life by the ocean, filled with wind and water. Especially on the days her father brings her along on his boat; his hardworking crew is a spectacle to watch, and how exciting it is when the fishing nets are pulled up, brimming over with curious creatures!
As Bess is soon to learn however, the good fortune and security always enjoyed in Salty Row is about to experience some turbulent waters! Of course, facing hardship isn’t easy. However, one captivating mermaiden with her tales from the deep, might just be the key to keeping Bess’s good spirits afloat!
Available now on Amazon and Amazon Europe!
Dragons at Dawn
I am very excited to share Dragons at Dawn! This treasure of a book is a true adventure! Especially for those who love a dragon tale! Enjoy…but beware the clawed and fanged beast! Bwa-ha-ha!
Pious enjoys sitting with his neighbor Joseph, one of the elders of Piper’s Hamlet. Joseph shares fascinating stories about faraway places and the wild and enchanted animals and beings that live in them. Even at the edge of their village, far up upon a hill, stands Hightower. Pious learns from Joseph why the watchtower was built many centuries before. It was used to fight off dangerous creatures that used to cross into their lands, causing complete havoc in the town. There were frightening mirage elves, rowdy sand stags and beastly sun dragons. Long out of use, battling the creatures from Hightower is now just an ancient tale. Or is it?
Piper’s Hamlet soon comes under siege. A sun dragon from afar has come to attack and destroy, and an entire village must work together to survive. Pious, as curious as ever, can’t help wondering why the furious beast has fallen upon them after so many years of peace. He becomes determined to find out, soon learning that it could fall to him to save them all!
Join Pious as he learns the true meaning of selflessness, feels the kindness and unity that can be found amongst neighbors, and discovers what it means to be courageous before the fiercest of foes, for everyone’s sake!
Available now on Amazon and Amazon Europe!
A Delightful Tale
Delight is here! A sweet and adventurous story for fairy lovers of all ages!
Delight loves Midsummer’s Eve, as do all the fairies that live in the enchanted Hazel Woods. It’s a night to dance and sing, frolic and tell ancient tales! But this year, on the night of that magical celebration, a great and unexpected storm is brewing.
Delight is soon separated from her family and swept far away by a terrible gale. When she wakes the next morning, she finds herself bumped, bruised and stranded upon a strange rock far out in the sea! This is very bad indeed, for one of her delicate wings has been torn and she cannot fly. If she ever wants to see home again, she’ll have to gather up her courage and use her cleverness to do it!
Join Delight as she crosses deep waters and vast lands, meets magical creatures and faces new dangers, proving that the smallest of fairies can be the bravest of all!
Available here on Amazon! Also available on Amazon Europe!
A Magical Kingdom is Here!
It’s summer vacation and Lizzy is eager to take a trip to visit her grandparents at their beautiful home in the countryside where all kinds of fun can be had!
One morning, Lizzy’s grandma offers her an exciting book to read. Hopping on her bike with the book and a picnic lunch, she settles down by a beautiful pond to begin reading the adventure.
After reading the first lines of the book, things are not as they should be. The pond is now a vast lake, and in the middle of it sits a magnificent castle! There’s also an oddly dressed woman who’s come looking for her. She looks like she’s just stepped out of the Renaissance! Her name is Milda, and she beckons ‘Princess Lizbeth’ to hurry, for she is expected at the castle.
Join Lizzy as she travels back in time to a magical kingdom and becomes a princess for a day!
Available here on Amazon! Also available on Amazon Europe!
A Very Special Announcement
Hello dear friends! I have a very special announcement! Stop into my hobbit house while I tell you a tale…
Once upon a time, there was an Author and an Artist who loved to weave tales of magic and mystery with their words and with enchanting images upon paper and canvas…
Every summer, they hopped in their carriage and rode off to the Bristol Renaissance Faire in Kenosha, Wisconsin where a magical festival was always to be found, and where many amazing merchants dazzled the merrymakers with their incredible crafts. The Author and Artist were inspired, hoping that one day they too might share their books, crafts and art, on a delightful festival day in Bristol…
In the meanwhile, the Author and Artist went on a great many adventures and wrote down the tales and drew the characters that they met along the way. There were dragons and fairies, elves and queens, princesses and enchanted forests, will-o’-the-wisps, knights and mermaids too! They soon had a delightful collection to share…
With that, I am incredibly excited to announce that the works of this Author and Artist, Michelle and Lita, will be a part of the 2016 Bristol Renaissance Faire market place! Weekends only, July 9th through Labor Day Monday, September 5th!
You’ll find our magical tented shop on King’s Landing (look for this lane on the faire map…it’s close to the front gate), where we hope to bring joy to readers and amuse all with whimsical art and other delights! We can’t wait to see you there! More updates to come, please share the news!
Queen of the Elves Is Here!
Clois has always lived a happy and peaceful life at her family’s field cottage surrounded by nature. Her father is a beekeeper and her mother collects wildflowers to sell in the village. Their garden is magnificent too, filled with wonderful things to eat.
Today is Clois’s birthday and she is looking forward to celebrating with her parents and friends. But as she wakes, she finds that the day isn’t starting out how she expected it to. Her parents are nowhere to be found, there is a curious raven in the garden, and she’s not alone. Elves have come to bring her to Crest Castle where sits the throne of an elfish kingdom. As if that were not surprising enough, they claim that Clois is their queen!
Join Clois as she reunites with her family, discovers the truth about her identity, and defends Crest Castle against terrible dragon-riding ogres, all on her first day as Queen of the Elves!
Now available here on Amazon! Enjoy the adventure!
Queen of the Elves
It’s almost here! One harrowing adventure for Queen Cloisinia and her kingdom of elves!
Clois has always lived a happy and peaceful life at her family’s field cottage surrounded by nature. Her father is a beekeeper and her mother collects wildflowers to sell in the village. Their garden is magnificent too, filled with wonderful things to eat.
Today is Clois’s birthday and she is looking forward to celebrating with her parents and friends. But as she wakes, she finds that the day isn’t starting out how she expected it to. Her parents are nowhere to be found, there is a curious raven in the garden, and she’s not alone. Elves have come to bring her to Crest Castle where sits the throne of an elfish kingdom. As if that were not surprising enough, they claim that Clois is their queen!
Join Clois as she reunites with her family, discovers the truth about her identity, and defends Crest Castle against terrible dragon-riding ogres, all on her first day as Queen of the Elves!
Picking up my pen…
My favorite place to start the day…
“There is something delicious about writing the first words of a story. You never quite know where they’ll take you.”
― Beatrix Potter
“Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on.”
― Louis L’Amour
“There are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are.”
― W. Somerset Maugham
“If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.”
― Stephen King
“I can shake off everything as I write; my sorrows disappear, my courage is reborn.”
― Anne Frank
“Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart.”
― William Wordsworth
“A well-composed book is a magic carpet on which we are wafted to a world that we cannot enter in any other way.”
― Caroline Gordon
Whether on of off the page, here’s wishing you’ll enjoy the adventure today!
Get Lost With The Littles!
Old Netty Nettles has lived all alone in the countryside, between vast fields and an enchanted forest, for many years. Comfortable in her cottage, she tends to her garden and is one wonderful crafter and cook. That’s why friends coming all the way from the village of Whistling Woods love to visit her!
But Netty’s hospitality isn’t the only reason friends come calling; she’s incredibly kind and one special storyteller too. Living in the wilderness, Lady Nettles has encountered some amazing creatures. Naughty fairies, a helpful brownie, one elusive water sprite, and even a grouchy dragon! But the most memorable day for Netty was when she met a brood of rascally itty-bitty-littles!
Be a guest in Netty’s cozy cottage, grab a treat and a good seat as she recalls her time spent with some very magical critters!
Available here on Amazon! Enjoy the adventure!
A Writer’s Wastebasket
Today’s handwritten scraps…
…are tomorrow’s fairy tales.
How I love each adventure, from its very first words…however imperfect!
All Good Things!
I am very excited to announce the arrival of The Fairy Woods, released yesterday and available here! I hope all the kiddos will enjoy the adventure of my three fairy friends, Whisper, Wish and Wind, as well as the magical moments that take place in their wooded realm! For any child that can’t get enough fairy tales, this is a special book for them!
I would also like to thank Johnny Jet: The Travel Insider! If you enjoy travel, this site is for you! I was interviewed for their popular Travel Style segment and hope you’ll enjoy it! You can read the interview here!
I’ve not only had the opportunity to do some wonderful traveling in my life so far, something that I love, but my book Venice is inspired by the adventures life brings when you grab your suitcase and hit the road (or jump on that vaporetto)! For all of you who dream of the places you’ll see, I hope you get there and soon!
I would also like to send a special thank you to La Venessiana (meaning the Venetian woman), one of the absolute best blogs about all things Venice! Several times (here & here), very kind mentions were made for my book Venice and site Inspired by Venice. For anyone who wants their dose of dreamy Venice, its food, beautiful photography, and an insider’s delightful stories, you must visit La Venessiana and often!
I am also excited to share that 2016 is going to bring some very exciting adventures! Veleno is just around the corner (for you adult readers looking for a terrible tale), and The Itty Bitty Littles too (a sweet, funny adventures for the little ones), but there’s more! Wonderful new adventures for every age and I can’t wait for you to see what’s next! Queen of the Elves is just one sneak peek!
Fill My Heart With Gladness
This is beautiful Sophie, the daughter of one of my dearest friends and to whom A Festival Day In Bristol is dedicated. When I opened the email with this photo, my heart was so full of gladness. Such a pretty smile, such an adorable costume, such a precious girl!
I’m again reminded why I write.
Sophie hasn’t had the chance to read her special book yet, but finished Princess Liliana and the Dragon, and in her mother’s words, she loved it.
Thank you to every reader, of my books and Inspired by Venice. I not only hope that you enjoy my adventures, but that they will bring you smiles, surprises and moments of joy when you do. Every word is written for you!
The Book of Dragons
The Book of Dragons is here! The adventure is yours…but beware of the red dragon!
After his courage shines through during one unexpected act of valor, young Lambert finds himself knighted by the wise King Gerald of the Kingdom of Echoes. After five years of knightly training and surprising adventures, Lambert and his heroic brothers receive an urgent request from the King; all knights must go in search of a magical text that has gone missing from right under the King’s nose at Halves Castle.
This isn’t just any book however. It is the Book of Dragons, a text filled with magic. In the wrong hands, the peaceful Kingdom of Echoes could be destroyed forever.
As Sir Lambert embarks on his quest to return the book to King Gerald, he learns that its magic would be nothing without living, breathing dragons!
Join Sir Lambert, who with the true heart of an honorable knight will do anything to protect the good people of the realm. Even if it means he has to fight one ferocious red beast!
The Book of Dragons is available here! Also available on Amazon and Amazon Europe!
The Itty Bitty Littles
Hello delicate dandelion…
Soft, quiet, beautiful…swaying in the wind in a warm grassy field…
But wait! What just bumped into you and disturbed your little seedlings?
Who’s there? I think I hear tiny footsteps crunching through the grass…
Oh my! An itty bitty little! What a pleasure to meet you!
Coming soon, teeny-tiny friends on a big adventure!
Available Now! A Festival Day in Bristol!
Anne lives on a farm with her family in the countryside just outside of Bristol, England. She is a very happy girl who takes pride in helping her family care for all of their animals, and with the gardening too! Weekly, they sell their farm goods at the market in the city, where there are many unique things to see.
Anne has just learned that Queen Elizabeth will be visiting Bristol on her annual summer progress along with her noble courtiers! To celebrate, the city is planning a festival for her arrival.
As excited as ever, Anne travels to Bristol with her family to sell in the market and then join in the festival fun. She wonders if she’ll see the Queen for herself. Perhaps she might even meet her!
Join Anne on this special day in history, when Queen Elizabeth visited the city of Bristol, and all were merry!
A Festival Day in Bristol is available here! Also available on Amazon and Amazon Europe!
Autumn Adventures in the Bog!
I spent the weekend with my mom and step-dad in Crystal Lake, about an hour and a half from Evanston. With every visit, we like to have an ‘adventure’. This usually means a restaurant in another town and some kind of destination (Volo Antique Mall, resale shops, Bristol Renaissance Faire, forest preserve, Kane County Flea Market, etc). On Sunday, we ate at Happy Jacks in McHenry, a deli and ice cream shop decorated with old-timey Coca-Cola paraphernalia. Inexpensive yet great food, casual and cheery; we love it!
What I love about our adventures is that they often aren’t planned. “Hey guys, wanna go get cheese in Wisconsin?” “Yea, sure!!” And then we’re on our way. This time, we took an unexpected turn into Boger Bog in Bull Valley for an impromptu nature walk!
Boger Bog has 38 acres to roam: there’s prairie, wooded land and wetland. What is funny, is that Boger Bog is not a bog but a fen. What’s the difference? Let’s just say that a fen is a more hospitable wetland for wildlife than an acidic bog.
We really enjoyed our unplanned walk through nature, there is nothing more refreshing! If I knew what was good for me, I’d do it everyday!
But, what was the best part of this bug loving gal’s walk? A walking stick!! Oh, I was SO excited to find this insect. I have this weird knack for seeing tiny bug movement…even in dense leafy brush. It’s super weird. People always say, “How did you see that?” I don’t know, the bugs and I are one. At first I was hesitant to pick it up because I once had an aggressive showdown with a praying mantis in Costa Rica (we ended our differences amicably with me running away in fear) and the two insects look a little alike. But this walking stick was as gentle as can be. Its body, though it looks hard like a stick, was soft. I had to be super careful not to hurt it and took my time picking it up. Once I did, I was surprised to see how speedily it could walk up my arm. And the cutest thing, when I touched it, it made his front antenna go straight like his body so that he’d look like a stick rather than prey. That little dude made my day!
Why I love to write
There are of course, many reasons why I love to write. Primarily because storytelling makes me happy! It is so fun! It’s challenging! I’m allowed to make up really wild scenarios, fairy tales, and thrilling moments that usually don’t happen in real life and run with them! The characters are my puppets…Bwah-Ha-Ha! I can get lost in my own worlds! But do you know what is really, really, really special and makes all the hard parts about trying to write books worth it?
The readers! This is my cousin Macy, to whom my new children’s book Princess Liliana and the Dragon is dedicated. She enjoyed the first chapter last night. Her mom said she loved it! She brought her copy to kindergarten today to share with her friends.
I melt, I smile, I jump for joy, I’m filled with happiness! What could be better in all the world than to be able to share all those things that come from my imagination, with you…the reader!
Princess Liliana and the Dragon available now!
The Kingdom of Heart is a peaceful place. That’s where Princess Liliana and her friends from the village of Tumble Down live! And when she isn’t horseback riding or taking lessons to learn how to be a great queen when she grows up, she loves to read. That’s how she learned about the magical creatures that once lived in the Forest of Fog, so very close to the castle!
Visiting the woods herself, Liliana is surprised to find that an enchanting dragon is still living within the realm! But before she can share the wonderful news, her happy discovery turns to sadness. Her new friend is in trouble. But how can she help him?
Join Princess Liliana as she finds a way to save her forest friend and teach the realm what it means to be brave and kind in the Kingdom of Heart.
Inspired By Venice 