Emma Palova, born in Czech Republic, is an author, a writer, a screenwriter, a journalist, a photographer, a designer and the founder of Emma Blogs, LLC, based in Lowell, Michigan.
Currently, she is working on her memoir "Greenwich Meridian" which she intends to turn into a screenplay.
Palova started her blog EW Emma's Writings at http://emmaplova.com in support of the publication of her memoir in January, 2013.
The blog has grown into a passion and a company that designs blogs for other people under the umbrella of Emma Blogs.
Palova is a prolific online publisher open to new ideas and to new horizons. A natural innovator, Palova loves to create progressive brands into the future. Check out her inspirational post "Desert epiphany" and the authors page on About_me and on Facebook.
I am looking forward to seeing you around the greater Grand Rapids area and on my blog.
I am seeking an agent or a publisher for the memoir that I intend to publish for my mom Ella's 80 birthday on Aug. 23.
I celebrated my fourth anniversary on the WordPress publishing platform on Jan. 15th, 2017 with more than 1,000 followers and 500 plus posts.
Love always,
Emma
“Her DNA, heart and soul are in every square inch of the trail system that we all enjoy.”
Unknown
The second sunny day in a row in the high 60s in November in Michigan. I logged in 1,862 words with NaNoWriMo. After writing I hit the trail and met the patrol guy, who has been patrolling this beauty for the last 12 years.
The Book of the Dead (Omega) was open today at St. Pat’s Church along with the list of the dead in 2022 for signing.
On the trail remembering Betsy Davidson
Also remember a soul who left us on Sept. 5, 2022. I’ve done several stories with Betsy Davidson about the Fred Meijer Flat River Trail for Ledger’s Behind the Scenes feature series. An astute businesswoman and a community leader in Lowell, Betsy was always fun and light-hearted.
She was honored that the Ledger featured her.
May you rest in peace, my dear friend.
Copyright (c) 2022. Emma Blogs, LLC. All rights reserved.
It’s Tuesday, November 1st in Michigan. My dashboard is showing 64F.
I attended All Saints Day mass at St. Patrick’s in Parnell at 7 a.m. The general store across the street wasn’t even open yet.
But I managed to run into an old friend who was already grumpy.
“Nothing has happened yet,” I said. “You can’t be grumpy.”
“Yes, it has,” he said. “I woke up.”
This was the first day of National Novel Writing Month aka NaNoWriMo 50k word challenge. I logged in 1,777 words because I like the number plus it was 100 words more than the required 1,667 daily log-in word count.
For the first time ever, I ate my lunch on the porch in the November sun in West Michigan after I got done writing. I will savor that forever.
The lovely day ushered in a mix of emotions that a new project always carries. I even managed to walk the trail listening to the creek. The creek was bubbling its song undaunted by the fall. I threw a few rocks to listen to the sound of the rock entering the water, and measured the depth by the hollow sound.
Our fifth grandchild Henrik celebrated his first birthday today. I remember last year’s tension about the unknown of NaNo and the new grandbaby. Nothing has changed, the tension is the same.
Some guys are showing off water skiing in November in Michigan. Heck yes, that’s cool.
You rock. Happy birthday, Henrik. Love always.
Copyright (c) 2022. Emma Blogs, LLC. All rights reserved.
Halloween is the eve of All Saints Day followed by All Souls Day. In some traditions, Halloween is viewed as a “thin space” where souls slip back and forth between this world and beyond.
Listen to these amazing authors Andrew Allen Smith, Craig Brockman, Matthew Hellman, Robert Williams, and ghost author Stacey Rourke on For the Love of Books Podcast with host Emma Palova.
Psychic Liotta from Rourke’s ‘Corpse Queen’ sees the beast in the crystal ball as she leads the way into the darkness.
Copyright (c) 2022. Emma Blogs, LLC. All rights reserved.
So, step aboard this terror ride, with no harnesses allowed or sunglasses, you need to see it all. Psychic Liotta’s crystal ball shows the way; from a caged monster, death by beast Wendigo, lightning, and by the angry waters and the northern woods.
Horror authors Andrew Allen Smith, Craig Brockman, Matthew Hellman, Robert Williams, and ghost author Stacey Rourke drag you deep down the rabbit hole, where there is no light. But be careful, you might like it there.
In this special Halloween episode, Smith read from his ‘Another Slice of Fear’, Brockman from ‘Dead of November’, Williams from ‘A Yooper’s Tale’, Hellman from ‘The Biting Cold’ and psychic Liotta came alive from Corpse’s Queen by Rourke.
Find out what inspires these authors or if anything at all will stop them from taking you over the edge. Participating in the panel discussion were authors Diana Plopa and editor-publisher Victor Volkman.
A sincere thank you to everyone who made this possible.
Psychologist turned author delivers it all in this disturbing novel set in Marquette State Prison in Michigan’s U.P. inspired by real-life stories of inmates told in her practice, and by her husband’s stories.
Protagonist Clifford Ratz is a small-town drug dealer who gets caught near Mason by an astute cop.
“It’s a tale about his life,” Den Houter said, “because he was passive he became a target of other prisoners. I wanted to convey that prisoners are human beings.”
Several strains run through this meticulously crafted psychological suspense novel; from Ratz’s passive humanity, his daughter’s rebellion, and the police & correctional systems at work, to loving beyond betrayal.
As a psychologist, Den Houter knows what makes her characters click, in fiction and in real life. And the cover eloquently captures Ratz’s humanity.
“It’s a very real face of someone who was down on his luck,” Den Houter said.
And all of us have a dark side. Some of us just don’t manage it well. So what do we need from each other so that we can go on living?
The novel answers that question. Listen in for a chance to win a signed copy of ‘Prison Shadows.’
Sponsored by Doc Chavent, The Lowell Ledger, and author Kathryn Den Houter.
The special episode, Panel of Fear with horror authors Andrew Smith, Matthew Hellman, Craig Brockman, Bob Williams, and ghost author Stacey Rourke will air this week on For the Love of Books Podcast just in time to get spooked before Halloween.
Asylums, roller coasters, haunted houses, psychics, Zombie walks through the night forests, a man hangs himself during a Halloween scare in the closeby woods, nature at its worst, we drive out to the piers….why do we seek out fear? Or does fear seek us out? Is it natural or supernatural? Normal or paranormal? Do ghosts exist? Is the Tower Farm haunted?
“It definitely is,” said its former resident Addie Abel.
We sneak into attics and basements to find what? When was the last time you were scared? And why? What profound experience has influenced your actions?
We all have a dark side, and not all of us manage it well, according to Dr. Kathryn Den Houter, author of the psychological thriller ‘Prison Shadows.’
This year, Halloween expenditures are projected to reach a record high of $11 billion, according to Statista.
Author Kathryn Den Houter on fear
Dr. Kathryn Den Houter, author and retired psychologist.
“The reason why people seek out fear is that humans feel the most alive when we are in the state of mixed emotions: When we have fear yet are on the alert for excitement we are titillated. Our brain and emotions are working at full capacity. We yearn for the peak experiences that let us know we are “truly alive,” said Dr. Kathryn Den Houter.
Den Houter is a retired psychologist, the author of five books, and a fan of Alfred Hitchcock.
So let’s take a look at our panelists:
Author Craig Brockman
Author Craig Brockman currently lives with his wife Sally in Tecumseh, Michigan. In 2020 he published the ghost novel “Dead of November: A Novel of Lake Superior”, in 2007 the middle grade “Marty and the Far Woodchuck”, and in 2022 “Curve of the Earth”, and has been published in anthologies
Dead of November
Ghosts of those drowned and never recovered are swarming from Lake Superior. But they are not there to haunt the living. They are fleeing something far more sinister.
Author Matthew Hellman
Author Matthew Hellman earned his BS in Electrical Engineering from Michigan Technological University calls Michigan’s U.P. home. He has been writing since 2013. His published works include the novel “Solomon’s Seal”, the novel “The Biting Cold”, the novella “The Hawthorne Blow”, and a short story in “Six Guns Straight from Hell”. “The Biting Cold” and “The Hawthorne Blow” both take place in the upper peninsula of Michigan.
The Biting Cold
The residents of a small Michigan town fight to survive in a brutal winter storm. But their fight isn’t against the storm, it’s against what the storm has awakened.
Author Stacey Rourke, Corpse Queen
Author Andrew Allen Smith
Smith is a prolific author of Masterson Files, poetry, and most recently two short story anthologies ‘Slice of Fear’ and ‘Another Slice of Fear.”
Another Slice of Fear
Are you ready to see how deep the rabbit hole can go? Another Slice of Fear contains 16 original short stories from the mind of Andrew Allen Smith that may help you get there.
It’s that time of the year again to get ready for National Novel Writing Month in November. I’ve participated three times and won three times, and got three books out of my participation. Don’t get me wrong it’s a grueling challenge when you have to write 1,700 words a day to reach the 50K goal.
“Bank on words when you can,” said author Jean Davis, a 17-time NaNoWriMo participant. “There will be days when you won’t be able to write as much.”
Number one tip: Be ready. Clear your schedule for November, no unnecessary projects. Make it very clear what you’re going to be doing in November.
Don’t get distracted, stay focused on your project. Don’t go back to rewrite anything. Just keep on moving forward. The outlines are good, but the synopsis is better. The synopsis clearly shows a developed idea.
Zone into your writing at the same time every day. No deviations in the schedule.
NaNoWriMo has coaches to get you through the challenge, but ultimately it’s up to you to pull it off. And the first draft does not have to be messy. No. 1 thing is clear thinking and letting the characters lead you into the story. Let them carry the story.
Then, you also have a buddy system to keep you accountable. Use it or not, just be careful with your time. Use tools such as the Pinterest board for the project to keep everything together.
When you can’t write you can’t write, go for a walk, take a break. Just don’t stay out there all day. Keep your writing simple kind of like journalism writing for all to understand at all levels. No adverbs or big words. Just big ideas.
Have several ideas going on at once, just in case the first one doesn’t work out. Whether you’re a pantser or a plotter, just write.
Having said all of the above, I will be working on a sequel to The Lost Town. I am hammering out the main character as we speak and placing him ready for the adventure.
Each book should be better, than the previous one. I will keep that in mind. Ok, I have just found out that the best plotting method for me is The Save the Cat 15-beat sheet. Onwards.
To-day……I will be chatting with author, and artist Joanna Walitalo who will announce the details of her book giveaway of Woodburnings after the reading at the end of the interview.
When did you move to the UP? And are you a full-time Yooper?
Joanna Walitalo grew up in Oil City Michigan, taking art classes in middle school and high school. She attended Central Michigan University, where she earned a BS in Biology and Environmental Policies. From there, she moved to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan where she earned a Master’s in Forestry at Michigan Technological University. She is currently finishing her Ph.D. in Forest Science at MTU and continues to live in the UP with her loving husband and son.
J Walitalo Woodburnings, Highlights from the first five years” is a book of fine artwork done in pyrography. It captures the range of artwork that the Walitalo’s have created, and promotes environmental ethics through the use of scrap wood as the platform for the artwork, as well as through the images they create. “Our goal is to help spread appreciation and love for our natural environment and wildlife by sharing the beauty of it through art.”
Sponsored by Doc Chavent, The Lowell Ledger and Modern History Press.
So you want another book under your belt? After all a year to get out your next book is the standard time frame. All the authors below have done it within slight time variations. They all have a few things in common. Listen in to find out what are those and how to win a signed copy of their books.
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