I have yet to write today after wrapping up a shift at @LowellArts Artists Market located on 223 W. Main St. until 5 pm.
I will be at Artists Market next weekend, Dec. 9 from 10 am to 2 pm, and Dec. 10 from noon to 5 pm. Stop by to check out my books from the Shifting Sands Short Stories collection and Greenwich Meridian Memoir.
Author Emma Palova @LowellArts
It’s a beautiful market with a variety of unique gifts ranging from jewelry, ceramics, paintings, fused glass to knitwear among others.
Of course my favorite are Petoskey stones and jewelry made with them. I love rocks, stones and geology.
Today is also the first Sunday of advent and a very short one since Christmas Eve is on Sunday.
I have learned about the three elements of Advent: penance, longing and hope.
Lowell Arts
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I am writing this at the Lowell Area Historical Museum during Christmas Through Lowell. It’s been a great day that started early in the morning when I logged in 1,015 words in the NaNoWriMo challenge.
I wasn’t feeling good from the get go as I woke up with a huge headache.
It rained in the morning but then the sun came out and attracted visitors to the museum and downtown in droves.
We had a steady stream of visitors until dinner time.
April Steel of Old Made into NewPictured above from left to right Maxine Shearer, Cammy Thornton, Lisa Reed at TOT, Emily Rose of Custom Tumblers and Bruce Doll of Images of Vision.
I took pictures for The Lowell Ledger at the museum and The Old Theatre. Visit all the stops on the CTL tour through Sunday, Nov. 19
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Today I wrote about the powers of red agates as the plot of my NaNo novel unravels with a total of 10, 739 words, and I logged in 2,426 today.
I will get some NaNo goodies because I donated to support the writing initiative. YAY! I believe in creative endeavors in any form.
I even made it to the Sunday mass at St. Pat’s in Parnell and to Sicialiano’s on Lake Drive for glass supplies. Other good news included that The Book Nook of Saugatuck sold all six copies of The Lost Town and wanted five more books. Thank you, Cheryl. You rock.
NaNoWriMo tips
This is my fifth NaNoWriMo challenge, and I still find it extremely challenging. Here are some tips:
I break up the writing into morning and afternoon sessions to make the challenge more palatable. I make notes of changes that I will need to make in December.
Good luck to all Wrimos.
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A freezin g 24F morning followed a snowy Halloween. But the view of my garden in the morning was beautiful . The remaining fall colors mixed with the white of the frost on the ground and shrubs.
“The hardest thing is to start,” said author Vera West in the special episode about NaNoWriMo. “Just like going to the gym or anything else.”
My stomach fluttered with anxiety from the unknown of the 50-k word challenge even though I had been preparing for my project, but not enough.
“It’s never enough,” I say about anything.
But the tips and advice from yesterday’s podcast stayed with me, “I have to keep on moving one foot in front of the other, right? I have to keep on writing.”
I logged in 1803 words as I sighed with relief.
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See you next Saturday, July 29th in Grand Ledger. Be a part of this epic 50th anniversary of the Island Art Fair. I will be in booth #116 on the island.
The things we do when inspiration hits home. Join Michigan Authors on their tours this season. Check their websites. Listen to For the Love of Books Podcast to stay in the loop.
Don’t miss out on a chance to get a signed book by a live author before the humanity becomes extinct like the dinosaurs.
Enter different worlds whenever you open a book.
Don’t let history repeat itself.
To be continued….
Author Emma Palova with T-Rex aka author Darla Jean Davis
It’s the last day of February and the best one yet. I am in Paradise aka Venice. The day started on the beach to the sound of waves and ended on the beach to the sound of crashing waves. Their relaxing rhythm soothes nerves like nothing else.
In the morning it was yoga with the sound of bongs, followed by a walk through the historic downtown Venice, topped with a cappuccino at Venice Wine & Coffee Co.
I love the core of this tropical town in southwest Florida with amazing architecture untouched by chains and corporate structures.
Then we shopped with mom Ella the souvenir shops on Venice Ave. I found what I was looking for twice today. The first time at Green Parrot and the second time at Nest on Miami Ave.
We changed for a farewell lunch on the town- the coveted Bromdon Mediterranean restaurant on Miami Ave. My parents had classic gyros and I had a salmon gyro.
I found this community located on an island very diverse with a strong Italian influence. It wasn’t unusual on any given day to hear people speak Russian, French or Spanish.
The social time in Venice was also a time to test our @Moravia Sons Distillery https://moraviansonsdistillery.com cocktails made with our apple brandy.
Where else would you want to pilot this delicious refreshing cocktail than in Paradise?
Jack Rose made with apple brandy.
I still managed to pop in to the Great Reveal Party by Pages Promotions. Who did the deed and why? Find out on the replays posted on Facebook.
To be continued..,,
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During Lent, I like to start my day with Lenten readings and meditation no matter where I am. Most of them focus on the ancient disciplines of Lent- fasting, almsgiving and prayer.
I was surprised to see two young pastors from the Epiphany Cathedral in Venice at Croissant & Co., French patisserie in downtown. Well, I know I shouldn’t have been there either and none of us should be blasting to the world that we’re fasting each in our own way with ashes on our forehead.
It was a loud Friday on the beach with the northern wind howling that lifted the waves sending them crashing onto the shore. Behind my back, private jets were landing and taking off, others starting their descent over the Gulf of Mexico.
A waiter at the sandbar handed me a Margarita on the rocks with “Here you go, Love.”
I am indulging in the sounds of the beach: Russian to the right, laughter to the right, kids straight up front and the crashing waves as far as I can see. The sun is warming my legs while my feet dig deep into the hot sand. It’s 82F and the sun is high above my head.
Lemonade Razzonade Bait Bucket Margarita
My backpack has everything I need: notepad and pens, suntan lotion, water, cash for a Blue Bait Margarita and magazines about living in Paradise.
I cannot omit the price this Paradise had to pay during hurricane Ian in September. Crews are still fixing the roofs and some signs have not been replaced. Otherwise you would not believe a hurricane blew through; just south of town.
Dad Vaclav and mom Ella
We spent a great morning on the town starting with yoga with Elin on the beach to the sounds of Ukulele Thursdays. We took a walk on Miami Street in search of the Greek restaurant Bromdon. We browsed through the Island View Boutique with beautiful blings and resort wear. Hasta La Vista.
Mom Ella is doing much better today after her surgery. With strength she’s also getting back her attitude, just a tad.
I have to pick up on chapter Mara and the Revelation of the Great Singapore secret in the sequel to The Lost Town. More later.
I am meeting with Maple later today and mixing up some cocktail recipes.
Well, the meeting with Maple didn’t happen, but I met Pat, the board secretary instead. YAY!
To top off this incredible productive day, I managed to pop into Pages Promotions Winter Book Festival. I am still clueless as to who murdered author Andrew Allen Smith who stole the Sardonic Manuscript, but did he really or was he just framed?
To be continued…,
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I think this is the first time I’ve ever worked on a book on the beach. I’ve written on beaches before, but never a contiguous piece of an actual manuscript, the sequel to Shifting Sands: The Lost Town.
“What’s lost can be found even on a beach or underneath the singing sands.”
Scuba Divers
It’s very fitting to write the sequel on the beach amidst the little dunes with the wind blowing from the south. The life saving wind is cooling down the air temperature that reached 82 F. It’s 90F in Orlando. I am savoring the warmth of these moments as a major winter storm is whipping the Midwest.
It’s been quite an experiment that I started aboard the Allegiant two- hour flight to Punta Gorda, FL to see if can pick up writing whenever or wherever I leave off. So far it has been working out despite all the beach distractions.
The Pavilion
Epiphany Church
Yes, there has been plenty of distractions from the posted Red Tide caused by red algae, private jets taking off behind my back, to the falling umbrella, cute divers with oxygen tanks, a screaming kid and the glistening waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Then yesterday I broke my eyeglasses, forgot my card and much more.
After mom’s surgery this morning, a cup of coffee and two cups of Earl Grey, I regained some composure still undecided whether I should go for the Ashes in the morning by myself, or wait the outcome of the surgery. Mom was recovering well so I went for the gold- that is what I call going to the beach.
The improvement since yesterday was remarkable; no more coughing caused by the Red Tide or smell from the dead fish washed ashore.
“It comes and goes,” mom said about the unwelcome visitor to the Florida beaches. Regardless, the Red Tide the beaches of Venice are busy with tourists and snowbirds. Yoga on the Beach with Elin in the mornings enjoys around 200 yogis of all ages.
But back to the manuscript. I am about five to six chapters away from the end. Do I know the ending? I don’t and I like it that way as it keeps me on the edge, and probably preventing me from sleeping too.
What are the major forces in the story now? Well, the secrets of Singapore remain covered with sand. How will they emerge? Who will help uncover them? That remains unknown.
To be continued…
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