ADIRONDACKS LOCAL AUTHOR APPRECIATION AT OLD FORGE - From internationally acclaimed authors to National Geographic Kids' Books

Every year, the Old Forge Library hosts an author appreciation event that attracts authors from all around the area - some local Old Forge residents, others traveling from 120 miles afar in and around the Central New York region. Izzie (Isabella) Worthen, the former director, celebrated her retirement this year after 42 years of service, so it was Linda Weal, the new director, that put this year's event together, and she did an amazing job, with nearly 20 authors in attendance. 

What is so great about so many authors coming together under one tent is the diversity and variety of books for small kids all the way up to our treasured elite familiar with the area's history. Books range from historical fiction and non-fiction, memoirs, children's books, tales of haunted places, the spiritual and the mystical, national geographic kids' books, adult thrillers and young adult dystopian novels, and even a collection of superior photography to reveal the highlights (and contrasts:)) of local venues and … bathrooms?

For those of you who weren't able to make is this year, this blog features pictures of our local talent with their books and links to learn more about the books/authors.

Old Forge Author Appreciation Book Fair 2018

Charles E Herr: Author of The Fulton Chain: Early Settlements, Roads, Steamboats, Railroads, & Hotels

His author bio alone and how he came to put this extraordinary and intricate book together is enough to entice you into wanting to buy it.

www.facebook.com/herrstory

Nancy Pulling Best is the author of Bob, the Bumblebee, Pepper the Dragonfly, and many more. 

Lily the Grasshopper is her most recent release.

You can find her at www.nancydidit.com

Mart Allen is the author of Adirondack Character, and his most recent release, Give Your Children Words to Live By.

If you're in the Old Forge area, you can find his books featured locally. 

Left: Pieter David Gaskin is the Author of Adirondack Luau. a luau is a traditional Hawaiian festivity. He's also a musician, but that beautiful 4-stringed instrument wasn't purchased in a store. He made it himself! Check him out at www.pieterdavidgaskin.com

Right: David Siegenthaler is the author of More of Everything Else, A Trip Through Leatherstocking Country, NY State's Mohawk Valley, and More. You can find some of his books here

Dennis Webster is a paranormal investigator( www.cnyghost.com), an author, a Harley Davidson owner, and more. He is the author of Haunted Utica, Haunted Old Forge, Haunted Mohawk Valley, but he also dabbles in fiction anthologies with the Adirondack Mysteries Volumes 1-3, and more. You can find his works here.

Dennis will also be hosting a TV production, GHOST & TOAST, as executive producer.

You can learn more about it at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ctwXXrPUMw or stop by their Facebook page at 

https://www.facebook.com/pg/Ghost-Toast-191521824785031/about/

Left: Carol Ann Root is the author of New Beginnings, a contemporary religious & inspirational family saga. You may find her work here.

Right: Eileen Parsons is the author of the First Rose of Summer, a beautiful piece of religious & inspirational fiction. You can learn more about her and her work at https://parsonpapers.com

Jeanne Selander Miller is the internationally acclaimed author of her memoir trilogy, A Breath Away, A Million Miles From Home, and The Healing Path Home, as well as the author of Privileged: A Novel. Go to www.jeanneselandermiller.com to learn more.

Irene Morrison is the author of One More Time Saint Pete, a humorous story, and Pony Up! A Mystical Life - Just this little blurb made me want to purchase it. "An Adirondack Mountain woman speaks her truth. Based on a near death experience in her sixth year, it was obvious that Irene Morrison’s life would be a lot of things; boring wasn’t one of them. Out-of-body travels, meditation, energy healing, clairvoyance, and a powerful interest in dreams analysis convinced her that, in the words of her spirit guide, every life is ‘magnificent’ and a cause for celebration." 

Inspired by her grandchildren, Connie Watkins is the author and the illustrator of books like, A Duck Named Eddie, The Icebox Snowball, Joey Days, Happy Was His Name, and That Was, The Kitten, That Was. She even brilliantly features her cute grandchildren on some of the covers.

Holly Gaskins memoir, as well as her books, In the Deep North Woods, and My Life With Cats can be found at www.hollygaskin.com

Kimberly Suwek definitely captured my attention with her unique display, and her work is just as unique, capturing humorous and eye-catching photography of Utica establishments meant to showcase the highlights of what city-living really has to offer with her 'Utica Show 'Em What We Got'. Most interesting is she's sure to send a lot of people on a scavenger hunt in search of the locations of these photographs, because she leaves the viewer to discover it themselves from black and white photos that will not only lead you to these places, but bring you back in time. Check her out at www.kimberlyjan.com.

Letty Kirch Haynes is the author of A Rock In My Pocket, Memories of Inlet, and Memories of Inlet Common School. You may find her work here.https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1?ie=UTF8&text=Letty+Kirch+Haynes&search-alias=books&field-author=Letty+Kirch+Haynes&sort=relevancerank

Aline Alexander Newman rocked the author fair with her National Geographic Kids Books, such as How To Speak Cat, How to Speak Dog, Rascally Rabbits, Lucky Leopards, and More. The kids just couldn't get enough of her! You can find her on amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Aline-Alexander-Newman/e/B006KXMMKC

If you didn't get to make it this year, you can always come next year (2019). 

Thank you Linda Weal, authors, and, of course, our beloved readers, for making it such a special event.

Everyone Has a Story to Tell

Everyone Has A Story To Tell

See How You Can Share Yours

Everyone has a story to tell, but most do not share it for a multitude of reasons. Everyone goes about the world wearing a mask – their public face – hiding all that’s within. They smile and greet people wearing their own masks.

Everyone suffers. Screams inside. And they cry, even though it’s the last thing they want to do. Everyone feels alone. And it hurts. It’s the loneliest feeling in the world to feel all alone and to feel that there isn’t  anyone who can care about what you’re going through, because everyone else is going through their own things as well.

But then everyone goes home at the end of the day, and they put on a movie, a series, or pick up a book that features other people’s drama. And they feel less alone and more alone at the same time.
I attended a writer’s workshop once where the person hosting the event wrote non-fiction, as did the majority of the participants. He claimed, with quite a bit of bias, I felt, that non-fiction was to help people and fiction was meant for entertainment purposes alone and served no other purpose.
Since it was a virtual event, I was able to hide behind my computer while calling him out on it, because never once had I written a story or a book with the motivation of purely entertaining people. I’d always wanted to inspire and help people. I wanted readers to be able to identify with my characters’, their lives, their conflicts and/or drama, and come away with something positive, inspirational, and helpful. Something to make them feel less alone or more understood or even grateful to know that there are much worse things that could happen or could have happened that haven’t. 

Everything I write, I begin with a question. One that even I do not have the answer to for myself, but in placing my character in the position of having to resolve that very question, I watch all the events unfold that eventually lead to the answer. Afterall, I like to think it’s common knowledge – a type of universal truth – that we are more capable of helping any and everyone else on the planet than ourselves, because we take an objective role and perspective when it comes to others, whereas, with selves, it’s purely subjective. Only in being able to step outside our own shoes and walk in another’s can we find that objectivity that can help us help ourselves, and help us find the answers we may seek.

You don’t have to be a writer to have a story to tell!!! 

And that is one of the primary objectives of FreeBird Express Publishing. It’s putting people’s stories out there, because why should it only be writers – those either naturally-inclined or those who’ve devoted a majority of their existence mastering the skill – that get to tell their stories? 

I’m sure all of us have met atleast one of those types of people that will freely and openly talk about themselves, their problems, the things they’ve been through, and they’ll tell anyone who will listen. Stranger or not. Why do you think it is so important for Grandparents or those in the last 10-20 years of their life cycle to want to share their lives, their adventures, the things they did when they were younger? Each of us are our own legacy, whether it be to a hundred thousand or millions of people, or those lower branches on the family tree and those to come 20 years, 50 years, centuries from now.
Most people, on the other hand, do not openly express themselves, their lives, their tragedies, their moments of unadulterated bliss, and those most precious, priceless memories of theirs. But it’s not because they don’t want to. 

Words are the barrier between one having a story to share and the ability to share it. Some people can’t find the words to express themselves, whether verbal or written. Some people can’t organize their thoughts and the words needed in a spare moment’s time in order to share their story. How many times have you walked away from a person or a situation wishing you’d said something or shared with them something – either to help them with their own struggles or to help them get to know you better? How many times have you wanted to say something, but didn’t?

My personal experience is that I can express myself in written words. I can organize my thoughts and know what I want to say, but verbally, I cannot, so I can know 100 percent what it feels like to not know what to say in that moment when someone is looking for feedback or something of value or wants to know how you are or who you are. Those rare moments when someone wants to hear your story. I can write one novel after another after another – a 400-page novel in only three-weeks’ time, but if anyone asks me questions I have to respond to verbally, such as, ‘What are your books about?’ or even simple things like, “How’s life or how are the kids?” my mind goes completely blank, and I stutter and stumble to find the words, or to even recall anything of significance that could answer their question.

Just like there are many people who can’t express themselves or find the right words or organize those words in a written way, but that’s exactly what inspired the direction I decided to take FreeBird Express Publishing. The most frequent thing I hear – “I’ve always wanted to write a book,” or “Boy, do I have a story to tell, but I [can never find the time] [am not able] to write it.” Hundreds and hundreds of people. And dozens that have gone out of their way to reach out to me to ask me how they can write. To teach them. To help them tell their story. The majority of whom were either 50 and older, up to nearly 70 years old, or had endured an unimaginable tragedy that they wanted to share with the world – not just for themselves, but mainly to be able to help others going through something similar. 

So if there’s a story you want to share, whether to the world, or just those private people in your life, family members, friends, let me help you do just that. You don’t have to be a writer or have great spelling and grammar or have a perfectly organized written manuscript. You share your story in the best way that you can and let FreeBird Express Publishing do the rest.

www.freebirdexpresspublishing@gmail.com

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You can also peruse The Starving Artist blog at authoralmondieshampine.blogspot.com or check out www.almondieshampine.com for author titles/bios, event listings, promotions and giveaways, free reads, and submission guidelines for current in-the-works anthologies seeking stories.