Posted on

Summer is coming!

The Sunshine State Book Festival and the Amelia Island Book Festival were both fantastic events. I look forward to next year’s events. My next scheduled event will be in Tampa in October-more on that later!

Summer is actually upon is here in Florida. Temperatures have already hit the 90s, and our winter birds (human as well as avian) have moved back to their normal territories. We’re even easing into our summer rains-it’s very grey at the moment, and there is a bit of thunder in the air. Our whistling ducks, however, came by for lunch. They are usually here in the morning. It was a treat to see them in the afternoon!

Black-bellied whistling ducks, taken by me, 5-15-2024 (c) Lauren Gilbert

Thoughts of summer leads me to thoughts of vacation. I know I will be at the beach soon, and will be taking a new book to read, as well as a writing project. Maybe you will need a new novel for a beach read, or for that lazy day on the porch. Just a thought…

(c) Lauren Gilbert

I wish you a wonderful summer, however you find yourself spending it.

Posted on

Coming soon!

It’s almost here! The Sunshine State Festival in Gainesville, Florida will be held on Saturday, January 27th. 2024, at the Hilton Conference Center. I will be among the attending authors present, and hope to see you there. For more information, visit the website here: https://sunshinestatebookfestival.com/

Posted on

FOUND TREASURE

Back in the 1980s, necklaces called beggar beads were popular. Chunky pieces of quartz, agate, and semi-precious stones in irregular shapes were strung together with beads. I loved mine, and wore it frequently. Unfortunately, the string broke and the beads and stones scattered. I salvaged what I could but ended up giving the remnants to a friend to use in her craft projects.

A few weeks ago, I had a whim and googled “beggar beads.” Lo and behold, an array of similar necklaces popped up on various sales sites, and I found one very similar (if not identical) to my old favorite. Thanks to the miracle of internet shopping, my old favorite has been restored.

It was such a small thing, but I wear them with a great deal of pleasure. They remind me of fun times from the past, as I enjoy them now.

Posted on

It’s Never Too Early to Plan…

The Sunshine State Book Festival is coming up in January! On January 26 and 27, 2024, events will be held at the Hilton University of Florida Conference Center in Gainesville, Florida. I’ve just submitted my registration and hope to be there. The website is https://sunshinestatebookfestival.com/ and will be updated with more details. I look forward to seeing you there.

Posted on

Amelia Island Book Festival

This weekend, February 17-18, 2023, is the Amelia Island Book Festival in beautiful Fernandina Beach, FL. Celebrity authors David Baldacci, Kate Quinn, Scott Turow, and Jeannette Walls headline the event, which benefits literacy in Nassau County, Florida. On Saturday, the Author Expo will feature numerous authors and genres (including me!). Visit the website at https://tinyurl.com/bdzjsmsa for more information. I hope to see you there!

Posted on

A New Year

It’s 2023, and we’re ten days into the new year. I hope this is a better year for all. I’ve been working on the new book. The research has been, and is, fascinating. It’s also book festival season! Coming up is the Sunshine State Book Festival in Gainesville, FL.

This year the festival will be held at the Trinity United Methodist Church. You can get full details about the location and events at the festival website: https://sunshinestatebookfestival.com/index.html

There will be 150 authors and books in 15 genres, so there will be something for all readers. I will be in space 117, and hope to see you there!

Posted on

A Good Day

9/5/2021

The Orlando Reads Books Festival has come and gone. Useful information at the Industry Day Sessions, and the signing on Saturday was a success. Face masks and hand sanitizer were present, but nothing prevented readers from talking to authors and finding new reads. I really enjoyed it.