The National “Best Books 2008″ Awards

USABookNews.com, the premiere online magazine and review website for mainstream and independent publishing houses, announced the winners and finalists of THE NATIONAL “BEST BOOKS” 2008 AWARDS on October 20, 2008. Over 500 winners and finalists were announced in over 140 categories covering print and audio books. Awards were presented for titles published in 2008 and late 2007. Jeff Keen, President and CEO of USABookNews.com, said this year’s contest yielded an unprecedented number of entries, which were then narrowed down to over 500 winners and finalists.

Tatianna—Tales and Teachings of My Feline Friend was an award-winning finalist in the following category:   Animal/Pets-Novelty

A complete list of winners is available at:

http://www.usabooknews.com/bestbooksawards2008.html

Bountiful Blessings!

Tatianna Book Club Event

Tatianna’s Team is proud to have Carol, a Feisty Feline as a champion.   She had a clever idea of inviting three authors (that she personally knew) to a book club. She generously purchased books and distributed to club members. Four members were assigned the Tatianna book. On Tuesday, October 14, twenty people gathered at Carol’s house for the Spooktacular Book Event. We were entertained by her Dept. 56 Halloween village complete with lights and scary sounds that covered two eight-foot tables. (I am a Dickens Village collector so loved seeing her collection displayed!). A scrumptious Halloween meal was served. Then each author had twenty minutes to speak. The Tatianna group read aloud a paragraph of their observations.  In addition, they had prepared several thought provoking questions. I have included the main idea of my responses.

Q:  You were deeply self-revealing about your emotional challenges and Tatianna (and others) as a source for solace and growth. What was your original purpose and what other impacts have you seen occur as a result of completing the book?

A:  I did not set out to write a book.  But when Tatianna passed away the day before Easter in 2001, I simply found myself sitting in a rocking chair the next day where the two of had spent a lifetime together. I rocked and I wrote. The pen was flying across the page being driven by a Higher Being. Initially I did not understand what was happening, but I kept writing. It was not long before I realized I had the making of a book and an important message to get out to the world.

Q:  How did your entrepreneurial background affect the writing, publication and acknowledgement of your work?

A:  My background in marketing and managements has helped me a lot. Managing came into play during the writing and publishing process. I assembled a team that consisted of a life coach, a graphics artist, a cat portrait artist, an editor and a Web designer plus the iUniverse editorial staff. But writing the book was just the beginning. Now my time is spent marketing.

Q:  What was most challenging and what was surprising in your process of writing? What took massive effort and what was effortless?

A: The hardest part was near the end when I was doing the edits and tracking the changes. I had so many tracking colors that I thought I would lose my mind. The effortless part was the initial writing that was completed in about six weeks. The surprising thing was how much I enjoyed writing.

Q:  How did you get started…what part did your journaling have in your writing?

A:  Journaling plays a more important role in my writing today than it did in the Tatianna book. I write morning or evening pages. I also write two weekly blogs and enter writing contests.

Q:  Each chapter is like an essay, very complete unto itself. Was this by design or a natural evolution?

A:  An editor recommended that I work on the order of events. I came up with a timeline design of cat heads. From there, some of the content changed and the chapters fell into place.

Q:  This was a grand acknowledgement of one creature’s contribution to your quality of life. How have you expanded, transformed or transcended that appreciation of love for animals today?

A:  Animals are an integral part of my life. I can’t imagine my life without them. I am distraught when I see hurt animals or animals that have been killed on the road. I can communicate with animals on a special level by just sending my thoughts in their direction and they respond. Sick, dying and homeless animals find their way into my yard and not by chance. I know I am meant to be there for them.

Q:  Don’t you just love Pat and Dr. Hope?

A:  Yes, I do! (That is where the group leader takes her pets!)

Bountiful Blessings!

Daughters of the American Revolution

This weekend my thoughts are with my ancestors. A longtime dream of mine came true as I was officially welcomed into the National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution at the Seminole Chapter meeting in West Palm Beach, FL.  Well over a decade ago, I learned that I was a descendent of a patriot who served as a soldier during the Revolutionary War. With my interest in historical preservation and education, DAR was a perfect fit for me. But not so fast! That led me on an extended journey to document seven generations to provide proof for membership.

Nathaniel Thurber, my patriot and great-great-great-great grandfather

James Thurber, my great-great-great grandfather

William Thurber, my great-great grandfather

Laura Thurber Roasa, my great-grandmother

Gladys Roasa Barr, my grandmother

Rosemary Barr Mohr, my mother

Linda Mohr (Me)

Nathaniel Thurber was born on April 13, 1761, in Providence, Rhode Island. He enlisted in 1776 and served as a private in the Revolutionary War until 1779 in Massachusetts as well as at the Burning of Bristol, Rhode Island. He married Polly Shores in 1792 and their son James served in the War of 1812. Some of my most interesting research was locating (with the help of a kind farmer) the abandoned church cemetery near East Carthage, Illinois, where James is buried. Imagine my excitement when I found the inscribed War of 1812 tombstone standing erect amidst overgrown grass and toppled headstones. The documentation process included getting proof of my linkage including birth, death and marriage certificates, church records, census reports and obituaries.

The DAR insignia pin is a beautiful gold wheel. I will wear it over my heart with tremendous pride for what those who have gone before me have done.  I love the meaning behind each part:

THE HUB: Each loyal Daughter’s heart
EACH SPOKE: A thought of those from whom we part
THE TIE: A noble life well rounded out
EACH STAR: A deed of kindness as we go about
EACH FLAXEN THREAD: A cord of love to bind us closer day by day
THE DISTAFF: A rod of love to guide us all the way

For more information, visit http://www.dar.org

Bountiful Blessings!

Monarch Butterfly Migration

Butterflies fascinate me.  I am fortunate to have flowers in my yard that draw them in as I shared in The Butterfly Blessing blog on July 19. But what truly amazes me is the migration of monarch butterflies in the fall. How such delicate insects even begin to flit some 3000 miles is beyond my comprehension. The butterflies migrate from the east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada to their wintering grounds in central Mexico.

 

Florida is one of the states the butterflies migrate over. On October 25, the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge will hold its 20th Annual Monarch Butterfly Festival at its 70,000-acre sanctuary in St. Marks, Florida. There will be speakers, exhibits, butterfly crafts and tours. Visitors can also watch butterfly tagging designed to answer questions about how weather influences their migration and how they specifically move. Additional information is available about this Florida Panhandle event by calling 850-925-6121 or visiting   http://www.fws.gov/saintmarks/

 

The monarch covers the bushes like an orange carpet,” says park ranger Robin Will. “You can stand next to them and they’re feeding and they’re totally preoccupied. They don’t care that you’re there. I think that’s why people are so captivated by them.”

 

The Panhandle Butterfly House in Navaree, Florida, will hold its 2008 Butterfly Festival on October 10-11-12. “At a time when butterflies and other pollinators are in serious jeopardy from loss of habitat and pollution, there’s no better opportunity to learn about ways we can all live a little ‘greener’ to save our local environment and its most delicate inhabitants,” said Theresa Friday, Extension Agent in Santa Rosa County. Additional information is available at http://www.panhandlebutterflyhouse.org/home.html

 

I would also love to hear from any of my readers who have been to a monarch butterfly festival in the past or are planning to attend one this year.

 

Bountiful Blessings!