Books, Books, and More Books!
Writers love libraries so I was delighted to be a part of an Author Event yesterday.
Dozens of local writers were part of the event at the Deltona Library in Deltona, Florida, about an hour from where I live. It seemed every type of book was represented from children's books to mysteries to non-fiction about investments and Confederate soldiers.
And there I was with my Amish romances. There's always great interest in the Amish at book signings. Even the occasional man standing behind a wife or girlfriend buying a book took a great interest when the subject of the Amish recipes that were included came up!
As I was sitting there, a woman manning the table next to me mentioned that her husband was bringing her young son by around lunchtime. Sure enough a cute little boy showed up with a bag of lunch for his mom and quickly settled down to keep her company. Her daughter, dressed in a confection of pink organdy, got a kiss from mom before being whisked away to an all-girl tea party by her dad.
Seeing the little boy sitting with his mom reminded me of my times spent with my dad as he exhibited his artwork in art festivals. He was very good -- his work even won awards and sold at these weekend events that he loved around his "day job" as a technical illustrator. It was a fun thing to attend these festivals and be outdoors, eat event food, and be around creative people -- good training for believing that it was "okay" to be creative. If you think that's odd I would tell you that I married into a family that I didn't realize at the time thought creative people needed to conform ... anyway, being at these events also accustomed me to the fact that people sometimes aren't as kind or supportive of others doing their "thing" as they could be. One man loudly asked the author next to me if she had self-published her work. Ouch. He later attended my "How to Get Published" workshop for information on how to sell his book. I'm hoping if he's successful he'll be kinder to other authors who choose that route.
Now, on to a happy topic: to celebrate A Time for Peace arriving in bookstores I'm giving away an autographed copy. What creative thing do you like to do? Leave a comment here on AmishHearts about it to enter to win.
Have a great week!
Barbara
I used to sew quilts but don't have time to now. I loved doing crafts with the kids when I worked at the daycare too.
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I have two creative things I like to do. I love to cross stitch, when I have time, winter is the best time! I also love to bake, I love trying fancy, gourmet baked goods.
I would love to win a copy of A Time for Peace! I loveyour books! Thanks for the opportunity.
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I am not entering but wanted to answer the question. At one time my husband and I had a ceramic shop called The Crafty Lady. It contained not only ceramics but my quilts, paintings, cross-stitch, embroidery and crochet. I came from a family where when one of us learned a craft or art we taught it to others. I stick to painting with acrylics and quilting now due to my book reviews and writing.
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I hope to be the winner! I love Amish books ( and recipes)!!! I am working on a Christian suspense novella so I understand the discipline it takes to create a story. I have self-published a helps book for Sunday school teachers and children's workers but fiction requires not just the ability to pen words but a lot of creativity and work. I hope I have it in me to complete what I have started. I quess it would help if I could keep my nose out of everyone else's books! Love the contests! Blessings, Barbara Davis
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Hi Barbara, I always look forward to reading your books as each one is published... With so many books being released at one time, it seems we can get behind, but, that's the way it goes and I am looking forward to this one. Have a wonderful day!! God Bless!
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I enjoy sewing and have "dabbled" at quilting and appliques. It is something that i think give a lot of warmth to a home.
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Hi Barbara,
I too hope that man will be friendlier to other authors. I like to knit and crochet and I dabble a bit with paints and I have even written a few poems (Nothing to write home about) but it expresses my feelings and I enjoy it .
I admire all of you authors who have the courage to put your work out there.God Bless all of you.
Happy October. cindy
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I like to be able to help my friends make copies of things that they need to be done on the computer an I also spend each week getting the sign in sheets for the teachers and the parents. an when not I have a book close by to read.
I also am starting to enter contest for the chance to win. I would also like to say thank you for your books. thank you
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Well, I'm not the most creative person around. BUT, my claim to creative fame would be when my daughter was small one year I made her halloween costume. I thought she was a precious clown and confirmation for me was when she won a mall's costume contest. Sure hope I win your book now!!!
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Barbara,
I think your books are wonderful, along with the other authors on the same website. I've had a fascination of the Amish, since I read my first book a few months back. I got a Kindle from Amazon.com and enjoy reading my books off of that. I'm hoping to enjoy yours just as much, along with the other ladies on the website. Keep up the great work about the Amish and Mennonite communities, we had Mennonite girls that used to sell us cheese in WV...ohhhhhh it was soooooooooo good.
Elizabeth Watts
Nashville, TN
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I like to be creative by decorating. Floral arrangements, candle center pieces etc. Would love to be creative in the ways of quilting and such.
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Yea!! Another chance to receive Amish novels. A Time For Peace would fit very nicely on my nitestand. Tks for the chance. MamaWolf
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It would be easier to say what I don't like to do creative! I do too much. Everything I see, I think "I can make that". It can be a curse!
I do punchneedle embroidery, stitchery, primitive dolls, wood stenciled signs, penny rugs, tole painting, and most recently I've purchased my own stencil cutting machine. Busy!
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I write poetry and most of them are on my website. They are about life in my corner of Iowa. I'd love to have an autographed copy of your new book.
Linda
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Since I love to read I have to say I have a great respect for authors and their talent.
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I love basket weaving. Different patterns and colors of reeds make for a unique basket every time. Thank you for the great giveaway. Thank you.
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I find that sitting on my front porch, listening to the birds sing and knitting on a project is peace for me.
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When i stop to think what creative thing i do, i guess i may be more creative than i thought! i love to work in the flower garden in summer, i do crafts - weaving rugs from rags, cardmaking, etc. i love to bake (though since i don't create my own recipes, maybe that doesn't count). No writing for me, but would love to win your novel, Barbara
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Our girl scout troop is getting really creative making stockings to hand out to chemo patients at a local hospital.
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I love to crochet. Right now I'm crocheting a baby blanket for a lady at church. I enjoy giving away the things I have made.
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BARBARA, THE THINGS I DO ARE KNITTING, CROCHETING,COUNTED CROSS STITCH AND AM GETTING INTO QUILTING. I SURE AM BUSY BUT LOVE TO DO ALL THESE THINGS.
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I would consider myself so fortunate to own an autographed book by you. Thanks for the chance.
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when i was young i love to sit with my mom and crochet. i miss those days and her very much
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I look foward to A Time of Peace to be released!!! I so enjoy reading your books!!!
I agree with you about individuals being more sensitive and kinder...of others....I do hope he will be kinder to others...even if he is not successful
Blessings!!!
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I would say bake.....I love to try new recipes and then make it my own.....
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I actually like to get creative with recipes. Especially recipes for fudge. I like to experiment with adding different flavorings and such. Since I usually don't write things down when I experiment, it is hard to give my recipes out. It is usually a dab of this and a dab of that!
I would love to win a copy of, A Time For Peace.
Blessings,
Judy B
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Unfortunately, I am not creative. I suppose though that at times I do have a vivid imagination.
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I love to write stories. Writing to me is a stress reliever. One day I hope to have some of my stories published.
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I love to sew and do embroidery!
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I love to interior decorate. When I'm redoing a room, I go to a store and pick out inexpensive items that LOOK expensive and close my eyes and picture how that item would look in my house. And I must say I get quite a few compliments! Takes creativity!
I have the first two books in your series; would love to win A Time For Peace! Thank you!
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I would love to enter your contest. Love your books!
I don't find as much time as I would like to be creative (or to read), but I do have an annual tradition. Since 1995, every year I have made some sort of Christmas angel ornament to give as gifts. The first year I think I made about 25. The last couple of years or so I have made about 100. Most years I "steal" ideas for the specific angels, but I have created one or two ideas of my own. It's so much fun to share these with family and friends.
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I like to sew, although I don't squeeze it in as much as I would like to. Otherwise, I like to do lots of crafts and think up things to to with my granddaughter or the children in my religious ed class.
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Love to win a copy of the book 'A Time For Peace'...our family has a family tradition of warm family get-togethers with lots of food, laughter, stories, and just plain ole-good-times......
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What creative do I do? Being the church secretary, I get to be creative 10 times a year when I produce our newsletter and all the times people say "I need a flyer" or "Please make me a poster about...". But in my time off, I like to knit. Mind you, I not good at it, but I can whip up a scarf in no time flat! Members of our congregation recently went on a Disaster Relief trip to rebuild houses in Pulaski, VA where tornadoes devastated the town back in April. We sent knitted scarves and dish clothes as gifts.
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Dear Barbara,
Thanks for having the contest for all us readers out here who enjoying reading so much. When I was a little girl I remember going to my grandmother's home, she was bedridden, but was always sewing on some project. She could crochet the most beautiful dollies and bedspreads but my favorite of hers was her silk ribbon yo yo quilts. Since she was bedridden, people would bring her the left over ribbon from any funeral arrangement that they had removed from the cemetary and bring her the ribbon. My Granny would make the most colorful and beautiful yo yo quilts from this ribbon. I loved running my hands over these quilts when I was litte. I guess I received my love of hand sewing from her as I love to hand crochet, counted cross stitch, yo yo projects and especially hand embrodiery. Usually at Christmas I always try and make some of these projects for my family and when my two grandbabies where born preemies, crocheted little blankets where given to them at the NICU. I thought what a wonderful idea, so I and my sister started making these little blankets to take to the hospital for all the little preemies. I guess this is my creative side and I thank my Granny for giving this gift to me. I do some quilting but my Aunt Cleo was really the quilter in our family, she made a quilt out of tobacco pouches that is still on display in our local Musesum. My mother never had much time to sew but always made our dresses and Daddy's work and Sunday shirts plus I really remember all the homemade pillow cases that she would make. I loved those. So my mother, aunts, sisters, myself and hopefully my daughters did or will recieve that gift of being creative from our Granny Hazel. Thanks for letting us be a part of this wonderful contest and sharing our stories with all of you. Sincerely, Helen M. Gardner
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I love to crochet,cross stitch,and take pictures....I love to read,read and read. I love your books.
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What creative do I do? Being the church secretary, I get to be creative 10 times a year when I produce our newsletter and all the times people say "I need a flyer" or "Please make me a poster about...". But in my time off, I like to knit. Mind you, I not good at it, but I can whip up a scarf in no time flat! Members of our congregation recently went on a Disaster Relief trip to rebuild houses in Pulaski, VA where tornadoes devastated the town back in April. We sent knitted scarves and dish clothes as gifts.
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I really enjoy Amish books, and am so eager to read this one! I am not much of a cook, or baker, but reading about all of the delicious Amish food is inspiring me to do more
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Look forward to reading more on your site....love reading Amish books....and hope to win a copy of the book'A Time For Peace' by Barbara Cameron...sounds so good...
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