Book Metaphors, Life Changes, and of course, a Giveaway!

Congratulations to Gretchen Griffith who won the audio CD of The Spy Catchers of Maple Hill on last week's blog.

After twenty-eight years, next week my husband Creighton and I will be loading a truck and moving to the eastern part of North Carolina to be closer to children and grandchildren.  This post is full of  nostalgia, memories, and family. But before it ends, I promise a literary connection too. 

6764 Benning Wood Drive

In this home we celebrated birthdays,

Lindsey Baldwin Kasten
circa 1987

Lisa Baldwin Edgar
circa 1995

And had our family picture taken on the porch.

Baldwins
Circa 1992

We welcomed son's-in-laws, grand-dogs,

Circa 2005

and grandchildren.

Circa 2009
With Ebby and Caitlin

We licked homemade strawberry jam from a century-old pot,

Margaret & Henry Federlin
Circa 2005

And baked cookies,

Lisa and Grandma Federlin
2011

Rachel Federlin, 2012

With my sister,
Barbara Federlin, 2012

more than a few times.

We played poker,

and prayed with friends.

With Beth Schulz, circa 1990.

Our home hosted a few writing retreats,

With Donna Earnhardt, Rebecca Petruck, & Joyce Hostetter
2013

and was the construction site for new dental office cabinets.

"During" with
Robert Toupal
 2012

"After"

Several friends--even those who aren't writers--have waxed poetic about our move.  "You're just ending one chapter and starting a new one." 

And of course, they're right. 

But I'm not the only one who is facing changes.

One of my closest writing buddies, Linda Phillips, is celebrating a new chapter in her life. 

Working on CRAZY at a
Baldwin Writing Retreat
2011

She is on her first book tour in Oregon, celebrating the debut of her YA novel-in-verse, CRAZY.

Linda recently celebrated her launch
at the Oregon Institute of Technology

Linda and I have been friends ever since Fran Davis, a former Regional Advisor of SCBWI-Carolinas, told us that we would work well together as co-chairs of the conference in Charlotte. 

Fifteen years later, I'm celebrating the new chapters in each of our lives by giving away a copy of CRAZY.

There you have it. Book Metaphors, Life Changes. And a Giveaway!

********

Faced any life changes recently or in the past? Leave me a comment by 8 AM on October 30 and tell me about it. Share this in your social media of choice and I'll enter your name twice. Don't forget to tell me what you did and leave your email address if I don't have it. 

Bookends
2014