Up-North Happenings

An author festival, a storm, and a sneak peek into my book!

Last Saturday, in nearly 90-degree heat (thankfully with a canopy for shade, a nice breeze, and lots of water), I attended my first local author fair, “3rd Street Festival” in Park Rapids, Minnesota. Since I call this up-north lake country “home” for much of the summer, I now qualify as a “local,” and I’m loving it!

I enjoyed meeting other authors, talking with passers-by, and selling and signing books. I even made an appearance in the Park Rapids Enterprise paper! (I’ve seriously hit the big time now! 😉)

I’m on the lookout for more such festivals! (Do you know of any?)

A sad, side note: I counted myself very fortunate to be in Park Rapids—30 minutes southwest of our cabin—since another of our favorite up-north towns—Bemidji, 30 minutes north of our place—was pummeled the night before the festival with hurricane-force winds of over 100-mph. The area lost thousands of trees, with damage to homes, businesses, vehicles, and more. Many lost power for days—yes, during that brutal heatwave. I saw the damage firsthand yesterday, and it’s devastating. My prayers continue for the town of Bemidji.

I’ve been sharing much about the release of Empty-Nest Joyride in my posts lately, but I haven’t yet shared any of its content. That is, until now.

This week, I had the honor of guest-posting for

Deb Alexander

, a long-time writer friend of mine. Deb writes “Words to settle your head and your heart, and to encourage you as you navigate a hard season in your marriage with resilience and grace.” She asked if I could share something along those lines, and my first thought was chapter 5 in my book. I won’t give it all away, but I do share a few snippets and several suggestions (not found in the book) for better communication in your marriage.

You can read my guest post here. I also encourage you to subscribe to Deb’s Substack. She gives fantastic monthly book recommendations!

Stay cool, friend. Stay safe. Enjoy your summer!