Back home again

“Back home again, in Illinois…”

Yes, I know that’s not how the song goes. I spent most of my formative years in Indiana, after all*.

*Fun fact: when I was an Indianapolis 500 Princess, I saw Jim Nabors tooling around in a golf cart. For years, he opened the ceremonies with his classic ode to the Hoosier State.”

I’ve spent a portion of each of the last six weeks in Wisconsin. This wasn’t planned, until it was. One trip was for a writing weekend in the Northwoods, followed by a visit with my friend in Sheboygan. The next trip involved another writing retreat, this one centered around nature journaling and included a sunrise over Lake Michigan.

A week after I returned home I was back in the Northwoods, this time to stay at a remote resort in a “cottage” designed by a protege of Frank Lloyd Wright. (More on that divine place coming soon.)

Then finally, last weekend I taught a self-publishing workshop at WordHaven, one of my favorite bookstores, and since I was in Sheboygan, naturally I had to see my friends again.

Now I’m home until November, and it feels…weird. It also feels good, and I’m excited to be stationary for a bit.

I do have some upcoming appearances. If you’re in the western Chicago suburbs, I’m speaking about Self-Publishing at the Elmhurst Public Library on August 13, and I’ll be back at the library on the 23rd for their book fair. The next day, I’ll be at the Kenosha Book Fair. Then on September 4, you can catch me at Wilmette Public Library where I’ll be highlighting unique things to do in Montana.

Speaking of Montana, on Monday I chatted with patrons of Winnetka Public Library about the Amtrak Empire Builder. During my time on that epic train trip, we got stuck just inside the Big Sky state for over four hours! You can read all about that over on The Local Tourist.

Alex Paige, my intrepid travel writing protagonist, informed me that she had a similar experience and I needed to tell you about it. I informed her I would (and that will be her 7th book!), but first I’m offering a special edition of her first three books. I’m combining these fun escapes into one volume, complete with photos of the real-life destinations that inspired her adventures.

Head over to Kickstarter and click on “Notify me on launch” to get first dibs! Not familiar with Kickstarter? Here’s a quick run-down. TL;DR: it’s a platform that helps people like you support creators like me bring awesome stuff into the world.

That’s it for this week. Until next,

Love and Wanderlust,

Theresa L. Goodrich