Great Book Signing in Emporia, KS, at Town Crier on 26th

There were 56 "local authors" at the Town Crier Bookstore in Emporia, KS, from 11 to 1 on Saturday, June 26... what an experience! Talked to some old friends, met some new friends, and sold some books! Cannot beat that combination.

Just two photos, right now. The first is of my friend, Diane McAdams Gladow, who I happened to be assigned to sit beside, and me, in the front row past the cash register.

Diane's book is A Journey of Voices: Chasing the Frontier. It is based on letters and journals of her ancestors. I was promoting both my novel, Back to the Homeplace, and, 13 Ways to Tell Ancestor Stories.

Just to the left in the photo, above, was the shelf where the Town Crier has the local author's books. Ours are there, today, I assume. Prominently displayed, are both my brother Barry's book, Only Milo, and both of the books by my good Kansas Flint Hills friend, author Deborah Vogts, Snow Melts in Spring, and Seeds of Summer, that just came out! Neat!!  ;-) Small world!  ;-)

 Happy Reading!

Bill  ;-)

Book Review by Patty

Here are Patty's comments from her Book Review of Back to the Homeplace at: Broken Teepee:


"I am not sure how I feel about 1987 being "in the past." But I guess it was inevitable that a time period I consider my not so distant past would start being the Olden Times. Not really but this slightly historical novel takes place in the '80ies on a homestead in Missouri. A homestead that has been in the family for generations.  The matriarch has died and her will is just a touch unusual to say the least.

All four of the children want the spread, The Homeplace, but for very different reasons. Aaaah, but according to the will no one can have it until they have ALL lived there for 2 years. Just imagine! Uprooting your life and the life of your family for two years. Could you do it? Could you do it and live with your siblings and THEIR families?

This was a very thought provoking book as the family copes with secrets and lies as they try to deal with the limits put in place by the will. The characters are well developed and the plot keeps you guessing. There is nothing like a twist you never see coming! I was left with the feeling that I want to spend more time with these people. That's the kind of book I like to read."

 To see the full review, please visit here. I love the lead photo on her blog!!  ;-)

"May each of us have a Homeplace to hold onto, if only in our minds."

Bill ;-)

Flora and Fauna Friday - Red Fox

Flora and Fauna Friday - Red Fox

Red Fox (Vulpes Vulpes) is a small canid (a biological family of carnivorous and omnivorous mammals that includes wolves, foxes, jackals, coyotes and the domestic dog) native to much of North America including the Missouri Ozarks.

I saw one in the pasture south of our cabin on Monday of this week. Beautiful, actually; with a great long tail, looked very healthy. We stood and stared at each other, as I was on my walk. After a few moments, he bounded back into the woods nearby.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Fox

Emporia, Kansas, Book Signing on Saturday, June 26

Dr. Bill (William L.) Smith will be signing his novel, "Back to the Homeplace," and his latest non-fiction book, "13 Ways to Tell Your Ancestor Stories," at the:

4th Annual Author Extravaganza at the Town Crier in Emporia Kansas

Saturday, June 26, 2010, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 716 Commerical in Emporia.

See details at: http://www.towncrierbookstore.com/

A Wednesday Recipe - Trail Mix

Hiking and Horseback riding are favorite activities around the Homeplace. You should always have some Trail Mix available in packets for the next adventure. Each person has their own favorite mix. Here is a photo, from Wikipedia Commons, that looks really good to me.

I like the  m & ms, peanuts or cashews, raisins, myself. 

From the Food Network, via Wikipedia, 

Common ingredients may include:

• Nuts, such as almonds
• Legumes, such as peanuts or baked soybeans.
• Dried fruits such as cranberries, raisins, apricots, apples, or candied orange peel
• Chocolate: chips, chunks, or M&M's
• Breakfast cereal
• Seeds, such as pumpkin, cashews or sunflower seeds
• Granola
• Carob chips or banana chips
• Shredded coconut
• Ginger (crystallised)
• Marshmallows

What is your favorite combination? Does it vary with your related activity? Leave a comment!

Thanks,

Dr. Bill  ;-)

Book Signing at Town Crier in Emporia Kansas

Dr. Bill (William L.) Smith will be signing his novel, "Back to the Homeplace," and his latest non-fiction book, "13 Ways to Tell Your Ancestor Stories," at the:

4th Annual Author Extravaganza at the Town Crier in Emporia Kansas

Saturday, June 26, 2010, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 716 Commerical in Emporia.

See details at: http://www.towncrierbookstore.com/

Flora and Fauna Friday - Shortleaf Pine

Flora and Fauna Friday - Shortleaf Pine

Shortleaf Pine (Pinus echinata) is a species of pine native to the eastern United States. Southern Missouri is on the very edge of the nativity of this pine. This tree is variable in form, sometimes straight, sometimes crooked, with an irregular crown. It my reach 20-30 m high witha diameter of 0.5-0.9 m.

Photo credit: Wikipedia Commons

This pine is a source of wood pulp, plywood veneer, and lumber for a variety of uses. This pine occupies a variety of habitats from rocky uplands to wet flood plains.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shortleaf_pine

"May each of us have a Homeplace to hold onto, if only in our minds."

Bill ;-)

New Book Trailer Site

New site for movies and book trailers... new to me, anyway!

http://www.nme.com/movies/trailers/id/77uQ8qGG8jY/search/movie

Happy Reading!

Dr. Bill  ;-)

A Wednesday Recipe - Lemon Pound Cake Muffins

Lemon Pound Cake Muffins

This is another fine Homeplace-type recipes from my good friend, Deborah Voghts. Please visit her Country at Heart blog, regularly, and check out her just released novel, Seeds of Summer, the second in her series, Seasons of the Tallgrass. Be sure to subscribe to her blog, while you are there.

Thanks for the recipe, Deborah, and best wishes on your current book tour of this next, neat novel set in the Kansas Flint Hills.


Lemon Pound Cake Muffins

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1/2 cup sour cream

Glaze: 1 cups confectioner's sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs and extracts; beat well. Combine the flour, salt, and baking soda; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Combine the glaze ingredients; drizzle over muffins. Serve warm. Yield: 1 dozen.

"May each of us have a Homeplace to hold onto, if only in our minds."

Bill ;-)

Flora and Fauna Friday - Bluebirds

 

Flora and Fauna Friday - Bluebirds

The bluebird is the state bird of Missouri.

The bluebirds are a group of medium-sized, mostly insectivorous or omnivorous birds in the genus Sialia of the thrush family (Turdidae). Bluebirds are one of the few thrush genera in the Americas They have blue, or blue and red, plumage. Female birds are less brightly colored than males, although color patterns are similar and there is no noticeable difference in size between sexes.

Bluebirds are territorial, prefer open grassland with scattered trees and are cavity nesters. Bluebirds can typically produce between two and four broods during the spring and summer. Males identify potential nest sites and try to attract prospective female mates to those nesting sites with special behaviors that include singing and flapping wings, and then placing some material in a nesting box or cavity. If the female accepts the male and the nesting site, she alone builds the nest and incubates the eggs. Predators of young bluebirds in the nests can include snakes, cats and raccoons.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluebird


"May each of us have a Homeplace to hold onto, if only in our minds."

Bill ;-)

Book Review of Back to the Homeplace by Maggie C

 See full review at Tethered Mommy

Back to the Homeplace by William Leverne Smith is the first book in The Homeplace Series.  This novel is about an older couple’s unusual will that asks all of their children to return to the “homeplace” for two years in order to inherit anything.  Some family members are happy to return, others are reluctant, but all do return and make the commitment to live there for two years.

At first, I was confused about the different characters.  Thankfully, Smith did put in a list of the characters so I could figure out who was who.  Eventually I got down who was included  in each immediate family.

Since this story is set in the 1980s, Smith tells us the news of each day so we can remember what was going at this time.   I really enjoyed this aspect as I was still very young in the 80s and some stories that I found interesting now were things I didn’t know about then.

Ultimately, I feel this book is about family and how each generation has different hurdles to overcome.  For example, the hurdle for the younger generation of this family is AIDS.  This book reminds us of the “death sentence” that AIDS was when we were just learning what it was and how it impacted us.

I enjoyed this book.  I know that Smith has more planned in the series and I do looking forward to finding out more about the family and seeing what happens to them throughout the two years at the Homeplace.

"May each of us have a Homeplace to hold onto, if only in our minds."

Bill ;-) 

Book Review of Back to the Homeplace by Maggie

Thanks to Maggie at The Tethered Mommy for her review of Back to the Homeplace:  http://www.tetheredmommy.com/?p=837

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Check amazon.com for a reduced price on the book today. Click on the link!

"May each of us have a Homeplace to hold onto, if only in our minds."

Bill ;-)

Flora and Fauna Friday - The Showy Lady's Slipper

Flora and Fauna Friday

The Showy lady's Slipper, while it is the state flower of Minnesota and New Hampshire, can still be found in southern Missouri, though it is considered imiperiled. It thrives in neutral to basic soils and prefers growing in fens. Historically, it is difficult to raise. They typically flower in late June and early July. Usually there are one or two flowers per stem, but there can be three or four. The stem has a hairy appearance, and the "hairs" can cause irritation to some people.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cypripedium_reginae

"May each of us have a Homeplace to hold onto, if only in our minds."

Bill ;-)