National Indie Bookstore Day

Loreen Niewenhuis is an author, adventurer, and dynamic speaker. 

She has completed a trilogy of 1,000-mile adventures exploring the Great Lakes and has authored three books about these adventures: 

A 1,000-Mile Walk on the Beach  [A Heartland Indie Bestseller]

A 1,000-Mile Great Lakes Walk   [Winner of the Great Lakes Great Reads Award] 

A 1,000-Mile Great Lakes Island Adventure  [Long-listed for the Chautauqua Prize]

 

To learn more about her work, or to engage her as a speaker, go to http://www.laketrek.com/great-lakes-speaker/

Show your support for your local indie bookstore this Saturday (and throughout the year)!

Indie bookstores are vital to our communities and to keeping literature alive. 

 An essay I wrote on this topic can be found HERE.

This Saturday I will be at Brilliant Books to my sign books for you -- or recommend another great read -- to show my support for the great indie bookstores that have shown such great support for my Great Lakes Adventure Trilogy.

#indiebound

Chicago!

Chicago!

My book tour took me to the Windy City this October for a week of events. 
The Newberry Library hosted my first presentation...

Newberry Library

Newberry Library

Ruggles Hall at the Newberry

Then I spoke at all 4 REI stores in the 

Chicago area.

Northbrook REI

Lincoln Park REI

Audience at the Northbrook REI

Schaumburg REI

Thanks to everyone who came out to hear about the islands of the Great Lakes!

Loreen Niewenhuis is an author, adventurer, and Great Lakes speaker. She has completed a trilogy of 1,000-mile adventures exploring the Great Lakes and has written three books about the Great Lakes [A 1,000-Mile Walk on the Beach *a Heartland Indie Bestseller*, A 1,000-Mile Great Lakes Walk *winner of the Great Lakes Great Reads Award*, and A 1,000-Mile Great Lakes Island Adventure]. To learn more about her work -- or to book her as a speaker like the REI stores in Chicago -- go to http://LakeTrek.com

One Book, One County!

Loreen Niewenhuis is an author, adventurer, and Great Lakes speaker. She has completed a trilogy of 1,000-mile adventures exploring the Great Lakes and has written three books about the Great Lakes [A 1,000-Mile Walk on the Beach *a Heartland Indie Bestseller*, A 1,000-Mile Great Lakes Walk *winner of the Great Lakes Great Reads Award*, and A 1,000-Mile Great Lakes Island Adventure]. To learn more about her work, or to book her as a speaker, go to http://LakeTrek.com

Van Buren County chose my first book

A 1,000-Mile Walk on the Beach

for their "One County, One Book" read this fall!

What an honor!

Hillary Berry, Librarian at the Paw Paw Library, greets the audience

I love talking about our Great Lakes

A nice audience gathered for this event

Thanks to Kazoo Books for selling my books at the event

Here I am flanked by the librarians in Van Buren County

The NINTH State on My Book Tour!

Loreen Niewenhuis is an author, adventurer, and Great Lakes speaker. She has completed a trilogy of 1,000-mile adventures exploring the Great Lakes and has written three books about the Great Lakes [A 1,000-Mile Walk on the Beach *a Heartland Indie Bestseller*, A 1,000-Mile Great Lakes Walk *winner of the Great Lakes Great Reads Award*, and A 1,000-Mile Great Lakes Island Adventure]. To learn more about her work, or to book her as a speaker, go to http://LakeTrek.com

On a trip to visit family in Atlanta, I had an invitation to speak to the retirement community where my mom lives.

I had a great time with family. 

Centennial Park!

We took in some of the high points of the city.

My sons each have a brick with their names in Centennial Park

The World of Coke!

And I had a wonderful time speaking to the retirement community at Clairmont Crest.

Speaking to the group at Clairmont Crest

Georgia is the ninth state that my book tour has taken me to. 

I'm always delighted to share my Great Lakes adventures!

Second Year Anniversary of Lake Trek Finale

Today marks the second anniversary of the completion of my hike around Lake Michigan, a journey of just over 1,000 miles.

It is amazing to look back on that adventure. In some ways it feels like just yesterday, and in others so distant. It is nearly miraculous that the book about my adventure has been out for over six months, and I'd like to thank Crickhollow Books of Milwaukee and Philip Martin, my editor, for doing such a fantastic job editing and publishing the book.




I'd like to thank everyone who has embraced this book about "my" lake. A 1000-MILE WALK ON THE BEACH spent four weeks on The Heartland Indie Bestseller List this summer. And I've met hundreds of people on my book tour who share a love and concern for Lake Michigan and all of our Great Lakes.



What happens now? Well, I have many events still on my scheduled book tour (see sidebar here or go to LakeTrek.com). The big finale of my book tour will be a week-long tour of Madison, Milwaukee and Chicago in early December. Then, I will begin training for my NEXT ADVENTURE.

Next year I will undertake another 1000-mile hike,
one that lets me touch all five Great Lakes.

Please "LIKE" my fan page on Facebook (if you haven't already) and tell me about YOUR favorite place on the shores of the Great Lakes. Which Great Lake is YOUR favorite? Which park is YOUR favorite? Where have YOU found the best rocks? Where is YOUR favorite place to walk the beach? What is YOUR biggest concern about our Great Lakes?

I will announce my hiking route soon here and on my Fan Page, so stay tuned!!

Tales from the BOOK TOUR...part 9

The book tour took me to NW Michigan and then across the lake to Wisconsin in July.

I had the great pleasure of being hosted by the 'Book & a Dinner' book club on the shores of Hess Lake. What a great group of women, and the food was all Lake Michigan-themed!!

Thank you to Cindy and her great group of friends for the fantastic discussion, many laughs, and delicious, Michigan-themed dinner!!

Perils of the self-portrait

While hiking 1000 miles around Lake Michigan, I got pretty good at taking the 'arms-length-headshot' photo.






Taking the 'set-up-the-camera-and-run-into-the-shot' photo still remained tricky...









Sometimes a wave would come in...








and soak my feet.

Ha-ha-ha
the lake has a sense of humor.













Sometimes the camera wouldn't wait for me to get into position.




Try, try again.



I ended up taking around 100 photos on every day of the Lake Trek. I will be giving a lecture with the best of these photos at many places while on my book tour.


Check out the Author Appearances page on my website to catch a lecture or reading near you.

I hope to see you along the way.

Beginning of Book Tour