Great Lakes Speaker

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

This Friday I traveled to South Haven, Michigan, to visit one of my favorite indie bookstores

Black River Books.

On the rise overlooking the beach at South Haven

Black River Books in South Haven

  This bookstore carries mostly used books (a thoughtfully gathered selection), along with some new books.

Co-owner Pam Haferman helps customers purchase my books

Black River Books had plenty of copies of my three books (they still have a few signed copies in stock!)

  Then, I headed to the senior center to give my Lake Michigan presentation to the group there.

Michelle Davis introduces me to the group of seniors in Van Buren County

The group gets ready for my presentation

 I have traveled to nine states speaking to groups about our amazing Great Lakes. In September I will be a featured speaker at the Kerrytown Bookfest. 

Go HERE to see all my upcoming author events.

2015 -- Quite the Year!

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

2015 was an amazing year.

Here are the highlights:

I began the year living in Chicago for several months where I finished the manuscript for the third book in my trilogy about our Great Lakes.

Chicago!

In May, 

A 1,000-Mile Great Lakes Island Adventure was released to select indie bookstores and my book tour began. In June, the book was available everywhere. I had dozens of appearances and interviews this year.

Zinta Aistars at WMUK

While touring, I had time to stop in at the lamprey research center where I got to hold a live lamprey!

Speaking at Literati Bookstore in Ann Arbor

Literati Bookstore!

Black River Books, South Haven

Brilliant Books, Traverse City

Time to visit "my lake," Lake Michigan

The "Perimeter" exhibit -- about Lake Michigan and the people connected to this Great Lake -- came to Traverse City! 

"Perimeter" by Kevin J. Miyazaki featured my portrait 

Part of "Perimeter" by Kevin J. Miyazaki 

I met up with Bette Hartig at Great Lakes Book and Supply in Big Rapids. She has carved two walking sticks for me!

Bette & Me and the walking staffs she has carved for me

I spoke at the Ann Arbor Library!

I was honored to be interviewed by Cynthia Canty on Michigan Radio

I was the featured speaker at the Annual Meeting for this conservation group

I spoke to this outdoors group in Livonia

At the interview for this Chicago radio station

 I spoke at four REI stores in Chicago

I spoke at the WOW event in South Haven

This was a fantastic year for me and I hope it was for you, too!

I will continue to give my dynamic talks about our Great Lakes. 

And next year I will add a fourth presentation about Isle Royale!

All the best to you in 2016!

WOW Weekend

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 WOW group in South Haven did -- go to http://LakeTrek.com

I traveled to South Haven this weekend to be part of the Women's Only Weekend (WOW).

Michigan Maritime Museum

 The Michigan Maritime Museum on the edge of the Black River hosted my 

Great Lakes Island talk.

Pam Haferman (far left) of Black River Books brought my books to sell at the event. Here we are with some of the women who came to hear about the islands of the Great Lakes.

Shipwreck display at museum

  

Speaking at the Michigan Maritime Musuem

I then went to Black River Books to visit with author Bonnie Jo Campbell for a bit. She's touring with her new collection of short stories:

Mothers, Tell Your Daughters. 

Bonnie Jo Campbell signs her new book for me at Black River Books!

Black River Books has signed copies of my three books AND Bonnie's three latest books in stock. 

What great holiday gifts! 

Black River Books, South Haven

I always love visiting Black River Books 
in South Haven, Michigan. 

Booker and Dewey, the store dogs, are always glad to see me!

As are Pam & Dick Haferman, owners of this lovely indie bookstore.

They invited me to come and read from my new book about the islands of the Great Lakes.

Thanks to everyone who came out to chat with me and to support their local indie bookstore.

Here I am with the Hafermans, owner of Black River Books.

Happy INDIE Holidays

I visited many indie bookstores today in Southwest Michigan as they were gearing up for Small Business Saturday.

The Nature Connection in Kalamazoo

Kalamazoo's indie, Kazoo Books

Great Lakes books at Kazoo Books

 Kalamazoo has chosen 

The Living Great Lakes 

by Jerry Dennis as their Community Read for 2015. 

Great choice!

Great indie in St. Joseph

AND, I was able to visit Lake Michigan 

on this wintery day.  

Snow dunes...

Lake Michigan!

Lake Michigan in motion

Yep. This is my lake.

South Haven's Black River Books

Reader's World in Holland

Support your local indies on Small Business Saturday AND all year long!
All of these stores will take part in the May 2015
 pre-release of my upcoming book.

More than just a long hike...

Last year I completed about half of my current adventure exploring the ISLANDS of the Great Lakes. 

I am currently working on this portion of the manuscript so I can send it to my publisher.

If you've read either of my first two books, you'll know that they are much more than an adventure journal. I do interviews with experts and interesting people I meet along the way. 

And I do a lot of reading.

A LOT.

Part of My Great Lakes Library

I track down rare books with the help of great Indie Booksellers (thanks, especially, to Dog Ears Books in Northport, MI, Black River Books in South Haven, MI, and Novel Ideas in Baileys Harbor, WI). I buy textbooks to help me more fully understand subjects like geology and natural history.

Books and notes and research

I collect biographies of unique people associated with the Great Lakes. Recently, I acquired a new book about C.H. Thordarson. This man was born in Iceland, then his family came to America  when he was quite young. Thordarson was a fascinating figure -- an inventor, a Chicago businessman -- connected to the Great Lakes Islands. He owned Rock Island which is located near Washington Island in western Lake Michigan.

All of this research allows me to bring fascinating information and stories and people to my books and to share the very best of what I learn with YOU.

This year, I'll complete the second half of this adventure. I'll explore islands in Lake Superior, Lake Huron, and Lake Ontario. 

I'll also help with the Moosewatch Expedition on Isle Royale this May! Connecting with research going on these islands is a big part of this current adventure and will add a new dimension to the book.

A 1,000-Mile Great Lakes Island Adventure

will be released in 2015.

Until then, follow my adventures here and sign up for occasional e-mail updates:

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