Indies Coast-to-Coast!

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

I love indie bookstores and visit them whenever possible. Recently, I traveled to Seattle with my friend Robin and found Island Books on 

Mercer Island.  

The indie on Mercer Island, Washington

This great indie has a wonderful literary vibe and an enviable collection of antique typewriters. 

Inside Island Books 

This Saturday I was back in Michigan in time for Small Business Saturday. Battle Creek Books invited me to sign my books.

Jim Donahue, owner of Battle Creek Books

Thanks to everyone who came out to support their local indie bookstores!

Ready to sign my books at Battle Creek Books

Book tree at Battle Creek Books!

Battle Creek Books has a few of my books (signed by me!) in stock for your holiday gifts!

Happy Holidays to everyone!

Tales from the Up North Book Tour

My book tour took me to Traverse City 

and Gaylord, Michigan this week.

Touring Traverse City's Opera House with my sister, Leslie

 I always love to return to Traverse City, and Brilliant Books had a lovely display of my three books in the window.

Window at Brilliant Books!

Peter Makin (owner of Brilliant Books) introduces me

I gave a reading and Q&A at Brilliant Books, then signed books.

Signing books at Brilliant Books

 The next day I was off to Gaylord, Michigan to sign books at Saturn Booksellers.

Set up for the "meet-and-greet" at Saturn Booksellers

The girl scouts were also at Saturn selling their addictive cookies!

[Yes, I bought many boxes of thin mints!]

Handfuls of Lake Superior

Rough sand along Agate Beach in Grand Marais

The geology of Lake Superior fascinates me. This lake was formed by forces beginning long before the ice sheets scraped away at the Great Lakes Basin.  

Mix of colorful stones on Agate Beach

Hundreds of millions of years ago, a continental rift opened where the middle of Lake Superior is today. Lava (lava!) spewed from this rift for eons, and the weight of that lava depressed the crust of the earth into a deep bowl that existed before the last ice age. 

It is due to this ancient lava flow that you will find (if you are observant and lucky) agates along the shoreline of Lake Superior. 

Powder-fine sand along river in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

Mix of stones in river in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

I enjoyed researching the geology of the Great Lakes for my upcoming book, A 1000-MILE GREAT LAKES WALK. I learned so much about these vast inland seas and I put the best, most interesting things into the book.

Clay mixed with sand at the Log Slide in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

{*That's the trick about writing: put in the good stuff and leave the boring stuff out.*}

Rust-colored stones near Copper Harbor

The same stones as above after Lake Superior tosses them around for a few decades.

My new book, A 1000-MILE GREAT LAKES WALK, will have an early Pre-Release to select indie bookstores in April. This is my way of thanking them for what they give to their communities and for being so supportive of my first book.

The book will have wide release and will be available wherever books are sold in June.

Keep an eye out for the new book, or "LIKE" my Facebook Fan Page for updates.

Tales from the BOOK TOUR...part 8

The book tour continues in NW Michigan this month. A big thanks to all the venues and organizations who hosted me for an event, and especially to the indie bookstores who have been so supportive of my adventure and book and book tour.

Indie versus Big Chain Booksellers

During my hike around Lake Michigan I visited independent bookstores along the lakeshore. I love indie bookstores. The people who own and manage and work in the indies are knowledgeable about literature and they love books.

And I love books.

I was a reader long before I was a writer or hiker, so I know the value of a good bookstore. And there IS a difference between a big chain or online bookseller and the independents.

I live in Battle Creek where the only bookstore is a Barnes & Noble.

Do I go there? Yes.
Do I buy books there? Rarely.

It's great for my little town to have ANY bookstore (B&N wasn't even here when I moved here), so I support it by buying coffee and games and greeting cards and music and movies and newspapers there.

And my book is on the shelf there, which I appreciate.

But I buy most of my books from independents either nearby or in communities around Lake Michigan.

On my website, you'll see a link to buy my books from Brilliant Books in Suttons Bay, Michigan. I have partnered with Brilliant Books because it's a great indie and I launched my book there.

That's another thing that the indies do:
they support emerging writers.

If you are a writer and you buy your books on Amazon or at the big chains, you are jeopardizing your own future as a writer because it is the indies that will work with you to build your career. Just as the smaller publishers will take a chance on publishing you before the big New York houses will.

Here is an excerpt from a blog post by Mara Lynn Luther, the owner of Chapter One Book Store, an independent bookstore in Montana.
It will give you a window into the life and frustrations
of the indie bookseller.

"Confessions of an Unapologetic Indie"

"I'm not an economic priest. My bookstore is not a confessional. I'm tired of handing out 'Hail Locals' to guilt-riddled shoppers. If you bought a Kindle as your sole reading device, you have cut out your local bookstore when there are options for e-readers that don't eliminate indies. It's your choice, but don't come whining to me that you really want to shop local, but you have to be 'smart about your money.' I agree, you should be smart about your money. You should know that local businesses hand out thousands of dollars worth of donations and items to schools, organizations, and clubs throughout your community every year. Maybe shopping local isn't a priority for you. Fine. Talk to Amazon about donating a silent auction item for your son's school trip to D.C. and ask for a discount on books purchased for your school district. I'm sure Wal-Mart would sell your dance recital tickets or put a bucket on the counter for summer camp applications. Maybe Costco will supply the food for a fund-raiser, but I doubt it."

Check out the entire post here.

Mara brings up a good point about e-readers. If you use a Kindle you can ONLY get books from Amazon.com. If you choose a Nook (or other e-reader), you can buy your e-books from many indies that sell e-books.

Cabin Fever Event at McLean & Eakin

There was a packed house at McLean & Eakin this week to hear all about my book! Thank you to everyone who came out on this cold evening and for sharing your stories of Lake Michigan.

A huge thanks to Jessilyn and the entire staff at McLean & Eakin for hosting this Cabin Fever event. I am honored to be part of your winter line-up.

What a great audience with great questions. And one woman, Mary, even brought me a beautiful pair of mittens she made to "keep your hands warm when you hike." How lovely!

I have a jam-packed book tour developing. Check the sidebar for details and locations. I hope to see you along the way!

The formal BOOK LAUNCH will be at BRILLIANT BOOKS of Suttons Bay, Friday, March 11 at 7pm.

Please note that reservations are recommended.

Book Tour!

50 days until A 1000-Mile Walk on the Beach releases! I am in the process of scheduling lectures about Lake Michigan, readings from my book, and book signings. The formal launch of the book will be at the brilliant independent bookstore, BRILLIANT BOOKS, in Suttons Bay, on March 11. Watch for additions to the book tour in the sidebar here or on my website, LNiewenhuis.com Here are the events already scheduled: Tuesday, February 24: Cabin Fever Series/Pre-Launch Event at McLean & Eakin Booksellers Petoskey, MI 6:30PM [link]

Tuesday, March 1: Lecture at the Kingman Museum, Battle Creek, MI 6:00PM [map]

Friday, March 11: BOOK LAUNCH at Brilliant Books, Suttons Bay, MI 7:00PM [map]

Tuesday, March 15: Lecture at Inland Seas Education Center, Suttons Bay, MI 7:00PM [link]

Thursday, April 14: Plainwell's Ransom Library, Plainwell, MI 7:00PM [map]

Wednesday, July 6: Grand Traverse Lighthouse, Northport, MI 2:00PM [link]

Wednesday, July 27: Horizon Books, Traverse City, MI 3-5PM [link]

I look forward to meeting you along the way!

Support your local INDIE bookstore!

On the way back from Milwaukee last month, I stopped in at a couple of bookstores on the drive home. Sometimes, a bookstore owner will recognize me and call out, "Hey, you're the Lake Walker Woman!" (or something to that effect). And they want to know when the book is coming out.

I'm thrilled to have a release date of March 1, 2011. Look for my book on their shelves then. There are links to all the bookstores I have visited in the sidebar of this blog. Check them out, or find the indie bookstore nearest to you by going to INDIEBOUND.ORG





















I also stopped in to see the lake at New Buffalo, Michigan. It was a pretty dramatic evening at the beach! New Buffalo has a new independent bookstore right on the Red Arrow Highway. It's called BUFFALO BOOKS and is inside the Harbor County Trading Company. I'll be doing a signing there next summer, so watch for updates on my Facebook Fan Page ('Like' it in the upper sidebar here to get info on your news feed on Facebook).

Independent Bookstores

There are some great independent bookstores in northern Michigan, and I enjoyed visiting many of them as I made my way through this segment of the Lake Trek.













Check out the links in the sidebar!

Lake Trek Sound Piece for WMUK

I'd never had someone record my footsteps, so this experience was a new one for me. My local NPR affiliate, WMUK (broadcasting from Western Michigan University's campus in Kalamazoo), produces short 'sound pieces' to use during the morning and evening news broadcasts.

I met Andy Robins, News Director at WMUK, in South Haven where he walked with me, capturing the sounds of the Lake Trek with his digital recorder.















All of the sounds that you hear in the piece were recorded that morning, Day 4 of Segment 3 of the trek. Even the gulls cooperated, calling out as if on cue.

After the recording session on the beach and in town, I finished the script for the narration (adding a couple of sounds -- like the dredging barge and zebra mussels -- that weren't in the original script). Then, I met Andy at the studio and recorded my part. Andy took the two parts, narration and sound, and expertly mixed them to finish the piece.

This piece plays when you open up this blog.

Next time you're in South Haven, stop in at Black River Books. The owners usually have their labradoodles there, Booker and Dewey, and they love to greet people. Check out all of the independent bookstores that I've visited so far with the links in the sidebar. By the end of the Lake Trek, I will have stopped in at 30 indie bookstores all around the lakeshore.

A big thanks to WMUK for the great experience!

The Trek Draws Near

I was out at The Lake again today. I admit it: as The Trek draws near, I'm drawn even more strongly to the lake.

I was out at South Haven and Saugatuck in West Michigan. I had the distinct pleasure of visiting Black River Books in South Haven. This is one of my favorite used bookstores. Dick and Pam Haferman (in the picture to the right) LOVE books. They've been collecting them (actually, amassing would be a better word) for many years and finally opened their store in 2007.

I always buy a stack of books there and have to leave behind another stack of books that I would like to give a new home, too. They have a great eye for books and
stock many vintage sets that I'd love to move into my office.

(They also have two affable labradoodles in the store--Dewey and Booker--who are as friendly as their owners.)

The ice is beginning to break up. You can hear it groan and snap when you're near.

Only 13 days until the Trek begins!

The Joy of Independent Bookstores

While in Chicago this past weekend, I had the pleasure of stopping in at Sandmeyer's Bookstore on Printer's Row (714 S. Dearborn). It's a great little bookstore, reminiscent of the Tattered Cover in Denver with its wood floors and old warehouse feel.

The owner, Ellen Sandmeyer, was staffing the store that morning and we had a nice talk about Great Lakes books and my upcoming Lake Trek.

I plan to stop in at thirty independent bookstores like this one, all near the shores of Lake Michigan. I try to support independent bookstores whenever possible. Why? Because they have a unique relationship with smaller and regional publishers that the big chains do not. Because they allow more time for books to find readers. Because you'll always find people who love -- truly love -- books in these stores.

Pre-Trek Planning

I was up north skiing this weekend at Crystal Mountain (the photo is the ski hills lit up at night). And, of course, I took some time to get out to the lake.

First, I went to Beulah, a small town at the base of Crystal Lake and stopped in at the Five Corners Store (http://www.fivecornersstore.com/). Bill and Patty Cary, and Bill's sister, Cathy, and stepson Billy were catching their breath after registering over a hundred fishermen and women for an ice fishing contest that day. They have a great store and they were excited to hear more about the lake trek. [Bill had coached my cousin Milene's son's soccer team, and she had mentioned my adventure to Bill.] They said that they'd love to stock the book in their store when it comes out, so I stopped in to meet the family and to see what they were catching out on Crystal Lake (perch, trout, and some fish that is considered to be 'freshwater lobster' that I'd never heard of before).

After promising to stop back in while on my journey this summer, I drove out to Frankfort, a cute little town on the shores of Lake Michigan with a deep, natural harbor. After stopping in at The Bookstore there (a lovely independent bookstore on Main Street), I parked at the beach. Oh, man was it cold! The wind was blowing and the sheet ice filled the mouth of the harbor. Outside the harbor, the waves had tossed and stacked the sheet ice into a rugged ridge about ten feet high.

I walked out on the pier a bit, until my ears (even under my hat and hood) stiffened with the cold. I love standing on the shores of West Michigan because the wind blows across all that water and it's clean and alive when it hits you. I've been to this harbor several times in all kinds of weather, and I stood their shivering and imagining what it would look like in June when I'd be walking this segment. It made me want to start right there, right then.

The start of the trek will have to wait, but not much longer. I will begin in Chicago, on the end of Navy Pier, March 16. From there, I will hike seventy miles (over five days) to New Buffalo, Michigan. Segment 2 will also happen in March, and Segment 3 in April.