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

Monday Night Live

My book tour continued this week in the Kalamazoo/Portage area. 

Gloria Tiller, owner of Kazoo Books in Kalamazoo, interviewed me on Monday Night Live (see video below) about my new book.

And then I gave my Great Lakes Island presentation at Portage District Library. 

Portage District Library

Marsha (Director of Portage Library) and Gloria (of Kazoo Books)

Audience at Portage District Library 

My book tour continues all year. 

See full schedule HERE 
or in sidebar of this blog.

Lake Michigan Water Trail

Last year, I met two men on involved in the creation of the Lake Michigan Water Trail. Kenneth had kayaker's hands, big, strong and weathered. Dave was shorter and introduced himself as a professor of geography at Western Michigan University.


They had come to hear me read from my book at Kazoo Books in Kalamazoo while I was on my book tour, and they told me about efforts underway to create a path around the lake for hikers, bikers and kayakers.

Both Indiana and Wisconsin have embraced this grand vision and are doing their part to add places to launch kayaks and places to camp along the lakeshore. The state of Michigan is lagging behind in embracing and funding the water trail. This is odd since Michigan probably has the most to gain from it. Lake Michigan could (and should) become a destination for paddlers from all over the nation and even the world.

Read more about the trail at the link above and check out this article on Mlive.com
Lake Michigan sunset

Tales from the BOOK TOUR...part 12

I took some time to focus on my second book released this year, my novella, ATLANTA. And it seemed logical to launch the novella in Georgia. I was able to take my Lake Trek book along, too, and to introduce a Southern audience to both works.

One gentleman in Savannah came to my author event wearing an "M 22" t-shirt. Those of you who have traveled the NW corner of Michigan's Lower Peninsula will recognize this as the designation of the road that winds through some of the most beautiful places in Michigan.



It is a joy to have had one book published this year, and I am thrilled to have a second book come out on the heels of A 1000-MILE WALK ON THE BEACH. My novella, ATLANTA, grew out of my years living in this Southern metropolis. I tried to capture the neighborhoods, the vibe, the lives, and the energy of this unique city. Though I only lived there for a handful of years, Atlanta still has a place in my heart.

If you live in Atlanta, Macon, or Savannah, please ask for the novella, ATLANTA, at your indie bookstore. If you live elsewhere, you can support Kazoo Books (a great indie bookstore in Kalamazoo) by ordering my novella from them through Amazon.com.

My novella will be featured in the October issue of Atlanta Intown!
Look for it next month!

Thank you!

Monday Night Live

I was featured on Monday Night Live, a cable access talk show in Kalamazoo hosted by the charming Keith Roe.

Mr. Roe is Kalamazoo's own James Lipton,
and Monday Night Live is his
Inside the Actor's Studio.

That's how I felt being on the show. Gloria Tiller was also there (as she is every second Monday of the month) with Keith. Gloria is the owner of Kazoo Books in (where else) Kalamazoo!

Click HERE to view the episode.

I had a lovely time on the show. A big thanks to Keith and Gloria for the energizing conversation about writing, the publishing process, and my adventure of walking all the way around Lake Michigan!