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!

First Book Tour Events for my Great Lakes ISLANDS Book

My newest book hit the shelves of select indie bookstores on May 1, and my book tour took off!

My first event was a book signing at the 

Nature Connection of Kalamazoo 

during May's Art Hop.

What fun talking to everyone who stopped by my table! 

Then I headed to Literati Bookstore in Ann Arbor to give my dynamic presentation about the islands of the Great Lakes.

A nice group came out on this rainy evening 

to my presentation.

Signing books after my talk 

And a lovely dinner afterward

 My tour then took me to the city of Northville to speak at the community center there (event organized by the Northville District Library)

The audience filters in to hear about the islands of the Great Lakes

My book tour stretches into October... 

Find the full schedule HERE.

Ann Arbor

The Professors' Monument

While in Ann Arbor on my book tour, I finally found The Professors' Monument on UofM's campus.

The story of four short lives

 This fractured column represents lives cut short and was originally placed here to honor Douglass Houghton. He died at only 36 years old and had already accomplished more than many of us do in a lifetime!

This plaque mentions that Houghton was a medical doctor, a professor of Chemistry, Mineralogy, and Geology at UofM, and the state of Michigan's first geologist. 

 One of the fascinating books I read to research my new book, A 1,000-Mile Great Lakes Walk, was 

Michigan's Columbus: the Life of Douglass Houghton, 

by Steve Lehto.

A most excellent read!

Literati Bookstore, 124 E. Washington

Last night I had a wonderful reading and signing event at Ann Arbor's newest indie, 

Literati Bookstore.

My son, Lucas, took time out of studying for his exams to attend the event.

Lucas with the map for my reading!

 Literati now has copies of my new book, so stop in to check out this lovely store and the new book.

Literati's spacious downstairs

Welcome to Ann Arbor!

On the corner of 
E. Washington and 
S. Fourth in Ann Arbor, a new bookstore has recently opened its doors.

Literati Bookstore, 124 E. Washington

Literati Bookstore has opened in the vacant footprint of Borders Books. Yes, Borders started in Ann Arbor, and when they vanished downtown Ann Arbor no longer had a general bookstore. The indie bookstores are filling this void and doing it with style! 

The green bookstore on the corner

Stop in at the green building on the corner and check out their great selection.

Literati Bookstore