Get Laurelhurst's Author's E-Novel Free Today On Amazon And Barnes And Noble

 

 

Today and tomorrow, long-time Laurelhurst and author Kate Lloyd's latest novel, A Portrait of Marguerite, the story of a Seattle painter who reclaims her creative passion, will be free in all e-book formats, including Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com.
 

The novel description says:

When single mom Marguerite Carr's son leaves for college, she feels as though her life has lost its focus. A friend drags Marguerite to a drawing class — her first since college — where she rediscovers her long-lost passion for painting, finds unexpected love, and learns that forgiveness covers all, even our worst sins and deepest, darkest secrets.  

A Portrait of Marguerite is a real-life contemporary novel that isn't afraid to lift the corner of the rug to expose secrets and regret, while also offering hope of spiritual, personal, and creative growth.

Kate has also written another novel, Leaving Lancaster, in which the characters live in Seattle and travel to visit family in the Pennyslvania Amish country.
 

Kate's books are available through Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, and other websites.

 

Laurelhurst Author Releasing New Book Today And Offering Giveaway

Kate Lloyd, a longtime Laurelhurst resident and author, is releasing her newest fiction novel today, Leaving Lancaster, in which the characters live in Seattle and travel to visit family in the Pennyslvania Amish country. She has also written A Portrait of Marguerite, which takes place in the Pacific Northwest.

To celebrate, she is having a Facebook giveaway today through next Thursday, March 8th. The winner will receive a genuine Old Order Amish queen size quilt.  The  publishing house will also be giving away ten copies of the book.

She told us "Facebook friends all over the country can go to my Facebook Author Page to enter, but it would be extra fun to have someone local win as the story starts in Seattle." The winner will be announced on March 9th.

The inspiration for Leaving Lancaster come from Kate's spending time with family and friends in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. She is a member of the Lancaster County Mennonite Historical Society.

Kate sent us this description of the novel's storyline:

Can a splintered Amish family reconcile? More than anything else, thirty-something Holly Fisher longs for family.  Growing up in Seattle without a dad or grandparents, she wonders what it would be like to have a heritage, a place of belonging.

Holly is furious when her mother, Esther, reveals a long-kept secret: Holly’s grandmother and uncles are still alive and begging Esther to return. And Holly is shocked when she learns that the family she’s never known lives on a Lancaster, Pennsylvania farm—as part of an Amish community her mother once abandoned.

Guilt-ridden Esther, terrified to see her mother and siblings, begs Holly to accompany her on a visit to Esther’s mother before she dies. But can their journey to a conflicting world heal their emotional wounds and finally bring them home?Set in the heart of contemporary Lancaster County, Leaving Lancaster explores the power of forgiveness, family reconciliation, and love where least expected.

Kate's books are available through Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble,Books-A-Million, Christianbook.com, Lifeway Christian Stores, and Parable Christian Stores.

Laurelhurst Resident Nominated For Two Prime-Time Emmy Awards

Robert Schenkkan, a Laurelhurst resident who has written four episods of The Pacific on HBO, sent us email yesterday, that he has been nominated for two primtime Emmy Awards and you catch the ceremony on television this Sunday.

"Your readers might be interested to know that Laurelhurst resident, Robert Schenkkan, is nominated for two prime time Emmy awards for Best Writing (Miniseries, Dramatic Series, Special) for his work on THE PACIFIC, and the award ceremony will be this Sunday, televised live."

Robert has lived in Laurelhurst for 15 years with his wife, an author and their two children.

Here is the post we did about Robert in March.
http://thelaurelhurstblog.blogspot.com/2010/03/another-laurelhurst-writer-and-producer.html

Congratulations to Robert!

Local Children's Author Doing Reading and Improv at NE Library

Tomorrow from 4-5pm, at the Northeast Branch of the Seattle Public Library, local children's book author, Meredith Berlin, will do a dramatic reading from her book, The Ghost Light Kids Get Hooked.

And the audience will have the opportunity to get involved in doing improvisations!

Berlin is a professional actor, director, playwright and drama teacher. She lives with her family in Lake City.

Berlin's blog says about the event "Anthony Bencivengo and Keara Berlin will be performing a scene from the book, and I will read a chapter or two (different ones from at the Lake City Library, so for those who want to join us again, it will be a new experience).

Then instead of improvising scenes related to the characters in "The Ghost Light Kids Get Hooked" and "Peter Pan", we will become Jacob and Maggie meeting characters from the play "Oliver."

These improvs should get everyone excited about the next book in the series, currently titled "Pickpocket: A Ghost LIght Kids Adventure." Who knows -- your ideas may change the course of (my writing) history!!"

The plot of the book is about a brother and sister who cause a blackout while playing hide and seek in their mother’s theater, and the ghost of Captain Hook appears. Berlin will stage dramatic enactments of scenes from the book and invite audience members to participate in improvisations based on her upcoming works.

Books will be available for purchase and signing from Ravenna Third Place Books. University Bookstore also sells the book.

Another Laurelhurst Writer and Producer in Our Midst

Tonight a new miniseries starts on HBO and four of the episodes were written by Laurelhurst resident, Robert Schenkkan. 

We learned about this directly from Robert, who sent us an email shortly after our post on Laurelhurst children's author, Katherine Burke.

The HBO series, The Pacific, which begins airing tonight is the companion mini-series to The Band of Brothers.

Robert,, a long-time Laurelhurst resident, wrote four of the upcoming episodes: #4 Peleliu, #6 Gloucester, #8 Iwo Jima and #10 Homecoming.

Robert wrote in his email to that he is best known as the Pulitzer prize winning author of the play, The Kentucky Cycle.

He has also written two children's plays, one of which, The Devil and Daniel Webster, premiered at the Seattle Children's Theater in 2006.

Robert tells us that "THE PACIFIC miniseries follows the real life exploits of three Marines: Robert Leckie, John Basilone, and Eugene Sledge. Leckie wrote a book about his experiences, called HELMET FOR MY PILLOW and Sledge wrote another memorable memoir called, WITH THE OLD BREED. John Basilone, of course, received the Medal of Honor for his heroism at Guadacanal and died on Iwo Jima. It will air in ten parts, the first part this Sunday, and will move from Guadacanal to Peleliu to Melbourne to Gloucester to Iwo Jima to Okinawa and finally, to home."

Robert says he "took this job (producer, writer) in part for the opportunity to work with Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, but also to honor my father who served in the Navy during the war as a bomb disposal officer and saw action in the Treasury Islands, Guadacanal, and finally, Japan. He retired from the Navy as a Commander. One of the things that pleases me most is the very positive response from veterans who have seen the series and feel that we got it right."

Robert is currently writing a film for Dreamworks and has written several TV miniseries as well as films for many well-know producers and actors.

Robert has lived in Laurelhurst for 15 years with his wife, an author and their two children.

Thanks for wring to us Robert and sharing your very interesting profession.

We'd love to hear from other neighborhood residents about their professions, hobbies, community interests, etc.

Send us email at laurelhurstblogger@gmail.com.

New Laurelhurst Children's Book Author At Cafe O'Play Tomorrow Night

Laurelhurst has a new children's book author - Katherine Burk.

And you can catch her reading her new book, Finding Mr. Ness, tomorrow from 4:30-6:30 at Cafe O'Play, just behind the University Village.

At this free event, she will also be working with kids on writing and sharing their own stories. And there will be coloring, games and puzzles as well.

Finding Mr. Ness was co-written by Katherine and her mother, Gloria Burke of the San Francisco Bay Area, and was published in January. It is their first publication together.

"In the story, Clayton and Annie are best friends whose curiosity about an old microscope, a postage stamp and an eccentric scientist named Mr. Ness leads them on a journey to a strange land called Tilania, where they are swept into a desperate attempt to save a doomed civilization.

The book is especially suited for chapter readers in the 2nd through 5th grades," Katherine tells us.

"What began as a way for mother and daughter to connect despite the miles between them has turned into a successful cooperative writing relationship, and it has only just begun," Katherine adds.

The authors are currently writing the next book in The Tilania Travelers Series, called The Scrolls of Tilania.

Finding Mr. Ness can be purchased at City People's on Sand Point Way NE or on Amazon.com.

Here is an article from The Orinda News that Katherine and her my mom, aka her writing partner, wrote about writing as a mother/daughter team (see page 15).  

Visit:their website, TheTilaniaTravelers for more information about the book and the authors.

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