Find Your Heart in the Heart of Ohio with Author and Reviewer, Wendi Zwaduk

My name is Wendi Zwaduk and I am a lifelong resident of Ohio. Kinda like the John Mellencamp song, “Small Town” (even though it’s written about another state) fits me well. I was born in a small town and I live in a small town. I’ve often told people there’s not a whole lot in Ohio save for corn and soy bean fields. I’m stretching the truth a little. There is actually a lot in Ohio.

I grew up in a small house on a plain avenue in Ohio. I had friends, lots of room to run, and my imagination to keep me company. I’d like to think it was all the time spent sitting in Mom’s Lilac bushes, creating scenarios for my Barbie dolls that helped to cultivate my love of storytelling. I wanted them all to have happily-ever-afters. Who wouldn’t? I didn’t start writing until after college, but I’m glad I started putting my stories onto the computer screen. It’s been a fun release and a great way to meet people who also love to tell stories. Check out my novel, “Right Where I Need to Be”. It’s set in Ohio farmland. Also a one of my favorite stories. I work for the Long and Short Reviews and love being there. Check them out, too. http://www.longandshortreviews.com/LASR/index.htm

But enough about me. Let’s talk about Ohio!!One of my all time favorite places to go in Ohio has got to be in Cleveland. You got it, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. I love going there and seeing the clothes that belonged to John Lennon, Jimi Hendrix’s guitar, original lyrics written by the Beach Boys...It’s a blast.  http://rockhall.com/
Want something a little more spooky? I got some great resources from this location. The Mansfield Reformatory. Never heard of it? You’ve probably seen it. Have you seen “The Shawshank Redemption” with Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins? Then you’ve seen Mancy. It’s a prison that’s over a hundred years old. There are ghost tours, ghosts, and lots of history there. If you dare to go after dark. You can see where they shot parts of the movie and even the tunnel where Tim Robbins escaped. Think it looks more like Dracula’s castle? You wouldn’t be far off. Come check it out. http://www.mrps.org/

Spooky not your thing? That’s fine. We have the Wright Patterson Air Force base down in Dayton. While you’re there, you can check out the National Air Force Museum. I love looking at the gigantic planes and wondering how they get those things into the air. http://www.wpafb.af.mil/index.asp

And then if you’d like to slow down a little, there’s the Ohio Wine Country. It’s not really one particular place, but Ohio is known for its ice wine. Great on ice cream. Hang out in the Northeastern corner of Ohio, in the Lake and Ashtabula county regions and you can take guided tours. It’s a lot of fun. http://www.touring-ohio.com/ohio-wines.html

I’m sure there are plenty more places in Ohio for you to check out. We’ve got Cedar Point and the sky-high roller coasters, The Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati zoos. We have the Mid-Ohio Indy course. There’s lots to do in Ohio. And for more about me and my work, plus I’ve got a full page on my site devoted to FREE reads, visit my website http://www.wendizwaduk.com/ 

I also run a blog http://wendizwaduk.blogspot.com/ There you’ll find Flirty Fridays and great book trailers for my novels plus links to sites I love and events where you’ll find me. 

Small State of People- Large of Land and Ancestry-Lori L. Orser's North Dakota

I’m told by people from other states that North Dakota is a “fly-over” state, as opposed to a destination state. People fly over, looking down at fields and pastures, or drive across the state on I-94 at the posted 75 mph, not really bothering to look. Nobody comes to North Dakota, unless they’re coming home. And you know what? That’s all right with me. We North Dakotans like our prairie home pretty much just the way it is.

North Dakota is my home; I was born and raised here, got my BA at the University of North Dakota, and reluctantly left to get an MA in Lawrence, Kansas (where my “accent” was laughed at by all the other linguistics students. Apparently I sound more like Lawrence WELK, than Lawrence KANSAS). Actually North Dakota has two major accents: Norwegian, and “German from Russia” (not to be confused with German from Germany). We also have a small group of Icelanders, and in the west, a group of Ukrainians. Their architecture, traditional religions, and food add a, dare I say cosmopolitan?, touch to the state. After a move to Nevada, where I stayed for 12 unforgettable years, with entirely new landscapes and a lot of life’s ups and downs, until I decided it was time to go home. 

People who read about our winters here ask how anyone in their right mind would want to live in a state that has snow from October to April (in good years). My answer is, it’s home, and that’s what most North Dakotans say. I could list statistics like most of the durum wheat in the world comes from North Dakota (that Italian pasta you’re eating? Made from ND wheat!); how we have more four-year colleges (and graduates) per capita than any other state; how our state is always in the top five safest states lists, usually at the top. But that’s not why I love my state.  I could never live in a bustling city. I like clean air, and elbow room. I like people saying “hello” or “good morning” when they pass you on the street, even if they don’t know your name. I like knowing all my neighbors, and who to call when I have any problems. I’ve heard of “Minnesota Nice,” but I think “North Dakota Nice” is nicer (OK, I’m biased).

 

I’ve also heard that we have no scenery, and I’m reminded of a joke. Ole and Lena went to Colorado (Ole and Lena figure in most North Dakota jokes, just as they do in Minnesota, but outs are Norwegian and theirs are mostly Swedish), and when they returned, Sven asked them what they thought about the scenery. “I don’t know,” said Ole. “You couldn’t really see it with all dem mountains in da way!”

The plains have a subtle beauty all their own. In late spring, when the grass moves with the wind, you can see why settlers called their wagons “prairie schooners;” the grass does move with a current like the sea. Even the National Forest here is a National Grassland. When flax is in bloom, there appear to be beautiful blue lakes, albeit oddly square, across the state. In the prairie pot-hole regions of central North Dakota, the wetlands, you’ll find teeming wildlife, including waterfowl of all kinds, and small animals you might not even see unless you get out early and stay very quiet. Beavers, mink, and other small former victims of trappers share the land with deer and antelope, not to mention a garden of wild flowers, including orchids like yellow ladyslipper, and a rainbow of penstemon varieties. Turtle Mountain, a glacial remnant in north central North Dakota, rises like a fortress over the prairie, and is home to the only state forest in the state, as well as one of the four reservations located here. 

West of the Missouri, there are the Missouri breaks, an area of stream-filled ravines and buttes,  green in the spring, and golden by late summer. Keep going west and you’ll reach the badlands, a geologist’s dream of stratigraphy exposed by thousands of years of winds. There you’ll find bison – both “domesticated” (ha! Like you can domesticate a buffalo!) -- and running wild in Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Mule deer and antelope thrive, despite predation from mountain lions. The bighorn sheep are hard to spot because they’re good at hiding, and can nimbly hop up the side of a butte that no human would try to climb. Prairie chickens, pheasants, wild turkeys, ruff grouse, and other birds dot not just the west, but the entire state. Watching this land change with the seasons fills my heart.  And believe me, you haven’t seen a sunset until you’ve seen a prairie sunset. 

My writing reflects my home, I hope. We are a small state in terms of people, but a large state in terms of land, ancestry, micro-environments, history, and myth. I try to incorporate landscape and myth in all my work. My first book, Spooky Creepy North Dakota is a collection of ghost stories, mysteries, and myth and legend from across this state. My fiction in progress attempts to include the land and the weather as characters, or at the very least, a constant presence throughout the book. And a good dose of nice, too.

Lori offers an autographed copy of Spooky Creepy North Dakota to one lucky person to comment here during her week. 

The Old North State--North Carolina with Catherine Yee

            Whether you travel to the Outer Banks or through the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains and anywhere in between you will find great beauty in North Carolina.  This state’s citizens take pride in their surroundings.  The yards are mowed.  Gardens are everywhere, even if it is only a small patch where wildflowers are protected.  Even the ancient barns and buildings that may be falling down look charming with a hint of times gone by.  But the real beauty of this state is its natural resources, the Smoky Mountains, Brevard County with its waterfalls, the northern mountains with great mineral and gem wealth.  Heading east toward the coast you cross the foothills and the Piedmont with orchards, vineyards, farms and ranches.  All along the way you find small towns with their own charming identities.   And then you reach the Carolina coastline!  From the Outer Banks all the way down to South Carolina you have beautiful beaches, beach towns, lighthouses and an abundance of pirate lore. 

            We mustn’t forget another resource -- the great food this state produces.  We have barbecue from one end of the state to the other.  These folks know how to cook, and what they do with a hog is legendary.  We decided to retire to Lexington, NC, which considers itself the barbeque capital of North Carolina.  Pass by any barbecue place and the smell of hickory fills the air.  Now, if you’re looking for Texas style sauce, forget it.  The people of North Carolina have their own styles of sauce and their own coleslaw.  Another favorite of mine is the she crab soup.  It’s a delicious cross between bisque and chowder and filled with blue crab meat.

For things to do and see, there is Spencer, NC, just a few miles to the south of Lexington which is a train town and houses the North Carolina Transportation museum.  Read the history of the little town here http://www.ourstate.com/train-town.    We have one of the world’s premier zoos in Asheboro, http://www.nczoo.org/ and some of the state’s finest potteries south of Asheboro in Seagrove, http://www.discoverseagrove.com/.  If you like golf, this state has plenty of that for example Pinehurst, NC http://www.pinehurst.com/north-carolina-hotels.php.  It was the first organized golf coast in the United States and was established in 1898.  Pinehurst has a rich golfing history.  For the music lover, the state boasts Brevard and its summer music festivals which host some of the finest musicians but the core music of the mountains is blue grass and folk music brought by the ancestors from Ireland and Scotland.  Good music is found all across this state.

The greatest resource in this state is most definitely its people.  Southern hospitality abounds here.  Even in the grimmest of economic times the people find a way to smile.  People look out for one another.

            Is Lexington a good place to write?  Most definitely!  I conceived the idea for my book, Battered Wings, here and am now working on a spy novel. 

          BATTERED WINGS by Catherine Yee

A single act of violence causes a once loving marriage forged in the furnace of WWII to be almost torn apart in the fiery hell of the Vietnam era. Three-star General Leland Thornton, retired, suffers a severe personality change from an old war wound that causes him to assault his wife of 25 years, sending her to the hospital and landing him in jail. Now they both must work to rebuild the love they once shared and face ghosts from their past. Along the way one of their grown children fights to survive the war-torn skies of ‘Nam.

As a Veteran, Catherine has the experience to write a story based on true feelings.  She also loves living in North Carolina.  Out her back door, she’s got her own fishing hole situated on Swearing Creek which is located off High Rock Lake. Please stop by her website to learn more.http://whiskeycreekpress.com/authors/Catherine_Yee.shtml

Greetings from a Hot, Humid New York City and Carol Ann Moleti

Though it is best known for the bright lights, quirky people and places in the five boroughs of New York City, just a short drive to the north and you’re in the country. A few more hours, and you’re in ex-urbia.
I was born in Manhattan, raised in Da Bronx, and have spent most of my life losing the accent while holding onto the lessons learned in a place whose name is synonymous with urban decay and despair.

I still work in the heart of The Bronx, which pumps its lifeblood through my veins. Like most New York City residents, I traveled on the subways before I could walk. No better way to get around and no better entertainment value for the dollar, even though service disruptions are frequent and the challenges formidable.

Which is why I love to escape to the country whenever I get a chance, my most favorite upstate destination being Cazenovia, a lovely Central New York town with cornfields, cows, a lovely park, hometown parades, festivals, and cool, fresh air. Last fall, we watched a hunt club assemble.  Poking around the Ledyard mansion and grounds at the Lorenzo historic site, one can imagine herself as a character in an English garden or in the downright Gothic Dark Aisle.

When I’m not working or tending to my husband, three kids, dog, cat and garden, I’m writing. There are the things I must write: academic articles, the things I need to write: op-ed, and essays about health care, politics, and women’s issues, and the things I want to write: speculative fiction, especially paranormal romance and urban fantasy.

Where do I get my writing inspirations? Hey, I ride the subway, ya know. Plus, if you’ve ever stayed up all night working, you know that strange out of body experience that occurs at about four a.m. when alien life forms and strange creatures crawl out of the shadows.  Everything takes on a surreal dimension. There is rarely a day that goes by without a new scene, snippet of dialogue or story idea. Boulevard of Bad Spells and Broken Dreams was “conceived” and “gestated” on my daily commute to work (in The Bronx). Unfinished Business, my paranormal romance, was “born” one Fourth of July weekend upstate. While opening up a cottage and vacuuming up dead flies, the image of a woman finding a trunk of clothes in an attic popped into my head.

Time for a little fun. Where did I capture the image of the hen and her chicks? Hint: It’s not what you think. First one to answer correctly on this blog wins the choice of one of the anthologies featuring my work.

Now, a quick peek at my usual haunts: 

My favorite places to eat in New York City:

Any restaurant on Arthur Avenue, Little Italy of The Bronx.

Johnnie’s Reef, at the tip of City Island, The Bronx. 

My favorite things to do with the kids:

Visit The New York Zoological Society (aka The Bronx Zoo), The New York Aquarium and Coney Island Boardwalk (Brooklyn) 

My favorite Manhattan Destinations:

The Upper East Side, 96^th Street off the Number 6 Local subway, for the 92nd Street Y, low key restaurants and plenty of local color and culture. 

My favorite escape:

The Catskills or Adirondack Mountains to hike, ski, canoe, kayak, relax, write.

Carole Ann Moleti is a nurse-practitioner, midwife, and lifelong New Yorker. The streets, subways, and emergency room cubicles are a rich source of inspiration not only for professional publications, op-ed and commentary, but also for her urban and paranormal fantasies.

Excerpts of Carole’s memoir, Someday I’m Going to Write a Book: Diary of an Urban Missionary, have appeared in Oasis Journal, Thanksgiving to Christmas: A Patchwork of Stories, This Path, and Noneuclidean Café. One, "Everything Must Go" was awarded Oasis Journal’s prize for best nonfiction in 2009.

She is a staff reviewer for the speculative fiction review venues Tangent Online and The Portal, and has also written for The Internet Review of Science Fiction and The Fix.

Free Reads –available on Carole Ann Moleti’s website on the News page http://carolannmoleti.com-worth the few clicks over. 

You’ll also find links to excerpts and buy links at her site plus links to all her fabulous blogs.  To reach her on Facebook, search Carole-Ann-Moleti.  She’s also got that so amusing Twitter.