First of all, it was Friday the 13th. Second of all, there were warnings all around to practice social distancing in light of the coronavirus pandemic. Stay home. Avoid crowds. Cancel big events. ![]() So it was something of a surprise to get word that the West Michigan Women’s Expo, where I was scheduled to sell and sign books last Friday, was still a go. Granted, a few authors who’d reserved space at the event decided against coming, but a dozen or so of us intrepid—or foolhardy—souls showed up at DeVos Place with our books. The Expo opened at 10:00, and while the crowds weren’t overwhelming, a steady stream of expo-goers ambled through. Book sales were not exactly brisk for the first few hours, but we were all hopeful things would pick up after lunch. Then, around 1:00, the rumors began circulating. The Expo was being shut down, and we’d soon be sent packing. This rumor came in various forms, the most colorful version being that “twenty men in suits” had converged on the conference center and ordered the event closed. A later, more credible report had it that Governor Whitmer herself had issued the directive. (There’s a trenchant comment in there somewhere about one woman doing the work of twenty men (in suits!), but I’ll bypass that for now.) Given the shutdown and the fact that many authors (including me) may now face cancellation or postponement of other events we’ve worked so hard to arrange, I’ve decided to turn the next two installments of HeartWood into virtual Author Expos. Instead of strolling through, you can scroll through and visit the virtual tables of the authors you might have met in person at the cancelled event. With this many authors and books, I’ll bet you can find plenty of reading material to keep you occupied during this period of voluntary isolation. And if you find a book you love, please consider using some of your unexpected free time to write and post a review on Goodreads, Amazon, or both. The author will thank you and so will readers who learn about the book from your review. The HeartWood Author Expo is now open!Jean Davishttps://jeanddavis.blogspot.com/ Jean writes speculative fiction. Her novels include Trust, Destiny Pills & Space Wizards, The Last God, A Broken Race and Sahmara. Her short stories have appeared in The 3288 Review, Bards and Sages Quarterly, Theian Journal, Acidic Fiction's Corrosive Chronicles anthology, The First Line, Tales of the Talisman, Brewed Awakenings II anthology, and more. When not ruining fictional lives from the comfort of her writing chair, she can be found devouring books and sushi, enjoying the offerings of local breweries, weeding her flower garden, or picking up hundreds of sticks while attempting to avoid the abundant snake population who also shares her yard. Joan H. Younghttp://booksleavingfootprints.com/ A lifelong outdoorsperson, Joan rode a bicycle from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean in 1986 and in 2010 became the first woman to complete the North Country National Scenic Trail on foot. Her mileage totaled 4,395 miles. In addition to North Country Cache and North Country Quest, both about her experiences on the North Country Trail, Joan has written six cozy mysteries in the Anastasia Raven series and four Dubois Files children’s mysteries. Two essay collections, Get Off the Couch with Joan and Fall Off the Couch Laughing contain work originally published as newspaper columns. Janet Vormittaghttps://www.janetvormittag.com/home.html Author, publisher, and animal advocate, Janet is the founder and publisher of Cats and Dogs, a Magazine Devoted to Companion Animals, a free publication distributed in West Michigan that promotes pet adoption and spay/neuter. Janet holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Grand Valley State University and was a correspondent for The Grand Rapids Press for ten years. Her articles have also been published in Cat Fancy, The Muskegon Chronicle, and the North Ottawa Weekly. Her true story of taming a feral cat, “Wild Cat I Think You Love Me,” was published in The Ultimate Cat Lover (HCI, 2008). Janet’s books include You Might be a Crazy Cat Lady if . . . , Dog 281 (Save Five Series Book 1), More Than a Number (Save Five Series Book 2), and the just-published The Save Five Club (Save Five Series Book 3). Emma Palovahttps://emmapalova.com/ Born in former Czechoslovakia, Emma is a journalist, author, short story writer, and screenwriter based in Lowell, Michigan. “Small towns in Midwest America continue to inspire my work,” she says. “I find strength in my characters modeled after resilient people in the face of adversity. I love the Lake Michigan shoreline, its beaches and forests.” Emma’s books include Shifting Sands: Short Stories, Secrets (Shifting Sands Book 2), and Greenwich Meridian Memoir, an epic tale of immigration and love spanning three continents and two generations. Ellen M. Murrayhttps://www.emedspec.com/ Ellen is the creator of Think Spell Write, a reading program for students who struggle to read and write fluently despite having had reading instruction. These might be special education students, students whose education has been disrupted by trauma or interrupted due to frequent moves, or students who have not yet learned phonetic rules well enough to effectively apply them to read. A 32-year veteran teacher, Ellen taught various subjects at different grade levels, always with dedication to struggling students and a passion for teaching reading. “I love teaching reading!” she says. “I especially love teaching reading to students who feel they will never learn to read. I love that ‘aha’ moment when reading clicks for a student. I love when students are speechless or red-faced, or their face lights up as they realize ‘I can read this!’ ” Brenda Hassehttps://brendahassebooks.com/ Brenda is a multi-award-winning author of pre-teen, young adult, and adult novels. She has published several picture books for children as well. Among her titles: The Freelancer, On The Third Day: An afterlife journey, From Beyond the Grave: An afterlife journey – Part 2, A Lady’s Destiny, The Moment Of Trust, and Wilkinshire Brenda volunteers her time writing plays for the Fenton Village Players to perform during the Ghost Walk and Historical Cemetery Walk. She also freelances for magazines from the Fenton, Michigan, home she shares with her husband and cats. Be sure to come back in two weeks to meet more authors at HeartWood Author Expo II.
19 Comments
3/18/2020 06:55:20 am
Talk about making lemonade out of a sour situation. Thanks Nan for turning the fiasco at the Women’s Expo into a virtual book market. Impressive.
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Nan
3/18/2020 09:45:21 am
I'm happy I had this outlet for sharing everyone's virtual tables.
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3/18/2020 07:15:00 am
What a fantastic idea! But how disappointing to have the event cancelled. I've heard it's a great show for authors. Thanks for sharing the authors and their books. I've seen so many names on the Michigan Authors FB page. Now I can put faces with the names. Looking forward to "meeting" more.
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Nan
3/18/2020 09:46:28 am
Well, maybe next year! Meanwhile, this works.
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Sally Pobojewski
3/18/2020 08:07:49 am
Leave it to Nancy to make the best of a bad situation! Stay well, everyone.
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Nan
3/18/2020 09:48:02 am
Hope you're staying well, too, Sally.
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3/18/2020 08:15:07 am
Hi Nan,
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Nan
3/18/2020 09:48:44 am
It was a pleasure meeting you and the other authors, too, Emma. All was not lost!
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Nan
3/18/2020 09:49:54 am
It was fun to do. Made me think we should do this kind of thing more often, not only when we get shut down.
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Norma Lewis
3/18/2020 09:43:37 am
I hadn't made the Friday the 13th connection. Fitting. Last year I sold 85 books at Expo. This year 1.
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Nan
3/18/2020 09:51:15 am
Good point, Norma. It was a good bonding experience, if not a good selling experience.
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Emily Everett
3/18/2020 01:08:42 pm
I love how you don't dwell on disappointments. And I love your HeartWood author expo!
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Nan
3/18/2020 01:40:17 pm
And I love you for loving both!
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Sue Schneider
3/18/2020 04:55:06 pm
Nan, you are an incredible and very clever writer. I appreciate your creative twist in a challenging situation!
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Nan
3/19/2020 07:37:51 am
Thank you, Sue. Challenging times call for creative solutions! I hope you are staying well.
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3/19/2020 07:50:44 am
What a wonderful idea Nan and thank you for creating this link. I agree that it was a great bonding experience and enjoyed meeting some fellow writers. This was my first expo so I appreciated those who shared helpful hints.
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Nan
3/19/2020 08:56:16 am
It was lovely meeting you, Ellen. I hope this virtual expo will help readers discover your work and that of the other authors. Looking forward to meeting again at other events -- whenever those start up again.
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Sally
4/1/2020 12:00:59 pm
So great to learn about these wonderful women authors! Thanks, Nan et al!
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Written from the heart,
from the heart of the woods Read the introduction to HeartWood here.
Available now!Author
Nan Sanders Pokerwinski, a former journalist, writes memoir and personal essays, makes collages and likes to play outside. She lives in West Michigan with her husband, Ray. Archives
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