Minnesota Book Awards and St. Peter Reads

Rachael Hanel's Blog about being a finalist for the MN Book Awards

Her memoir, We'll Be the Last Ones to Let You Down is worth the read! It's a lovely, powerful book about being a gravedigger's daughter.

I'm in one of her pictures, too! Rachael is in our writing group, and we are oh, so proud. This is our second writing group finalist for a Minnesota Book Award (Kirstin Cronn-Mills was a finalist a couple years ago for The Sky Always Hears Me).

We had a grand afternoon and evening at the Awards.  Here is Rachael Hanel (left) before the awards ceremony, talking to her husband David, while she is ready to sign books.  Beside her is Melanie Hoffert, who won the category for her memoir Prairie Silence.

Here are the members of our writing group in attendance:

Judith Angelique Johnson, Kirstin Cronn-Mills, Rachael, and me. Our friends Steve Deger and Leslie Gibson joined us for dinner and for the festivities. Here they are with Leslie's and my favorite outfit spotted at the Gala. We have no idea who this lovely and creative woman is, but she was willing to pose with Leslie and Steve!

Also, notably, sitting at Rachael's table,  were several of us who usually ride the Minnesota Ironman together. We had to take a picture becasue we've never been photographed together while NOT wearing lycra/spandex.

Left to right: Loretta (Rachael's mom), Renee (Rachael's sister), me, Rachael, and David Hanel (Rachael's hubby, who often lets us draft on long rides).

Before we dressed and went to the event, Angie and I wandered around downtown Minneapolis while Kirstin was at a meeting. Here I am being Mary Tyler Moore. :)

And since I'm telling this story backwards, I want to include that I started the day in St. Peter at the St. Peter Reads event. It was a blast. Nicole Helget did a brilliant job as keynote speaker with an extended metaphor comparing baseball and writing. She was captivating, as always.

Twelve of us writers were invited to a "Moveable Feast" (Great name) where we sat with one breakfasting table of interested readers for fifteen minutes and then moved to another. We got to meet many readers and fascinating community members this way. It's a GREAT event, and I encourage any local reader or writer to attend next year.  

Holy Smoke

I haven't had time to be online for several days, and I have a lot to catch up on....When I sit down to write, I guess I can see why. Holy Smoke.

Wed., the 27th, I spoke at the Summit Center about writing and biking, and read some from Chasing AllieCat. Small crowd, but every person there bought a book. Great disussion, and some wonderful senior bike enthusiasts. Keeps me inspired to keep at this biking thing forever. (And Freya went with me).

Friday, I got to visit a second grade class in Nevada, Iowa, with Freya, and the kids and Freya had great time. I love talking to kids about writing.

Saturday, I read and signed books at Borders in Ames. Again, not a huge crowd, but very receptive and all wonderful people. The crowd included my aunt and cousin, cousin's wife, adopted sisters-in-law (through my brother), former student (thanks, Heidi!), new acquaintance whose daughter is a librarian and is going to ask me to come for a library event, long-time friend, classmate (thanks, Glenda!), and a few more, including a woman from Des Moines trying to sell her first book. It feels so important to give back to the writing community. Funny, my road to publication was sooooo long and full of set-backs that I never thought the whole thing would feel fortunate, but it does.

Sunday, I rode the Minnesota Ironman Bike Ride/Gran Fondo--a timed 105-mile ride starting and ending in Lakeville. The wind almost killed me. But if it doesn't kill you, it makes you stronger, right? After all said and done, it was indeed fun. Thanks, David, Lisa, and Carol for being such great riding partners, and Rachael, too!

Today, I visited Sam Pottenger's Preschool at the YMCA. Freya went along, of course. We read my Flowers and Showers: A Spring Counting Book. That was a blast. Freya sort of makes a splash of attention wherever she goes and makes getting out of any building a rather long task...but much fun.

Christmas walk and Grand Fondo!

Freya and I had a lovely Christmas walk this afternoon. Even though the snow was up to my knees and she has to barrel or bounce through it, we had a blast. It was quite the work-out. Lightly falling flakes, quiet, a few deer, and the glow of the snowy world. Christmas landscape as it should be.

And news: the Minnesota Ironman Bike ride will now be timed. A new venture! Grand Fondo, here we come!
http://ironmanbikeride.org/gran-fondo