Saturday, I had the privilege of being in the company of five faith-filled authors from different walks of life and different walks with Adonai. These amazing folks wrote in a variety of genres. One author, Deborah Edmisten, is a dear friend I met in a local writers’ group. Three others, Betty Kulich, Michael Parker, and Dianna Caraballo, I’ve met at previous events. And Marrissa Saunders was the new girl on the block, but she fit in with this group so seamlessly, it felt as if we’d known her forever.
Kern’s Home & Garden & Christian Bookstore hosted their Spring Open House, and the above-mentioned friends and I, all local authors, participated. This is the third such event that I’ve attended at Kern’s, and I must say the word I kept hearing yesterday was “magical.”
The greenhouses were a small glimpse into what Eden must have looked like, and truly, Adonai walked among us. A sweet Spirit pervaded the day as we authors came together in love and friendship. I am blessed to have these writers in my life.
The best part was when some of the authors had the opportunity to pray with patrons. And that’s when it hit me. Every writer present brought rest and peace with them yesterday as they ministered to the individuals who approached their respective table. The unseen hand of Adonai directed each person to the correct author, who in turn reached out to customers via their writing. HaShem was glorified repeatedly, and I knew this to be true when the people who conversed with us were so open about their faith and needs.
If you weren’t able to visit with us yesterday, fear not! The books written by these wonderful writers are still available, and if you’ll bear with me and stay tuned, I promise to make it easy for you to locate their books. Until then ~
Hello, Realmers! If you missed my Tuesday post, Celebration at Realm Central, then head on over to find out what the excitement is all about. And once you do, come on out to the Kern’s Home & Garden & Christian Bookstore Spring Open House between the hours of 9 AM and 4 PM to get in on the celebration.
Realm turned one this past Tuesday, April 16, 2024. I cannot begin to tell you how exciting and humbling that is all at once. The best part is that I’ll be in the presence of five faith-filled authors as I celebrate the anniversary of my first novel’s publication.
These wonderful writers will also be signing their books for purchase. The first one hundred guests to attend the Spring Open House will receive a complimentary gift bag, and drawings for a Bible, a signed Willow Tree figurine, an Inis fragrance gift bag, a hanging basket, and an herb garden round out the fun!
Support local authors, shop small business, and be rewarded generously for doing so.
Spring in Ohio has been glorious this year. The cherry trees are absolutely stunning, and the rains are washing the earth to a new level of freshness and beauty! I love this time of year with its unpredictable, broody skies and sunshine that bursts forth at any given moment. What a great season.
Then, there was the eclipse this past Sunday, which once again reminded me of Adonai’s splendor. I know His miracles are with us every day, and I am forever grateful. There are times, however, when HaShem says, “I’m glad you’re enjoying my handiwork. Now, watch this.”
So, on the author work front, I got knocked off my writing/editing course last week when the Gibson Household was required to hunt for a new vehicle. It’s always a tense time between me and the husband when a new vehicle must be sought. We both want it over quickly, and we want a reliable mode of transportation that we can afford, but while he wants the first one we view to be the one we buy, I’m often the voice of reason that comes across like a parent saying “No!”
Fortunately, we’ve learned a few things during our thirty years of marriage, namely communication, and we bridged the gap of our expectations. Then we doused our conversation with a heavy dose of prayer, and the result was the purchase of the third vehicle we found. It’s a beauty, and Will loves driving it. But not as much as I love watching him drive it. Heart happy!
Other marvelous news includes a visit from our grandbaby, the most wonderful child to walk the face of the earth. We had him on a Tuesday and Friday, and we packed every moment with great activities including tickle fights, playing Candy Land, visiting with the cats, reloading the Dunkin Donuts card, arts and crafts, visiting the park with a new friend, and, of course, a trip to Culver’s, his favorite restaurant. We’re already looking forward to his next visit.
Back to writing, I must admit that I’ve set my work aside because I am invested in beta reading and editing my primary beta reader’s first novel. It’s a great story, and although I’ve mentioned it before, I must do so again! The story is one he told his children when they were small, and the love alone with which it is infused makes me long for the day that the world can share in the tale, especially when so many readers are begging for great stories that simply entertain without promoting political or social agenda. Stay tuned for updates on that front.
Now, please don’t think that I’ve abandoned my writing altogether. Again, the above-mentioned activities are why you’ve received Quotation Station posts for a couple weeks. The second installment in the Realm universe is currently in the hands of my primary beta reader. Once again, we’ve traded works to make the most of our time and abilities. But I’d also like to mention that doing so truly is an investment . . . in people.
During the years (and I don’t recall how many exactly) that he and I have beta read/edited for each other, an amazing friendship blossomed and spilled over to include spouses, dinners and celebrations at each other’s homes, and a depth of relationship expressed by genuine caring during the highs and lows of our lives. That type of connection goes far beyond simply having someone read your WIP. Invest in people, and your writing will flourish because writing should be about more than getting your own work published.
Now for a surprise, Realmers! I’ll be attending the Kern’s Home & Garden & Christian Bookstore Spring Open House on April 20, 2024, 9 A – 4 P, where I’ll have copies of Realm for purchase. I’d love nothing more than the opportunity to personally inscribe your copy of Realm, so please, come on out to meet me. Already own Realm? Well, I’d still love to visit with you, so stop by to say hello!
Six local authors will be joining me and will also have their books available for purchase. In addition, the Kern’s greenhouses will be stocked to bursting with flowers, trees, vegetables, and herbs. All the new home décor will be on display inside the store. The first one hundred guests receive a complimentary gift bag, and there will be drawings for a Bible, a signed Willow Tree figurine, Inis fragrance gift bags, a hanging basket, and an herb garden.
This is one occasion that you don’t want to miss. Shop small business, support local authors, and be rewarded generously for doing so. I’ll see you there!
Well, Realmers, here we are at the end of 2023! I don’t know about you, but it’s been an exciting year, and I’m thankful for the many blessings Adonai has bestowed upon me and my family. Since I’ll be keeping Shabbat and celebrating New Year’s with family, I thought today would be a good day to reminisce the past year.
My debut novel Realm launched in April. After all the writing, editing, beta reading, editing, more beta reading, professional editing, choosing a launch date, ordering and sending invitations, planning the party, and then going forward with the book launch party, all I can say is THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for making my dream of publication come true. I couldn’t have done it without all the love and support I received along the way.
One of the neatest experiences I had with promoting Realm was the creation of an unboxing video, book trailer, and scene re-creation with Heath and Michelle Smith. Be sure to check out the videos on YouTube at HL Gibson.
In May, I held a successful book signing at Thirty-two 8 Inspired & Co. where I made a new friend in baker and chocolatier, Michelle Kostich of Shell’s Confections. What a privilege and pleasure it has been to support each other in our chosen professions, but our friendship really is the icing on the cake, cupcakes, and cookies.
Another amazing book signing took place at Therapy Ice Cream & Coffee Bar in June, and several more people became Realmers that day. Many wonderful beta reading and editing sessions took place at Therapy. Lots of ice cream and coffee were consumed at Therapy. And it is with a heavy yet grateful heart that we bid a fond farewell to Therapy and wish the owners a happy retirement. You will be missed.
I kept writing during this time, but it was mostly blog posts regarding what I mentioned above. One of the best things to occur was the large amounts of positive feedback I received about Realm. I produced a decent amount of monthly marketing by creating my own ads for social media, which were well-received. Then there was a bit of a break for the summer, and I worked a bit on writing toward my current WIP.
My next event was my first multi-author book signing at Kern’s Home & Garden & Christian Bookstore. I coordinated with nursery owner, Heidi Flack, and the authors who participated, to create some lovely advertising for the Fall Open House. The weather was perfect on both days of the event, and the customers enjoyed having us there.
So, we did it again in December for the Winter Wonderland Open House! This time, in addition to lovely headshots, the advertising included a short bio about each author. Again, the day was perfect, and customers picked up some great reading material for themselves and as gifts.
Since I found my groove with creating my own ads, I finished my year with social media advertising because I wanted to focus on my family during the holidays. I also threw myself into working steadily on my current WIP, and while I’m cautiously optimistic, I think I see the light at the end of the tunnel for this one.
The big challenge regarding my current WIP in the coming year will be to stay focused and on track with concluding the novel. “What’s vying for your attention?” you ask. Well, it’s faithful fans and followers who keep asking when the next book in the world of Realm is due to be published. I must admit that I honestly did not expect that to occur quite so soon, and I’m going to have to look at my schedule to decide the logistics of publishing the next book. It’s all rather exciting and scary.
Stay tuned as I manage things here at Realm Central. If you haven’t already become a Realmer, be sure to pick up your copy of Realm today. You’re going to require the info in Realm as a foundation for the next book.
As always, I make the plans, commit them to Adonai, and He gives the go-ahead or adjusts the details as needed before I move forward. This is my secret to success, and it’s worked every time.
Hello, Realmers! What a busy time it’s been here at Realm Central. Starting with Thanksgiving, my time has been concentrated toward planning, a post-celebratory pause to catch my breath, and then diving right into the next event. Still, I need to catch up with all my faithful followers.
In case you missed it, I had the pleasure of attending a book signing at Kern’s Home & Garden & Christian Book Store during their Winter Wonderland Open House on December 2, 2023. What a wonderful time and a great turnout we had. Five local authors, in addition to myself, were present to share their book(s) and sign purchased copies. If supporting small and/or local business and indie authors is your bag, then I highly recommend seeking out any one of us for a great book to give and stopping at Kern’s for all your holiday needs.
Dianna Caraballo
Deborah Edmisten
Michael G. Parker
Anne Blackburne
HL Gibson
Janine Rosche
Prepping for Hanukkah came swiftly on the heels of Thanksgiving and the book signing. Mom and I hashed out a menu, gifts were acquired, and I didn’t decorate one single bit. Now before you think I’m a Grinch, allow me to explain in two words: five . . . cats. That’s right! It’s a little-known fact that the second miracle of Hanukkah at the Gibson household is the survival of any tissue paper in the gifts bags beyond the moment they are set out. It’s in Adonai’s hands now.
Here’s the appropriate blessing for the first night of Hanukkah:
Blessed are You, Lord our G‑d, King of the universe, who has granted us life, sustained us,and enabled us to reach this occasion.
I hope you’ll be encouraged to participate because at the heart of the celebration, it’s about Adonai’s light, truth, and miracles. Who wouldn’t want to celebrate that?
Speaking of which, my darling husband was so inspired by the words of our congregational leader, Timothy Pell, spoken this past Shabbat. Tim taught about Hanukkah, and all week Will couldn’t stop talking about his desire to shine the lights of Hanukkah more brightly than ever.
It’s no secret to anyone that Israel is in the fight of her life right now or that the Gibson household stands with Israel forever! Will wanted to decorate our trees with blue and white lights, but his work schedule and the weather were against us. I could tell how much it meant to my husband, so I proposed tealights that we could burn in addition to our hanukkiah. Yes, it would be indoors, but with a large quantity, we could make our little home glow with the light of Hanukkah.
So, two hundred tealights later (that’s twenty-five a night if you’re wondering), Will is locked and loaded to shine the light into the darkness.
In closing, dear friends, another reason why I haven’t posted recently is because of you! Or rather for you. Confused? It’s easy, really. I’m writing again, and as always, it’s for you and with you in mind.
Realm has been so well received ever since I launched my debut novel this past April. The reviews are spectacular, and the requests for a sequel nonstop. I plan on waiting until the first of the year to decide for sure, but serious thought about publishing the next book in the Realm-verse has been placed at the forefront of my mind. I honestly didn’t think it would happen so soon or be so desired. What a blessing! But when you have the best followers and fans, it’s to be expected.
Thank you, Realmers! Stay tuned, we’ll see you at sundown, and have a Happy Hanukkah.
Come out and meet FIVE local authors, enjoy cookies & hot chocolate, enter the door prize drawings, shop for fresh greenery, wreaths, Christmas-themed plants, and as always, the most beautiful poinsettias you’ll ever see!
Hello, Realmers! I have such exciting news to share with you. This past weekend, I had the pleasure of attending a book signing with three local authors. It was my first experience at a multi-author event, and I’m so glad I participated.
A big thank you shout out to Kern’s Home & Garden and Christian Book Store for hosting the event. Owner Heidi Flack and her crew went out of their way to make us feel so welcome by setting up individual tables decorated in fall colors complete with little baskets of candy for customers.
Another huge thank you to Shell’s Confections for making the most delicious mint chocolate covered Oreos to represent the triple jade moons in the Realm. Owner Michelle Kostich took the time to put the title of my novel, Realm, on each cookie creation! All the new Realmers were quite pleased with the unexpected, tasty favor upon purchase of Realm.
Both days of the event were gorgeous, and we had a good turnout of customers. I learned some new approaches that I’ll be implementing at my next book signing, and hopefully I was helpful to those involved. The best part of the event for me was the lovely discussions and conversations I had with those who came out to support me and Realm. Every moment was truly a Divine appointment ~ Baruch HaShem!
Couldn’t make the event? No worries! Realm is always available at BookBaby. You can also find my novel at Barnes & Noble, BAM, and other online retailers.
Summer is drawing to a close, but my desire to learn more about bread baking has not abated in the least. I continued to delve into challah specifically and met up with my friend, Paula Stevenhagen, who I have dubbed The Challah Queen. Our friend, Sherry Goodrich, also joined us, and we had the best day.
Sleepy-eyed Bread Bakers
Paula recently became interested in grinding organic grains, and she experimented with different flours either alone or in combination. Our home fellowship reaped the benefits of her labors and loved eating the challah she made every Shabbat. In no time at all, Paula had her recipe(s) perfected and produced challah that was substantial without being too heavy, flavorful, and delicious. Her challah is so satisfying that I could eat it as a meal.
In addition to her WonderMill grain grinder, Paula treated herself to another cool kitchen toy—The Ankarsrum, known as Sweden’s Iconic Kitchen Mixer. You must check this thing out online to appreciate it.
Paula does have a recipe, but I must tell you that she’s one of those bakers who just knows by sight and touch when to tweak her bread dough. In short, her recipe is not for the novice or anyone who hasn’t worked with freshly milled flour. In fact, while she was away for the past two weeks, I asked her for the recipe (I’d forgotten to get it the day we baked), and she texted three different recipes with inclusions and exclusions, and in the end, I told her we’d talk when she returned to which she texted back Amen.
Giving myself the summer off from writing while exploring other creative outlets recharged my muse, and as I sensed the approach of fall (I can feel and smell autumn in the air!) story ideas have started to surface in my mind.
I suspect I put up a writing roadblock for myself under the pretense of needing to research a particular issue. I wanted to portray sailing as accurately as possible in one portion of my current WIP, but as new ideas came to mind, I found a way around this detail and came to realize that it wasn’t truly about sailing. At least not as specifically as I had originally thought.
For now, I can let the sailing go and jump back into writing. No doubt, I’ll need to re-establish some writing goals and structures for myself and set some writing boundaries where others are concerned. It’s a balancing game, but it’s a challenge I’m up to with Adonai’s help.
But it is definitely time to start writing because the characters in my current WIP are starting to talk to each other again, which means I must get them out of my head and onto the page!
In closing, come join me and my fellow authors at Kern’s Home & Garden & Christian Bookstore at 2438 Canton Road, Akron, Ohio for a book signing! There will be food trucks for the Fall Open House and gorgeous mums as far as the eye can see as well as lovely autumn décor. See you soon!
I am excited to announce a Fall Open House & Book Signing. Join us Friday & Saturday, September 8 & 9, 2023, from 10 AM until 4 PM at Kern’s Home & Garden & Christian Bookstore, located at 2438 Canton Road, Akron, Ohio. There will be food trucks, a great selection of fall plants, and a wide array of books for sale by some of your favorite local authors.
hl gibson, author 