Posted By telizabeth on February 28, 2010

Andrea Loewenwarter (Historic Resources Specialist) and T. Elizabeth Renich at 2010 CW BookMart Fund-Raiser for Historic Blenheim in Fairfax, Virginia

With a little more than a week’s notice, I received an invitation from Andrea Loewenwarter at Historic Blenheim to come Fairfax for a book signing.  I googled Historic Blenheim, as I wasn’t familiar with the site, and after doing a bit of reading, determined that I wanted to be a part of the preservation fund-raiser.

I contacted Josh in the Shipping & Receiving Department of YWAM Publishing (they do the distribution for Emerald Books) and he once again came through for me in getting a shipment of books here in time to take to the event on February 27th.

As it turns out, I knew one of the other fiction writers, knew of a couple of the non-fiction authors, and inevitably met some others who I hadn’t known before.  The numbers of “shoppers” increased slightly as the afternoon wore on, though I’m told that numbers were unfortunately down from last year.  I sold a handful of books and was glad to make the donation to the historic site.

Blenheim, as the Willcoxon Farm was known in 1857, was added to the National Registry of Historic Places in 2001.  Andrea was kind to march a group of us along the muddy path up the snowy hill for a tour of house.  The significance of this place is an amazing collection of graffiti left on the walls primarily by some Union soldiers who were here in 1862 and others later on in 1863.  The restoration is still in progress, and Andrea along with her team, are researching the names of these soldiers who “left their mark” in traditional “Kilroy was here“ fashion.  There are signatures, large and small, cartoons, quotations in German and English, portraits, and poems.  It was my understanding that one of the participating authors had included an actual soldier who had been at and inscribed his name on Blenheim’s walls in her book, based on an ancestor of hers who had been there during the Civil War. 

Andrea’s husband purchased a copy of Word of Honor for their daughter.  I had had a chance to talk with her a little, about loving to read and enjoying history.  When she read the back covers of the Shadowcreek Chronicles, she became interested in Salina’s story.  I hope she will enjoy it.

Category: Musings | Comments Off
Tags: Historic Blenheim, Kilroy Was Here

Posted By telizabeth on November 29, 2009

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4TH

6:30-8:30 PM

Come and meet T. Elizabeth Renich at the Very Virginia Shop, where she will be available to sign copies of her Shadowcreek Chronicles during Leesburg’s “First Friday” celebration.

Very Virginia is located at 109 South King Street in Historic Downtown Leesburg… (703-669-1800)

The Shadowcreek Chronicles are a great gift idea for the history buff on your Christmas List!

Hope to see you there!

Category: Musings | No Comments »
Tags:

Posted By telizabeth on November 29, 2009

Daniel Silva and me before kickoff of the Redskins-Buccaneers Game on October 4, 2009

I get to do some very interesting things and meet some very interesting people in my line of work.  On home game Sundays, I am available “on-call” in case I am needed.  Occasionally, I assist with escorting family and friends of our head coach’s wife from her suite to the sidelines prior to games, and I’ve also been a “tour guide” for our assistant coaches’ wives and families on the way to the field-level reception room where the post-game meetings are held.  Mostly, I’m there as moral support.

On the Sunday that we played the Buccaneers, one of the guests in Mrs. Zorn’s suite was New York Times Best-Selling Author Daniel Silva.  I recognized Daniel’s name from seeing his books in Coach’s office, and from hearing rave reviews of his work from our assistant coaches who have read many, if not all, of his titles.  Sarah and Dani also had good things to say about his stories.  To have a chance to meet Daniel and chat with him for a few minutes prior to kickoff was an honor.  I had to confess that I’ve not (yet) read anything he has written (he is considered a master of intrigue and espionage) and I explained to him how I had written four historical novels set during the Civil War – knowing he hasn’t (yet) read any of my work — which contain a thread of a spy story woven through Salina’s tale.  Daniel was very kind and offered some encouraging words — both about writing and about football.  (After our second meeting, he took a set of my Shadowcreek Chronicles home with him as a gift for his daughter, who I understand loves to read, so I hope she will enjoy them.)  I have added him to my reading list for the off-season. 

Category: Musings | No Comments »
Tags:

Posted By telizabeth on August 12, 2009

Redskins Training Camp has been underway for more than two weeks now.  The coaches and players have been working hard to get ready for the 2009 season.  We had open practices during the first eight days, but after Fan Appreciation Day last Saturday, then things went into game-prep mode for Baltimore on August 13th.

During some “down time” at lunch one day, Hunter Smith and I had a chance to chat near the buffet line.  Hunter is new with us this year, and will be responsible for punting duties.  He’s also the holder for PAT-FG situations.  But in addition to being a pro football player, Hunter has a creative side and in his “other life” he is part of a Christian rock band called Connersvine.  Hunter came to the Redskins from the Colts during the off-season, and back at his church in Indianapolis, and and his friend Chris Wilson (not the LB/DE on our team) used to lead worship for their youth group.  They got a deal to record some of the songs they’d written over the years and it’s an awesome album.  I really like the imagery in their lyrics, and the music is powerful and stays with you.  My favorites, so far are:  Hero, Live for You, and Sacred Mystery.

Hunter agreed to a trade.  We exchanged one of my books for his CD, and autographed them accordingly.  I don’t know if he’ll actually read it for himself, but I know his wife was interested in the story.  She plans on getting some sightseeing done in this very historical area of our country.  Then when she reads Word of Honor, she’ll recognize the places.

Now we just need to figure when and where Hunter and Connersvine can have a concert in our neck of the woods.  (It’s been way too long since I used to hang out with Crumbacher!)

2005 Crumbacher Reunion Concert

Category: Musings | No Comments »
Tags: Connersvine, Crumbacher, Hero, Hunter Smith

Posted By telizabeth on August 11, 2009

If you check out my EVENTS page, there is a more detailed description of the RWA National Conference that I attended in July.  Here are some additional pictures of various authors, editors, and agents I either got to meet and talk with, or attended their workshops:

Following along by rows from left to right:

Top Row:  Allie Pleiter, Stephanie Newton, Deeanne Gist

While at the Literacy Book Signing on Wednesday (15-Jul) night, I met Allie Pleiter, author of Bluegrass Blessings.  I also met Stephanie Newton, who’s first book Perfect Target was recently released and her next one will be out this fall.  Deeanne Gist, a Bethany House author, was a RITA Award finalist for her novel, Deep in the Heart of Trouble.

Second Row:  Leigh Greenwood; Lenora Worth, Renee Ryan, and Lisa Mondello; Jayne Ann Krentz and Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Leigh Greenwood is the pen name of this gentleman author, and we actually met several years ago when I was living down in Charlotte, NC — first at Barnes & Noble event, and later at a writers clinic uptown called GMC:  Goal, Motive, Conflict by Debra Dixon.  It was nice to see him again.  Lenora Worth filled in for Debra Clopton, who was unable to make the conference due to a book deadline, at a workshop with Renee Ryan and Lisa Mondello called “Merging Inspiration & More:  Writing for the Inspirational Market.”  Friday morning I attended a workshop conducted by Jayne Ann Krenz and Susan Elizabeth Phillips called “Secrets of the Best-Selling Sisterhood.”  Susan Elizabeth Phillips wrote Nobody’s Baby But Mine (probably close to ten years ago) which had to do with a quarterback of a pro football team…  She and I spoke briefly afterwards, and I mentioned to her that she probably spoke with Barb when she used to work for the Bears.  You’ve got to love football — ha!

Third Row:  Debbie Macomber, Carla Neggers, Terri Reed

At the Harlequin Book Signing, they were giving away books by the featured authors.  I met Debbie Macomber (Twenty Wishes), Carla Neggers (The Angel), and Terri Reed (Her Last Chance).  Each of them signed a copy of their latest book for me.  Carla and I met earlier this year (at the WRW Retreat in Leesburg), and since her book happens partly in Ireland, she was delighted to sign a second copy for me so that I could send it off to my friend Bernadette in Ardrahan/County Galway.  Carla loves doing research in Ireland, too.

Fourth Row:  Robin Wells; Laura Lee Guhrke, May Chen, and Julia Quinn; Shelley Shepard Gray and Leanna Ellis

Saturday’s workshops included presentations by Robin Wells (Under Their Skin & Straight to the Heart:  Creating Emotion with Significant Detail); Laura Lee Guhrke, May Chen, and Julia Quinn’s topic was Why We Love Mr. Darcy:  Insiders Tips on the Historical Market; and Shelley Shepard Gray and Leanna Ellis spoke on Making the Jump to the Inspirational Market.  Both Shelley and Leanna write for other romance lines in addition to their inspirational novels.

Bottom Row:  Andrew Gross; Jennifer Schober and Laura Bradford; Nora Roberts

The workshop presented by Andrew Gross (author of The Dark Tide) and Carla Neggers was called He Said, She Said:  Doing the Other Sex & Doing Them Well.  This one was interesting because they talked about writing characters well enough that you can’t tell that a male author wrote the female character and the female author wrote the male character.  Jennifer Schober and Laura Bradford (both literary agents) gave a presentation called How to Catch Flies:  on Professionalism and Choosing Your Own Business Reputation.  We got most of their workshop in — some of it outside in the parking lot during the fire drill.  Nora Roberts won a RITA Award for Tribute.  Kathy and I have been to Nora’s bookstore up in Boonesboro, Maryland, and I got to see her up close after the gala, toting her golden statuette.

All in all, the conference was a good experience from a professional standpoint.  It also served as a reminder for me to be thankful for the books that I already have published.  I’ve since renewed my prayers that the LORD will give me more stories to write (and have published), if that is His will.

Category: Musings | No Comments »
Tags: RWA Conference, Washington DC

Posted By telizabeth on July 26, 2009

Category: Historic Places, Musings | No Comments »
Tags: B&O Railroad Museum, Jubal Early, Lew Wallace, Monocacy Battlefield

Posted By telizabeth on July 26, 2009

A couple of years ago, Barb and I treated ourselves to a “cultural experience” by going out to eat at the Capital Grille in Washington, DC, and then to see a performance of Phantom of the Opera at the Kennedy Center.  As I sat there, I couldn’t help but wonder if some famous person had occupied the same seat I had for some other production…  and I did my best to keep looking around and cataloging details because maybe an event such as this could show up in a contemporary story somewhere along the way.

After I came home from Minnesota, Barb, her sister-in-law, and I had the opportunity to see a matinee performance of Riverdance at the Wolf Trap Theater.  It was so awesome!  And it reminded me of Bernadette’s younger sister, Frances.

When I visited Bernadette in County Galway in 2008, her sister did me the honor of putting on a private exhibition of Irish Dance, with both hard shoes and soft.  It was such fun to see the intricate steps up close and personal.  I could certainly imagine her appearing in a Riverdance show.  Those details, too, might could end up being useful in a story someday.  I do like adventures and experiences; that way my characters can have them, too!

Barb had been to Wolf Trap on a previous occasion, but that was my first visit.  It was a gorgeous day, with a nice breeze, and that helped as the theater is covered, but open-aired on the sides.  We had great seats, in the middle about 4 rows back from the orchestra pit, and with her connections, excellent parking!  We followed the show with an early dinner at Bonaroti’s and enjoyed the Italian food very much.

Category: Musings | No Comments »
Tags: Ireland, Kennedy Center, Riverdance, Wolf Trap

Posted By telizabeth on July 25, 2009

Approximately three hours northbound on I-95 will get me to Philadelphia.  In a complete downpour, however, it takes a little longer.  The first Saturday in June, the day after the continuous rain, turned out to be a fantastic day and Beth and I took a field trip into this historic city.

We visited the National Constitution Center, Independence Hall, the Visitors Center, Betsy Ross’s House, Christ Church Cemetery (where Ben Franklin is buried), and the Quaker Meeting House.  I confess, I remember learning about the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution being written and signed at the old Pennsylvania State House (now known as Independence Hall), but I had forgotten about the interim Articles of Confederation.  It was a good refresher in American History in general.  We had dinner at the City Tavern (the white asaparagus soup was very tasty!) which was an establishment frequented by many of the Founding Fathers, and earlier in the day we paused to listen to a drum and fife corps decked out in colonial attire, playing patriotic tunes.  I guess the only thing that really bothers me about that place is that’s where the Eagles play.  We beat them twice last season, and hopefully, with the proper amounts of determination, skill, and luck, we’ll have a repeat performance in the upcoming season.

When visiting the National Park Service’s website for information on Indpenedence Hall, I discovered that they have a link to another website (www.recreation.gov) where you can go and reserve tickets in advance for the tours.  It was a piece of cake to walk up to the will call window at the visitors center and have them waiting for us — especially since all the walk-up tickets had been distributed early that morning. 

On that same website where I got tickets for Independence Hall, I was able to acquire tickets for the Washington Monument as well.  I have heard tales about how difficult it is to get tickets, how quickly they run out each day, how early you have to be there to stand in line for them…  After I selected a date and time for the tour I wanted, the tickets arrived in the mail so I already had them in hand even before we drove into DC.

Actually, Beth did the driving on the day she, Lucy and I made our second trip of the year into DC together.  The weather was quite a bit warmer than when we’d been there in February to visit the Capitol.  Our tour was for 5:00 pm and once we got up to the 500-foot level, we found that our view, the Park Ranger told us, probably extended some 40 miles in any direction.  Stunning!  Walking down the stairs to the 490-foot level, we read the displays and looked at the momentos designated to honor George Washington’s military and presidential leadership.  I took a ton of pictures because it was absoultely awesome!  We looked down on the White House, the National Mall, the Capitol, the Tidal Basin, into Virginia and Maryland.  I could see as far as FedEx Field, even.  Later, we went to the tower of the Old Post Office, and while that is a nice view, it’s not nearly as spectacular as the vistas from the top of the Washington Monument.

The Air and Space Museum was impressive, the American History Museum was a huge disappointment, and we ate dinner at Harry’s Pub across from Barnes & Noble on E Street, not far from Ford’s Theatre where Lincoln was shot…  I think it would be interesting to go up to the top of the Washington Monument again, maybe just at dusk, when all the lights would be coming on.  It would be pretty from way up there, just in a completely different way.

(I took a picture of the shadow cast by the Washington Monument from the 500-foot level observation deck, and then took a picture of the shadow cast at ground level…)

Category: Historic Places, Musings | No Comments »
Tags: Betsy Ross House, Independence Hall, Old Post Office, Washington Monument

Posted By telizabeth on July 25, 2009

Category: Musings | No Comments »
Tags: Carter's Red Wagon Farm Market

Posted By telizabeth on July 25, 2009

Christy Barritt, Author of the Squeaky Clean Mystery Series

Capital Christian Writers held their May meeting in Fairfax at Truro Church.  The guest speaker was an author named Christy Barritt, who spoke on “Ten Common Mistakes of Fiction Writers.”  Christy’s novels are entitled Hazardous Duty and Suspicious Minds.  Some of the points in her talk were well taken, and I found myself chuckling along with the rest of our group as she spoke.  I made a book swap with her, one of mine for one of hers, and I’m looking forward to seeing if her story is as fun to read as she was to talk with.  I also made a book swap with Karla Vernon for her novel about Antonia Ford called The Spy in Crinoline.

At the end of May, I met Kathy out at Valhalla and while she was busy grooming her horse, Jack, I sat in the sun with a notepad and gorgeous scenery to inspire me.  I wrote a few pages before I had to leave.  A quick visit with friends who have recently moved to Winchester, and I was headed back home.  Once again, the history along Route 50 captured my attention.  It has been a long time since I’ve stopped to read any of the historical markers along the highway, and with it still being light out, I made it a point to stop and take pictures of each marker I could find from just east of Paris and beyond Gilberts Corner.  The distance of about 50 miles took 2.5 hours to cover.  There are so many Mosby and Stuart places along there, what with the cavalry engagements, raids, and historic houses that offered shelter and safety to Mosby’s Rangers.  It is a beautiful area, there through Hunt Country, Upperville, Middleburg, and Aldie.  I’m so thankful that living where I do in Virginia allows me the chance to soak up the history whenever I have the free time to do so.

Photos (L-R):  Goose Creek Bridge, Rectors Crossroads, Red Fox Inn, Aldie Mill, the bridge over Little River, and Mount Zion Church.

Category: Historic Places, Musings | No Comments »
Tags: Christy Barritt, JEB Stuart, John Mosby, Karla Vernon, Mosby Heritage Area