Heather Dawn Robin's Blog

... when I come to the midwest from California. As if I brought boots equipped for the cold, white, wet stuff.

Nonetheless, I'm making my way to J's Breakfast Club here in Gary, Indiana tonight where we will be celebrating Dialogue, LLCs inauguration with a lively discussion of Imbroglio and dating. The snow will just be a nice backdrop to the heat sure to come in our dialogue!

If you are in the Chicago Metropolitan / Gary / Michigan City area, don't sit around the house. Come get involved in the fun! It would certainly be lovely to meet some of my Goodreads brethren in person.

6pm to 9pm at:

J's Breakfast Club
3669 Broadway
Gary, IN

$10 cover includes wine! Only $5 with a purchase of book.
For more information:
Sip & Tell

I enjoyed digging a little deeper within during this Book Squirrel author interview where Joanne Van Leerdam’s eclectic questions certainly made me think. From my inspirations to hates to vacations and movies, here’s more about the mind behind Imbroglio…

Author Interview: Heather Dawn

Imbroglio: The Ties of Love and Lies is one of 79 books to advance to the Publishers Weekly BookLife Prize Quarter-finals.

In this nationwide contest, it ranks 4th out of 11 novels in the Romance genre and is heading to the semi-finals!

Keywords of the critique are: engaging, original, suspenseful with smooth prose.

Check it out for yourself…

https://booklife.com/prize/2/category/9

 

Imbroglio is part of the 3rd Annual Art & Jazz in the Garden event coming Sunday, June 25, 2017.

Dysonna City Art Gallery and Exposition Park will be hosting a festival with so much to enjoy––exotic Afro-Cuban rhythms, art, live painting, storytelling, books, crafts, poetry reading, a designer fashion show, a relaxing read in the park, contests, and more surrounded by the beauty of the Rose Garden.
 
Munyungo Jackson, who has played with many greats such as Stevie Wonder, Sting, and Miles Davis, along with his Groove Tribe quintet will be among the live music performers. Models will showcase the latest and unique fashion creations from designers near and far, and an array of artwork will be displayed and even created before your eyes.

My novel, Imbroglio, will add its romance, suspense, and Afro-Cuban content to the scene. Please stop by our table to say, "Hi," hear a bit of our stories, or check out the variety of engaging books and unique artwork that artist and fellow author Jeanna Brown and I will be offering.

This is the perfect environment for blankets, picnic baskets, stylish sun hats (you may win a prize), friends, family, or a date. To top it off, admission is free! Join us. Let's have an afternoon of fun, and thanks for showing support for the arts!

For more info, visit www.artintheartgarden.com 

Book signings are a delight for most authors, and as an indie author, I say it's even more impactful when the unexpected show up and bless you with their presence. Add to this the discovery that the book signing establishment offers more scrumptious, high-quality juices and smoothies than previously aware, and the event turns into a refreshingly unforgettable experience! What better combination than the steaming pages of Imbroglio, The Ties of Love and Lies to heat you up and a chilled beverage to cool you down.

A huge thanks to the wonderful staff at Juice-C-Juice Books & More in Carson, California! Pay them a visit, and remember to join them in supporting local authors.

People filled the room at the Better Living Center in Inglewood as eight authors, of whom I was one, and numerous supporters came together to discuss the inspiration behind our printed words.

Everyone was welcomed to free beverages and vittles, and folks munched, sipped champagne and mingled among the array of books, custom designed greeting cards and stationary, t-shirts, self-defense products, and more displayed throughout. Creativity, passion, and connections flourished in a united atmosphere, making the event successful beyond measure. I was overjoyed by the many visitors to my table, those newly acquainted as well as unexpected blasts from my past.

Check out a few captured moments.

2016 has been a year of staggering news.


At least, for me.

My grandmother died, Donald Trump was voted President of the United States by the Electoral College, and AARP Magazine published an article this month that praises cussing and touts its benefits.

That’s right. You read correctly.

Dwell not on the fact I was reading AARP, the author of the article has written, “People who use curse words artfully and persuasively tend to have a wider vocabulary, which is considered an indicator of intelligence” according to research. (Are we to be convinced that using a handful of equivocal and vulgar crutch words makes us smarter than if we put our brains to work selecting from a plethora of appropriately descriptive words?)

The author further states that cursing is good for us physically, but he warns, “Just don’t overdo it. “”There is evidence that if you swear too often in everyday situations, its power won’t be there when you really might need it.””

Oh poo. I guess, “Happy blankety-blank New Year” is in order?

Mmm… I think not.

As I remember what God says about the words we use and how important they are––so much so we will be judged for every idle one spoken (Matt 12:36)––I’d much rather pray for your year to be filled with purpose and full of surprisingly good news!

In closing, here’s a great resolution: Love unceasingly as you live, speak good things, and have no regrets.

Thanksgiving’s a comin’!
While the day many of us set aside for feasting, family, prayer and reflection is upon us, I believe it’s important to revisit that special checklist daily.

You know the one that reads something like this:
I’m grateful because…

1.   God is still good.

2.   I woke up today.

3.   I’m not a turkey or a ham.

4.   They make dental floss to relieve the pressure from between the teeth I have left.

(It will truly be needed this week.)
Salvation and laughter are good for the soul!
My prayer for you reading this is that every empty place and void in your life be filled by the loving presence of Jesus Christ today and always.

Ms. Burns was an educator, an avid reader and an overall sharp and classy woman. However, after struggling with an abundance of health issues, she had lost her fervor for life. As told to me by one of the most ardent fans of my novel, Ms. Burns no longer had an interest in doing anything, much less reading.

Nonetheless, her book club member from long ago (and proponent of my book) decided to purchase a copy of Imbroglio for her in hopes that she might be inspired. The book sat beside her bed for the longest, and she would look at it, pick it up, then put it down, Ms. Burns’ daughter would report. Finally, she started reading it. And she wanted to have a conversation about it. The conversation turned into several. My fan said every time she called to check on Ms. Burns they had to talk about Imbroglio, and even today when we spoke, she declared she had never talked about one book so much with anyone in her lifetime.

I never thought a fictional story could have so much impact. I was informed Ms. Burns had a renewed vigor, announcing she was “in love with love,” and in one of the last conversations the two of them had she expressed wanting to know, “Who was at the door?” My fan, who attended a recent excerpt reading of my sequel, said she almost told her and now she wishes she had.

Ms. Burns passed away three days ago. As I’m endeavoring to complete the sequel, I can’t express how sad this news is to me on a multitude of levels. Time waits for no one. I never met her, but I wish I had. Now I have even greater impetus to get my next work completed and it will be dedicated to Ms. Burns. My prayers go out to her family.

My, how the time has flown. Imbroglio, The Ties of Love and Lies is one year in publication! It’s been a year full of exciting adventures, challenges and rewarding learning experiences with the novel garnering five-star reviews, and the people we’ve met along the way have made the journey even more pleasurable. I say this milestone is a cause for celebration, so for the next five days readers can enjoy the paperback for 50% OFF here on my website or an ebook version for FREE on Amazon Kindle. Don’t miss out on the deals!

Who gives out gifts on their anniversary? We do!

What’s next on the agenda? We’ll let you know after we return from Disneyland. (That’s right, even good stories and their storytellers can’t resist.)