Debbie Lannen's Blog

Help raise some money for some great students! If you can dig out of the snow, head to Barnes and Noble 6800 Orchard Lake Rd. West Bloomfield MI. tomorrow, Feb. 3 5-7:30. Order any of my books Uplifting Friends, Crystal - A Fairly's Dream, Same Dumb Lake, Same dumb Curves, or We Won You in a Raffle and a donation goes to the library and music program. Great way to help me help the students! I'll post more info soon! Just get it on your calendar - tomorrow, Barnes and Noble, purchase my books and help students! Any purchase helps so just buy something (my books preferred lol)! Valentines Day is coming. Books - a forever gift. Not sure if they will accept phone orders, but just in case 248-626-2804 Thank you in advance.

Friends. They are very important people in our lives. How do you keep a friend for 55 years? Tough question and one with only one answer - respect. In the case of Santi Centner and myself there are other words to describe our friendship:crazy, adventurous, sad, daring, dull, I could go on and on but it all boils down to respect. We are very different people. She is extremely intelligent (we are talking MENSSA)where as I consider myself smart but nowhere near her level.Teenage years, she was much more daring, where as I knew I would be the kid that would get caught. Kept me walking the straight and narrow path. She was an artist/musician, I was a theatre person, at least both creative. She chose a business path to make ends meet, I stayed in the arts. She moved thousands of miles away, I got married and stayed. But through all the changes, moves, relationships, we have been there for each other. So, when we decided to collaborate on this book, Uplifting FriendsUplifting Friends, I felt it is another part of our friendship journey. An opportunity to share her photos and my selected words to help friends remain friends. So, we challenge you. Give this book to a special friend and here's to you making it 55 years and counting.

I read an article today about how large corporate bookstores aren't doing as well as expected. With the rise in ebooks people are not going to bookstores as often as they used to. Want a new book, just download it. As a writer and book lover, I love my nook and kindle (yes I have both) but I still love to have a real book in my hands. However, with that being said, I love the fact that on a trip I can take as many books as I like, and still am able to carry my luggage. How about you?

One of the hardest things to decide on is what to write. Should it be a play, a short story, a novel, how many characters, a children's book,an adult novel. The possibilities are endless. So,the hardest part is narrowing down the choices.

So far I have written short subject and one act plays, a children's book, and am currently working on a mystery novel. I am enjoying all of them. So the question I pose to myself and to other writers, how do you decide?