Tag: Arkansas

Cheers For My Favorite Computer Tech

I am happy to say we are back up to date.  I am completely helpless and I am thankful for the lady that helps with my web page.  All of us over a certain age are not best friends with our computers or our web pages.

As I have started writing a column for the local newspaper, the Times Record,  on area authors. I thought you might like a link to my most recent column.  http://www.swtimes.com/entertainmentlife/20171003/book-nook-area-authors-portray-strong-women-in-dangerous-situations

We have a lot of talented area authors!  I hope you enjoying reading about these two.

Happy reading, Linda

Meet and Greet for Writers

Attention writers and aspiring writers:

 True Lit Fayetteville Literary Festival Mark your calendars for next year! I had a great time on Saturday while attending the True Lit Festival at the Fayetteville Public Library. I think this was their 4th year and it was fantastic. Not only were there writing workshops, but you got to meet and speak with magazine and book publishers. They had a panel where the monitor asked a lot of general questions and then toward the end they took them from the floor. As an author that has only self published so far, I was able to learn a lot about how to submit my work to and what to expect from a publisher.  The most thrilling part for me was that I got ten minutes to pitch my project to the publishers of my choice.

   I have a dream and that is to write books that someone, somewhere will read and enjoy. I have had limited success as a self-published author, but to go into a local bookstore and see my books on the shelf would be the dream of a lifetime.

   A very nice lady from one of the publishing houses now has a copy of my first book and the first three chapters of the next one. Wish me luck and if it’s your dream to write, don’t give up. I hope to see you next year in Fayetteville, Arkansas at the True Lit Festival.

Happy reading, Linda 

 

A New Book Store

When I think of a book store. 

  The book store of my dreams no longer exists, or so I thought. In my area most of the book stores are chains and cozy is not a word I would associate with them. I happened upon a book store in the nearby town of Van Buren. Chapters on Main is the store of my dreams. It is quaint, cozy and friendly with a coffee and tea bar in the back. All the things I have been missing in a book store.

They have both new and used books and a charm you won’t find in the chain book store. If you live in my area of Arkansas, drop by and take a look. I think you will find it an enjoyable place to shop.

On the local authors shelf you will find my book “Run For Your Life!” along with the book “Ozark Urchins” written by my new friend, Richard Cress. Richard gives you a look at growing up in the Ozarks during a different era.  Happy Reading, Linda 

Chapters On Mainimg_0686

The beauty of Arkansas

  Sometimes I forget what a beautiful state Arkansas is! It was a sunny spring day where the thermometer hovered between 55 and 65 degrees. I was in Northwest Arkansas and suddenly I came upon a one way bridge. I hadn’t had this experience in a long time and had forgotten that Arkansas still has some of these bridges. Now this bridge wasn’t one of those that are about 200 feet long, this one spanned part of Beaver Lake and was at least half a block long. I eased out on the bridge and here comes a car in my direction, not exactly going at a snails pace. “Ok,” I thought, “it doesn’t look like he is going to stop.”  I put the car in reverse and backed off the bridge, which made me more than a little nervous. This car came sailing past me with a toot of his horn and a little wave.  I turned to my friend Char and commented how uneasy I was, not being able to see what was on the other side.  Now it is my turn, I hope. So I start across for a second time. I had made up my mind if anyone else started across, I was not backing up. It all worked out or I might have been setting in the middle of a one way bridge, not being able to go forward and refusing to go backward.  I exited the bridge and found myself in the little town of Beaver, Arkansas. I guess this is where Beaver Lake got it’s name. It is a beautiful small town with a interesting General Store. I would have loved to stop but was pressed for time so that is a project for another visit. 

I had went to Eureka Springs to take a course from the Village Writing School on Blogging. In the internet world it is Blogging which makes it sound complicated while in reality it is writing, which I can handle without too much trouble since that is what I do. 

If you haven’t been to Eureka Springs it is a charming town, there is only one drawback, you have to like to hike. There is little flat ground and as I am getting older, I am not fond of hills. Now Char told me we could catch the trolley and in the summer that would probably work, but the trolleys were on a spring schedule and didn’t come by all that often. Note to Linda: You need to buy a motor scooter.

   We found a charming restaurant called Fresh. It was in a converted house and the remodel was amazing. If you have to wait to be seated there is a gift shop, laid out on several levels, where you can browse. Now I don’t know if we got special treatment or if they are always this nice but they let us order a steak off the dinner menu even though it was lunch time.  We had beautiful fresh green salad with their homemade dressing. They have a limited selection of salad dressing and I wasn’t very pleased with that at first, as I am a fan of Ranch dressing, but the creamy pepper was a great substitute.  The steak was outstanding!

We stayed at the Best Western and it was one of the older style, built where you can park in front of your door. I personally like this because you don’t have very far to carry your luggage and I, like most women, I have a lot of luggage to carry. I think they may have recently remodeled, for every thing was clean and fresh. 

Eureka Springs is a town of quaint shops and interesting sites, just bring your hiking shoes. The drive through Northwest Arkansas was perfect. I love the scenery. If you live close I hope you will visit Northwest Arkansas. 

Even when I travel I have a book with me. To me books are a necessity! As always I wish you Happy Reading, Linda

 

© 2025 LindaLaughlin.com

Theme by Anders NorenUp ↑