Every once in a while, I hit the road and head to Lake Erie.
It’s a chance to get away without going too far away, you know? I think that
there’s a lot to be said for trips that are just a few hours distant: no fear
of canceled flights, a forgotten toothbrush can be easily remedied, and there’s
a lot of freedom to just wander around. I can come and go as I please, and it’s
nice to just take time to relax, stick my toes in the sand, and read a book. And
the best part? I can go on the spur of the moment. I usually make it up here
two or three times a year.
This past August, I went to the lake to watch the eclipse. I
often stay at the beautiful town of Lakeside as a home base and wander out into
the surrounding areas. While the eclipse was happening, I got to take a swim in
the lake. Many of the houses have gardens along the rocky shoreline, like
these.
When I decided to come out of the water, there were folks
with telescopes on the dock, sharing their views of the sun. A nice lady handed
out glasses for folks to watch the eclipse, which was amazing. I’d been looking
for some online for weeks, and everyone was sold out!
Lakeside is a very walkable place, with ice cream shops,
gift boutiques, and neat places to grab coffee and sandwiches. I always make at
least one feline friend at the lake. I ran into this wonderful tabby twice, and
she was a serious fan of belly rubs. One year, I went out for a walk at night and
reached down to pet a cat…only it was a skunk. The skunk was completely unfazed
and just wandered off without threatening me. Pretty laid back, huh?
I wandered out to Port Clinton for dinner and got to meet a
monster…a monster perch. He lives on a trailer, apparently, and gets towed to
places of interest. I couldn’t resist getting my picture taken with him. He’s
quite the charmer, isn’t he?
Other times I’ve come to visit and found fish festivals,
community yard sales, art shows, winery walks, and opportunities for early
holiday shopping. The sink in my bathroom came from one of those yard sales,
and I have several pieces of garden sculpture that I’ve picked up on my trips.
There’s a sculptor who sells his work from his front porch…I’ve never met him.
You just pick your sculpture and leave money in the cash box.
Laura
Bickle
ISBN: 9781537891965
Genre: Contemporary Fantasy
From the author of THE HALLOWED ONES and
NINE OF STARS comes a new novel blending the magical and the real…
“This
is war,” the dragon said. And she believed him.
Di fled rural West Virginia to
study music and pursue a bright future as a violinist. But when a mining
accident nearly kills her father, she is summoned back home to support her
family. Old ghosts and an old flame emerge from the past. When Di gets a job as
a bookkeeper at the same mine where her father worked, she is drawn into a
conflict pitting neighbor against neighbor as the mine plans an expansion to an
untouched mountain.
If the mining company’s operation
goes forward, there will be more at stake than livelihoods or the pollution of
the land: Di has discovered a dragon lives deep within Sawtooth Mountain, and
he is not happy with this encroachment upon his lair. When catastrophe strikes,
Di must choose between her family’s best interests and protecting the dragon –
the last surviving bit of magic in Di’s shrinking world.
In
every fight, sides are chosen. And there can be no yearning for what has been
left behind.
eBook Available at
Print Copy Available at Createspace and Amazon
About the Author:
Laura Bickle grew up in rural
Ohio, reading entirely too many comic books out loud to her favorite Wonder
Woman doll. After graduating with an MA in Sociology-Criminology from Ohio
State University and an MLIS in Library Science from the University of
Wisconsin-Milwaukee, she patrolled the stacks at the public library and worked
with data systems in criminal justice. She now dreams up stories about the
monsters under the stairs. Her work has been included in the ALA’s Amelia
Bloomer Project 2013 reading list and the State Library of Ohio’s Choose to
Read Ohio reading list for 2015-2016.
More information about Laura’s work can be found at www.laurabickle.com
Thanks so much for hosting me today! I appreciate it!
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