Saco River Winter Market

On Saturday, December 24th from 9:00 am to 12:30 pm I'll be signing books at the Saco River Winter Market--a beautiful setting in one of the old mills that overlooks the river. It's a fun place to see and shop--lots of local produce and crafts.

Willowbrook

August 20th is Willowbrook's Old Home Day and admission is free--even the magnificent ride on the 1894 carousel. Judy and I will be doing a book signing there from 11-2 pm. The ride is worth the visit--the horses rock back and forth as if galloping, and the speed, if no children are on the carousel can be 5-6 mph!

Billy Laird's gravesite

A friend of mine recently visited Billy Laird's gravesite. A haunting photo of the grave and an aerial map of its location.

On Saturday, June 18th, I will be speaking at the South Portland Historical Society at 1:00 pm about "Billy Boy, The Sunday Soldier of the 17th Maine" and how his story ultimately plays out at Fort Preble (now Southern Maine Community College).

Book Signing at Willowbrook

19th Century Willowbrook Village/Museum sits in a quiet corner of Maine. It's worth a visit in and of itself, but my sister Judy, illustrator Kerry LaPointe, and I will be there on Saturday, June 25 signing copies of our children's whimsical The Galloping Horses of Willowbrook. It's a special day because you can even ride the vintage carousel! For directions, see www.willowbrookmuseum.org

The Galloping Horses of Willowbrook

Coming later this spring, The Galloping Horses of Willowbrook, is children's picture book, a creative, non-fiction whimsical. It tells the heartwarming and true story of young Ivory Fenderson who never got his first ride on his father's 1896 Armitage Herschell carousel during the years it traveled from fair to fair. Ivory was ten years old when his father, after 26 years of operation, retired the carousel and stored it in the family barn in Saco. Fifty-five years later, Ivory rediscovers the long-forgotten carousel and donates it to Willowbrook with the promise of a full restoration. The restoration took 14 years. In 1991, Ivory finally had his first ride. My sister Judy Thyng is co-author, and we are thrilled with our illustrator, Kerry LaPointe, who is finishing the last few pages.