Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Bestselling Book Idea Transferred with a Kiss...





http://heritagepresspublications.blogspot.com/2015/08/when-your-story-talks-to-you.html

Back in August I posted a story about the remarkable coincidences/connections to the Hazel Moon story. Taken all together, it did seem as if the story was Talking to Us! Today I was listening to NPR and author Elizabeth Gilbert was being interviewed about her book, Big Magic, in which she shares similar stories of the magic, the storytelling fairies, the writing pixies who can surround a book project with surreal levels of inspiration.  

http://hereandnow.wbur.org/2015/09/23/elizabeth-gilbert






Elizabeth had been considering developing a plot where a mousy mom working at a big company has her life turned upside-down when her boss orders her to a strange land on a dangerous mission. When her personal life got complicated, she abandoned the project. Months passed and she found herself at a book signing, kissed the author, and two years later the second author ended up writing a book based on her exact idea and they never talked about it!!!!!!



http://hazelmoonlisaloriminneti.blogspot.com/2015/09/hazel-moon-magic-at-peabodys.html




At an LGBT fund raiser last Friday night author Lisa Minneti learned that the man responsible for the design firm where she works, Peabody's Interiors, Jon Schlagenhaft (Jon on the right in the pic), though having lived an extraordinary life as a gifted member of the LGBT community of professionals, never had his story told in a biography. I was present when Jon's parents described his remarkable emergence as talented designer while growing up. He went on to found his own design firm and purchased Peabody's just before a tragic accident when he and his business partner, and partner in life, were killed in a plane crash.

Elizabeth Gilbert, author of "Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear." (Timothy Greenfield-Sanders)

The phenomenon Elizabeth was trying to describe in her NPR interview came alive and began poking us on the shoulder, offering us the chance to tell Jon's story either as a book or by modeling one of the Hazel Moon characters after Jon. The Inspiration...the Magic was palpable...



I'll keep you posted if anything comes of the impulse we're both feeling to tell Jon's story! Now, if only I could get the charming author team of Lisa & Lori Minneti to seal the writing contract with a kiss!

Friday, September 18, 2015

More Hazel Moon Magic at the Peabody's LGBT Soiree...






This evening I was invited by one of my Hazel Moon authors, Lisa Minneti, to attend an LGBT fundraiser hosted by her company, Peabody Interiors. I showed up a little late for the shindig having almost gotten lost in the rain--no GPS. Lisa was supposed to show people around and put in plugs for Peabody's, in general grease the socializing wheels, but enthusiasm and interaction spontaneously exploded as soon as a good number of LGBT benefactors showed up!  (Karen Valentine below with Lisa)




Among those attending were members of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, an organization of gay men who dress in nun drag and provide meaningful service to the LGBT communities where they have chapters. As the spokesperson, Karen Gotzler, for the Milwaukee LGBT chapter informed the group, the need is great as LGBT members of the community still suffer discrimination and hardship at unacceptable rates.



 
 

On display were the paintings of Ramon Pablo Vidali and among his collection were a group of now iconic canvases depicting artistic renderings of members of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.



The first item of Hazel Moon Magic involved the fact that the head of Peabody's found out about Lisa's book and offered to host a book signing soiree on the same lush level as the LGBT affair! While walking around, one of the first people Lisa met just happened to be a twin and an interior designer--JUST LIKE HER! The ladies shared stories about the magic of having a twin...how close they were to their twin sisters, and yet how different they could be. Then, Lisa ran into several former colleagues who, upon hearing about her book, volunteered their considerable gifts to the cause of finding a wide audience for Hazel Moon! 



Then, for those of you who've read the book or read my publisher's blog, remember how November had an apartment above a funeral parlor...well, Lisa met one of the attendees and learned he had an apartment over a funeral parlor and he invited her to come there to take a look!

All in all, it was another magical night of unlikely Hazel Moon Magical Connections!!


Purchas Hazel Moon