Rhode Island Author Expo Spotlight – Anita Greene

This post was originally posted on Martha Reynold’s blog and has been reposted here with author permission, minor revisions have been made.

Thanksgiving Traditions 

Thanksgiving Day is my favorite holiday. No pressure to find the perfect gift. No guilt that the Christmas cards are still in the box. Thanksgiving revolves around family, food, and fun. Our traditions tie all these elements together.

There is comfort in knowing I belong with this group of people I call ‘family’. We have a shared history that connects us to the generations that came before us. Thanksgiving Day is a time to remember the past as we create new memories. It’s a time to appreciate the ones we love and to celebrate the values we share.

Our Thanksgiving feast is the same menu my Grandma Dinwoodie served when I was a child, and the table ran from one end of the dining room/living room to the other. I had to crawl underneath to get to my seat on the itchy horsehair sofa. The turkey is served with an old-fashioned bread stuffing. The winter vegetables—mashed potatoes, butternut squash, turnips, and creamed onions—are abundant. To fill in around the edges there are brown and serve rolls, cranberry sauce and pickles. (My mouth is watering as I write this!)

With each generation, traditions evolve. Our family grew and changed, so we no longer have young people coming in cold and hungry from the Bulldogs vs Bears high school football game. We have also added an after-dinner-but-before-pie walk to the day.

Many years ago a table of appetizers became a part of our celebration. My cheese ball recipe is now another one of our traditions. If you are looking for something new to serve, this cheese ball has a robust flavor.

Bacon-Cheddar Cheese Ball
2 packages (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/2 pound cheddar cheese, grated*
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 clove garlic, minced
3 Tablespoons pimento, diced
3 Tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
Blend all ingredients. Form into a ball. Refrigerate overnight to allow flavors to blend.
* The store-bought packages of shredded cheese do not blend very well with the cream cheese. Better to grate a block of cheese.
What traditions do you treasure? What new traditions have you added to your celebration?

Anita K. Greene writes “inspirational novels filled with romance and adventure.” Learn more about Anita and find links to her books and blog here.

Rhode Island Author Expo Spotlight – Tabitha Lord

This post was originally posted on Martha Reynold’s blog and has been reposted here with author permission, minor revisions have been made.

Because Star Wars, Of Course! 

“Why do you write science fiction?” I’ve been asked that question more times than I can count. My quick and dirty answer is, “Because Star Wars, of course!” And there’s more than a little truth to this. I saw the movie when I was seven, at a time when special effects were, well, special, and a story like this one had never been seen on the big screen. Spaceships, aliens, evil villains, reluctant heroes, and a bad-ass princess – everything a girl could ask for!

I was obsessed. Every night I fell asleep to Jon Williams’ music playing on my record player (I still feel warm and fuzzy when I hear that theme song). Model x-wing fighters hung from my bedroom ceiling, the Millennium Falcon I built with my dad had a light-up cockpit, my Empire Strikes Back lunchbox still had its thermos, and my Princess Leia action figure was the one with the real buns (you know – fake hair instead of plastic, and you could never fix it after you’d messed with it). When I attended my first ComicCon many years later, I realized I should have saved those toys. My collection would have rivaled any I’ve seen.

When your work touches the collective consciousness of millions of people, then you are a true artist, a masterful storyteller. In my opinion, George Lucas told one of the most epic stories of all time. So, is Star Wars the only reason I write sci-fi? Of course not. But, did it awaken the storyteller in me? Absolutely.

My works-in-progress are varied and span across genres. Likewise, my taste in reading is eclectic and my bookshelves diverse. I belong to two book clubs, write a parenting blog, and contribute to a book review blog. But sci-fi is like the default setting for my imagination. It’s where I go when I want to be inspired; to play with possibilities; to ask what if, and then create brand new worlds where I can explore the answers. For me, the sci-fi genre is also a place to consider serious, meaningful issues in a different context, slightly removed from the real world.

At a writing conference I attended, one of the speakers suggested that, through our work, we artist types like to contend with themes that are important to us. I know what kinds of questions I like my characters to struggle with: What does a hero look like? Who stands and fights, and who turns away? What decisions do we make, large and small, that come to define us when it matters? What is redemption and who finds it? I want to encounter these questions as a reader and a writer. During a most impressionable time in my life, Star Wars set the bar for the archetypal battle between good and evil, and I’ve been thinking about it ever since.

People have regrets in life. Besides giving away my Star Wars stuff, here’s one of mine: My husband and I were invited to a fundraiser at the Boston Museum of Science several years ago. Wolfgang Puck prepared the meal, Anthony Daniels (C-3PO) served as the evening’s auctioneer, guests enjoyed a private tour of the museum’s visiting Star Wars exhibit, and we were to have dinner with none other than George Lucas himself. It was expensive. My husband said we should do it (Editor’s comment: husband adores wife – he had my vote). I said no. We didn’t go. My regret is that I didn’t get to tell George Lucas how much he inspired a little girl with a big imagination.

Tabitha currently lives in Rhode Island, a few towns away from where she grew up. She is married, has four great kids, a spoiled Ragdoll cat, and lovable black lab. The house is noisy and the dinner table full! She holds a degree in Classics from College of the Holy Cross and taught Latin for years at a small, independent Waldorf school. She also worked in the admissions office there before turning her attention to full-time writing.

You can visit her blog at Tabitha Lord Author where she posts author interviews, hosts guest bloggers, and discusses some favorite topics including parenting and her writing journey. You can also follow her on twitter @tlordauthor,  Pinterest, and connect on Facebook.

Horizon, her first novel is available for pre-order and will be released on December 1, 2015 and is scheduled to appear at the Rhode Island Author Expo in Lincoln, Rhode Island on 12/5/15.