Appearance: Women's College Club of Pittsburgh

Appearances

College Club of Pittsburgh inside the Pittsburgh Athletic Association

I recently had the honor to lunch with the Women's College Club of Pittsburgh. The meal was incredible: roast pork with porcini mushrooms, wild rice, and green beans, and for dessert, a generous piece of apple pie.

Diane Owen gave me this opportunity to share a meal and a slideshow presentation about Kentuck Knob with these gracious ladies and gentlemen. I took Diane and her husband, Dave, on a private tour of the house and grounds at Kentuck Knob in September. Both retired educators, she from a Pittsburgh high school and he from Carnegie Mellon University, they have that lifelong learner attitude that I subscribe to myself, one of the reasons I head a continuing education program at a Frank Lloyd Wright house.

I was able to share a bit of Kentuck Knob with the club through a wonderful photo slideshow provided by Jason Jack Miller. The group was so enchanted by the home and Sculpture Meadow that they are planning a Spring visit.

Many thanks to the members for making my presentation a delight.

News: The Authors Guild VS. Google Settlement

News

The Authors Guild filed the amended settlement in Authors Guild v. Google. The official documents will be available at googlebooksettlement.com at some point over the weekend. In the meantime, to see the big changes you can visit here: http://www.tiny.cc/CvNm8

Event: 2010 Pennwriters Conference

Events

The 2010 Pennwriters Conference is scheduled for May 14-16 at the Best Western Eden Resort in Lancaster PA. Prior to the conference, on May 13, they'll be hosting four preconference classes specifically designed to give attendees an in-depth, interactive experience.

Details on these classes are now posted on the Pennwriters Web site. Follow these tiny URLs to go directly to each class, or go to www.pennwriters.com and click on Conference then Intensives to browse the categories.

Plotting and Subplotting with Loree Lough
For all writers who need hands-on experience with plotting; no class limit.
May 13, 2010, 1 pm to 4 pm
http://tiny.cc/PHoF1

Crafting a Fiction Query Package with CJ Lyons
For writers who have a finished draft; class limit 16.
May 13, 2010, 9 am to noon
http://tiny.cc/M5WEY

Fiction Writing with Tim Esaias
For writers who have a finished draft; class limit 15
May 13, 2010, 9 am to 4 pm
http://tiny.cc/w4CK4

Nonfiction Writing with Jonathan Maberry
For writers who have an idea for a nonfiction book; class limit 15.
May 13, 2010, 9 am to 4 pm
http://tiny.cc/NdEaH

If you have any questions, please email conference2010@pennwriters.com

Celebration: 20th Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall

Celebrations

I am lucky enough as it is to work at a Frank Lloyd Wright house, but Kentuck Knob is also home to two pieces of the Berlin Wall. We have had recent guests visiting just to catch a glimpse of this history, so I try never to take it for granted.

Berlin Wall at Frank Lloyd Wright's House on Kentuck Knob - PHOTO BY Jason Jack Miller

Shows: RAIN and The StepCrew

Shows

This season Jason and I subscribed to the University Arts Series at WVU.

Last month we saw RAIN: A Tribute to the Beatles which was so exciting since we bought The Beatles Rock Band as soon as it came out. Sitting further away from the stage allowed me to imagine I was seeing Paul, John, George, and Ringo up there. RAIN's multimedia stroll through the ages completed the illusion for me. If you ever have the opportunity, I recommend seeing RAIN. This is a tribute band which goes the extra mile for a memorable show.

Rain: A Tribute to the Beatles

Just last week we saw The StepCrew, a Canadian troupe featuring dancers, musicians, and vocalists: some of the troupe had a combination of these talents. I loved the dancing best, probably because I took thirteen years of tap as a child and teenager. Jason, of course, loved the music, probably because he has been playing guitar for over twenty years. Certainly something there for us both.

The StepCrew

Article: Uniontown in PA Pursuits Spring 2010

Articles

I sold an article about my hometown of Uniontown, PA. You'll be able to read it in the Spring 2010 issue of PA Pursuits magazine.

I also have a large lay out about the Pennsylvania Wilds in the 2009 PA Insiders Guide.

Event: Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau Annual Dinner

Events

BACK: Patricia Coyle, Laurie Bryner, Heidi Ruby Miller, Marianne Skvarla; FRONT: Robin and Monica Jackson

The Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau held its annual dinner on Thursday, October 22, 2009, at the Fred M. Rogers Center on the St. Vincent College campus. The theme IT'S A WONDERFUL DAY IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD played not only on the meeting's locale, but also the bureau's new tourism campaign: Laurel Highlands Pennsylvania - A Place of Wonder.

As most of you know, I am a huge proponent for pride of place, so I smiled the entire evening, being among hundreds of like-minded people from Fayette, Somerset, and Westmoreland counties, all working toward the same goal as defined in the LHVB mission statement:

"To promote and support tourism, tourism development, and the interests of the travel and hospitality industries in Pennsylvania's Laurel Highlands region..., thereby contributing to the economic growth and quality of life for the area."

With delicious offerings from the local wineries (Christian W. Klay Winery, Glades Pike Winery, Greendance - The Winery at Sand Hill, Greenhouse Winery, and Stone Villa Wine Cellars) and tempting items on the silent auction tables, the perfect way to top off the evening was with an entertaining speaker.

That would be James Kane.

His talk "The Secret to Creating Loyal Customers, Members, and Guests" and its multi-media musings kept my interest and taught me something along the way.

Celebration: Uniontown Arts and Heritage Festival 2009

Celebrations

Our friends Dave and Kris Buchanan had a booth at the 2009 Uniontown Arts and Heritage Festival. Dave was showcasing his Windy Hill Honey and his gorgeous pottery.



Dave and Kris Buchanan

Photo by Heidi Ruby Miller

If you are looking for some new dinnerware or a wonderful gift, you can contact Dave at claydavey@yahoo.com.

Research: Frank Lloyd Wright by Bruce Brooks Pfeiffer

Research

My job as Educational Marketing Director at Frank Lloyd Wright's House on Kentuck Knob provides me access to myriad sources regarding architecture, art, history, and especially Mr. Wright.

No surprise I've used those sources to research my next novel.

Here's what I'm reading now to brush up on some general Wright knowledge and specifically information on the prairie style of architecture, which I need for a scene in my fourth chapter.

For those of you with an interest in architecture, you'll recognize the publisher Taschen, and if your interest is specific to Frank Lloyd Wright, you'll certainly recognize author Bruce Brooks Pfeiffer.

News: Seton Hill Writers in Person and on the Shelves

News

ON THE SHELVES:
New York Times Bestselling Author Susan Mallery has two books out this month:


Hot on Her Heels

AND


The Sheik and the Bought Bride

IN PERSON:
Ellen Spain will be discussing her new novel Secrets in the Fog: the Invisibility Project on October 6th at 7:00 PM in the Gallery Room of The Monroeville Public Library.