Rhode Island Authors Showcase - Featuring Laurie Heyden!
The Rhode Island Authors Showcase is back! Each day in November, I’ll be featuring a different RI author. Each post features a giveaway – a book, an anthology, or something else! All you have to do to be eligible for the daily drawing is leave a comment on the blog post. I’ll use a random number generator to pick a winner one week after the blog post (to give you time to catch up).
By commenting on each post, you’re also entered to win our bigger prizes: GRAND PRIZE is a $250 Amazon gift card, BONUS PRIZE is a $100 Amazon gift card, and the CHEER UP YOU WON SOMETHING PRIZE is a $50 Amazon gift card. The big prizes will be chosen, again using a random number generator, on December 7.
Today I've got Laurie Heyden on the blog! This is Laurie's first year participating in the RI Authors Showcase, so let's find out more about her:
Where is your hometown? Warren, Rhode Island
What genre(s) do you write? Inspiration, Stress Management, Self-help, Landscape Photography.
What have you written/published? Peace by the Sea: Inspiring Images and Quotes to Light Your Way (2020). Co-authored with Harry Thomas. I was the editor for the sequel by Harry Thomas, Finding Peace by the Sea: Images and Quotes for Living Your Best Life (2021)
I wrote “The Magic of WaterFire,” a short story published in Iconic Rhode Island, the 2022 anthology by authors within ARIA.
Who are your favorite authors? Brene Brown, Dan Brown, John and Julie Gottman
What were your favorite books growing up? The Empty Pot, Miss Nelson is Missing, Curious George Goes to the Hospital,
What do you like best about writing? I love freedom of self-expression and the possibility of generating and sharing new ideas that can be a catalyst for the inner peace of others.
What do find most challenging about writing? It’s hard to decide that it’s done. I tend to edit my writing over and over. I guess I am a perfectionist.
Where do you draw your inspiration? My inspiration comes from my passion for world peace. My “why” in life is to bring out the best in others and help them embrace their personal gifts so that they can lead their happiest and most fulfilling lives. My contribution to world peace is teaching children coping strategies as a school psychologist. As a writer, Peace by the Sea offers twelve principles for adults to find inner peace: humility, gratitude, keeping a strong work ethic, stepping out of your comfort zone, and more.
My essay, “The Magic of WaterFire,” envisions WaterFire as the possibility of human connection, peace, renewal, and going out and being a light of friendship in the world.
You’ve just been given the chance to collaborate on a book with John and Julie Gottman of the Love Lab. What’s the title going to be? Lessons Learned From Disaster Dates. The members of a book club I have been in for 15 years are repeatedly asking me to write about my disaster dates. In the words of Nelson Mandela, “I never lose; I win or I learn.”
An elegant compilation of wisdom, guidance, and photography by the sea to inspire personal strength and inner peace. It reflects Harry Thomas's personal formula for living his best life, illustrated by 111 color photographs and carefully selected quotes.
Laurie is giving away a copy of Peace by the Sea as well as a shell hand-painted by Laurie to match the image on the cover. To be eligible, just answer this question in the comments section: What is the most relaxing place you've even been to?
Find the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Peace-Sea-Inspiring-Images-Quotes/dp/1631839802
Visit Laurie's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ArtoftheGem
