#StJohnsRiverEcoTours

#MeetTheAuthor Eco Tour Wednesday 4/24

/ Marcia / 14 Comments

#NotesFromTheRiver – Back Again With Some Exciting Announcements

/ Marcia / 15 Comments

After a long hiatus, I’ve caught up enough that I can begin posting my weekly #Notes on the St. Johns River Eco Tours blog. Hope you’ll check out this week’s announcements, and if you live in central Florida, will consider attending some of the events. Thanks for sharing this, too. 🙂

#NotesFromTheRiver – Back Again With Some Exciting Announcements

#NotesFromTheRiver – #BackyardBirds

/ Marcia / 2 Comments

This week’s post on #NotesFromTheRiver features a couple of “little brown jobs,” the official and totally technically correct phrase birders use for non-descript birds they can’t identify at a glance. Hopefully, after reading this post, those of you interested in such things will have a better chance of doing so, though with LBJs, nothing is guaranteed! Check it out. The pictures alone are worth it. 😀

#NotesFromTheRiver – LBJs

Correction to the #NotesFromTheRiver – That OId Coot Post!

/ Marcia / 11 Comments


American coot (Fulica Americana)
Photo by Doug Little

So sorry, folks! I must have been in a Stupid yesterday, which is a lot like a stupor, only with a bad case of DUMB added in. 😯 I totally forgot to include the range map of the American coot the post, and because of that, I made a mistake in saying coots were only in Florida in the winter. Doh! I assumed that to be the case, because that’s when huge migrating rafts of them start to appear on our lakes and rivers. But the truth is, there are non-breeding coots to be found here all year long. (Once again, I’m referring ONLY to the feathered variety, though I’m pretty sure this holds true of the other kind as well. Probably why they’re so grouchy!) 😀

I have added the range map to the post, and I’m sharing it here, as well, for any who want to take a quick look. As you can see, coots are spread across a huge swath of the United States, and well into Canada, as well as south into central America. So, if you live in the U. S. and have a hankering to see some for yourself, you stand a pretty good chance of being able to do so. Again, sorry for the omission yesterday, but hope this makes up for it.

If you haven’t yet read the entire post, you may do so here:

#NotesFromTheRiver – That Old Coot!

Swag. Do You Have Some?

/ Marcia / 29 Comments

I know many of you don’t meet the reading public as often each month as I do, as I try to build a local readership, but I suspect most of you do attend book fairs and other author-related Meet & Greets from time to time. My cover designer extraordinaire, Nicki Forde, just brought me my newest bookmarks, and I had to share, because . . . gorgeous! Plus, she had the brilliant idea of putting a call for reviews on them this time, and I’m so in love with them, I couldn’t resist showing them off. Take a look at the bottom left of the front of my WRR series bookmark above. How clever is that?

Here’s the flip side with all my contact info. The bookmarks are 7″ long, so larger than they show up here, and very easy to read.

And, of course, she made me one for the Riverbend series, as well. *Happy sigh*

I do give away several other things at each event. Most of you know, I have several (19 or 20) custom tea blends named for characters in my books, and I give away small sample tins of those. People seem to love them, and the best part is they are a perfect size to hold paperclips or other small desk items after all the yummy tea is gone, so they hang on to them. With a book cover graphic and my name on them, it’s good advertising, though not something you want to send out en masse. They’re pricier than bookmarks.

In addition to these two items, I have postcards and brochures, which usually get grabbed up pretty quickly. My brochures, also designed by Nicki Forde, are so beautiful, I had to share them with you, too. They include all my books (so far) with blurbs, a bio, contact info, and some colorful photos. They also include info on how to book a Meet the Author ecotour, which I dearly love doing.

I can’t say for sure what the dollar return is on these things, but I figure anything that puts my name and book titles in front of potential readers is a worthwhile investment. And they make people smile, always a good thing.

So what about you guys? Any freebies for your readers? Do you give them away at places other than Meet & Greets or Trade Shows? Do you mail them out with ordered books, or take them to local bookstores for display? I’d love to hear what you are doing and what seems to work.

Let’s talk swag!

#SwampGhosts Presentation at DeBary Hall 5/20/17

/ Marcia / 19 Comments


“Big Blue”
Opening Slide from My Swamp Ghosts Presentation

On May 20, 2017, I’ll be doing my favorite presentation at DeBary Hall Historic Site, and if you are in the area, I’d love to see you there. This talk features many beautiful photographs of the St. Johns River basin habitat, including birds and wildlife of the area. There is also a brief introduction to albino and leucistic alligators, and a section on the easiest way to ID the very few snakes in our area that you do not want to handle. The last section covers a bit on how I write, my inspiration board photos, and the challenges of starting a brand new career at a time when most are thinking about retirement.

I always include plenty of time for Questions & Answers during and after the presentation, and I can pretty much guarantee that there will be a whole lotta laughin’ going’ on! 🙂 This is a fun event, and if you can possibly come, please do! Meeting new readers is my favorite thing in the world, next to writing books for them. Here’s the pertinent information for those who’d like  to  attend:

Location: DeBary Hall Historic Site, 198 Sunrise Blvd, DeBary, FL 32713
(386) 668-3840
Time: 2:00 PM, Saturday, May 20, 2017
Cost: FREE, No Reservations Required

COME HAVE A FUN AFTERNOON LEARNING MORE ABOUT WHAT MAKES FLORIDA GREAT!

#NotesFromTheRiver – Swallow-tailed Kite

/ Marcia / 4 Comments

late-june-2012-108
Swallow-tailed Kite Photo by Doug Little

It’s Wednesday, and time for my weekly #NotesFromTheRiver post over on the St. Johns River Eco Tour website. This week features the gorgeous swallow-tailed kite, favorite bird of my good friend, Doug Little. Check it out if you have a chance, and maybe pass it along, if you like it.

#NotesFromTheRiver Swallow-tailed Kite