The Lake Geneva Wisconsin Library - A Backstory Like None Other

A few weeks ago, I headed to my hometown of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin and its wonderful public library to begin researching the old mansions wealthy industrialists and bankers from Chicago had built on the lake shore during the last half of the 19th Century and into the early 1900s.

The librarian guided me first to a folder on Mary Delafield Sturges, the woman who willed the property the library occupies, as well as the park that stretches to the west of the building, all situated on the shore of Geneva Lake, offering an unobstructed view for passersby.

But to explain all this, I must take you back to 1871 when Mrs. O'Leary's cow famously kicked over a lantern that started the Chicago fire. A great portion of the city was destroyed, including businesses and the fancy homes of the well-to-do.

Until that time, the wealthy businessmen often headed north over the state line into Wisconsin a few miles to a beautiful spring-fed lake that was surrounded by virgin forest. There they hunted and fished, and  then likely spent their nights in the small village at the western end of the lake called Geneva.

After the fire, these men whose homes had been destroyed, wanted to get their families out of the horrible mess of the city until it could be restored. George Sturges, a prominent banker, brought his wife, Mary, and their children to a boarding house that sat on Main Street--probably one he had stayed in while on one of his fishing or hunting trips--and they moved in, along with another family by the last name of Rumsey. And that's where they lived for many months.

The following summer, someone planted corn on the land between the house and the lake, and when it grew so tall, the home's residents could no long see the lake from the back porch, Mr. Sturges bought the house and the property. The first thing he did was chop down the corn so they would continue to have an unobstructed view of the lake.

Fast forward to 1894 when Mary Sturges, the widow of George, executed her will of the property, including the house they'd lived in right after the fire, to the city of Lake Geneva "for use as a public park and public library."

When I learned this in such detail, I sat there looking out the library window at the lake and tried to imagine corn growing there. I couldn't blame them for wanting to cut down that corn!

The house that was once the Lake Geneva Library

I actually do have a vague memory of the old house that still served as our library when I was small. By then it was falling apart and becoming unsafe for occupancy. I remember my mom volunteering to help pack boxes of books for moving to the library's temporary location while a new modern library was built. One designed by an affiliate of Frank Lloyd Wright.

And I remember when the new library opened to much ballyhoo and delight. But if I was told the details of how our wonderful library came to sit on such a prime location, it must have gone in one ear and out the other. If the forward-thinking Mary Sturges hadn't specified the property was to be used for a library only, and a public park for all to enjoy. That land could now have fancy condos facing the water, giving no view of the lake to people on the street.

I grew up often going to the new library to take out my first chapter  books, then later, Nancy Drew mysteries. When I reached high school I spent many hours there studying and researching for my term papers. Then life moved on, and so did I when I moved out of state.

The newer library & the walkway that sits where corn once grew

Now here I am, a published author, back sitting in the library of my childhood, researching facts about the history of the town and lake I've come to love all over again. The old library that began life as a boarding house figures in a scene I wrote for Love Finds You in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin (out April 2013) and the new library is in a scene in Thyme for Love (released last November), a contemporary novel set in fictional Canoga Lake, Wisconsin, a few miles east of Lake Geneva. In both books, I have my lead couples take the walkway that goes between the lake and the library.


Before I left the library for the day a few weeks back, I sat in front of the window wall that faces the lake and thought about how the Sturges family was treated to the same view (minus a few buildings on either periphery) as I experienced that day. And that's kind of cool.

Where Do the Days Go?

It's often said that the older one becomes the faster life passes by. Well, right now life is zipping past at warp speed for me. I hate to think what it might be like if I live into my 90s.

As a result, this blog has been very neglected because something has had to give over the past months of overseeing the ACFW Genesis writing contest and writing the sequel to Thyme for Love on deadline. Unfortunately, the blog was something that felt the brunt more than most other things in my life.

I am learning, as I have since this time last year when I received THE call telling me I'd sold my novel, that once on the other side of the line that separates the published from the unpublished, life takes on a different persona. 

I am truly blessed to have book contracts and being able to serve ACFW by giving back to an organization that has done so much for me.

As May slipped in quietly yesterday, I determined  to work hard at posting here at least twice a week.

I walked past this large home last summer on the lake shore path.

Writing-wise as I am preparing my ms. called Love Will Find a Way to send to my new crit partner for her review, my head is already spinning with new ideas for a three-book series set in Lake Geneva, my hometown, once again. But this time involving the families that built the gorgeous 19th century mansions on the lake shore. Many are still there, but so many have disappeared, either by fire, tear-downs, or whatever else. Slowly the legacy of what was Lake Geneva, Wisconsin for so many years is giving over to newer, equally grand homes, but at the same time, we are losing an era that can never be replaced.

I hope to share some of my findings here as I prepare a book proposal.

Truly, Lake Geneva, Wisconsin is a gem in so many ways, and I hope to perpetuate the grandeur of yesteryear in the stories itching to be written.

Cooking The Books is Not a Cook Book but a Great Book!

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Cooking The Books Abingdon Press (April 2012) by Bonnie S. Calhoun


Today I bring my blog out of it's long winter's nap, know as distraction caused by deadlines and coordinating the ACFW Genesis writing contest, to do a little horn tooting for my good friend and fellow Penwrights Critique group member, Bonnie Calhoun. Her debut novel releases today from Abingdon Press and what a book it is!

I received my copy of Cooking the Books late last week, and I inhaled it over the past three days. It is a definite page-turner that keeps you on your toes. Bonnie has woven a tale full of snarky humor and serious-as-a heart-attack suspense, blended perfectly. If you like both, you can't go wrong with this one. I love how her character uses her technology knowledge to track down messages that mysteriously show up on her bookstore's computers. And when the going gets tough, she's not afraid to call in the cavalry, a buddy from the Cyber Crimes Unit she used to work at, who knows a lot more about solving cyberspace mysteries that she. The book is fun, gritty, and a page-turner for sure!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

As the Owner/Director of the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance Bonnie has helped use the 220+ blogs of the Alliance to promote many titles on the Christian bestseller list. She also owns and publishes the Christian Fiction Online magazine which is devoted to readers and writers of Christian fiction. She is the Northeast Zone Director for American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW). At ACFW she was named the ‘Mentor of the Year,’ for 2011, and she is the current President of (CAN) Christian Authors Network. Bonnie is also the Appointment Coordinator for both the Colorado Christian Writers Conference and the Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Conference.

In her spare time she is an avid social media junkie, and teaches Facebook, Twitter, Blogging and HTML as recreational occupations. She also has a novel coming out in the Abingdon Quilts of Love series. Her novel Pieces of the Heart will publish August of 2013.

Bonnie and her husband Bob live in a log cabin on 15 acres in upstate area of Binghamton, New York with a dog and cat who consider the humans as wait-staff.


ABOUT THE BOOK

After her mother dies from a heart attack, Sloane Templeton, who Bonnie admits is a lot like her, goes from Cyber Crimes Unit to bookstore owner before she can blink. She also "inherits" a half-batty store manager who reminds me of someone I know quite well which makes it double the fun; a strange bunch of little old people from the neighborhood who meet at the store once a week, but never read books, called the Granny Oakleys Book Club; and Aunt Verline, who fancies herself an Iron Chef when in reality you need a cast iron stomach to partake of her culinary disasters. And with a group like this you should never ask, “What else can go wrong?”

A lot! Sloane begins to receive cyber threats. While Sloane uses her computer forensic skills to uncover the source of the threats, it is discovered someone is out to kill her. Can her life get more crazy?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Cooking The Books, go HERE.

Watch the book video:



If you'd like to read interviews with Bonnie, try these:
Everbody Needs A Little Romance
A Christian Writers World
Novel Rocket
ACFW - Fiction Finder

He is My Beloved

Today one of my crit partners on Penwrites sent a link to a music video one of her readers sent her. Out of curiosity, I clicked on the link to see what it was. God knew exactly what I needed to hear right at that moment.

For several years I have taken to heart that even though I've been single all my life, God has given me a special gift of a relationship with Him. The Bible teaches that Jesus is the Bridegroom for His bride, the church. Not church in the sense of a building, but church in the sense of all who follow Him as committed Christians.

Digging deeper into the Word (Bible) I have come to see that it is also a personal relationship in Jesus being my Bridegroom in a spiritual way. God spoke through Isaiah in the Old Testament, saying to  widows that He was their husband, and though they were barren (without child), they would have many children through Him. That means, of course, not physical children, but others they would take under their wing and mentor or, in some cases, become like a spiritual mother.

That passage opened up a whole new way of looking at my singular status. And it gave me peace beyond measure.

This has been a stressful week for me and when I watched the video on Ginny's website I sat here bawling. I want to share it with you now. I pray that those that need to hear these words will be drawn to see it and listen to these amazing word, and realize that even when we are feeling cast down, unappreciated, or even unloved, there is One who loves you unconditionally and will never ever leave you.

Thyme for Love Won Clash of the Titles This Week!

I have had a blast competing with a pair of authors and their scene in a contest called "Almost Kiss." Visitors to the blog could vote on which scene they thought was the best and I am flattered to have won the contest!!!

You can go to the blog's website and scroll back over the past several entries to read both scenes that were up and then an interview with all of us authors, then finally the announcement of the winner.

I'm about to post a link to the Clash site in my sidebar, so if it's not there as you are reading it, it will be there shortly. Or you can just go here.

Thanks to Raquel Byrnes, my host for the Clash. It was really fun.