Tribute from my Writer Friend
Charlene L. Edge is my Writer Friend. We met long before I knew she was a writer, maybe even before she was a writer. Maybe even before she knew she was going to be a writer. She is now the author of an important book about her youth and young adulthood spent in a cult. Her book is titled Undertow, My Escape from the Fundamentalism and Cult Control of The Way International, which won the gold medal in 2017 in the Florida Authors and Publishers Association President’s Book Awards Autobiography/Memoir category.
We like each other and enjoy communicating by telephone, email, and – now that we’re both vaccinated – in person.
Charlene has been such a wonderful support for me, especially during this pandemic. She has been involved with the Florida Writers Association, which I joined only two years ago. The emphasis of the FWA is “Writers helping writers”, and Charlene has been a helper in many ways. She shared much information on how she self-published her book, how she had her website designed, how she does so many things that I have just started learning how to do – like writing blogs.
And now she has honored me by writing this and sending it out to all her blog recipients. I am touched and grateful.I want to share it with my blog readers.
My next blog, Reader Friends, will be my Tribute to Charlene Edge.
Kudos to Peggy Sias Lantz, Naturalist and Author
by Charlene L. Edge | posted in: My Writing Life, On My Mind, Travels
Greetings! I’m back to tell you about another of my writer friends: Peggy Sias Lantz, naturalist and author of ten books, including Florida’s Edible Wild Plants, The Young Naturalist’s Guide to Florida, and her latest, Adventure Tales from Florida’s Past. Her books and adventures are showcased on her brand new website → About me | Peggy (peggysiaslantz.com).
How I know Peg Sias Lantz
I first met Peg in 2006 on a trip to the Galapagos Islands. The adventure was sponsored by Rollins College Alumni Relations, so it was open to any Rollins alumni from any year. Peg is a Rollins alumna from many years ago. I am a more recent one, but age or graduation year didn’t matter on our trip. We were all travelers out in the world to learn new things in a very different part of the planet—the islands made famous by Charles Darwin.
Fast forward to last year sometime when I received an email from Peg. We’d not been in touch since 2006. She wrote to say she’d joined the Florida Writers Association and when she began receiving their blog posts, she saw one I wrote for them and she recognized my name. Thus, our reconnection. I love how I’ve met or have been reunited with long lost friends via something I’ve written that goes out into the world. Undertow certainly made that happen. Now, with Peg, it’s been a joy to reconnect through our writing lives, especially during this isolating pandemic.
What I love about Peg
One thing I love about Peg is her persistence in writing about her passion: nature. Not only has she authored many books, she continues to remain involved with naturalist projects in Florida, like the Oakland Nature Preserve near Lake Apopka, not far from where we live. Check out its beauty → here.
Peg has written many articles about the outdoors and has been the editor of publications for the Florida Native Plant Society and the Florida Audubon Society’s magazine. Join me in honoring Peg’s work which shows how much she values and loves this planet called Earth.