Category Archives: Santa Barbara

Writer at Work, Otters at Play

So here was this cute, inventive, self-sufficient creature who was an “index species”—that is, one whose presence was a key to the ecological well-being of its own region. I was liking these furry, sweet-faced critters even more than I thought I would.
Posted in about issues of the heart, Bellekeep Books, Bellekeep Books by Mara Purl, California, Central Coast, Current Event, E-Books, e-books by Mara Purl, Ecology, Environment, Escapism through romance novels, Fictitious town of Milford-Haven, Finding treasures of the heart in books, Head & Heart, head and heart connection, head and heart connection, Heart, Heart and head connection in books, heart of an artist, inspiring through fiction novels, Integrating lifes purpose through art, involvement in issues near and dear to heart, Live Your Best Life, Magical moments, Mara Purl, Mara Purl Romance novels, Marine Mammals, Milford-Haven Novels & Stories, mission and core purpose in life, Novel series, Nurturing the soul, Ocean Elements, Romantic fiction, Santa Barbara, Science, Small Town Fiction, When Otters Play by Mara Purl, women and romance novels, Women authors, Women's Fiction | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Meet my Guest Author Roger Seiler

In today’s post, I’m hosting author Roger Seiler on one of the stops along his Blog Tour. I’ve been the guest of some marvelous Blog Hosts during my own previous tours, and was delighted to be host to such an accomplished person as Roger Seiler. Enjoy!

MASTER OF ALASKAMasterOfAlaska cover

Roger Seiler’s new book is the perfect read for anyone interested in history, particularly about the storied expanse of lands and archipelagos connecting the northernmost regions of Russia and Alaska that stretch like a taught sinew between and across time and cultures.

Eons earlier, we read, Native Peoples traversed these land-water bridges to travel southward, branching into groups that became the Tribes of North America.… Read more

Posted in Alaska, Author Mara Purl on Blog Tour, Authors, Blog tour of author Mara Purl, Blog Tours, Blogging, Central Coast, Coastal regions, Connecting through blogs, Connecting through books, E-Books, e-books by Mara Purl, Environment, Mara Purl, Men's fiction, Milford-Haven Novels & Stories, Santa Barbara, Syncronicity between bloggers, Travel, Uncategorized, When Otters Play by Mara Purl, Women's Fiction | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Indie Book Tour – Chaucer’s Bookstore, Santa Barbara, CA

Thanks for joining me on the 2012 MARA-thon! This includes a physical book tour through Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and California, and it includes a national blog tour. During the entire MARA-thon, please be sure to download your FREE prequel short story, When Whales Watch at www.MaraPurl.com/downloads. As of January 1, you’ll be able to find purchase-links for all e-readers at https://marapurl.com/books/when-whales-watch.

This is posted from the road during my All-Indie-Bookstore book tour titled MAPPING THE JOURNEY OF YOUR HEART. Revisit the entire tour at any time by visiting www.MaraPurl.com/calendar where you’ll see event details, links to the bookstores, and soon, photo archives.… Read more

Posted in Art and Entertainment, Audio Drama, Authors, Bellekeep Books, Books, Bookstores - Independent, California, community and transformation, Connecting through books, Heart, Mara Purl, Milford-Haven Novels & Stories, Romance Novels by Mara Purl, Romantic fiction, Santa Barbara, Small Town Fiction, Women authors, Women's Fiction, womens literature, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Uni-Tea of Head and Heart

Every journey has its especially sparkling moments, and for my Winter Western States Book Tour, this was it. Elegance and style, generosity and community, connections with old friends and new—a unifying experience for all. The setting—a historic home in the mountain canyons of Santa Barbara; the time—Valentine’s weekend; the opportunity—helping others.

I had the privilege of working with a superb charity in co-creating a fund-raiser/ friend-raiser author tea. This is truly my favorite kind of event because of its synergy—which makes it a win-win-win: for the charity, for the guests, and for the author. In this case, there’s a fourth winner: the community of Santa Barbara, which benefits so directly from the services this charity provides.… Read more

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The Magic of Christmas Boxes

Much as I adore Christmas, I love Boxing Day almost as much. First, it’s a Christmas-extender, just like the 23rd is—a date I refer to as Christmas-Eve-Eve.

December 26th is Boxing Day with a wonderful tradition of its own. Observed in the U.K., Canada, Australia and New Zealand, it started as a day following Christmas when aristocrats, tasked with the welfare of those who worked on their estates, delivered boxes of food and gifts. In South Africa, the occasion evolved into the renamed Day of Goodwill in 1994, and in Ireland it’s called St. Stephen’s Day. The European tradition of giving gifts and money to those in need dates back to the Middle Ages.… Read more

Posted in about issues of the heart, Art and Entertainment, Book covers by artist Mary Helsaple, book covers painted by artists, Books, California, Creativity, e-books by Mara Purl, familial history, Finding treasures of the heart in books, Gifts, Heart, Heart and head connection in books, Japan, joy, Love of Books, Milford Haven, Milford-Haven Novels & Stories, Santa Barbara, What the Heart Knows, Women authors, womens literature | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Women, Books & Jewelry

I’ve known for a long time that there’s a connection between women and jewelry. In fact, that’s probably a connection I made at about age three. Was that when I first admired Mommy’s shiny baubles? Hmm. I think by then, I was actually asking for baubles of my own.

One of the earliest pieces to grace my collection was my very first charm bracelet. How I loved its shiny silver trinkets with their magical moving parts! Each time my parents took me someplace special, a new charm was added, until from every single link dangled a treasured memento: the Rockettes kicked up their legs all in a row; five candles poked through a birthday cake with pink enamel icing; a split oval twisted to become a heart.… Read more

Posted in about issues of the heart, Art and Entertainment, authors and entertainment world, Bellekeep Books, Book covers by artist Mary Helsaple, book covers painted by artists, Books, California, Cambria, Connecting through books, Cover art for books, E-Books, e-books by Mara Purl, familial history, Finding treasures of the heart in books, Gifts, Gratitude, Heart, Heart and head connection in books, Integrating lifes purpose through art, involvement in issues near and dear to heart, joy, Mara Purl, Mara Purl Romance novels, Milford Haven, Nurturing the soul, Romance Novels by Mara Purl, Santa Barbara, What the Heart Knows, What the Heart Knows by Mara Purl, women and romance novels, Women authors, womens literature, writing romance novels | Leave a comment

A Season of Possibility

Over the course of this first December weekend, at an opulent gathering of friends, we went around the table answering the question, “what’s the significance of Christmas to you?” We all acknowledged the spiritual import of the holiday, and because this was an international gathering, there was acknowledgment from widely divergent religious paradigms.

But we came back around the table again to touch upon that which we could only identify as the “spirit” of this time of year. For some, this is a time to focus more intently upon family and close friends, to offer the gifts of time and food, to open our homes, be they large or small, to experience something cozy and comforting, something timeless needing to be captured at least to the extent of celebrating it.… Read more

Posted in about issues of the heart, Art and Entertainment, Baby Boomers, Books, California, Cambria, Coastal regions, Connecting through books, Creativity, life's purpose, Santa Barbara, Uncategorized, What the Heart Knows, Women authors, womens literature | Tagged | Leave a comment

Serendipi-Tea

A few years ago, when I was first searching for the right kind of special event for readers of my Women’s Fiction novels, I chose Afternoon Tea as the perfect thing. “Tea” seemed to signify both elegance and comfort, a chance to connect with others while taking a break from hectic schedules. And though men sometimes attend, the event itself has a feminine quality, with great attention to detail and style.

The first person I approached with this idea was my mother. A brilliant hostess, she grasped the concept instantly and offered her own home for a series of three events that I named Hospitali-Teas.… Read more

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