In the season of thanksgiving what am I grateful for? Many things…. here are a few in no particular order. We’ve had a reliable, excellent housekeeper for many years I’m very fond of, the almost perfect dog (if he just wouldn’t shed)… and oh yeah, and a husband who gets better every year.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! And remember to take a moment to appreciate those who mean the most to you.
My favorite (American) holiday is Thanksgiving. Those of you in other countries should consider adopting it. No stress over shopping (well retailers are trying to change that but I ignore) for presents, no crowded streets, just time together with friends and family to enjoy a sumptuous feast …. And of course a reminder to be thankful for all we have.
We’ve had rain lately in northern California (something else to be thankful for) but the Thanksgiving weekend is often relatively warm and sunny. In fact some of the fall leaves are still in color on the trees and I see a hint of blue skies today. This year my sister-in-law has invited us to Seattle so we’re sure to have some rain. She and my brother-in-law will be putting on the feast for 17 people! We said we wanted to see all the nieces and nephews and looks like they’re accommodating us.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! And remember to take a moment to appreciate your life and those who mean the most to you.
Persimmon tree changing colours.
This is my favorite holiday. A day off with family and friends and to be grateful for all we have. Not to mention the turkey and other good food.
An Englishwoman once thought we were celebrating Independence from Britain (on their soil) and took umbrage with me! — so for anyone out there who doesn’t know: it represents the Pilgrims giving thanks for their survival in the New World back in 1621. The Native Indians, who helped the newcomers by showing them how to plant corn etc., also attended the harvest feast.
I want to take a moment to thank everyone who has reviewed A Place In the World. Two special bloggers recently took the time to review and post on their blogs, Amazon AND Goodreads. Rosie Amber of the UK generously connects readers and writers, and Jessie, who is part of Rosie’ s Book Review team. Both women are avid readers and book reviewers. Rosie posted her review yesterday and her author interview of me today http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-63l
Jessie has her own lovely blog, Behind The Willows, about life, motherhood and of course books. I urge you to check out both websites as places to go for book recommendations. http://behindthewillows.com/
Here is a snippet of Jessie’s review:
… this is a lovely little book, set in Colombia, amongst the beauty of rain forests on a coffee farm, where a woman leads her life the best she can…an American who has lived for many years in Colombia, she handles things with an amazing blend of the two cultures. Stepping back and forth between them so well that the big drama fades into the background, leaving the focus of the book right where it should be, on the young woman in search of her place in the world.
It just so happens that her world is run by men, contains active volcanoes, guerrillas, , coffee crops and an occasional iguana in the water tank – making it infinitely more interesting to read about than our own.
Would I recommend it? I would. Drama aside, the information on the culture, rain forests and coffee growing would have been enough to keep me interested.
This is an excerpt from Rosie’s review: 
I’m happy to give this 5 stars…The moment I read the description of the finca in a cloud forest I began falling in love with… the flora and fauna… so well written that you could almost hear the birds calling and feel the moisture on the leaves.
(at) the finca, Las Nubes, there is no mains electric, no piped water, no telephone, and the road ways are often just tracks…They live a simple life…There are hardships too, a road accident, bandits and a volcano which erupts covering the ground in ash and burning the coffee plants with acid rain. But through all this the author fills you with the Colombian people, their way of life … the coffee trade at the mercy of politics, the weather and the market…
This book took me to a new world, that I’d never given much thought to and I really enjoyed it.
I’m so pleased with both of these reviews and their insights. It’s wonderful to hear that a reader likes what you’ve written – and even better when someone takes the time to post a review. Many thanks to both Rosie and Jessie and another recent reviewer, author Rita Gardner https://cindamackinnon.wordpress.com/?s=coconut (Only space prevents me from acknowledging all the others, but please know that each review is greatly appreciated and helps readers decide whether they want to read the book.)
AWARDS :
A Place in the World won three modest awards this year:
the Kindle Best Book Award 2014 (Semifinalist in Literary Fiction); Runner up (2nd place) at the San Francisco Writer’s Conference in the indie category and last month Honorable Mention in the Mainstream/Literary Fiction category for Writer’s Digest’s Self-Published Book Awards.
The following is the comment by a judge for Writer’s Digest’s Book Awards:
A Place in the World is a rather quiet book tackling powerful issues. Alicia who has been a child of the world, marries a Colombian and heads back to one of her favorite places. Although she is there under some misleading information, she settles in on the family finca and learns all about growing coffee in isolation on the edge of the cloud forest. Background issues include guerillas, active volcanoes, wild life, shy natives and family indifference.
Following an automobile accident, Alicia’s husband deserts her and … Alicia makes her way alone on the coffee plantation. Alone, she is able to pursue her studies in biology with her illustrated journals becoming a centerpiece for the narrative. A fellow American who visits the finca infrequently becomes more than friend to her.
Alicia’s passion for her place, the people there, her son, her studies and for her lover holds the reader throughout the book. The author paints pictures with her words just as Alicia illustrates her journals with her findings. The reader is drawn into the story and the place on every page. MacKinnon has enlightened us about the biodiversity of the cloud forest, growing beans, and about the frailties and strengths of relationships.
The conclusion presented in the voice of Alicia’s son serves to tie all the bits and pieces together in a most satisfactory way. Everyone in the story has found her or his place in the world. A Place in the World should attract a wide audience.
Thank you “anonymous judge 59!”
So to celebrate, my 100th post is written in appreciation of all of my readers, supporters, editor and reviewers. It’s been a wonderful year. (For more reviews see http://amzn.to/19wSFfX )
Please note if you would like to write an honest review of my book, I will send you a (free) ebook file or PDF. Just let me know how to contact you, below (or privately on the Author/Contact page of this website).
A Place in the World 