Mystic Seafarer's Trail: Meet Mystic Seafarer's Trail Author and Hound Toda...

Mystic Seafarer's Trail: Meet Mystic Seafarer's Trail Author and Hound Toda...: Saturday, May 18, 9a.m. – Noon Mystic Seafarer’s Trail book signing West Marine Mystic 14 B Clara Dr, Mystic, CT 06355. More info:...

Find Adventure Following the Mystic Seafarer's Trail

Author Designs Mystic Seafarer’s Trail Map

 

To Give Tourists an Easy-to-Follow Itinerary

 

Mystic, CT—Lisa Saunders, the author of the recently released book, Mystic Seafarer’s Trail, has designed a free trail map to hand out to tourists.

Available on her website and at some local businesses, tourists following the trail map will be sure to walk, bike or drive past historic tall ships, "The 7 Wonders of Mystic," and the haunts and homes of famous adventurers--living and dead--including the discoverers of the Titanic and Antarctica plus Amelia Earhart. Along the route, visitors will find places to shop or grab a bite, bike, boat ride or kayak.

Saunders of Mystic said, “Ever since I moved to Mystic three years ago, visitors stop me to ask where they should eat or what they should do. They assume I'm resident because I'm walking a dog. Wanting to learn more about Mystic myself when I moved here in the summer of 2010, with the help of locals, I found ‘The 7 Wonders of Mystic,’ tried several adventures--plus a few misadventures--and chronicled them for inclusion in my latest book, Mystic Seafarer's Trail. During my research, which included interviews with bridge tenders and historians plus flipping through dusty old files, I uncovered the secrets behind Amelia Earhart's wedding in nearby Noank, Captain Sisson's ill-fated search for gold during the clipper ship era, and the stories revealed by the shoes found at Titanic's watery grave.”

Upon discovering the route one should follow for the best views and adventures, Saunders now quickly advises visitors who hold up traffic on Route 1 to shout questions to her by handing them her Mystic Seafarer’s Trail map*. Figuring tourists might find the map online before coming to the Mystic area, she included Amtrak train and Peter Pan bus stops along with how to find information on accommodations, restaurants, points of interest and events. To download a copy of the map, visit www.mysticseafarerstrail.com or download: http://www.mysticseafarerstrail.com/files/67073740.pdf.

To learn more about the book, Mystic Seafarer’s Trail,, Saunders will be presenting the story and autographing copies at the following events:

Saturday, April 27, 1pm
Monte Cristo Bookshop
13 Washington Street
New London CT 06320
More info: (860)574-9056

Saturday, May 4, 10-1 pm
Bank Square Books
53 W. Main Street Mystic, CT 06355
More Info: (860) 536 - 3795

Saturday, May 18, 9a.m. - Noon
West Marine Mystic
14 B Clara Dr Mystic, CT 6355
More info: (860) 536-1455

Thurs, June 20, 6:30 p.m.
Local Authors @ The Groton Senior Center
"Amelia Earhart and the Mystic Seafarer's Trail."

Groton Senior Center
102 Newtown Rd
Groton, CT 06340
More info: 860-441-6750

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*According to Lisa Saunders, she designed the Mystic Seafarer’s Trail map using, with permission, maps from the book, Landmarks You Must Visit in Southeast Connecticut, by Constant Waterman.

About Mystic Seafarer’s Trail: While searching for the Seven Wonders of Mystic with her beagle/basset hound, author Lisa Saunders uncovers the secrets behind the Titanic's shoes, Captain Sisson's hunt for gold, and Amelia Earhart's Noank wedding. But will she ever find an adventure of her own--one that will make her thin and famous? Enough to afford a housekeeper? When walking the Mystic Seafarer's Trail (which Lisa designed for those who don't like to go uphill), she meets a blind sailor who invites her on a long, winter voyage. Can this plump writer defy squalls, scurvy, and her fear of scraping barnacles to survive this epic journey? Available in soft cover and e-book, the “LOOK INSIDE!” reveals the first few chapters.

About the Author: Lisa Saunders is an award-winning writer living in Mystic, Connecticut, with her husband and beagle/basset hound. A graduate of Cornell University, she is the author of several books and works as a part-time history interpreter at Mystic Seaport. She is a member of the Mystic River Historical Society, Daughters of the American Revolution (Anna Warner Bailey Chapter), and is the parent representative for the Congenital CMV Foundation. More info: www.authorlisasaunders.com, saundersbooks@aol.com

 

 

Invitation to T.V. Talk Show, "Dreamers & Doers"

"Dreamers & Doers" hosted by Lisa Saunders and Julie Russell, LCSW

SPRING/SUMMER SHOW IS CURRENTLY BOOKED. ANY NEW SUBMISSION REQUESTS WILL BE KEPT ON FILE IN CASE OF CANCELLATIONS AND/OR FUTURE EPISODES

Julie Russell, LCSW, and I are co-hosting the new T.V. talk show, "Dreamers & Doers" which focuses  on those who dreamed of something and are now making it happen. We also like our guests share  some practical steps to take if they would like to try pursuing your dream. If you are local to Mystic, CT, and would like to be considered as a guest for our show, please answer the following questions and give us two dates you would be available to come to the Comcast studio in Groton. Taping will be on the 3rd and 4th Mondays of the month, March 18 -  July 22. You need to arrive at the studio* (address below) at 2:45 pm for taping (you will be done by 4:30 p.m. latest). Each show is half an hour. When you visit the calendar, look for "Taping Show." If you don't see a name listed, then you can request to be booked for that date. To see available dates, View Dreamers-Doers Taping & Airing Schedule calendar. 

Dreamers to Doers Questionnaire

Thank you for agreeing to be a guest on our program.  This short, 20-item questionnaire (the first eight questions are required) is intended to assist us in understanding you as an individual and how you turned one of your dreams into reality.

1.     Complete Name with any title: (include a website and/or phone number if you would like posted on the T.V. screen, whether it's yours or one that provides more information on your topic. Sample:

Kathleen T. Poole, M.S., L.Ac.
Mystic River Acupuncture
860-572-7953
www.acugroton.com
 

2.     What you would like to be called on the television program:
 

3.     Address:

4.     Phone – Home:

5.     Work Address:

6.     Phone – Work:

7.     Phone – Mobile:

8.     Please give us a one paragraph bio. In addition,  give us five questions to ask you on the air that pertain to your particular project. In regard to how you are living out your dream, please answer the following:

What are you currently doing?

Was your current project ever your dream?

If so, what sparked this dream?

How do you spend most of your time?

What are some practical steps one can take to follow in your footsteps or join you in pursuing your passion?

It may also help us to get to know you if you can answer any or all of the following:

9.     If you had three wishes what would they be and you may not wish for more wishes…

10.  What would those who know you best say about you and what you are doing?

11.  What would those who hardly know you say about you or what you are doing?

12.  What was the most difficult aspect of accomplishing your dream? Did anyone help you?

13.  What did you find came naturally to you, why?

14.  Have there been times you doubted yourself and/or what you are doing?

15.  What are you pleased with regarding your life?

16.  What would you want other people to know about you?

17.  How do you think this would impact their journey in finding meaning?

18.  Is there anything you want specifically stated while on the television show?

19.  Are their topics you desire to avoid completely (We are not out to embarrass or hurt our guests)?

20.  What is not included on this paper that we do not know? 
 

Please email the questions with your answers within your e-mail and as a Word attachment to saundersbooks@aol.com and julie.lcsw@yahoo.com.  Include in your e-mail two dates that you are available to be interviewed in Groton on the 3rd and 4th Mondays of the month, 2:45 p.m., March 18 -  July 22. To see available dates,  View Dreamers-Doers :Taping & Airing Schedule calendar Let us know of any visual aids you can bring to the studio.

If we are able to include you in this project, we will notify you. If you are booked for a show, please print this information so you will know where to go, etc.

Thank you for your time.  If we have additional questions, someone from the production team will call you to gather necessary information. If have any concerns, you may contact Julie Russell, LCSW, at 860-415-9573.

 

"Dreamers & Doers"

Co-hosted and produced by

Julie Russell, LCSW, and author Lisa Saunders

Videographer, Suzanne Doukas Niermeyer

About the Production Team:

Julie Russell, MSW, LCSW, is a clinical social worker specializing in the treatment of trauma and the scope of emotional and mental disorders that prevent one from achieving a sense of wholeness. She can be contacted at 860-415-9573 or julie.lcsw@yahoo.com. Her website: www.julierusselllcsw.com 

 

Lisa Saunders is a speaker and award-winning writer living in Mystic, Connecticut, with her husband and beagle/basset hound. She works as a part-time history interpreter at Mystic Seaport. A graduate of Cornell University, she is the author of several books and is the parent representative of the Congenital CMV Foundation. She can be contacted at saundersbooks@aol.com Her website: www.authorlisasaunders.com 

 

Suzanne Doukas Niermeyer is a kitchens and bath designer and artist. She lives in Mystic, CT with her husband and can be contacted at doukassm@hotmail.com

 

*Comcast Public Access Studio

401 Gold Star Highway
Groton, CT 06340
860-449-1477

Directions (it's right next to the Nissan dealership on the other side of the Gold Star Highway from Walmart). When scheduled for taping, please arrive at Comast at 2:45 p.m. For more info and the program schedule, etc., visit: www.publicaccessstudios.com/groton

Sample Shows:
Cindy Modzelewski, kayaker:Cindy featured on TV talk show, "Dreamers & Doers" (first show taped on 3/18/13)

Mary Murphy, cosmetology student at Grasso Tech: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZzjybsD2tE&feature=youtu.be/ (2nd show taped on 3/25/13)

Kathleen T. Poole, Chinese Herbs http://youtu.be/pgGQZ3_Kmqw (first show taped on 4/15/13)

FREE e-booklet: Surviving Loss--The Woodcutter's Tale

This full color booklet is ideal for individuals who have experienced a loss and provides professionals a useful method to assist the bereaved. It includes a grandfather’s touching fairytale that has the ability to soothe the aching hearts of children and adults as it reveals the process of healing after the death of a loved one. The afterword, written by Julie Russell, LCSW, seeks to help individuals understand the grieving process and to return to a life with purpose and meaning.

Lisa Saunders, the author of Surviving Loss: The Woodcutter’s tale, discusses the ways in which she is trying to move forward to honor the memory of her deceased daughter.

Surviving Loss: The Woodcutter's Tale may be used by readers to begin to speak of their own losses, whether by discussing the fairytale,identifying with the author’s experience finding purpose, or in the portion on understanding and coping with the natural process of grief.

This poignant combination provides a message of hope and is a tool for healing.

FREE e-book available at: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/283862

Softcover booklet available:  http://www.amazon.com/Surviving-Loss-Woodcutters-Lisa-Saunders/dp/1482315505/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1360589786&sr=1-1&keywords=surviving+loss%3A+the+woodcutter%27s+tale

Amelia Earhart’s Wedding Anniversary February 7th

 

 

Amelia Earhart’s Wedding Anniversary February 7th

Earhart married Putnam in 1931 in Noank, Connecticut

 

Mystic, CT— Mystic Seafarer’s Trail, the latest book by Mystic author, Lisa Saunders, includes little-known details about Amelia Earhart’s wedding in Noank, Connecticut, on February 7, 1931. Saunders’ research included interviewing the grandson of the judge who performed the ceremony.

Most accounts of Amelia Earhart's life barely mention her wedding, except to say she got married—reluctantly. The 2009 movie "Amelia," starring Hilary Swank, shows her getting married outside, despite the early February date.

Excerpt from Mystic Seafarer’s Trail:
Mary Anderson, Curator of the Noank Historical Society, confirmed what my breakfast companion Barbara told me—that Earhart was secretly married in a simple civil ceremony in the square, flat-roofed house I found on Church Street. Learning I was including this information in a book about the area, Mary said, "You tell everybody that the wedding scene portrayed in the movie [Amelia] is inaccurate. My husband's grandfather, the Groton probate judge, performed the ceremony, and my father-in-law, Robert Anderson, a young Noank lawyer at the time, attended as a witness. When the judge congratulated her after the ceremony, calling her Mrs. Putnam, she replied, 'Please sir, I prefer Miss Earhart.'"

About the Author: Lisa Saunders is a speaker and award-winning writer living in Mystic, Connecticut, with her husband and beagle/basset hound. A graduate of Cornell University, she works as a part-time history interpreter at Mystic Seaport and is a member of the Mystic River Historical Society. Her other books include EVER TRUE: A Union Private and His Wife (published by Heritage Books) and Anything But a Dog! The perfect pet for a girl with congenital CMV (published by Unlimited Publishing LLC).

For more information about Lisa, visit www.authorlisasaunders.com or write to saundersbooks@aol.com

 

Mystic Seafarer’s Trail is available as a soft cover in Mystic area shops and as an e-book through: www.amazon.com/author/lisasaunders (Media may contact Saunders directly for a review copy.)

 

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Book Details:

Mystic Seafarer's Trail

Subtitle: Secrets behind the 7 Wonders, Titanic's Shoes, Captain Sisson's Gold, and Amelia Earhart's Wedding

Authored by Lisa Saunders

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (October 29, 2012)

Softcover Price: $ 12.95

ISBN-13: 978-1480085848; ISBN-10: 1480085847

 

FREE today-Feb 4: Mystic Seafarer's Trail

 

I have made the e-book version of Mystic Seafarer's Trail free today through Monday, Feb. 4, on Amazon. It includes little-known details about Amelia Earhart's wedding in Noank, CT. You don't need a Kindle to download it (it can go to your computer or phone). Visit: http://www.amazon.com/Mystic-Seafarers-Trail-Titanics-ebook/dp/B00A3RX85E

If you don't want to down load it, you can read Chapter One and Two by clicking on the “LOOK INSIDE” feature, or you can read Chapter One below:

1 Wanted: Epic Adventure

Shortly after stepping out of my new home with my hound for our first stroll through the historic seacoast village of Mystic, Connecticut, a woman pulled over in her van and yelled, "Excuse me."

Assuming she was a tourist wanting directions to Mystic Pizza or some other attraction, I wasn't prepared for what she really wanted to know.

"Do you realize the back of your skirt is tucked into your underwear?"

What a debut in my new hometown—I don’t think this is what National Geographic meant when they named Mystic one of the top 100 adventure towns in the United States.

Once recovered from my wardrobe “malfunction,” I continued toward downtown Mystic with Bailey, a beagle/basset hound mix, to embark on a new life and shake off my old, sedentary landlubbing ways.

No longer did I want to be known as the lady who always talks about losing weight but never does it. No longer would I sit around daydreaming about becoming thin and famous so I could hire someone else to clean my house. I had a real shot at it now that I lived in a place where I couldn’t help but fall into a swash-buckling adventure—the kind that might inspire me to write a bestseller.

Straddling both sides of the Mystic River in the towns of Groton and Stonington, the village of Mystic takes its name from an Indian word, “river running to the sea.” With its scenic views of tall ships, islands, lighthouses, and secluded coves, it has attracted such legendary honeymooners as Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. It is a place where those who cross the oceans gather to swap stories and repair their boats. It is where famous explorers are born, visit, get married, or come to live.

To launch my career as an adventuress, I decided to walk Bailey to the haunts and homes of such celebrated adventurers as Amelia Earhart, the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic; Dr. Robert Ballard, the discoverer of Titanic’s watery grave; Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd, the first aviator to fly over the South Pole; and Captain Nathaniel B. Palmer, who accidentally discovered Antarctica.

Now was the time for me to join their ranks, to start living life on the edge. Maybe I could become thin and famous like Amelia Earhart. Like her, I am fairly tall, my middle initial is M, I have a gap between my two front teeth, and until I looked it up, I couldn’t spell medieval either (more on that and her wedding day later). Unlike Amelia, I wasn’t skinny, but that was about to change. I would stop lying around reading about adventurers and do what it took to become one.

My husband, Jim, and I were transferred to the Mystic area by his company, which meant I had to quit my job as a full-time writer for a college and search for a new one in a community revolving around life at sea—not easy for a confirmed desk sitter like me. Finding the area already teeming with underemployed writers and publicists, I was grateful when my former employer hired me back as a consulting writer. Although freelancing allowed me to work from home in my pajamas, it offered no retirement benefits—hence the need to become famous. Being famous not only helps pay the bills, but it gives you an edge when trying to accomplish other goals.

Now was the time for me to follow in the path of prominent authors such as Herman Melville who went to sea on a whaler (a ship designed to catch whales and process their oil) when he couldn't find a job. Although he deserted and had to live among cannibals for a time, he found the inspiration to write his first novel. Further sea adventures, which included mutiny and hearing about a whale that rammed and sank the Essex, led to the creation of his magnum opus: Moby Dick. I, myself, could barely get through this “Great American Novel,” but somebody must like it. And now that I lived within walking distance of the Charles W. Morgan, the last wooden whaleship in the world, I felt that was a sign. Perhaps I could enlist on it as a deck swabber on some epic voyage. The house we purchased came with a brass, whale-shaped door knocker. That had to be a sign.

If following in the footsteps of a whaling writer didn’t work, there was always the chance I could get famous by finding a dead body—just like Bailey and our older daughter had. Although it didn’t make her into an international celebrity, I use it as a party stopper whenever I want to be the center of attention. Of course, I should really find my own body, preferably of a well-known person. Celebrities are always coming to Mystic to film movies or vacation.

Since I couldn’t count on finding a dead body, famous or otherwise, I decided to start small. First, I planned to compile “The 7 Wonders of Mystic”—something quick I could shout to the tourists who rolled down their car windows asking what they should see (besides my underwear).

National Geographic’s website suggests that Mystic adventurers bike what it calls the 25-mile Vineyard Loop that includes “some hairy climbs that stops at two of the best wineries.” Hairy climbs? I hoped to get thin, but did I have to go uphill to do it? I thought not.

Instead, I would conquer a trail of my own design—one that would avoid hills where possible—and call it the “Mystic Seafarer’s Trail.” It would include “The 7 Wonders” (once I figured out what they were), plus the stomping grounds of legendary explorers. It would encompass the Mystic, Stonington and Noank area and even include where Kate the acupuncturist weighed her newborn on a lobster scale after giving birth on a schooner and rowing to shore.

With so many potential wonders to consider and adventures to try, I had a lot of ground—and water—to cover. So, every afternoon, I checked my skirt and off Bailey and I went to follow a scent of our own.

Read Chapter Two by clicking on the “LOOK INSIDE” feature of the Mystic Seafarer’s Trail at: http://www.amazon.com/Mystic-Seafarers-Trail-Titanics-ebook/dp/B00A3RX85E

Upcoming Events: 1/15-5/19

2013 Spring Schedule:

Tues., Jan 15, 7:30 pm; T.V. appearance: How to Get Published

Channel 12, Comcast, Mystic, CT, area: Community Culture Showcase

Lisa Saunders has had two books published by traditional publishers and has self-published several others, including her most recent, Mystic Seafarer's Trail: Secrets behind the 7 Wonders, Titanic's Shoes and Amelia Earhart's Wedding. She will discuss the simplicity and cost-effectiveness of publishing e-books and print-on-demand.

Wednesday, Jan 30, 10 - 11:30 am (Snow date: Saturday, February 2, 10-11:30 a.m.)

Youth Writing Workshop, Grades 4, 5 and 6

Bill Library, 718 Colonel Ledyard Hwy, Ledyard, CT 06339

Admission is free, but reservations are required. Contact: Andrea McKenzie, Friends of the Library Planning Committee, at aandgmckenzie@gmail.com, 860-464-9912, or visit: www.ledyard.lioninc.org. Students are encouraged to bring a writing sample to share along with some paper and a pencil/pen. Local author Lisa Saunders will ask students to write additional short pieces in the hour and half workshop and to critique each other’s work in an atmosphere of support and encouragement. Students will have a chance to read their work aloud and learn about the publishing process.

 

Thurs., Feb 14, 9 pm; TV Appearance, EVER TRUE: Civil War Love Story

Comcast and TVC, channel 12, Thursday night at 9:00 PM, and Sunday morning at 9:00 a.m. Reading of Lisa's play, based on her great-great grandparents Civil War love letters on talk show, “Books & Things with Tom.”

 

Thursday, March 14, 7 pm; Lecture: “Ever True: A Union Private and His Wife”

AAUW New London County branch meeting at: Waterford Public Library, 49 Rope Ferry Road, Waterford, CT, 860-444-5805, www.waterfordpubliclibrary.org

Lisa Saunders will tell the story behind researching the Civil War love letters of her great-great grandparents and compiling them into her book, Ever True: A Union Private and His Wife and one-act play. Private Charles McDowell married Nancy when she was 15 years old. Together their letters include tales of desertions, hangings, prostitutes, venereal disease, bullets, typhoid fever, lying injured on the battlefield for days, and “clever women.” More info: http://newlondon-ct.aauw.net, or contact Patty at clairwood@sbcglobal.net

Friday, April 19: Stop CMV

Infection Control Nurses of Connecticut

Lisa Saunders, as parent representative of Congenital CMV Foundation, will speak about preventing #1 viral cause of birth defects—congenital CMV, which causes more birth defects than Down syndrome.

Aqua Turf in Southington, CT. More Info: Kris Magnussen, KMagnussen@llhd.org

 

Thursday, May 9, 2012, Noon; Lecture:  Shays' Rebellion: The Hanging of Captain Henry Gale Henry Gale

Daughters of American Revolution (Anna Warner Bailey Chapter): Meeting starts at 11:00 a.m.

Fort Griswold Battlefield State Park Museum

Author Lisa Saunders will talk about her e-book, Shays' Rebellion: The Hanging of Co-Leader, Captain Henry Gale Henry Gale responded to Paul Revere’s call to Lexington and was honored as a patriot. Yet in the post-war credit crisis, he was considered a traitor for his leadership role in Shays’ Rebellion—an insurrection that influenced the adoption of the United States Constitution. More info: Contact Barbara at raybun1@comcast.net or visit: http://annawarnerbaileydar.org/