Wild Birds-ephemeral

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What was Newton's Third Law of physics? "For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction." Just get ready for it. Perhaps Sir Isaac was thinking of authoring. It is an odd avocation, filled with an unusual and opposing dichotomy, a push pull.

While writing a book, the long months that turn into years, you are squirreled away, quietly working, researching, putting words to paper, locked in your own head. Yes, it's scary. Nonfiction books live or die by the research, a detective job that can go in many directions, through many sources. It's fascinating. Sometimes you know, or think you know bits of the story but its details are ferreted out by the detective work. Often it is full of surprises.   

Ultimately, if you are lucky, the book is published and your baby is out into the world, and you spend months and years standing in front of groups talking about what you have written, reliving the stories. That is intensely extroverted. You jump from meek mouse to roaring lion.  

Many, many thanks to my friends at Wild Birds Unlimited Knoxville—owners Liz and Tony, assistant manager Tiffiny—for hosting the first book talk about my newest, Ephemeral by Nature. And thank you the University of Tennessee Press for publishing it. 

What a strange ride it all has been. 

And thank you Tiffiny for the photos.  

With Liz Cutrone, co-owner with husband Tony of Wild Birds Unlimited Knoxville

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