Darlene's Digest

Image via Wikipedia On the Air! My alter ego, who normally has a far less exciting life than Darlene Marshall (and much more boring shoes), will be on the air during Morning Edition at Classic 89/Nature Coast 90 on Tuesday and Wednesday morning. If you live in North Central Florida and you listen to public radio, now is the time to pledge your support. Go to WUFT/WJUF and pledge on-line or on the phone. And if you pledge during Morning Edition, please be sure to say "Hi!"

Image via Wikipedia Diana Gabaldon on WUFT/WJUF FM I'm going to be blogging next week about my two on-air shifts at WUFT/WJUF FM, but right now I want to mention that NYT bestselling author Diana Gabaldon will be the guest on "Conner Calling" on Friday, April 24 from 1-2 p.m. EDT. You can listen to the show online at WUFT/WJUF and send in email and phone questions. We're also in the middle of the Spring Membership campaign, so you can re-up or become a new member at the station site. In addition, tickets are still available for the ACLD Foundation Author Gala on May 17 in Gainesville, Florida, where Diana Gabaldon will be our guest speaker. Go to the Alachua County Library District Foundation website for ticket information. And yes, in between my commitments and volunteer work for public radio and the public library, I'm still writing.[g]

Image via Wikipedia Earth Day Ecotourism I took a cruise on the Loxahatchee River with my family yesterday, and it was delightful. Not only was the weather perfect, but it combined Florida eco-tourism with research, two of my favorite activities. The Loxahatchee is accessed at Jonathan Dickinson State Park at Hobe Sound, and the tour boat was a shallow draft pontoon model which could navigate the shallower parts of the river. Even so, it was lower than it will be when the summer rains come, so we couldn't go into all the tributaries. But we did see a number of gators, turtles, mullet jumping, blue herons and ospreys nesting with their young. I love the parts of Florida that are too often overlooked by tourists who only know about Disney and Miami. There's a big beautiful state out there, and I hope some--but not too many--tourists will take advantage of all that our parks and natural areas offer.

If I'm in South Florida, a noted site of piratical activity, can I call it research when I'm sitting on the beach sipping drinks with paper umbrellas? I am assiduously scanning the ocean for pirate ships looming on the horizon. Will I care after the second mojito?

Cover of Outlander Diana Gabaldon speaking in Gainesville, Florida I'll be mentioning this again, but I wanted to get the word out that the guest for this year's Alachua County Library District Foundation Gala is NYT bestselling author Diana Gabaldon. Gabaldon is the creator of the "Outlander" series and the Lord John Grey mysteries. She's also one of my favorite authors, and since I'm a member of the ACLD Foundation Board, I'm especially pleased to have her as our guest. The Gala is May 17, and tickets are on sale now. Go to the ACLD Foundation website here for more information.

Image via Wikipedia It's April Fools Day! Take time to be foolish! I think in today's climate of gloom, doom and recession, it's important to take a mental break and be silly. This is the day for it. Read a blog that makes you laugh. Check out Google's home page and what those brilliant ladies are up to at SBTB and Dear Author . Snicker at a LOLCat. Laughter is good for you. I tried to write an angsty, serious, gloomy book once. It didn't work. I was much happier writing about pirates who made you snicker while they were buckling the swash, and with happy endings all around (except for the villain). If you're not smiling when you turn to the last page of my books, I'm doing it wrong. Today I'll watch one of the classic screwball comedies I've recorded. Maybe The Lady Eve or Nothing Sacred or Born Yesterday . Something that will make me grin, and feel good at the end. And there's nothing wrong with that.