Sisters authors honored in Bend

Three members of the local Sisters authors group have had their books chosen to be part of the Love Your Local Author fair sponsored by the Deschutes Public Library System on Sunday, August 16, from 1 to 3 p.m. in the Brooks Room at the downtown Bend Library.

The monthly program, a celebration of Northwest writers and the written word, gives Central Oregon writers a chance to share their work with the public, and allows the public the opportunity to meet and speak with local authors and explore their work. The Sisters authors' books run the gamut from children's books to a parenting book, to an end-of-life workbook.

Edie Jones will be showcasing her "Raising Kids With Love, Honor and Respect: Recipes for Success." Jones describes her book as "the manual kids don't come with." It is full of down-to-earth, basic ideas to rely on over and over while caring for children; your own or someone else's. This guidebook is organized so the reader can use the most appropriate section at any given time, covering years from birth to the young teens.

Jones's knowledge on the subject comes from 48 years of experience working with children and families, both personally and professionally. She retired in 2013 from her position as director of Together For Children, where she served in a variety of capacities for 21 years.

Her book is written to help parents, grandparents, teachers and childcare providers work effectively, confidently, and lovingly with the children in their lives.

Dana Wand has published two delightful children's books: "Shanie June Jumped Over the Moon" and "Dragon in My Closet and Other Scaly Tales." Both books are beautifully and colorfully illustrated with images to capture the imagination of young children. One of them is spiral bound and laminated to make for easy handling by small hands.

Wand and her husband moved to Sisters from the Aurora area in the Willamette Valley, where they raised their family and where they now have grandchildren who like to visit Sisters. Wand is currently working on two novels and has several other children's books in process.

Diane Goble, who works as a freelance writer for The Nugget, will be sharing her book "Beyond the Veil," which is the outgrowth of a training course Goble designed in 2008 to teach people how to be present with those who are dying. It also prepares the reader for making decisions about their own end-of-life wishes.

All the practical things that need to be considered concerning death are explained, enabling the reader to make preparations in a timely fashion for the end of their life or that of a loved one. Goble believes appropriate decisions and preparations need to be made far enough in advance that one is of sound mind and has plenty of time to do it right.

"Being prepared is a gift you can give your family to save them a lot of grief," she counsels.

All of the forms and paperwork necessary are included in the book, such as an Advance Directive, the Physician's Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment (POLST) form, healthcare power of attorney, and information about Death with Dignity. The book is formatted as a workbook, with blank pages between chapters to allow for note-making to help the reader with their decision-making.

The Sisters authors group describes their monthly meetings as an exchange of talents where problems are solved through the collective wisdom of the group.

"We're all lacking in something," said Wand, "but together we can give and receive necessary information to help each of us in our process, working toward being published. Technical skills are always welcome."

Some members have strong editing and critiquing skills; others have experience in the world of self-publishing. They are able to offer one another positive support in their common efforts. They also invite people to join who enjoy reading and critiquing, no writing necessary.

The group of about a dozen members has been meeting since February of this year on the second Friday of each month, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., at the Maida Bailey building behind the Chamber of Commerce office. There is no meeting in August.

Their hope for the future is to explore possibilities for bringing more focus to the literary arts in Sisters, which already has strong music and visual-arts communities. They have tentative plans to have a booth at this year's Harvest Fair with members' books available for sale.

Their website http://www.sisters

authors.com is currently under construction. For more information contact Diane Goble at 541-588-0081.