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    Articles by Claire Gebben
    Connections key to market self-published books | Reads & Writes
    Connections key to market self-published books | Reads...
    By Claire Gebben • July 8, 2015 3:03 pm

    Sometimes it is the tiniest detail that can lead readers to your book.

    Read Story

    The Top-40 of 2014 at Island books features favorites like “The Boys in the Boat
    Island Reads | The guilty pleasures of 2014
    By Claire Gebben • March 3, 2015 4:35 pm

    Columnist Claire Gebben asks, what does the Top-40 list reveal about what Mercer Islanders like to read?

    Read Story

    Choosing the right cover
    Choosing the right cover
    By Claire Gebben • November 18, 2014 4:11 pm

    There’s a reason for the old adage, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” because people do.

    Read Story

    Writers are self-made and other myths
    Writers are self-made and other myths
    By Claire Gebben • September 16, 2014 4:14 pm

    The idea novels of genius are created in complete isolation is stretching the real writing world beyond recognition.

    Read Story

    Finding inspiration in the company of fellow writers
    Finding inspiration in the company of fellow writers
    By Claire Gebben • July 1, 2014 5:02 pm

    Meet agents and editors – and fellow writers, face-to-face.

    Read Story

    In 2014, it’s a new world for self-publishing
    In 2014, it’s a new world for self-publishing
    By Claire Gebben • May 15, 2014 8:00 am

    In 2008 when I got serious about publishing a novel, there was a time-honored method of meeting that challenge.

    Read Story

    ‘Go local’ with the Friends of the Library
    ‘Go local’ with the Friends of the Library
    By Claire Gebben • March 28, 2014 2:00 pm

    The Mercer Island Friends of the Library are preparing for their Spring Book Sale starting this Thursday and running through Sunday, March 30.

    Read Story

    Writers conference offers insights, inspiration and good books
    Writers conference offers insights, inspiration and good books
    By Claire Gebben • February 25, 2014 3:22 pm

    Over 10,000 writers are descending on the Washington State Convention Center this week, February 26-March 1 for the largest literary conference in North America.

    Read Story

    Health tip, writing is good for you
    Health tip, writing is good for you
    By Claire Gebben • January 22, 2014 1:55 pm

    Writing down what we think and feel helps us cope with the world around us.

    Read Story

    Those ever-evolving e-readers
    Those ever-evolving e-readers
    By Claire Gebben • December 10, 2013 5:53 pm

    Ebooks and their e-reader devices have been with us since about 2007, but there’s no comparison between those original e-readers and what’s available today.

    Read Story

    The Jazz 1 dance class strikes a pose at the Spectrum Dance Theater in the Madrona neighborhood of Seattle on Tuesday
    Leap to the possibilities at Spectrum Dance Theater
    By Claire Gebben • February 23, 2010 2:59 pm

    I can make out Mercer Island glimmering across Lake Washington as I walk toward the entrance of the Spectrum Dance…

    Read Story

    The Upper Reach Coal Creek Stream Bank Stabilization Project added new fencing to restore habitat near the Lakemont Blvd. S.E. trail entrance after storms essentially closed down the trails and open space.
    Nearby Coal Creek open space, trails are restored
    By Claire Gebben • October 27, 2009 1:27 pm

    Sometimes, we discover the loveliest places in our own backyards. Just a hop, skip and a jump off Mercer Island,…

    Read Story

    The dance floor
    Ancient traditions shared in Duwamish Cultural Longhouse
    By Claire Gebben • September 29, 2009 2:50 pm

    The presence of the Duwamish in the Puget Sound region dates back thousands of years. In 1851, when the first European-American settlers entered the scene, around 90 Duwamish longhouse structures dotted the shores of Elliott Bay. The newcomers received a warm welcome from Chief Si’ahl’s (Seattle). The Dkhw’Duw’Absh (Duwamish), the “People of the Inside,” canoed the settlers around the region, showed them the nutrient-rich nectar of clams and shared their best berry fields.

    Read Story

    The new aluminum Ice Caves Trail bridge replaces a 1969 wooden bridge which washed away in 2006.
    Rebuilt bridge to Ice Caves Trail offers views,...
    By Claire Gebben • July 21, 2009 3:48 pm

    From afar, the new Ice Caves Trail Bridge shines as white as the glacial snow just a mile up the trail. Up close, the 224-foot aluminum span gleams silver, its durable aesthetic built to weather any flooding that the South Fork Stillaguamish River can roil up.

    Read Story

    The Remlinger Farms petting zoo is a top attraction for kids and families alike. These baby goats hold a special place for most visitors who get to see the kids in action.
    Travel through time in nearby Carnation
    By Claire Gebben • June 2, 2009 6:26 pm

    Remlinger Farms and the Camlann Medieval Village are two one-of-a-kind day destinations a few miles outside of Carnation, Wash., just a hop, skip and a jump from Mercer Island. Am I suggesting that you do both in one day? I’m afraid not — but getting out to either or both of these grand adventures is sure to make your 2009 summer a memorable one.

    Read Story

    The USS Turner Joy rests in the Bremerton harbor as a museum and memorial.
    Anchored to stay | USS Turner Joy in...
    By Claire Gebben • April 7, 2009 11:39 pm

    Three long cylindrical guns protrude from hunched gun mounts. Smokestacks lean dockside, sporting red-painted disks that resemble eyes. Black radar antennae spike skyward from the masthead. Docked at one end of the Bremerton Boardwalk, the floating USS Turner Joy Museum, named after United States Navy Admiral Charles Turner Joy, certainly grabs the eye.

    Read Story

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