This Friday is my book launch party for They Only Eat Their Husbands: A Memoir of Alaskan Love World Travel, and the Power of Running Away. Someone at The Lighthouse Writers Top Secret Blog is already stalking me, and I couldn’t be more thrilled… except maybe if you joined her!

I’ve recently become a fan of the Mortal Muses, nine exceptional female photographers from the USA, Canada, and Europe. Their blog offers instant inspiration via daily postings of beautiful, moving, and amusing photos. Today they’ve invited me to answer the question: What Inspires You? My answer is a post that considers where inspiration comes from when I don’t feel inspired. Please visit the Mortal Muses blog and leave a comment on my guest post for your chance to win a signed copy of my book, They Only Eat Their Husbands: A Memoir of Alaskan Love, World Travel, and the Power of Running Away. (If you’d rather guarantee yourself a book, you can order one now at Ghost Road Press.)

As I prepare for the November 15 launch of my book, They Only Eat Their Husbands: A Memoir of Alaskan Love, World Travel, and the Power of Running Away, it seems as if I find authors lurking around every corner. This might sound intimidating, but I find it comforting, connecting with so many people who understand why I’ve chosen the weird, simultaneously secret and public, life of a writer. Mystery novelist Patricia Stoltey is one of those who understands. This fellow-Coloradan is the author of The Prairie Grass Murders (2007) and The Desert Hedge Murders (2009). She’s also a blogger who shares her thoughts on writing and Colorado authors, and today she has kindly invited me to guest post on her blog to share some of the secrets of My Writing Life. I hope you’ll drop by Patricia’s blog to read my writer’s confession. After that, remember, you can now order your own copy of They Only Eat Their Husbands from Ghost Road Press.

My friend and fellow-blogger, Rebecca Elia, has asked her followers a good question: “How does your fun little girl self show up in your life now?” Check out my answer at her blog: Feminine Revelations. I hope it prompts you to think of your own answer to the question, and maybe inspires you to play a little more in all you do.

Last week, I shared with you the first half of my two-part short film: Homes Within, Communities Without, sponsored by PlatteForum and Lighthouse Writers Workshop. If you haven’t seen part one, I hope you’ll give it a look, because I believe that somewhere between these two digital stories a third, unspoken story lies. In Audrey Haynes’ story, she shared how living on the streets has changed her ideas about community. For Audrey, community goes wherever she goes. For me, community begins at home. But it wasn’t always that way, and my story doesn’t end there.

You’ll find my video below. After you watch, I hope you’ll share your thoughts. What is the connection between home and community? What separates us all, and what connects us? What is community to you?

Homes Within, Communities Without: Cara from Cara Lopez Lee on Vimeo.

They Only Eat Their Husbands: A Memoir of Alaskan Love, World Travel, and the Power of Running Away now has a book cover. That means it won’t be long before you can hold the bound book in your hands, or download the e-version to your Kindle. No matter how unreal it seems to me, my travel memoir really is coming from Ghost Road Press this October.

If you’re interested in pre-sales, which should start in a few weeks, or if you want to come to my Denver book release party on November 5th, please join my mailing list and I’ll send you an invitation. I’ll spend the rest of November rattling around the American West in my ‘95 Honda Civic Hatchback, staying in hostels and surfing couches. If you have a couch I can ride, please let me know.

Until then, please feast your eyes on the exciting book cover above, designed by my talented editor, Matthew Davis. Then check out my latest excerpt from the pages of They Only Eat Their Husbands.

Thanks so much to Tammy of The Blogging Bradleys for passing on the Beautiful Blogger Award to Girls Trek Too. What a delightful honor, which I can’t wait to pass on. But first, this new tradition dictates that the recipient list 10 things that others might not know about him or her. So here goes…

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