The back cover of Rhythms & Muse features a Lake Cd’A photo I took in 2005.

I’m so excited to return to Coeur d’Alene in August for a signing of my Rhythms & Muse novel and music CD at Calypsos Coffee & Creamery, 116 E. Lakeside Ave. from 4–7 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2011.

Background

I spent my high school years in Coeur d’Alene, and plenty of time in Spokane, Wash., which inspired the 1970s flashback scenes in the novel. Anyone who’s been around those towns for a while will recognize a number of the places mentioned in the book. Readers can find a sneak peek in my Cd’A Trivia blog entry, too.

For those who don’t know, Rhythms & Muse is a make-dreams-come-true story about a Grammy-award-winning female vocalist, Alexandra Lauren, who is living the glamorous Hollywood lifestyle and hating it. Dreams are guiding her, but she ignores them until one comes true in real life. Her dreams, and flashbacks to her senior year in high school, lead Alex to listen to her intuitions and return to Cd’A. Searching for true fulfillment, she works an elaborate scheme to try to reconcile with her former music partner and first love, Matt Roberts, and to regain the balance she’s lost in her life.

As I was writing the story of these musical characters, I also decided to create original music to accompany the book, using the music and lyrics my characters “composed.” On the Rhythms & Muse CD, I sing all five songs, and also contribute select piano and guitar accompaniment.

Did you know I…

• Always wanted to write a novel and create music, so publishing Rhythms & Muse this year fulfilled two of my main life goals in tandem.
• Graduated from Cd’A high school and left Idaho to attend Arizona State University.
• Graduated cum laude in Broadcast Journalism from ASU.
• Worked in corporate and agency public relations until starting my own marketing consulting firm in 1996.
• Was honored by a panel of national judges honored with a Crown Jewel Award for my firm vIDEAn Unlimited, LLC (i.e. the top U.S. home-based business in 2005).
• Specialize in developing business tribes using word-of-mouth marketing strategy.
• Am an award-winning writer and editor.
• Offer a bunch of interesting and valuable information on my Web site (videanunlimited.com), business-tribe blog (videanunlimited.com/biztribe), and novel blog (anvidean.com).

Did you know Calypsos Coffee & Creamery…

• Is Coeur d’Alene’s Casual Coffee House
• Was established by local-area natives, the Jenicek family, in 2008.
• They decided to open Calypsos to share their love of coffee and to be involved with the downtown business district and its people.
• Serves quality coffee, roasted onsite, in a captivating and comfortable atmosphere.
• Is located one block from the Cd’A Resort, the Chamber of Commerce and the City Beach.
• Great menu and services are detailed at Calypsoscoffee.com.

I can’t wait to get back to Coeur d’Alene to share Rhythms & Muse with my friends there.

– Ann