Genre:
Articles, Legends and Folkore, Local History, Fantasy, Short Short Stories
Websites:
LynneSturtevant.com
HiddenNewMexico.com
MagicWordsCreative.com
Social Media:
Other Contact Information:
Lpsturtevant@gmail.com
505-205-2717, call or text
Bio
Lynne Sturtevant is the author of five books, two traditionally published and three self-published, as well as several short stories, dozens of articles and blog posts. She owned a travel agency in Washington, DC, an online business for local historians, and a tour company in Appalachia. Lynne is also a website designer working with writers, artists, and other creative people over 50.
More from Lynne
I am currently working on Haunted: Profiting from the Paranormal. It’s a nonfiction how-to guide that shows readers how to create and operate home-based businesses that feature ghost walks, haunted house investigations, and other programs with an otherworldly slant. I’m also mulling over ideas for a new novel, my second.
Books: Fiction
Title: The Ghost of Walker’s Gap (The Off-Kilter Chronicles Book 2)
Published: April 2022
Genre: Fantasy
Visiting homemaker Ginger Stewart doesn’t believe in ghosts — until the spirit of a dead artist materializes in her backseat. New to Walker’s Gap, the most haunted town in West Virginia, Ginger soon discovers ghosts aren’t the only ones disturbing the peace. A mining company wants to strip the surrounding hills of their riches. But they’re searching for treasure in the wrong place. Something much more valuable than coal is hidden beneath the historic town’s brick streets. Ginger teams up with Birdy, an elderly woman with Appalachian magic running through her veins, and Ronnie, an expert in mountain legends and folklore. Can they discover the secret of Walker’s Gap and put its troubled spirits to rest before greed consumes them all?
Available for Sale
Title: The Good Neighbors (The Off-Kilter Chronicles Book 1)
Published: September 2020
Genre: Fantasy
People used to know the truth about fairies, and they were afraid of them. When visiting homemaker Ginger Stewart encounters a troop of fairies in the wild, green hills of West Virginia, she learns magic is real. She also learns our ancestors were right. There are reasons to be afraid. Ginger is astounded when a fairy attacks her while she’s calling on her elderly client, Violet. Violet has spent her life coddling the fairies and hiding them from the outside world. But things have changed. The fairies are angry and aggressive, and the mayhem is escalating. Ginger and Violet must negotiate a maze of folklore, ancient symbols, and dark family secrets. Will they find a way to restore equilibrium to the fairies — and themselves — before it’s too late?
Available for Sale
Books: Nonfiction
Title: The Collaboration Kit
Published: January 2020
Genre: Nonfiction How-to
Collaboration can be the easiest, most effective and least expensive way to quickly produce new programs, tours and events — but only if you work with the right partner. The Collaboration Kit is a practical, how-to guide written specifically for people working in local history and tourism. Topics include: the benefits of collaborating; how to find and approach potential partners; what to do if you’re approached; why to consider working with competitors; red flags; program examples and suggestions. There are four real-world case studies including a detailed analysis of a single doomed program that went off the rails twice with two different partners. There is also a sample collaboration agreement you can adopt and adapt to your own situation.
Available for Sale
Title: Hometown: Writing a Local History or Travel Guide
Published: January 2020
Genre: Nonfiction How-to
Many of us dream of becoming published authors. We imagine how it would feel to hold our book or see it on the shelf at our favorite bookstore. The good news is you can achieve your dream by writing about your hometown. Chronicle your area’s history. Write about a significant building or local celebrity. Zero in on an interesting neighborhood. Publish a collection of ghost stories or share insider tips in a travel book about your town or region. Hometown is a complete guide to writing and publishing a local interest book. Topics include choosing the right subject, scope and slant for your book; structuring your project so that you actually finish the manuscript; an honest comparison of traditional and self-publishing options; step-by-step instructions for publishing on Amazon; specific ways to capitalize on local authors’ marketing advantages; how to establish your online presence; and how much you might realistically earn.
Available for Sale
Title: Create Successful Walking Tours
Published: November 2019
Genre: Nonfiction How-to
Whether you work in an historic house, a regional museum, a Main Street organization, for the Visitors’ Bureau, or run your own business, Create Successful Walking Tours will help you find appealing ideas for programs, show you how to design tours properly and market them effectively to the right audiences. Create Successful Walking Tours covers: how to choose the best theme and structure for your tour; what to do if you’re completely out of ideas; how to find background information and uncover the quirky details that make your tour shine; how to construct an effective itinerary including how to sequence stops, ensure continuity and manage your material; how to staff the tour; how to handle administrative issues such as reservations, ticketing, equipment, customer questions and more; how to price your tour properly; how much to pay guides and helpers; how to handle profit sharing with venues and other organizations; how to market and promote your tour without breaking the bank; and how to avoid the myriad of potential tour day problems. Create Successful Walking Tours also includes sample documents you can adapt and modify including: duties and compensation agreement for guides; collaboration agreement; payment demand letter; press release; gift certificate; customer survey; and executive summary. The material is presented in an easy-to-follow format that allows you to document your process as you go, which will make planning your next tour a piece of cake. Learn to create tours that people will gladly pay to attend. Breathe new life into your destination’s or attraction’s offerings and marketing. Build a successful and rewarding business around helping people discover and explore your town. Create Successful Walking Tours will show you how!
Available for Sale
Title: A Guide to Historic Marietta, Ohio
Publisher: The History Press (2011)
Genre: Nonfiction Travel
Welcome to Marietta, the elegant river city where Ohio’s history begins. Explore ancient earthworks, stroll shady brick streets lined with glorious Victorian mansions, wander through museums, browse for antiques in the beautifully preserved downtown, kickback in a wide variety of restaurants and taverns or take a relaxing cruise down the scenic Ohio River. Venture into nearby West Virginia and visit Fenton, America’s oldest art glass company; Blennerhassett Island where Aaron Burr hatched a plot against the US government; and Henderson Hall, the majestic great house of a former slave plantation — all within 15 miles of downtown Marietta. A Guide to Historic Marietta, Ohio will help you make the most of your time. It includes an overview of the area’s rich history, maps, dozens of vintage and modern photos and descriptions of the best sites and attractions the region has to offer — including those most visitors miss.
Available for Sale
Title: Haunted Marietta: History and Mystery in Ohio’s Oldest City
Publisher: The History Press (2010)
Genre: Nonfiction Legends
Haunted Marietta: History and Mystery in Ohio’s Oldest City explores the supernatural side of the state’s first settlement. Visit a crumbling 1835 mansion whose original owner still roams the halls, sit in the plush red seats of an abandoned theater and climb an ancient Indian burial mound. Encounter river pirates, fugitive slaves, an axe murderer, jealous lovers and inept morticians. Haunted Marietta delves into various types of otherworldly phenomena, examines the difference between ghost stories and reports of supernatural activity and discusses why certain people become spirits. From an 1815 goblin sighting to a bartender’s brush with the unexplained, local author Lynne Sturtevant covers it all.
