About the Event

We are pleased to invite you to our first ever Virtual Adventure by the Book featuring debut author Rebecca Winn in conversation with beloved bestselling author Susan Meissner, and featuring music by world-renowned guitarist Fred Benedetti. Join us on Zoom* to “meet” the author, as she discusses her memoir, One Hundred Daffodils: Finding Beauty, Grace, and Meaning When Things Fall Apart (Grand Central Publishing), and allow her healing journey to offer hope to you today as you navigate the fear, uncertainty, and challenges due to the recent COVID-19 pandemic.

When her husband asked for a divorce after twenty-five years of marriage, Rebecca Winn felt untethered physically, spiritually, and emotionally. The security she’d had in her marriage was suddenly replaced by an overwhelming sense of fear, hopelessness, and dread. But from this fear emerged a powerful desire to answer one of life’s most profound questions: How can we ever know another person if we do not truly know ourselves? Prepare to be inspired by her engaging, wise, and uplifting reflection on human resilience and nature’s ability to teach, inspire, and heal after an unexpected life upheaval.

As you relax in the comfort and warmth of your own home for this virtual Adventure, enjoy a glass of wine and dessert, surround yourself with beautiful flowers, light some inspirational candles, or nestle in your favorite chair and snuggly blanket so that you can feel the healing powers of Rebecca’s message.

This collaborative Adventure was designed not only to support artists, but to provide readers with a multi-sensorial healing experience. Your Adventure includes a copy of One Hundred Daffodils (shipped free within the US), signed bookplate, book club discussion guide, a virtual book discussion with Rebecca in conversation with Susan Meissner, Q&A, a brief musical performance by Fred Benedetti, and the opportunity to be inspired by Rebecca’s healing journey.

*Instructions to join the Zoom virtual Adventure will be emailed to you upon registration.

About the Author

Rebecca Winn is a multiple award-winning landscape designer and creator of the inspirational Facebook blog, Whimsical Gardens. Her eye for nature’s beauty and her unique blend of wisdom, insight, and humor inspire and entertain hundreds of thousands of readers around the globe each day. Born in Dallas, Texas, Rebecca’s family moved to Europe when she was in first grade, providing her the opportunity to grow up surrounded by the majestic, centuries old gardens of Italy, Scotland, and England, which strongly influenced both her garden designs and her writing.

One Hundred Daffodils: Finding Beauty, Grace, and Meaning When Things Fall Apart is her first book.When her husband asked for a divorce after twenty-five years of marriage, Rebecca Winn felt untethered physically, spiritually, and emotionally. The security she’d had in her marriage was suddenly replaced by an overwhelming sense of fear, hopelessness, and dread. She felt invisible and alone and was horrified to consider that her deepest longing — to know and be known by another person — might never be realized. But from this fear emerged a powerful desire to answer one of life’s most profound questions: How can we ever know another person if we do not truly know ourselves?

Facilitated in measures by a love affair with a younger man, dedicated study of Jungian psychology, and a deep dive into global spiritual practices, Winn transformed heartbreak into wholeness through communion with the divine in nature. By turning to her garden for guidance, sanctuary, and inspiration, and dialing closely into the flora and fauna around her, she ultimately discovered what is possible when we are willing look at our unvarnished selves with an open mind — and see others with an open heart.

About the Moderator

Susan Meissner is a USA Today bestselling author of historical fiction with more than half a million books in print in fifteen languages. She is an author, speaker and writing workshop leader with a background in community journalism.

Her novels include The Last Year of the War, named to Real Simple magazine’s list of best books for 2019; Secrets of  Charmed Life, a Goodreads finalist for Best Historical Fiction 2015; and A Fall of Marigolds, named to Booklist’s Top Ten Women’s Fiction titles for 2014.

Her book, As Bright as Heaven, which earned a starred review in Library Journal, is a compelling novel that relives the Spanish Flu pandemic for one family in 1918, Philadelphia where, amidst the tragedy and challenges, they learn what they cannot live without–and what they are willing to do about it.

A California native, she attended Point Loma Nazarene University and is also a writing workshop volunteer for Words Alive, a San Diego non-profit dedicated to helping at-risk youth foster a love for reading and writing.

About the Musician

Fred Benedetti was born in Sasebo, Japan, and began playing the guitar at the age of 9.
In 1986 he was one of the 12 guitarists chosen worldwide to perform in the Master Class of Andres Segovia at USC where Guitarra Magazine wrote:
“..Fred Benedetti amazed the audience with his performance of the Bach Chaconne …”

Equally at home playing classical music or contemporary music, he records on the SBE label and Domo Records with five noted ensembles: Camarada (chamber ensemble), Keltik Kharma (a celtic band), The Odeum Guitar Duo, given the honor by the magazine, Acoustic Guitar, as being one of the ten best independently produced guitar CDs for the year 2000, “Blurring the Edges” a recipient of the 1994 San Diego Music Awards “Best Pop-Jazz” album of the year featuring jazz musicians Peter,Tripp, and Hall Sprague, and the acclaimed Benedetti/Svoboda Guitar Duo.

Fred has performed in the United States, England, Germany, the Czech Republic, Canada, Taiwan and Mexico, and locally has played with the San Diego Symphony, the San Diego Opera, the Starlight Opera, the American Ballet Company, the Old Globe Theatre, Luciano Pavarotti, and jazz artist Dave Brubeck. As a BMI affiliated composer, Fred has written numerous contemporary pieces for the international CD library company Network Productions and as a studio musician for 20 years his playing is featured on over 100 CD’s, numerous movie soundtracks, and TV commercials.He is a full-time professor of music at Grossmont College where he is the head of the guitar studies program.

Chat with Authors for Free

Are you missing out on social interaction and connectivity during your COVID-19 seclusion? Is your book club, group of friends, social group, seeking fabulous authors who are excited and available to meet with you? Then you will be delighted to know that Rebecca and Susan are NovelNetwork authors, available to meet with book clubs via video chat. Schedule a free Zoom visit today, and each of your book club members, family members, or social groups, can meet the authors in the safety and comfort of your own homes.

NovelNetwork is the nation’s first and only match(dot)com for authors and readers to find each other, so check it out today. Any group with multiple members (book clubs, family members, friends, social groups, bookstores, libraries, business or professional groups)) join for free, and can gain access to our database of dozens of authors, from NYT and international bestsellers, to debut authors, cookbook authors, mystery and non-fiction authors, and representing various regions of the United States, and even Alaska and Hawaii, all of whom want to meet with you!

To schedule a visit with Rebecca, Susan or any of our authors, join for free here.