I had an amazing day Saturday April 11, 2015 at the Folly Beach Sea & Sand Festival. I was up at 2:00 in the morning preparing to leave Aiken, SC and drive to Folly Beach, SC. The weather was iffy to say the least with a forecast of 100% rain at noon. I arrived at Folly Beach with a few sprinkles of rain as we were setting up our tent. but the thick dark clouds swiftly began floating out to the ocean and a beautiful day emerged. Temperatures were in the low 70's with a gentle seabreeze. It was a record day of signing copies of "A Faded Cottage" & "Whispering Fog" and talking to so many people from all over the world about the Diann Shaddox Foundation & Essential Tremor. I met so many wonderful people, Marilyn, Nancy, Kat, Cindy, Brooke, and even met Katie Ward, (Jr. Teen Sea & Sand). Living in Hill Country had its advantages and one was going to the Mandola Estates and Trattoria Lisina in Driftwood near Austin, TX. Visiting Trattoria Lisina makes you believe you are in Tuscany in the heart of Italy. On cool winter days you are able to unwind and enjoy a glass of wine sitting in front of a fire in the large rock fireplace or take a walk around the grounds.
Not only is the ambiance amazing but the food is always outstanding. The selection of meals that Chef/Owner Damian Mandola creates varies from pizza to traditional Italian classics like Osso Buco. Depending on your mood you can have a homemade pasta meal like Fettuccine con Prosciutto e funghi or enjoy a crunchy perfectly cooked pizza baked in a wood burning oven, which is my favorite. The wines varied from boutique wineries and of course they have their own Mandola wines that are available. If you are in the Austin, TX area you must visit Trattoria Lisina. Cheers. This past weekend I spent Saturday, January 24th and Sunday January 25th at the Frampton Plantation in Yemassee, South Carolina as a guest of the South Carolina Lowcountry Tourism Commission. I was there to raise money for the Diann Shaddox Foundation. The "Frampton House" property was part of an original King's Grant to the Frampton family in the 1700s. In 1865, General Sherman's troops burned the plantation house and all the farm buildings that stood on this site. In 1868, John Frampton rebuilt the present charming Lowcountry farmhouse and continued to work the land, which is now the home of the SC Lowcountry Tourism Commission. Saturday morning began rainy and windy with the ground saturated from the storms the night before. I arrived around 9:00 that wet morning to find beige A frame canvas tents dotting the grounds of the old plantation where Union and Confederate soldiers had spent the night. 19th-century cannons made by Lt. Colonel Vernon Terry were placed in front of the old plantation home. As the morning moved on the rain clouds seemed to be racing across the sky as the warmth of the South Carolina sun began to shine down upon the Plantation. For me though, since my tremors go wild in cold and I couldn't seem to have enough layers of clothes on I sat quivering from Essential Tremor and the cold. The plantation home became busy with soldiers and visitors scurrying and preparing for the Battle of Pocotaligo to take place later that day. Members of the Sons of Confederate Veterans: Charles Jones Colcock Camp 2100 and the 144th New York State Volunteers, whose ancestors fought at the 1864 Battle of Honey Hill In Ridgeland, SC were present to represent Union and Confederate soldiers at the Battle of Pocotaligo reenactment. In the quietness of the afternoon The Battle of Pocotaligo began with the firing of the cannons echoing across the valley shaking and rattling the old plantation home. The original Battle of Pocotaligo was fought on May 29, 1862 near Yemassee, SC. The Unions objective was to sever the Charleston and Savannah Railroad to isolate Charleston. During that battle, the Union lost 2 & 9 wounded, and the Confederates lost 2 & 6 wounded. The second Battle of Pocotaligo was on October 22, 1862 and once more, the objective was to sever the railroad. In both battles, the Confederate soldiers were able to keep the Union soldiers from the railroad. Sunday was a picture perfect day that started out cool but warmed into the high 50’s. Each day I was able to meet and talk with so many people to explain about the Diann Shaddox Foundation’s mission to bring awareness for Essential Tremor, the largest movement disorder. I was able to meet Ann, James, Pat, Claudia, Brittany, Bob Rogers, Lt. Colonial Vernon Terry, and so many others. Not only did I get to enlighten so many about Essential Tremor, I also learned so much about history. I was very pleased that so many young people were there and interested in talking to historians. To witness how people lived sleeping in tents and their entertainment, (not the computer or cell phones) listening to guitar playing and singing at night by a campfire, and reading books or telling stories by the light of oil lamps was wonderful. It was a couple of fascinating days. To learn more about the reenactments go to: Sons of Confederate Veterans: Charles Jones Colcock Camp 2100 https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sons-of-Confederate-Veterans-Charles-Jones-Colcock-Camp-2100/462176950559213?fref=photo & 144th New York State Volunteers, Saturday January 24, 2015: Diann Shaddox Author to raise funds for Diann Shaddox Foundation will be at the 2015 re-enactment Battle of Pocotaligo Civil War hosted by the Sons of Confederate Veterans: Charles Jones Colcock Camp 2100 and the SC Lowcountry Tourism Commission at Frampton Plantation in Point South! Please stop by, visit and get your signed copy of “A Faded Cottage” a SC love story about an artist with Essential Tremor & “Whispering Fog” a time travel. The event is hosted by the Charles Jones Colcock Camp #2100 Sons of Confederate Veterans, Ridgeland, SC. Frampton Plantation is part of the Lowcountry Tourism Commission. #SCLowcountry#CivilWar #Yemassee For information go to: https://www.facebook.com/pages/SC-Lowcountry-Tourism-Commission/147593725273609?fref=ts Fundraiser/book signing atĀ Second Annual "Novel" Wine Tasting, Arts and Literary Festival.10/26/2014
I had a wonderful day Saturday October 25, 2014 at the September Oaks Vineyards for the Second Annual "Novel" Wine Tasting, Arts and Literary Festival. I arrived early at the vineyard, a little before 9:00. The drive from Aiken, SC to Ridgeland, SC takes about two hours. The morning was chilly, at least for me when we left home with temps around 36 degrees, and some patchy fog was in the area. Of course, you know that I love the fog since I wrote "Whispering Fog" and in my next book "Spirits of Sacred Mountain" the story tells ••• Keep reading click read that on foggy days and nights the spirits are walking. Thus, making me wonder what spirits were out early that morning. Along the way, I did enjoy seeing all the cotton plants in the fields bursting with white fluffy blooms looking like a thick snow had fallen during the night. We saw four deer who dashed across the road, maybe being chased by a hunter. By the time we arrived at September Oaks Vineyards the temperature had risen and the sun was shining down. The wet grass was glistening with the morning dew and the sun was filtering through the enormous old southern oak trees along the path to the vineyard. The Vineyard was buzzing with people talking, unloading their cars, setting up tents, and the Sons of Confederate Veterans, Colonel Charles Colcock Camp 2100, were preparing food and the aroma of the grill smelled wonderful floating in the air. There was one old oak tree in the center of the vineyard that would have been my favorite spot to sit in as a child, dreaming of my tales of the old south, my southern dreams. The old oak reminded me of the twisted old oak in my "Southern Dreams"trilogy. I acted nice and didn't climb up into the branches of the old oak, even though it was very tempting The day was beautiful and as most typical South Carolina days the sun warmed us substantially as the temperatures rose to the high seventies. Music serenaded the grounds by violinist Murphey Alexander and Maggie Rogers, who played the banjo, as the public arrived and conversations began. Once more, I found out that so many people had not heard of Essential Tremor and if they had heard then they believed it was an old people's disorder, and were shocked to learn so many children and young people have ET. However, I did talk with many people who had Parkinson's and ET. My tremors were milder, maybe because I was staring at the old oak directly in front of my tent or maybe I wasn't paying attention to them, but when I went to sign one of my books, it become a stark reminder, staring down at my tremoring hand, of why I was out there talking about Essential Tremor. I met many old friends like Shavona Floyd, Kim Poovey, DiDi Hendley, Virginia Jennings, Carl Smith, and Tonja Bliss and many many more. I also met many new friends, Jo Wicker, Bernie Schein, pastry Chef Russ Gardiner, and Julia W. I even met Miss South Carolina, Laney Hudson. It was a spectacular day and I want to say thank you to Cyndi Williams Barnier and Jack Gannon for inviting me to the Second Annual "Novel" Wine Tasting, Arts and Literary Festival. Please join Diann Saturday October 25, 2014 at September Oaks Vineyard! Diann/Founder of the Diann Shaddox Foundation will be at the Second Annual "Novel" Wine Tasting, Arts and Literary Festival for a fundraiser/book signing. You can't go wrong with wine & books. The festival is located at September Oaks Vineyards in Ridgeland, SC with nationwide authors, food, entertainment, wine tastings. This years festival will be held on Saturday, October 25, 2014 from noon to 6pm. This year we expect up to 60 authors that will be in attendance, selling their books, autographing, performing readings, story-telling, entertainment, food, free tours, wine tastings and more. A variety of artists will also be in attendance this year. Entrance is free to the public. The event is family friendly & pet friendly! ••• Keep reading click read more below I had a great time at the Follypalooza Cancer Benefit and Diann Shaddox Foundation fundraiser on Folly Beach, SC Saturday October 18. It was a spectacular day beautiful blue skies, soft breeze and temperatures in the the 80's a picture perfect day to be on an island by the beach. I was still amazed how many people I talked to that hadn't heard of Essential Tremor. I did meet many people who knew of someone, friend or family member, that had ••• Keep reading click read more below Okay, ready for tomorrow to go to the Folly Palooza Cancer Benefit on Folly Beach, SC. The Truck is pack with a tent, banners, books, chairs, water and snacks, I have to have some snacks. It starts at ten and they block the roads by 9:00. I live 3 hours away, soooo that means getting up very early since I'm slow getting ready in the mornings because my tremors go wild in the mornings for some reason. Hope to see you there. I will be posting a lot of pictures and would love for you to join me. Oh, by the way dogs are welcomed so stop by for visit and let them get a doggy treat Here's some pictures from Taste of Folly last winter on Folly Beach.
Hi everyone the Aiken Standard interviewed me Monday October 20 about my foundation Diann Shaddox Foundation & my books, "A Faded Cottage" a SC love story about a man with Essential Tremor & "Whispering Fog" a time travel romance. Dede Biles Email Oct 23 2014 8:13 pm Diann Shaddox Foundation raising awareness about essential tremor and money for research Many people never have heard of essential tremor, a nervous system disorder that causes rhythmic shaking. A lot of doctors don’t know much about it, either. Aiken resident Diann Shaddox and Randy Miles want to change that. They also want to raise money to fund research to find a cure or discover better ways to treat the disease, which also is known as ET. Earlier this year, they created the Diann Shaddox Foundation. It recently received approval for a 501(c)(3) tax exemption. Shaddox is the president of the foundation, and Miles is the executive director and chairman of the trustees. To increase awareness, the Shaddox Foundation is distributing brochures with information about Essential Tremor. In the area of research, Shaddox and Miles will provide grants to scientists who are willing to combine their efforts and share information. “Most of the research done on these three disorders is separate, but I believe there is a link between them,” Miles said. Shaddox is an ET sufferer, so she is very familiar with the frustration its victims experience. “You’ve got to find a pretty specialized neurologist to get it diagnosed,” Shaddox said. “I’ve heard stories about people who go to the emergency room because they are having a heart attack or something, and the doctors and nurses are more worried about the fact that they are shaking.” Sometimes policemen and other first responders think that essential tremor sufferers are drug users or abusers. “Essential tremor disorder is the most common movement disorder, and hardly anybody knows about it,” Miles said. Shaddox wrote a romance novel, “A Faded Cottage,” which was published last year. Its protagonist, artist Quaid Witherspoon, develops ET and has trouble painting. Witherspoon moves from New York to the South Carolina coast, where his family vacationed when he was younger. He buys a cottage, reunites with a love interest from the past and learns how to deal with ET. Shaddox has another published novel, “Whispering Fog,” which is a time-travel romance. "Whispering Fog" doesn't have anything in it about essential tremor,” she said. All proceeds from both books are being donated to the Shaddox Foundation, and she plans to complete at least 16 others and get them published. Shaddox and Miles travel to various festivals, where they spread the word about the foundation and ET while selling books and T-shirts that promote the organization. The 2015 Folly Beach Wine & Sign, scheduled for April 25, will benefit the Shaddox Foundation. The event will be held at the Edwin S. Taylor Folly Beach Pier and will feature Lowcountry authors and artists. For more information about the Shaddox Foundation, call 803-641-0650 or visit www.diannshaddoxfoundation.org. Dede Biles is a general assignment reporter for the Aiken Standard and has been with the newspaper since January 2013. A native of Concord, N.C., she is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I will be at Follypalooza Cancer Benefit at Folly Beach, SC in the memory of my son Rick, who died of brain cancer May 20, 2014.
I will be signing copies of “A Faded Cottage” a SC love story & “Whispering Fog” a time travel romance, at the Follypalooza Cancer Benefit & Street Festival on Saturday, Oct. 18 on Center Street Folly Beach, SC. This is a fundraising/Book signing to also benefit the Diann Shaddox Foundation, but I will be there in memory of my son, Rick, who died of brain cancer May 20, 2014. Rick also had Essential Tremor. If you’re in the area please stop by and visit, I’d love to talk with you. Do you know? I asked a simple question, one that you'll see further down in the post, but a difficult question to answer. This is an update on my latest fundraiser/book signing that was held Saturday, October 4th at Joe’s Place in Greenville, SC. The day couldn’t have been more beautiful, fluffy white clouds floating by in the bluest sky and the temperature in the 70’s. Joe’s Place is located on Main Street, a picturesque street, lined with boutiques shops and unique dining. Joe’s Place was named for the owner's brother, who passed away a few years ago and had a love for books and wine. It is a charming bookstore with old-fashion bookshelves full of used books of all genres, along with a few new books from local authors.
••• Keep reading more "Do You Know" click read more below Hey guys, getting excited!!! Come out and meet me this Saturday in Greenville, SC. I'd love to talk and get a picture with you. It's gonna be a fun day! Saturday, October 4th 1 until 5 p.m. I will be at a book signing for ‘A Faded Cottage’ and ‘Whispering Fog’ and a fundraiser for DSF, at Joe's Place. You can’t go wrong, books and wine. Joe’s Place is a used bookstore with a wine bar, gourmet coffee, and local art. 640 S Main St Suite 101B Greenville, South Carolina, 864-558-0828. ••• Keep reading "Book Signing & Fundraiser" click read more below Going Home I had so much fun this last April doing a book signing for ‘A Faded Cottage’ in my hometown of Nashville, AR. I grew up in Nashville, a small town in southwest Arkansas, a rural town, where Main Street has diagonal parking, old brick buildings containing a bank, old fashion pharmacy, and even a Dime Store. The small town of Nashville is surrounded by farms and rolling countryside ••• Keep reading "A Visit Home for One Day" click read more below Diann Shaddox Author at The Lady and Son's. Had a fun and exhausting day yesterday in Savannah meeting the Deen family. I was able to tell Paula Deen about my books, 'A Faded Cottage' & 'Whispering Fog', Diann Shaddox Foundation and Essential Tremor. My tremors were on overload, even my legs were shaking because of the heat and I hadn't had anything to eat. Paula just held onto my quavering hands. Of course she was like so many others and didn't know what ET was. Over 10 million Americans, children and adults live each day with uncontrollable shakes from essential tremor, the largest movement disorder in the world. Awareness and education will stop the bullying, people losing their jobs, college students having their dreams disappear and end depression for people worldwide who are living with hand, voice, head, and body tremors. Every dollar will educate & change how the world sees ET! Essential Tremor is devastating, debilitating, demoralizing for millions including children around the world. What is Essential Tremor? ET is the largest movement disorder in the world and is a progressive neurological condition that causes a rhythmic trembling of the hands, head, voice, legs, or trunk. The Diann Shaddox Foundation for Essential Tremor will make a difference in millions of people’s lives and directly change the future for everyone who will inherit or develop ET, but they need your help. Make a difference. You need to check out LYFE Kitchen’s restaurant, the food is delicious and they have such wonderful people. I had lunch at LYFE Kitchen, Lone Tree, CO July 29 and the food was delightful, so fresh. Check out a LTFE Kitchen near you: http://www.lyfekitchen.com/lyfe-story/ LYFE Kitchen; ONE BITE EVERYTHING CHANGES Great food can do amazing things. It can make you feel better. It can support local farms. Promote sustainability. Reward environmentally sound businesses. Give back to the community. And, best of all, it will make you savor every single bite. 06/13/2013 Guest on Tista Ray's website http://tistarayofficial.weebly.com/7/post/2013/06/character-interview-quaid-witherspoon-from-a-faded-cottage.html Today I am pleased to have Diann Shaddox , the author of 'A Faded Cottage', with us. She joins us with Quaid Witherspoon. ••• click below to read more Guest on Tista Ray's website Monday, May 6, 2013 I was a Blog guest on Patricia Stoltey's blog
http://patriciastoltey.blogspot.com/2013/05/why-i-wrote-faded-cottage-by-diann.html Why I Wrote "A Faded Cottage" by Diann Shaddox I would like to introduce myself. My name is Diann Shaddox and I grew up in southwest Arkansas, in a rural town, where Main Street has diagonal parking, old brick buildings containing a bank, old fashion pharmacy, and even a Dime Store. The small town of Nashville is surrounded by farms and rolling countryside and is a modest, but quaint southern town where football still reigns supreme. A town that brought my imagination to life, hot summer evenings catching fireflies, riding bikes all over the small town and swimming in creeks and lakes. ••• Keep reading click read more below Saturday, April 13th, 2013 I was able to meet Chef Robert Irvine. It was a beautiful sunny South Carolina day, a picture-perfect day. Chef Robert did a cooking demo in front of his restaurant, Nosh, with his beautiful wife Gail. Chef Robert has a genuine way of putting people at ease. He doesn’t let anything disrupt him, even the microphone that didn’t work. He answered questions talking too many of the people in the audience and was gracious to include several children. After the cooking demo ended, he stood on the stage and shook hands, signed autographs and took pictures with anyone who wanted to meet him. Not many celebrities will take time to stand out in the hot South Carolina sun to talk to each person personally and I must add there wasn’t any charge for photos or autographs. I was fortunate enough to meet Chef Robert and was pleased to see he is the same man in person as he is on TV, a straight shooter that cares about others. I didn’t ask for his signature, instead, I gave him a copy of my novel, A Faded Cottage. He took a few minutes to listen to me explain about Essential Tremors and how It was a tiring, sunburn day and I enjoyed it immensely. Keep up the good work Chef Robert.
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