Picnic Basket Press

25/11/2023

Saturday! Stop by! 40 Authors!!

25/11/2023

Saturday Nov 25!
Stop by and meet 40+ great authors!!!

24/11/2023

Limited Edition ornaments and holiday cards available at the Small Business Saturday Booksale! Nov 25, 2023. 11-5PM. Kensington Mill Falls Event Center, 2055 S. Milford Rd, Milford MI.

24/11/2023

23/11/2023

It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without our traditional cranberry apple jello salad!

21/11/2023

19/11/2023

Final week of voting!!!
Show some Lilac Love!!!

11/11/2023

Saturday! 11-5pm!

07/11/2023

We have a shake up going on in the ranks. Check them out and vote for your favorite book cover.

1. Strong Strings by Gretchen Heinrich ( Author Gretchen Heinrich )
2. I Don't Celebrate Anything by Donna Neumann (Donna L Neumann )
3. If Santa Drove a Car by Rick Hagan
4. Finding Lilacs by Cynthia Birk (Picnic Basket Press )
5. Stealing Haven by Mark Love (Mark Love Author )
6. Omega Rising by Douglas S. Pierce (Douglas S. Pierce Books )
7. One Thousand Winters by Erica Laurie (Erica Laurie )
8. The Acorn & The Oak by Rhonda Accardo ( The Acorn & the Oak )
9. A Tryst of Fate by Diana Kathryn Plopa ( Diana Kathryn Wolfe-Plopa)
10. Another Slice of Fear by Andrew Allen Smith ( Andrew Allen Smith )

Is your favorite book cover in the top 5? Is it #1?

Go vote today!

Voting is open to everyone!

One vote per person, per email, per day.

Ask everyone to vote for your favorite book cover.

Go here to vote: https://creativeslingersofink.com/sbsbs-book-cover-contest/

03/11/2023

What's up Ann Arbor!!! Stop by the Plymouth Road Sweetwaters this Sunday to get your very own copies of Finding Lilacs and Butterflies on Daisies.

Meet Cynthia Birk (Picnic Basket Press), she has written romance and children's books. Cynthia will be at the Multi-Author Book Signing.

Sunday, November 5th
11 am to 2 pm

Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea Plymouth Green
3393 Plymouth Rd.
Ann Arbor, MI 48106

01/11/2023

Sunday! November 5! Find your new favorite books for the upcoming snowy days!! 📚 ☕️ ⛄️

Our first Multi-Author Book Signing event of November is on Sunday the 5th.

Come meet the following authors:
11 am to 2 pm
Cynthia Birk - Picnic Basket Press
Mark Snyder - Mountaintop: The Inside Story of Michigan’s 1997 National Title Climb
Shelly Edwards Jorgensen - Beautiful Ashes
Tanya DeClercq - Tanya DeClercq

2 pm to 5 pm
Diana Kathryn Plopa - Diana Kathryn Wolfe-Plopa
Douglas S. Pierce - Douglas S. Pierce Books
Mandy Jo - Mandy Jo - Author

While you are there get your 10% discount on your purchase at Sweetwaters after buying a book from one of the authors.

Sunday, November 5th
11 am to 5 pm

Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea
3393 Plymouth Rd.
Ann Arbor, MI 48106

Stop on by to see us!

01/11/2023

Thank you to everyone who voted! The cover for Cynthia Birk’s “Finding Lilacs” made the final round of top ten! Vote daily from now until Nov 22!

We have our final top 10!
Congratulations goes out to…

A Tryst of Fate by Diana Kathryn Plopa
Another Slice of Fear by Andrew Allen Smith
Finding Lilacs by Cynthia Birk
I Don’t Celebrate Anything by Donna Neumann
If Santa Drove a Car by Rick Hagan
Omega Rising by Douglas S. Pierce
One Thousand Winters by Erica Laurie
Stealing Haven by Mark Love
Strong Strings by Gretchen Heinrich
The Acorn & The Oak by Rhonda Accardo

7 out of the 10 had 100 or more votes!

11th place was only 1 vote away from tying with 10th place.

Every vote counted.

Congratulations and now for some more fun!

We are now into round 2, the final round of voting.

I will be posting a new Facebook and Instagram post every day for everyone to share.

However, I will not be posting what order they are in.

It will be a surprise that is revealed at the event.

Be sure to share out the Facebook and Instagram posts to all your friends, family, and followers.

It will be one vote per day per email address.

It is also, you can only vote for 1 book cover!

Voting goes until November 22nd at midnight!

The top 5 will get a ribbon.

First place will get a trophy!

Get voting!!

https://creativeslingersofink.com/sbsbs-book-cover-contest/

28/10/2023

At the Novi Sweetwaters until 3PM Saturday! Come on out and meet Cynthia Birk, former Detroit Lion and other great authors!

27/10/2023

You deserve a TREAT this weekend! Stop by the Novi Town Center Sweetwaters Saturday Oct 28 between 11AM -3PM and pick up a thriller or a romance or a children’s book or … 🎃 👻 ☕️

26/10/2023

Woohoo! The cover for “Finding Lilacs” has hit the top ten! Have you voted today?

We are having this awesome book cover contest amongst the authors that are selling their books at the Small Business Saturday Book Sale.

Currently there are 73 book covers that are vying for the top 10 spots.

Can you help us to get 10 book covers from 10 different authors in to the second round of voting?

Cast your vote here: https://creativeslingersofink.com/sbsbs-book-cover-contest/

You can vote daily through October 31st.

Ask your friends, family, and followers to vote as well.

23/10/2023

Have you voted yet?
Use the link and vote for either “Butterflies on Daisies” or “Finding Lilacs”!!

15/10/2023

Put this on your calendar as a must attend event!

We'll have a grand total of 10 authors!

The first five will be there from 11 am to 1 pm. The second five from 1 pm to 3 pm.

Plus, Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea Novi Town Center has great goodies and beverages.

See you there!

08/10/2023

What a great event this is going to be!
40+ Authors! Perfect for your holiday shopping! Saturday November 25!!!

Meet Cynthia Birk, she writes children's books and romance. Cynthia will be at the Small Business Saturday Book Sale.

Saturday, November 25th
11 am to 5 pm

Kensington Mill Falls Events
2055 S. Milford Rd.
Milford, MI 48381

You can preview her books here: https://www.picnicbasketpress.com/

07/10/2023

Can a butterfly survive the winter in a chrysalis? Yes!

Many types of birds fly south in the fall to avoid cold northern winters. I know several humans who do too! Monarch butterflies get a lot of attention for their migration to Mexico. But what about other caterpillars and butterflies that don’t migrate? How do they survive the cold temperatures? In the book, “Butterflies on Daisies”, Christopher Caterpillar overwinters in a chrysalis. Is this really possible?

Yes! When days shorten and cooler temperatures arrive, some insect species survive the winter by entering a hibernation-like state called “diapause.” Chemical changes occur that slow their metabolic processes and prevent harmful freezing. Some types of butterflies use this process to overwinter their eggs. A few hardy varieties manage to ride out the winter as adult butterflies in diapause by hiding in sheltered spaces. Several species like swallowtails, mustard whites, and Christopher Caterpillar, hunker down until spring in a chrysalis. When warm weather arrives again, they emerge and seek out blooming flowers for nectar. Amazing!

"Butterflies on Daisies" by Cynthia Birk is available through Amazon and other online book retailers. Suitable for children 3-7 and butterfly lovers of all ages! Get your copy today!!

06/10/2023

05/10/2023

Multi-Author Book Signing events are small author gatherings at coffee shops. We have between 2 and 8 authors at each event.

Come on out and join us at
Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea
3393 Plymouth Rd.
Ann Arbor, MI 48106

Confirmed Authors:
11 am to 2 pm
Cynthia Birk
Diana Kathryn Plopa

2 pm to 5 pm
Diana Kathryn Plopa
Bradley Poore

Stop on by to:
* chat about books & writing
* buy a book or two or more
* grab a snack and/or beverage

Buy a book from one of our authors and get 10% off your purchase at Sweetwaters that day, excluding catering.

If you are an author and would like to join us: https://mandyjo.live/csi-prospectiveauthor

28/09/2023

25/09/2023

These great authors are going to be at the Small Business Saturday Book Sale. We still have a few authors spots available. Our aim is for 40 authors! We are at 31 authors with 167 titles in 31 genres!

Check out all the details here: https://creativeslingersofink.com/small-business-saturday-book-sale/

**Authors, please tag yourselves and others in this post**

13/09/2023

09/09/2023

Butterflies are on the move!!!

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a ... butterfly?

Monarchs are on the move to Mexico for the winter. They'll travel about 50 miles a day, sometimes catching a ride on thermal air currents, to complete the 3,000-mile journey!

Here's how you can be a trail angel along their epic migration:

🌸Plant a pollinator garden with milkweed and late-blooming perennials like asters and goldenrods to fuel next year's journey.

💀Avoid spraying insecticides, especially on plants that will flower in the fall.

💧Add a butterfly watering area to your garden. Place a shallow dish of water on the ground with some decorative stones for the monarchs to land on while they take a sip.

📸Jessica Bolser/USFWS

09/09/2023

Books and coffee and Saturdays are . We’re here at the Canton Michigan Sweetwaters until 5pm Saturday!

09/09/2023

Saturday September 9th, 11A - 5P
Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea

26/08/2023

It’s gonna be GREAT! Mark your calendar!
November 25, 2023
Small Business Saturday Book Sale!
Details in the graphic. See you there!!!

20/08/2023

Sunday Aug 20, 12-6pm.
Sweetwaters Hayes Rd Location
Stop by and pick up a new book from Picnic Basket Press or another fine author from Creative Slingers of Ink!

18/08/2023

If you’re heading north and need a place…

Our Sonora room is available for Labor Day Weekend.....starting Saturday 9/2....come up and enjoy the 60th Anniversary Fireworks at
Along with our amazing breakfasts and evening treats!!

Book direct at www.applesauceinn.com

18/08/2023

Save the date.
Because you need more books.
Really.

New! Save the Date!

Creative Slingers of Ink presents Small Business Saturday Book Sale!

This event is bringing readers a variety of genres!

Authors - if you want a space, you better act quick, spots are going fast!

Saturday, November 25th
11 am to 5 pm

Kensington Mill Falls Events
2055 S. Milford Rd.
Milford, MI 48381

https://creativeslingersofink.com/small-business-saturday-book-sale/ - for all the details!

18/08/2023

Save the Date! See you there!!

New! Save the Date!

Creative Slingers of Ink presents Small Business Saturday Book Sale!

This event is bringing readers a variety of genres!

Authors - if you want a space, you better act quick, spots are going fast!

Saturday, November 25th
11 am to 5 pm

Kensington Mill Falls Events
2055 S. Milford Rd.
Milford, MI 48381

https://creativeslingersofink.com/small-business-saturday-book-sale/ - for all the details!

09/08/2023

Cynthia Birk from Picnic Basket Press will be at the Cherry Hill Village Festival Aug 26/27 signing copies of “Finding Lilacs” and “Butterflies on Daisies.” The new “Butterflies on Daisies Coloring Book” will be available too!

The Village Arts Factory is proud to partner with Canton Leisure Services and the Canton Chamber to offer the community the 3rd annual Cherry Hill Village Festival! Join us August 26th and 27th in the heart of the village for food, art, music, and fun.

Interested vendors can apply online here: https://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/eventReg?oeidk=a07ejrzot4l24fa200f&oseq=&c=&ch=

05/08/2023

Frankenmuth Flower Festival! Continuing Saturday Aug 5 - Sun Aug 6. So many fantastic items at the craft fair, including signed copies of “Finding Lilacs” and “Butterflies on Daisies”!! Get your tix online at https://www.grandpatinys.com/frankenmuth-flower-festival.

03/08/2023

It’s Frankenmuth Flower Festival time! Aug 4 - 6. Get your autographed copy of Finding Lilacs or Butterflies on Daisies or a bunch of other flower themed crafts! Get your tix online in advance (not available at the gate) at https://www.grandpatinys.com/frankenmuth-flower-festival

25/07/2023

We have 4 of our members that will be participating in the Local Author Book Sale!

Diana Kathryn Wolfe-Plopa
Shelly Edwards Jorgensen
Mandy Jo Rindhage
Author Natasha Hughes Smith

Saturday, July 29th
10 am to 4 pm

Sterling Heights Public Library
40255 Dodge Park Rd.
Sterling Heights, MI 48313

22/07/2023

Book signing Saturday July 22, 1-5PM! Charlin’s Book Nook in the Frankenmuth River Place Shops.

21/07/2023

Book Signing!! Saturday July 22, 1-5pm! Charlin’s Book Nook, at the River Place Shops in beautiful Frankenmuth, Michigan. Stop by, say hello, and find something great to read! See you there!!

19/07/2023

Book Signing! So excited to be at Charlin’s Book Nook in the Frankenmuth River Place Shops from 1-5pm on Saturday July 22. Author Cynthia Birk will be signing copies of her novel “Finding Lilacs” and her adorable childrens book, “Butterflies on Daisies”. Stop by, say hi, and get something great to read! 👋 📚 🦋

03/07/2023

Calling this “3rd of July Salad” because it’s a lot like July 4, but not quite, LOL. I raided the picnic ingredients: Fresh chopped romaine and diced cucumber gently tossed with some corn (cooked and sliced from the cob in nice bite size chunks), and yes those are Koegel’s frankfurter slices browned up in butter. It’s all drizzled with an oniony mustard-mayo dressing. Yummy!