Two free Dakota Lane books now!

INVISIBLE SAINTS, romantic Y/A  sequel to JOHNNY VOODOO, here. (New installments on WATTPAD, a site that is very much alive with young readers and writers.)

When I went to New Orleans to volunteer two years post-Katrina the Ninth Ward still didn't have many working traffic lights and some of the kids I worked with still had not been placed in a charter school.



I promised a ten year old girl I would write a book for her age group--and I did, and it's set in
a New Orleans disaster.

It's called Shine, and it's available here on SMASHWORDS, also for free, and I would love to get it in the schools. Alternate name is: IN CASE OF EMERGENCY. I can't say my book's the book, but it would be great if we had SOME books dealing with disaster for mid-grade readers. ANd def some awareness of what happened in New Orleans as well as the aftermath.

As that little girl is now twenty(!!!) she is probably too old for young adult book set in New Orleans, but she was only 15 when I wrote INVISIBLE SAINTS  (and Shine) in my home in Phoenicia.

Literally a week after I finished writing the books Hurricane Irene struck, I lost my house, and it took
until now to get back on my feet, sit back and say--ah, I remember those books. Time to share them.

SAINTS  is the sequel to Johnny Voodoo (an American Library Association Best Book)
and I have quite a few adult fans of that book!
Put it next to the dystopian and blood-filled books of today and it is probably very innocent--
but I wanted something to get in the kids hands that had no curses or graphic scenes. Suitable for school libraries. Available for free. It's the least I could do. Some people leave their hearts in San Francisco, I definitely left a chunk of mine in New Orleans, particularly the Ninth Ward.

If you know a young reader who might enjoy either book, or a teacher who wants this in the schools, pass this on!

Intention App: Just do it

 Say it. Touch the dot. Take action.

Premium version: Dot glows, spreads, becomes a radiant sun.
Opening bars of spirit-rousing music. 
Like this.
This.
This.
This.
Or this.
You
might prefer this
or this or this.

Customizable human, mythical creature, coach maniac, superhero or awesome angel appears before you, intoning words of encouragement: 
You are entirely empowered! Got your back! Give it a shot! You can, you will and you are doing it!
Or perhaps just blinks.

Next: Set out. Take the action. Do your best.

Then: Report back. Text or call someone. Thank your Higher Power. Put it in your progress book. Tell me about it, I care!

Finally: Reward! A little ding. A karma point. An inner glow.
An innocent treat.

  If the goal is possible, worthy, and brings you in line with
your true self--then every step you take towards it 
somehow makes it run towards you. 

NEW WEBSITE!!!!!

i'm kinda excited about this new site, check it out! dakota lane.org--which means i will do good things to help.

like this community tv show!

only two weeks left to vote for me, and i will

be shooting 80 videos for nonprofits, community service programs, environmental orgs, the arts--and last but NOT LEAST_-wildlife rehabs and sanctuaries!!!!

so VOTE FOR ME! (you get one vote per day!)

moby at woodstock farm animal sanctuary

Moby and chickens and Moby and the moon and Moby and pigs and Moby and roosters crowing,

a backporch benefit concert for the Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary. Moby played a long acoustic set with Kelli Scarr and Inyang Bassey, both with hit you in the heart voices, featuring some of his hits as well as a few quirky covers. See it now!

He sat in with the Mercury Rev Clear Light Ensemble, as they improvised a live orchestral soundtrack to the avante garde french children's film, the Red Balloon, which served as a projected backdrop to the performance. The players tracing the movements on the screen with their bows and hands. Exciting! (Video on this, down the line.)

Animals love Moby--(when I interviewed him, a turkey was listening with a real intensity in his eyes)--and Moby loves animals and this was a benefit for WFAS, run by Jenny Brown and Doug Abel, providing sanctuary and care for hundreds of farm animals who have been rescued from torture and abuse. They also work on educating the public about living and acting humanely, with care for all sentient beings!

Sean Lennon and Chrissie Hynde and others played at their acoustic benefits this summer, and the roosters were jammin along every time!

Lin-Manuel Miranda & Vanessa Nadal Wedding.

As promised, more video.

love from the heights

Did some reporting and produced a video for the New York Times on the lavishly orchestrated and choreographed wedding of actor, lyricist and Tony-award nominated actor, Lin-Manuel Miranda and lawyer Vanessa Nadal at Belvedere Mansion in Staatsburg. Alex Lacamoire, who won a Grammy and Tony for Mr. Miranda's The Heights, handled the musical direction of the wedding; the video includes snippets of music and song from an all star cast of friends and family, from Broadway stars in chorus and solo, to Latin Grammy nominee Dave Valentin's jazz flute, to
Puerto Rico's salsa superstar, Gilberto Santa Rosa and his Orchestra and Ruben Blades performing at the dance party. lois brady, queen of VOWs, bow to you.

Here's some stills--(from the ny times video)-- the bride and groom, the groom dancing with his biggest fan, Dr. Luz Towns-Miranda, and flanked by his other biggest fan, Luis A. Miranda, Jr., aka ma & pa.

if you love trees...

check out my tree_dreams TWITTER page and find all kinds of happy tree stuff

at my tree blog!

send any and all tree stories, tree photos, tree videos, tree news and tree art to:

peaceforest@live.com,

and stay tuned for a tree art contest that will benefit our dear and noble and delightful friends!