An Encouraging Advocate For Planet Earth

Red Breasted Nuthatch at the drinking fountain.

Her book is called The Nature of Love. Please give a warm welcome to special guest Lee Hiller London.

Lee, I’m a big fan of your nature photos and your beautiful designs. You say on your blog, “I am neither guru nor expert, I prefer to think of myself as an ‘encouraging advocate’ for planet earth.” Tell us about your work in bringing awareness and caring for nature.

My hope is via my words and photography I will reawaken the the child inside us all.  Children are curious and love the pure joy of play, it is that spirit which draws them to Nature.  When we reconnect with the natural world it has a healing effect that strengthens our Soul and expands our thoughts beyond ourselves.  I am in a classroom each time I hike.  It is exciting to learn the names of new wildflowers or realize you recognize a bird call.  Often more knowledgeable readers of my blog will share information about plants and animals I have been unable to identify.  They graciously share their passion and links to sites that will assist us all in the quest to learn. 

Some of my readers who cannot easily access a park or wilderness area tell me my blog and or photographs are their Nature break.  Via comments to my blog or in emails they share the stories of their adventures, sadly often they are memories moments only from their youth.  The obligations of adulthood sometimes crush all desires to get outside to play and explore.  My favorite messages are from those who after visiting my blog have joined a hiking club or dusted off the old tent and are taking the family camping.   Through their own adventures they begin to see the often fragile beauty in our parks and reserves.  They too feel a desire to protect these sacred spaces for future generations. 

In my heart I feel a childlike desire to know more with each adventure into the Mountains and Forest.  To see with fresh eyes the beauty Nature reveals is a blessing, to know others feel the same joy via my blog is a source of great happiness.

Tell us a little bit about your book The Nature of Love.

It is a Love Story written for and about my two Loves, my beloved husband Rick London and Nature.

When I met my husband we were working on a project to get Elizabeth Taylor the Medal of Freedom for her AIDS/HIV work.  Rick who creates OffBeat Cartoons was in Arkansas and I was in Oregon so most of our communication was via Twitter, email and the occasional phone call.  A relationship began to develop and after many weeks of phone conversations one evening he said, "I Love You."  It was as if my heart had spoke out loud the feelings that had grown, for a long moment I was unsure if I had heard him say those magical words.   I wanted to honor the bravery of his declaration so I began to send him 140 character Love muses as my first Tweet of each day, a tradition that has not ended. 

When I arrived in Arkansas several months later I realized Rick was correct, he did live in paradise.  His home was surrounded by Hot Spring National Park, out the door and you are a few steps away from the Forest.  It was not long before I began hiking and taking photographs.  The idea of sharing them with others did not come until I discovered a stray dog in the park.  I could not get close enough to grab it, but I could take it's photograph and post it on the internet.  From there my hiking adventures and blog http://HikeOurPlanet.com were born.

My book is a combination of the Love muses and my Nature photographs, poetry for the heart and eyes.  A Love letter to the Universe.

What do you think readers will enjoy most about The Nature of Love?

Being a part of the journey of new Love via my muses and photographs.

Where can we find your book and your designs?

Video Preview available on YouTube  -  Book Preview - The Nature Of Love by Lee Hiller
 

I currently have autographed copies of my book The Nature Of Love at http://LeeHillerBooks.com but my book can also be purchased from:

LuLu Indie Book Sellers - Amazon USA - Barnes & Noble (US & UK) - FlipKart in India - Paddyfield in Hong Kong - Powell's Books Portland, OR  (America's Largest Indie Book Seller) - Buy.com -

My 45,000+ Designs/Products can be found in several Locations on the Internet including:
Google Shopping and Amazon - http://bit.ly/fwf896
Nature and Art Design Products - http://LeeHillerShopping.com
Autographed Nature Prints - http://nature-photography-prints.com
Fun Customizable Twitter Gear - http://LeeTweet.com

You mention on your blog that the “Green movement is catching up with what I was taught as a child.” And you also say, “I was proud to be a Greenie Tree Hugger even when it was considered and fringe idea.” Tell us a little about yourself and your background. 

Growing up in Oregon Green Living was part of everyday life, and 53 years on it is as Natural as breathing.  This is not to say I have not gotten off course from time to time, I am human after all.   Caring for the environment has always been a major part of my life. I can remember as a child recycling, composting and working in the garden.  My Father was in touch with Nature and taught me early on to work with it not against it's organic flow.  He would always say "leave the weeds in the vegetable garden as the insects prefer eating them". He never used pesticides and we always used natural sprays of garlic and cayenne pepper as an insect deterrent when needed.  Glass jars sat on carefully crafted shelves that lined our basement walls waiting to be reused over and over again.  Seeds would be stored for the following season with land use maps so we would be sure to rotate where crops were planted each year.

Open the newspaper in almost any major city and you will find a "Green" expo on any given weekend.  Hybrid vehicles, alternative fuels, solar and wind farms are all a part of our daily conversation. Sorting plastic, glass and paper are main stream activities as are the blue recycle bins that dot the sidewalks on garbage day. Even a quick trip to the grocery store reveals recycle information on much of the packaging.  Now buying local and finding a farmers market are easy using the many search sites on the internet.  

I often remember my Father yelling out "turn off the light when you leave the room".  Funny how we often don't understand the message at the time it is delivered.

Why did you decide to become an Indie author?

I adore the process of creation, to be writer, editor, publisher and build a book was a wonderful learning experience.  My book did not have a traditional format, it is a coffee table poetry book.  Being my own publisher I was able to re-craft a traditional book framework to hold my words and photographs.  If you have a dream you need to pursue it and being an Indie author/publisher fit my "make it happen" mantra. 

Is The Nature of Love your debut book?

Yes, but not my last.  I have two more books in the development stages.

Any future writing plans you wish to share with us?

I am waiting for the future to be written, it will be an exciting adventure.... stay tuned and follow me on twitter @LeeHillerLondon and on facebook at Hike Our Planet and Lee Hiller Designs.

Lee, thank you so much for sharing with us today. We will definitely stay tuned for your next exciting adventure.

Thank You for thinking of me for your blog it is a wonderful honor to be included.

Guys, don't be shy, leave a comment and help me give this special guest much deserved <3 love.


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