Blog - Jenneth Leed

An Interview with Best-Selling Author Robert Liparulo

JennethJuly 13, 2018WritingLeave a Comment

When I was a senior in high school, I got the once-in-a-rarity opportunity to interview my favorite author. I grew up reading Robert Liparulo’s teen fiction in junior high. In fact, when the books were coming out, I remember actually having fights with my friends over who got to read the next one first. One particular instance involved me throwing Whirlwind on the table between my two friends as they both dove for it, pleading to the others’ humanity, bribing each other for the chance to read it first.

Good times.

Anyway, the following interview was turned in for my senior writing class, now resurrected here on my blog:

Robert Liparulo is the bestselling Christian author of the widely acclaimed teen fiction Dreamhouse Kings series, as well as his adult fiction such as Comes a Horseman, Germ, and his adult series The Immortal Files.

As a creative writing student and a Christian YA author wannabe—not to mention a huge fan of Liparulo’s works—I immediately wanted to try meeting with him for an interview assignment. We worked out a time through email, and I had the privilege to meet with him via Skype Saturday night. Mr. Liparulo was extremely nice and a blast to talk to—very warm and friendly, and he had a great laugh!

Obon Festival Returns July 14 (Burke Connection)

JennethJuly 5, 2018News Articles, WritingLeave a Comment

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Obon Festival Returns July 14
The Fairfax Station Ekoji Buddhist Temple prepares to host its annual festival for everyone in the community.

The Ekoji Buddhist Temple off the Fairfax County Parkway in Fairfax Station will be hosting the only Obon festival in the Washington DC area July 14. Admission is free, and the temple invites all visitors, no matter their religion or culture, to celebrate the annual event.

“It’s a time to show your gratitude and respect to all those people who’ve passed away before us, because they made the world; we are the next generation,” said Reverend Nariaki Rajan Hayashi, who has been Ekoji’s minister for the past three years.

Because of the growing number of visitors per year, with last year’s attendance at 1,700, the Ekoji Temple plans to extend its hours for the festival. The temple and grounds will be open starting at 3 p.m. and will continue until 9 p.m.

Serving Meals and Blessings to Homeless (Profile: Vienna Connection)

JennethJuly 4, 2018News Articles, WritingLeave a Comment

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Serving Meals and Blessings to Homeless
Karen Curtis of Antioch Christian Church helps feed 100+ visitors of the Lamb Center, a Fairfax homeless ministry

The minivan comes to a stop in one of the few remaining parking spaces outside the Lamb Center in Fairfax. Seatbelts pop and side doors roll open as a handful of members from Antioch Christian Church climb out of the gray-green vehicle to help unload the back.

Three crockpots full of homemade chili and nearly 100 baked potatoes are nestled in the back of the van, all prepared specifically for the homeless people who frequent the Lamb Center—a Christian-based ministry that serves people experiencing homelessness in Fairfax County.Read More

Hidden Pond Ribbon Cutting Celebrates New Playground (Springfield Connection)

JennethJune 29, 2018News Articles, WritingLeave a Comment

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Hidden Pond Ribbon Cutting Celebrates New Playground

Completed nature-themed play equipment to replace previous wooden playground.

The Hidden Pond Nature Center in Springfield announced their completion of their new children’s playground and picnic shelter Saturday, June 23, with a short ceremony and ribbon cutting event.

The $1.1 million playground was partially funded by the 2012 Park Bond, which originally provided for building the shelter and repaving the parking lot. With extra money saved on the parking lot, the new nature-themed playground could be constructed on a flat patch of land near the park entrance.Read More

Burke Community’s ‘Living Room’ Relocating in July (Burke Connection)

JennethJune 28, 2018News Articles, WritingLeave a Comment

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Burke Community’s ‘Living Room’ Relocating in July (Burke Connection)
The 20-year-old Hopsfrog Grille plans to expand its service by moving to a larger location

“The owners are very good people. They care about what they’re serving and how [the customers] get served,” said Paul Fouché, a customer at Hopsfrog Grille for 20 years.

In fact, manager Kostas Daskalakis cares so much, that he’s decided to expand his local bar and grill mid-July to accommodate more customers. Affectionately referred to as the community’s “living room,” the future Hopsfrog Grille is under construction only a mile away in the Walmart shopping center on Burke Commons Road.

A Class Meant To Stand Out (Springfield Connection)

JennethJune 13, 2018News Articles, WritingLeave a Comment

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A total of 542 seniors graduated from West Springfield High School June 13. The commencement exercises took place at EagleBank Arena at George Mason University.

The high school band performed “Pomp and Circumstance” while the students entered, followed by the West Springfield High School Madrigals singing both the National Anthem and Stephen Paulus’s “The Road Home.”

Senior Class President Leah Knompecher gave the opening remarks, thanking the West Springfield students who befriended her when she first moved to the area.

Lee Graduates Told: ‘Use Your Voices’ (Springfield Connection)

JennethJune 12, 2018News Articles, WritingLeave a Comment

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Three hundred and sixty-eight students graduated from Robert E. Lee High School June 12. The commencement exercises were held at the EagleBank Arena at George Mason University.

Graduates entered the arena to the familiar theme of “Pomp and Circumstance” before the Lee Junior ROTC Color Guard presented the colors for the National Anthem and the Pledge of Allegiance.

The Lancer Singers performed “Go the Distance” from Disney’s 1997 “Hercules,” before Jessica Escobar, senior class president, encouraged the students to use their voices to influence the world.Read More

Ribbon Cutting Delayed, Trail Open to Public at Lee District Recreation Area (Connection Newspapers)

JennethJune 11, 2018News Articles, WritingLeave a Comment

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Ribbon Cutting Delayed, Trail Open to Public at Lee District Recreation Area
Rainy weather postpones ceremony to June 16; area residents enjoy the trail.

Due to foreboding weather Saturday, June 2, the ribbon cutting ceremony celebrating the completion of Chessie’s Trail at the Lee District Recreation Area has been postponed. The new date is June 16 at 2 p.m.

Edison Students Encouraged to “Fight the Righteous Fight” After Graduation (Springfield Connection)

JennethJune 11, 2018News Articles, WritingLeave a Comment

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Four hundred and nineteen students graduated from Thomas A. Edison High School June 11 at 2 pm. The commencement exercises were held at the EagleBank Arena at George Mason University.

Graduates entered the arena to the traditional theme of “Pomp and Circumstance” before standing at attention for the National Anthem.

Principal Pamela Brumfield encouraged the students to be the kind, hard-working people the world wants to see. “Be the most wanted wherever you go,” she said, “because you strive to make a positive difference.”

Animal Hospital Holds “Barke” Sale in Fairfax for Dogs and Kids (Springfield Connection)

JennethMay 26, 2018News Articles, WritingLeave a Comment

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Animal hospital manager Candice Bhatia feeds Kohly Hawkins’s and Taylor Jewett’s dog Bentley one of the frozen yogurt dog treats from the sale.

Animal Hospital Holds “Barke” Sale in Fairfax for Dogs and Kids
Donations go to medical research for cancer patients

The VCA Animal Hospital hosted a fund-raising “barke” sale on May 26 via the Canines-N-Kids Foundation. The foundation hopes to use the donations to further cancer research for children by studying cancer diseases in canines.

Candice Bhatia, the animal hospital manager and Dr. Donna Koch, the associate veterinarian, both organized the sale after learning about the Canine-N-Kids Foundation.

“The team did a great job putting it together. Dr. Koch was really the driver behind it. She signed up and did everything with the hospital,” said Bhatia.

“Candice does a lot of work. She does a lot of baking, and I liked to bake…” Dr. Koch said.

“We shared the same passion of baking,” Bhatia added with a laugh.

For the first sale in what the staff hopes to be a recurring event, the donation goal was set at $50. By the end of the day, the bake sale reaped $65. Dr. Koch donated the goal amount plus $25 to Canines-N-Kids for a total of $75, and the remaining $15 was donated to Veterans Moving Forward, a local charity devoted to training service dogs for veterans.

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