Linda’s Monthly Monday Morning Moaning’s for October 5, 2026.
When writing books for Arcadia Publishing, it is usually a one year process from start to finish. You have six months to research and write and they take six months to put all your work together in a book form. I found that from my first go round in 2018, when I started my writing, if I worked through the fall into winter, then they would have my book ready by early to mid summer of the following year. I did that for seven years and had seven books to account for my time. After the seventh book, I felt I had maybe run the path and it would come to an end. So my last book was published in the summer of 2025.
As I seem to acquire quit a lot of material when researching these books, the question then became, wha do I do with all the files? The Romeo District Library at the Kezar Branch solved that issue for me. I was able to donate the boxes of material to them, with the hopes that anyone else researching might find the work available for their use. Then I came across two more containers, that had been filled with research material from 2017 when I started doing some volunteer work for the Kezar Library on the historic homes in Romeo. Not sure why but, after I made a set of files for the library, I also doubled the work and made a set for my use. What use, at the time I had no clue.
So book number 8 started to form in my mind in a way, and I contracted once again with Arcadia for a book to publish in the summer of 2027. The support for the project has been great to say the least, in Romeo the historic homes are a very major interest for the community. For me, I have had the experience with meeting some very helpful, kind and interested people.
I met a gentleman, who is a life long resident of Romeo, and happens to be a great photographer! I would see his work on FaceBook and could always recognize his work immediately. He does a lot of architectural photograph. Next move was to figure out how to meet him, and with the help of the Romeo Historical Society, I was able to. I wanted permission to use some of his work in showing the architectural beauty of many of these homes. He was as pleased to be asked as I was, to be able to have the permission.
The images shown here are the work of Jesse Robinson, an artist of many talents, photography is one and a tattoo artist is another, and with a shop in the Dr Douglas home on Main Street he has the eyes of Romeo and the community he loves.
The only problem is seeing these lovely images in color, is not the way I am able to use them. All pictures used in these books must be what is called “gray scaled” basically black and white! Quite often when you use black and white you have lost some of what attracts you to the image, with Jesse’s images even in black and white they still stand out, and will make a great addition to this book in the works.
If interested in seeing more of Jesse’ work from around Michigan and are a FaceBook user, ‘Historical Michigan Architecture’ and look for the work he has downloaded to the site. He not only has an image, but usually a paragraph or so about the home or church he is photographing. He has talked of doing a coffee table book, and I would be the first one to purchase it!!
Next month I would like to tell you about some others that I have had the pleasure to met and get to know, while my research continues. Thank you Jesse, for allowing me to use your great images in showing Romeo in the best light possible. On that ‘wee note’ till next month, Monday November 2, 2026.
Thank you for visiting and reading today. Please if you haven’t already, enter your email address in the subscription form below to receive my blog by email on the first Monday of each month.
