Clifton's Sharon Cavileer is the author of "Virginia Curiosities," an off-beat guidebook to the Commonwealth of Virginia. A prolific writer, Cavileer's feature articles and photographs have been published in magazines and newspapers nationwide, including Southern Living, Washington Flyer Magazine, The Boston Herald, and many others. She currently hosts a monthly travel feature on WMAL radio (an ABC affiliate) in Washington, D.C.
Encouraging the reader to "laugh your way through the Old Dominion State," Cavileer writes of a roadside trailer in the middle of nowhere that offers top-notch seafood, the Smithfield pet ham that's 100 years old, and Mt. Pony in Culpeper, where the Federal Reserve used to store an emergency cache of money. In the book, you will visit the birthplace of Mr. Peanut, tour a museum that's strictly bedrooms, and tee off at America's oldest golf hole in Arlington. You will find interesting trivia such as the local destination (Frying Pan Park) where the presidential Thanksgiving turkey spends his days after the photo-ops at the White House are over. An avid travel buff, Cavileer makes trips frequently to provide readers with fresh destinations that are often overlooked by the travel media.
Sharon Cavileer worked as an advertising copywriter and account executive at E.G. White Associates, and Stackig before establishing her own firm in 1987, Cavileer & Company Communications. She worked for eight years as public relations manager for the Prince William County Park Authority and the Prince William Manassas Conference and Visitors Bureau before choosing to write full-time.
"Writing is a labor of love," says Cavileer. "It can be extremely rewarding as a means of self-expression. As a travel writer, especially, you have the chance to see and do more things than most people."
"Find your own voice and tell your own tales," says Cavileer to budding writers. "And don't take rejection personally."
"Sharon is very versatile. There are not many people who can work both sides of the fence (public relations and writing)," says Martha Steger, who has known Cavileer for about 10 years. "With great integrity, she is committed to representing people well, whether they be her clients or her writing subjects." Steger, 59, of Midlothian, VA, outside Richmond, is the public relations director for The Virginia Tourism Corporation. "After reading Sharon's book, you can truly see that Virginia is as upscale as it is down-home," says Steger.
"Sharon has tremendous energy for what she does. She is a wonderful spokesman for the travel industry, especially Virginia. She is infused with contagious enthusiasm and knowledge about what not to miss in Virginia," says Joan Cross, 60, City of Fairfax councilwoman. "'Virginia Curiosities' is a must-have book, particularly in this day and age when day trips are on the rise," says Fairfax resident Cross.
Cavileer is a native of Washington, D.C., and currently resides in Clifton with her husband. She is the mother of two grown daughters, and a member of The Clifton Horse Society, Society of American Travel Writers, The Garden Writers of America, The Central Fairfax Chamber of Commerce and many other civic and professional associations.
Cavileer will be signing her book for Virginia Tourism week on Wednesday, May 14 from 5-7 p.m. at Borders bookstore near Potomac Mills at 2904 Prince William Parkway in Woodbridge. "Virginia Curiosities," published by Globe-Pequot Press, is available at most major bookstores.