ABILENE, Kan. - Have you ever dreamed of writing a novel and dared to imagine it published one day? Many of us have, but "the dream" generally remains just that.  

Author Larry Bjornson is a rare exception. He did write a novel, Wide Open, published by Penguin  Books in June 2012. Bjornson has emerged as an award-winning author and impressive historian of the West's prairie cattle towns.

On April 19, Bjornson will present a writers' workshop at the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum. The workshop will take place in the classroom, located in the museum building, from 10 a.m. until noon. Bjornson will discuss acquiring writing skills, energizing your creativity, discovering story ideas, researching, editing, finding a literary agent, publishing options, book promotion, and of course, why he chose to write about Abilene.

Wide Open is set in Abilene in1871, at the height of the Texas cattle drives up the Chisholm Trail to the railhead in Abilene, Kansas. Bjornson spent years meticulously researching every source he could find in order to immerse himself completely in this brief, but captivating, era of American history. Wide Open has won the Western Writers of America Spur Award for Best Juvenile Fiction and is a finalist for Best First Novel. To access a wealth of background material about Wide Open, visit the website at www.wideopennovel.com.   

Registration cost is $30. The deadline for enrollment is April 12. Participation is limited to the first 35 persons. Checks should be made payable to "The Eisenhower Foundation" and mailed to: Eisenhower Presidential Library, Attn: Kim Barbieri, P.O. Box 339, Abilene, KS 67410.