Today, we are featuring first time author Darcie Chan. She will be the first of many to come authors who have found success as an independent publisher of an electronic book. Darcie Chan is an environmental lawyer who has entered into the contemporary publishing market with her novel The Mill River Recluse. 

 The story, set in Vermont, is about a wealthy occupant in mysterious marble house. The main character suffers from a social disorder, limiting her to communicate through her bedroom window with a few key characters in her town. Chan weaves a story of love and friendship that has landed this fictitious novel on the New York Times best seller e-book list.  Indie Reader touts the book  “as real page turner.” Excellent reviews have come from Kirkus and it also holds a place on the USA Today’s list of best selling books, too. 

More of 430,000 copies of Darcie Chan’s novel have been sold. It is downloadable from the leading on-line booksellers at a very affordable price of 99 cents. She has already made more than she in all likelihood would have been paid as an advance from a traditional publisher. 

Darcie Chan is just one example of an author who has decided to go the digital publishing route, and has found success as an unknown writer. She has been approached by film studios who want to produce an book to film adaptation of her story, too.  For more information on The Mill River Recluse, please visit www.darciechan.com. 

We will continue to feature other inspiring stories about e-book authors on All Things Fulfilling. Check back with this blog site.

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In this new generation of publishing, e-books are being discovered by readers all over the planet. For those who have never read an e-book there is a mix of curiosity and not knowing what to expect. Once engaged in a fulfilling e-book, the reader sees the familiar and realizes a ‘good read is a good read” whether it comes by way of digital format, in-print on paper or through audio sound. 

Our life’s journey sometimes takes us into the unknown.  We all have pivotal moments in our lives when we are confronted with dealing with new things. Like facing a blank canvas, getting started is the hardest part. For some, uneasiness comes with striking up a relationship with some newfangled electronic device. Whether we embrace a fresh opportunity, or not, is something that only each of us can decide for ourselves. 

For those who have taken a step in buying e-books, many have found there are wonders that come with taking a risk to explore: 

• Electronic reading devices allow fonts to be enlarged and clearly displayed.
• E-book selections are large and diverse.
• You can order a very affordable book and download it in less than 60 seconds.
• Electronic reading devices come in pocket size and are lightweight – some less than 6 ounces. 

Still skeptical? Kindle is now available for computers at no cost and there are plenty of free e-books to download. There is no risk in that. 

In 2012, www.AllThingsFulfilling.com will be highlighting authors who have given contemporary independent publishing a chance. We will be featuring writers who have invested themselves in e-book publishing and are doing quite well. Join us tomorrow for the first, of many to come, feature of e-book authors and their electronic books.

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Cheers! Here’s to a New Generation in Publishing!

I came across this quote the other day, in a litttle gem of a book by H.A.Levin called Quotations for Successful Living. Cerventes’  quote completely speaks to my blog posting of January 3, 2012 entitled Instrument of My Thoughts. It contains the essence of what All Things Fulfilling is all about. 

In searching for ideas to write  about in each new blog, I have come to know my own thoughts on so many issues. Blog writing has allowed me to put voice to those ideas. What began as a blogsite about the business of providing fulfillment services for independent publishers has morphed and expanded into a blogsite about all kinds of personally fulfilling things, too. 

I have come to know my own thoughts about:

• Art and it’s place in my world and in the world at large
•  writing and the writing process
• independently published books, films and music
• My life as it was and how I see it now, as every aspect of living and business has meshed.
• Parenting a child who has become, as an adult, a visual effects artist and filmmaker. How did that come about? Perhaps through the way he was raised? Don’t know. The jury is still out!
• My relationships with others whose lives synchronize with mine through Art and the art of living.
• Finding balance in life between work and all other fulfilling things. 

I have taken Miguel de Cervantes words to heart, and I am fully engaged in a project that will some day come to fruition in the form of a book. The book will contain more independent words, thoughts and views about all things fulfilling that have created the person  and the life I  live today. 

Have you learned lessons by making it a business to know yourself? If so, I would love to hear your comments on that train of thought. Post your comment on this site! 

Please do return to our company blogsite All Things Fulfilling. In the coming weeks, I will be sharing more with you about author H.A. Levin. He has some interesting perspectives in his books about living and relationships, too.

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Welcome back to Part II of my three part interview with artist Nancy Howe. Part 1 of this interview appeared in the blog Fulfillment and Art, the Humanitarian Way on January 19. Scroll down and find it, it is not to be missed.

Sue: What does it mean to you personally to be involved with a project that combines humanitarian efforts and art? 

Nancy: “I have found through this project an enormous opportunity for connection……..to extraordinary people, to special places on the planet, and to a way for me to give  that is personal, effective, and suited to my particular talent.  In a way the project perfectly dovetails my interests at this time of my life….painting, travel exploration, and philanthropy. In my own experience of being an artist I have found that it can be very isolating, and selfish in a way; it tends to direct my focus inward.  The project is enormously enriching in that it has become my doorway to connecting with the wider world, to focus outward, human being to human being, introducing me to some extraordinary people and places.  The experience of flexing my brain to wrap my head around a culture so wondrous and alien to our way of life does much to expand the capacity to grow artistically and as a human being. The travel, research, and creation of paintings that will ultimately generate funds to benefit women in distant places— such as Kenya, Bhutan, and Panama— makes it possible to forge a connection to others around the globe I could never have imagined without this project.  In South Africa there is a Zulu word, “ubuntu”, which means you are only human if you are connected to and helping other humans.  I love embracing the thought that my project allows me the opportunity for learning to be more “human”. 

Sue: Are there Artists in other countries involved in this project or just U.S. Artists?

Nancy: “This is solely my project.  I have had people suggest that I start a group to include other artists doing the same.  But it can become very cumbersome to involve other people, their personalities and agendas, and coordinating everyone.  I don’t want to give up painting time to construct an organization that might be unwieldy, and want to have the flexibility to go where this takes me.  Somehow it feels like a very personal journey. ”

Sue: I have been keeping an eye on your website www.nancyhowe.com  and you have an exquisite series of paintings of Kenyan women and children.  Is this series complete? Will there be a national exhibit of the work?

Nancy: “The series will be ongoing; even as I will be painting the people of other cultures my intention is to continue to add art to the Kenya series each year.  I am committed to forging an ONGOING relationship with all the projects and cultures I select to fund.  I would be very interested in assembling the artworks in the future, either as separate cultural exhibitions, or together as a combined series of paintings of different indigenous groups. But again, that would require a considerable time investment that would compromise the more important aspect of the project, which is to produce the artwork to sell to benefit the women’s programs.” 

Sue: I understand you recently traveled to Bhutan. How long were you there? Did you get to travel the country or stay in one concentrated area? 

Nancy: “We were in the country for 3 weeks and travelled the length of the country from the more visited tourist areas out to the remote eastern regions.  I was on a “mission” to visit with and photograph people from all walks of life so I would have enough material to create the paintings which would encompass aspects of home life, farming, weaving, the monasteries, and the landscape.  I probably have material enough for 5 or 6 years from this visit.” 

Sue: What did you absorb of the Bhutan culture that you want to bring to your Art? 

Nancy: “This is a culture so dominated by the Buddhist religion which permeates every aspect of their daily life and culture…..from their art, their dress, the design of their homes, their yearly calendar, when to plant, when to harvest, when to marry, their ceremonies, even the naming of their children.  Because of this there is a contrasting and seemingly incongruous characteristic that will be evident in the artwork inspired by the Bhutanese.  There is so much color in their life, in their art which adorns their homes and public buildings and their traditional clothing and jewelry.  The colorful and intricate patterning of their hand woven clothing and the Buddhist art that surrounds them will provide vibrant and complex elements to the paintings.  Yet their lives are spare and simple.  They don’t aspire to HAVE.  The interior of their homes, as well as the demeanor of the Bhutanese reflects this Spartan lifestyle and a visible lack of yearning for more of anything beyond what is necessary, a peace with themselves and how things are. There is a beautiful quiet in their faces, and confidence in their gestures that will be exquisite to capture in the portraits.  I have, it seems, been working the greater part of my artistic career to capture that stillness and sense of peace…in people, birds, animals, landscapes, and still life subjects……so this culture has a particularly strong pull on me.”

The final segment of this interview will appear on Tuesday, January 31. We will be discussing how Nancy Howe, a self taught artist from Vermont, broke into the art scene in a big way. I also look forward to sharing with our readers Nancy’s thoughts on the personal fulfillment a career in the Arts has brought to her life.

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Imagine being a child, growing up in this world, lacking an adult to look out for your best interests and needs. Without CASA volunteers (Court Appointed Special Advocates for children) there would be many more kids in living in conditions that are not safe and conducive to the well-being of the child. CASA’s mission is to “recruit, educate, and empower community volunteers to advocate for abused and neglected children.” 

Over the weekend, I attended a wonderful fundraising event for the Northwest Rocky Mountain CASA called Dancing with the Stars – Steamboat style. A group of community members bravely stood up on stage and danced to raise money for the children who need support the most. Some were seasoned dancers and choreographers, others amateurs. The spirit of giving and having a good time was evident on the faces of one and all. 

For a first year event, some 375 people came to watch and cheer on their favorite dancing pair. The evening could not have been more delightful. I hope the Northwest Rocky Mountain CASA raised enough money to fulfill their goal of to being able to defend 100% of the children, in the area, that need looking out for. 

Executive Director, Valerie McCarthy and her Board should be commended for putting together such a fun evening of entertainment. The fundraiser would not have been made possible without the contributions of the all the sponsors, volunteers and the dancers and choreographers, too. Among top sponsors was Colorado Mountain College http://www.coloradomtn.edu/.

The response of the community to support and attend Dancing with the Stars in Steamboat was overwhelmingly positive. I hope it is a repeat next year!

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com. Return tomorrow for Part II of our interview with artist Nancy Howe!

In an age when computer manipulated images, digitally arranged music, complex and astonishing visual effects in movies reign, how fulfilling could a black and white silent film be for an audience in today’s world of cinema? Evidently, if well crafted – very fulfilling! 

“The Artist” a black and white silent film, produced in France, selected by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association,  has won major awards at the Golden Globes. This film, revisits an era in Hollywood (1927) when talking pictures are about to replace silent film. 

Silent movie star George Valentin ponders how to spark his career so it will not end when films with dialogue become the talk of the town. For more information on the film “The Artist” and to view a trailer, please visit this website http://imdb.to/aYpNw3. 

Director and Writer Michel Hazanavicius should be commended for bringing success to a silent black and white during this digital age. Actors Jean Dujardin, Berenice Bejo and John Goodman are stars, in their own right, for pulling it off. They have all brought accolades from some of the most difficult critics there are to please. 

I look forward to seeing this film. The question in my mind is “Will this silent film be fulfilling enough to win an Oscar in February?” We will just have to wait and see. 

Have a great weekend everyone!

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Good Morning! Time to Rise and Shine! This morning’s blog  features Part  I of my interview with artist Nancy Howe on All Things Fulfilling. It  is well worth reading. She is an artist who illuminates our world not only through her exquisite paintings but as a human being. Her humanitarian efforts as an artist will become evident in this unabbreviated three part interview. I want to share every single word.

Sue: It has been a while since we have seen each other and have spoken in person. Actually, since I moved from Vermont to Steamboat Springs, Colorado. I wanted to get an update on the global art initiative project that you have become involved with called “Painting a Brighter Future for Women.” First for those who are unfamiliar with this project can you briefly tell us about the mission of “Painting a Brighter Future for Women?”  

Nancy: “The basic premise of the project is to direct donations from the sale of my original oil paintings of different cultures, especially indigenous cultures, through relationships with effective non-profits in those countries, toward services that benefit the empowerment of their women. The intention of the project is to have a lasting positive effect on their lives and to communicate through my art the dignity and diversity of these women and their cultures.” 

Sue: How did you become involved in the project? 

Nancy: “ It was inspired by my visit to Kenya with my family in August of 2006. A local woman, who had extensive experience in Kenya, and who was the founder of a non-profit organization, The Boma Project, operating within the native pastoral nomadic communities in northern Kenya, had been very helpful in making suggestions for  designing our trip with cultural painting subjects in mind.  I intended to create a painting from this experience and make a donation from the sale of the artwork to her program to express my gratitude for her time and generosity.” 

“It was her idea to have my donations specifically target women. The concept of a woman artist making a contribution to other women appealed to her, and from her experience working in Africa, donations benefiting women had greater positive impact, a ripple effect, on the health and education of their families and their communities.  So my project donations targeted Boma’s Rural Entrepreneur Access Program.  The REAP program provides grant money, business skills training, and mentoring to small groups of women to help them start their own enterprises, generate income, and become self-reliant.  My donation from the sale of one painting helps to establish 20 new businesses providing income to 100 women.” 

“ I remember at some point saying to her….so, why just one painting….why not produce a series and then reassemble the entire collection for an exhibition?   We talked about making an event of it to include some prominent speakers who would highlight various issues relating to the woman in this culture.” 

“There was this moment of real epiphany in 2007, a flash of insight that this was the direction I wanted to go with my art and my life in the next 20 years that has continued to evolve since then.   This past year I knew I wanted   to expand the project beyond the Kenya pilot program to include other cultures around the world, beginning with Bhutan this past fall, where my paintings will benefit a women’s solar engineers program.”

Part II of my interview with Nancy Howe will appear on Tuesday, January 24, 2012. I will talk further  with her about her travels to Bhutan, the culture of the people and her plans for upcoming paintings that will reflect the beautiful spirit of the people of Bhutan.

“Could Ms. Norman’s quote be true?” I ask myself. If so, then bring the night time images on. I would welcome one big colossal dream at this point. I am in dire need of something to jumpstart me into writing my story once again. I am facing writer’s cramp. 

Several months ago, I started telling my story and began writing the first draft. My fingers at full speed ahead, on the keyboard, could not keep up with the onslaught of thought.  Suddenly, I have come to a screeching halt.  My mind has gone from racing to idle, just like that. 

Although using dreams for inspiration may be effective for some people, it is a school of thought that I can not subscribe to. I just can not. You see, I am a person who does not frequently remember my dreams. When I wake in the morning, I don’t have the foggiest notion of what was going on in my head the night before. At best, I only remember my dreams two or three times a year. If I rely solely on a remembered dream to inspire me, I will never, in my lifetime, finish this book. 

I have identified the issues that are pertinent to the book. The challenge has come in finding the best approach, as a storyteller, to share with the reader a fulfilling thread. I can only find the answer if my mind works! 

It has been said that “one of the cornerstones of human cognition is the ability to attribute thoughts and metal states to other individuals.” Some animals, such as chimpanzees demonstrate skill in insightful problem solving. Perhaps with a “monkey see, monkey do” approach to engaging in another form of art, I can stir up my thought process once again. 

Should that not work, I may have to go get a nudge from my creative writing coach.  With my ideas and her dreams, paired with multiple channels of energy, perhaps the two of us can pull this story off. I’ll see what my twin sister has in mind. http://bit.ly/A6lrm5.

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I’ve always been a fan of check lists. There was a time in my life when every week I made a detailed list of regimented things to accomplish Monday through Friday. Now my work week is like a revolving door, no real beginning or end. It just keeps spinning back around unless I occasionally and intentionally stop it and say “I have had enough.”  These words, I rarely speak. A driving force in my life is the independent publishing industry. The ride has been stimulating, thrilling and personally rewarding, too. 

Some of my most successful accomplishments over the past years have come as a result of quickly acting on “promptings” or prods received through my own intuition.  Learning to trust and act on stirrings rather than taking time to stop and analyze or ask why or how seems to work much better sometimes. Because my intuition told me so is often now enough. Living with the ability and flexibility to develop my foggy notions into something crystal clear, with time, allows creativity to creep in.

 So, what is on the docket for this week? Other than a few scheduled appointments, the week will fill up just as it does every other week with foggy notions of what I can do to create this business of all things fulfilling for independent publishers and other inspired types seeking help. 

Wednesday, I am going to act on an idea that came to me last week. I have an interview lined-up with a nationally known and very talented artist with whom I feel a spiritual connection. Her checklist, I believe, may begin much like mine. Sometimes, I’ll bet, she may feel self-imposed pressure to “Do the next right thing” but feels conflicted about how to translate that into her composition. 

You will enjoy learning more about the global humanitarian efforts that this painter is involved with, through her art. Please come back. Right now I have only a foggy notion of what we will discuss in an interview, but it will become a crystal clear, fulfilling read later this week.

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com. Return tomorrow for more independent thoughts, words and views.

Uh, oh! Author Vanessa Diffenbaugh has created a monster. The monster was lying dormant, now it has now awoken. It is lurking inside of me. 

Sunday morning I arose before the sun, as I usually do, determined to finish reading the book “The Language of Flowers.” The book creatively and divinely tells a fictional story of mending hearts through the power of love and through the gift of giving flowers. The emotional interpretation of  a variety of  flowers  is told through  the story line and the reader gains great insight into how flowers were used a long time ago to communicate what people were feeling. Like our range of human emotions, the  story is not entirely pretty. Nevertheless, it is a deeply fulfilling read that really makes you ponder beyond a flower’s  physical appearance.

I finished the book, and off to church I went. As I do every Sunday, I listened very carefully to every inspiring word our pastor had to say in his weekly reflections about the power of God’s love in our world. Our pastor is a gifted storyteller and communicator. He tells stories of faith and devotion, often with humor, that people walking on any path in life, from all neighborhoods and from all religious backgrounds, can draw from. 

However, this Sunday, was a little challenging for me. During every moment of silence, I was constantly distracted and drawn to looking at the flowers on the altar to determine what was in the bouquet. I decided to write a few of them down, so I could return home and look up their meaning. From where I stood, I do believe I saw calla lilies (modesty), eucalyptus (protection), purple iris (message) and some ivy (fidelity). 

Now, I am second guessing myself… there were  purple iris, for sure. “But wasn’t there a stalk or two of larkspur (lightness) or maybe a bellflower (gratitude)? Did I see some aloe (grief)?  Which flowers  weighed more heavily in the overall arrangement” I implore. 

Dear God! Help Me!  I am working more than double duty, here! Not only do I have to go home to discern the signs of God’s love in my everyday life and in our world, but now, I have to interpret the revelations in the flowers on the altar, too! What am I going to do? My life is busy here with She Writes Steamboat and with other matters of independent publishing, as it is!  Do I have time for more?

There must be help for an affliction like this!  There is a balm in Gilead but, I think for now I will stay right here, overwhelmed or not.

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