Category Archives: illustrators and publishers

Honoring Those Behind the Scenes

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successThe other day I posted several blogs about the 2013 EVVY book awards from the Colorado Independent Publishers Association. Service providers are also recognized for their outstanding work on the night of the award presentations They are the individuals and companies  who work behind the scenes to help independent publishers create and sell quality publications for the marketplace.

Today, I would like to acknowledge the  freelance professionals who provide services to the independent publishing industry, such as printing companies, editors, cover designers, layout designers, e-book formatters and designers, marketing , copyright experts and more. Here is a helpful link  for finding assistance with your publishing projects  for the future. http://bit.ly/ZOsPCr .

If you are an author in any state or region looking to hire high quality freelance professionals to help you with your publishing project, a great place to start is to contact a regional or statewide trade association for independent publishers. They may be able to steer you in the right direction by locating companies who support authors in all parts of the publishing process.

When you are in the planning stage of publishing a book, decide what part of the process you can handle yourself and what parts would be best left to the professionals. It will make for a smoother process and a quality end result.

Book Marketing Savvy

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“….from the reading of ‘good books’ there comes a richness of life that can be obtained in no other way.” ~ Gordon B Hinckley

On Tuesday I joined a book club of women from Dorchester County Maryland for lunch. It was the second time I have been among the group, and talk naturally flowed to who is reading what, favorite authors, book lists and other common subjects among book lovers.

One member of the group mentioned she was headed to Boonsboro, Maryland to the historic Inn that is the subject of Nora Roberts recently published Boonsboro trilogy. Roberts has capitalized on capturing the hearts of her readers not only through her books, but by giving her fans an opportunity to visit and relax in the setting of some of her stories. In my opinion, it is a great example of using creative book marketing savvy and smart business.

boonsboro innObviously her investment in the old stone property, the Boonsboro Inn, on the corner of North  Main Street and Potomac, and in the town, itself, has been made possible by her success as a very prolific writer. She has approximately 200 titles to her credit, and some of her novels have been adapted for film. www.noraroberts.com.

The Boonsboro Inn aims to provide a fulfilling vacation travel experience with a literature experience. The assistant innkeeper, Patti, worked at Turn the Page Bookstore for four years. Obviously a booklover and well-read person, I am sure she is well-versed in providing the guests with plenty of background about the Montgomery brothers, the clan featured in The Next Always (Book 1), The Last Boyfriend (Book 2) and the final book of the trilogy, The Perfect Hope. To read more about the Boonsboro trilogy,Click here..

To learn more about the Boonsboro bed and breakfast experience, the amenities offered and the renovation of the historic property, please visit the website. http://bit.ly/19GwZhM.

According to hospitality surveys, more and more people are looking for unique vacations. If you have had a satisfying vacation in a literature hotel or inn, please share your experience with booklovers and writers who frequent www.allthingsfulfilling.com. Click on comment below and tell us all about it.

Gold Standards in Independent Publishing

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Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction and skillful execution. ~ William A Foster

Award-winning authors with award winning books! Today we continue highlighting authors who took away 2013 EVVY prizes from the Colorado Independent Publishers Association (CIPA) last month.

Click for info & ordering

Each of the aforementioned authors, as well as those who received second, third and merit awards from CIPA are setting high standards for all independent publishers. The Colorado Independent Publishers Association is working hard to ensure that top quality authors are reaping the rewards. The organization is putting into place high standards for judging criteria for book contests. Thank you, CIPA, for leading the way with your EVVY awards.

To read the full list of the 2013 EVVY award-wining books, please visit http://bit.ly/16BLVPn.

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com. A company specializing in e-commerce & e-marketing for independent publishers. Please return tomorrow to All Things Fulfilling, where independent thoughts, words and views are all part of the business.

2013 Book Awards – the EVVYs

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“To accomplish great things, we must dream as well as act.” ~ Anatole France

evvy-gold-sticker-76134-53479-zoomEvery May the Colorado Independent Publishers Association (CIPA) presents awards to independent publishers who have submitted their books for judging. I look forward to these annual awards because some of the authors I have had the opportunity to meet through networking.

The awards are given according to genres of literature, and also by technical category. Today, we will feature some of the 2013 EVVY Award-Winning author books and authors. To see the full list of award winners, please visit http://bit.ly/16BLVPn.

Writing and publishing a book is a big task. Kudos goes out to every author who submitted their publication to the contest. Each individual should be proud of having finished the many-step process and find fulfilling feelings, from within, for having accomplished it.

Please return tomorrow to All Things Fulfilling. We will feature  more 2013 EVVY award-winning authors and their publications.

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Designing a Life for Success

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“Joy is the umbrella for life’s storms.” ~ Chris Vanderzyden

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to have lunch with author Chris Vanderzyden. We met at the Northshire Bookstore http://www.northshire.com/  in Manchester, Vermont and she arrived every bit the “dynamo” I expected, despite having just returned the night before from Bali and many hours of international travel. She had been at an event with Jack Canfield of Chicken Soup for the Soul fame. Click for Canfields Publications

Chris is a corporate trainer, motivational speaker and business development leader. After years of working as a CPA and living a stressed-out lifestyle in Los Angeles, she traded in her career for a quieter way of life that has afforded her the ability to design a joyful existence that works for her and her family.

vanderzyden2Her book, A-Z Blueprint for Success: A Strategy of Action Steps to Elevate Your Business and Life was published out of Vanderzyden’s desire to help others create a more fulfilling way of life. She establishes, at the outset, that “having a successful life means something different to everyone.” According to Vanderzyden, a person is prosperous if they have a lifestyle that supports a healthy mind, body and spirit.

In order to achieve this result, defining one’s own core values is essential. The author provides an appendix of words which helps the reader to personally draw up a “custom” blueprint that very specifically identifies what a successful life looks like for them. Vanderzyden points out that action and persistence is necessary to achieve what one desires. Anyone can be successful with commitment to the principles she outlines in her A-Z Blueprint for Success. Click for info & ordering

I’d put Vanderzyden’s publication on a booklist for independent publishers who struggle to find time to complete their publishing projects or for those who need to find steps that will motivate them to consistently and successfully self-market their books. As the author points out, sometimes a better route to success is to hire someone else, for a small amount of money, so that will free up your talent for more productive tasks. She has become an expert on effective time management skills.

To learn more about Chris Vanderzyden’s corporate training programs and about a second publication that “is slotted to become a bestseller,” please visit http://bit.ly/12jZaTh. Click for info & ordering

Tomorrow’s ponderings will be available on www.AllThingsFulfilling.com. This blog is brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com, where independent thoughts, words and views are all part of the business.

Routt County 2013 EVVY Book Award Winners

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It’s back to books, business and publishing today on All Things Fulfilling.

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May 22, 2013

Steamboat Springs, Colorado

On Saturday, May 18, 2013 in Lone Tree, Colorado, the 2013 EVVY book awards were presented by the Colorado Independent Publishers Association. Three authors, all members of We Write Steamboat, a meet-up group for independent publishers in RouttCounty, came away winners.

9780974461793.Front Cover.vxA first place prize in the health and fitness category was won by Dawn V. Obrecht, M.D. for her publication, From the Edge of the Cliff: Understanding the Two Phases of Recovery and Becoming the Person You’re Meant to Be, published by Richer Press of Phoenix, Arizona. “Doc Dawn” is also the author of Mission Possible: A Missionary Doctors Journey of Healing. It is also an award-winning book. Her practice, specializing in addiction medicine, is based in Steamboat. Click for info & ordering Dawn V Obrechts books

Alzheimers moss bookSecond place prize in the autobiography/memoir category was given to author, Donald Moss, PhD for his book Alzheimer’s: My Journey to a Next Generation Treatment. Dr. Moss resides in RouttCounty on a part-time basis, and recently retired as professor at University of Texas, El Paso. Dr. Moss’s book is available as a paperback and as an e-book. Click for info & ordering Dr. Moss’s book

newtons-ark-coverA merit award was also given to author D.A. Hill of Steamboat for his first novel Newton’s Ark. This book is the first in a trilogy series. It is available as a paperback, in digital format (e-book) and also as an audio book. Click for info & ordering D.A. Hill’s books

More EVVY award winning books will be featured on All Things Fulfilling in coming weeks.

Do return to this blog tomorrow. I will be featuring a book that I mentioned several weeks ago in the blog called Star of the Publishing World http://bit.ly/10RIonQ. The principles within this book will be  helpful to writers who struggle with completing their publishing projects.

Do stay tuned to this blog by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

 

Fulfilling Memories and Dreams

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“We all have our time machines. Some take us back, they are called memories. Some take us forward, they are called dreams.” ~ Jeremy Irons

I loved living in the suburbs of Baltimore as a child and teen growing up. On rainy weekends, my twin sister and I often took the bus from the suburbs into the city to take in art and culture.  Come along as I continue to revisit some more familiar places throughout the city.

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A familiar site of my Baltimore-rooted memories. The “RCA Victor” Dog “Nipper”  atop the Heritage Museum

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Maryland Humanities Council brings fulfilling words to the streets through windows display

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Image below: Sculpture in Mt. Vernon Square – just up the street from the Walters Art Museum

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Below: Peabody Institute – “first major intellectual and arts center in an American city.”

http://bit.ly/19gY0b9

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Radio Broadcasting – WBAL is still in existence. I still remember some of the radio personalities from back in the 1950’s and 1960s.

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Images above & below: Mt. Vernon Place United Methodist Church faces Peabody Institute. As a teen I used to go to the Baltimore Flower

show in Mt. Vernon Square. The one day of the year my mom would let us skip school. We’d ride the bus from the suburbs.

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Return on Wednesday to all things fulfilling. A press release about independent publishing, authors and book awards will be posted.. Join us to learn about some inspiring independent publishers.

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com, where independent thoughts, words and views are all part of the business.

Wandering Walters Art Museum

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The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance. ~Aristotle

As a teen, the WaltersArtGallery (now known as the WaltersArt Museum) in BaltimoreCity was one of my favorite spots to visit on rainy afternoons. It was interesting to return, decades later, to the museum as an adult. As a young person, I was not fully aware of the breadth and depth of the collections, ranging from pre-dynastic Egyptian to medieval to baroque and Italian. Flemish and Dutch, and art from far Eastern parts of the world (Asian art) is also among the more than 35,000 artifacts, paintings, ceramics, sculpture on display at “the Walters.”

Many of the naturally illuminated galleries, exquisitely showcase the artwork from around the world in the best light. The architecture is as interesting, and inspiring as the art itself. To read more about the treasures within the WaltersArt Museum, please visit this link. http://thewalters.org/about/history/. Follow me as I explore the interior spaces through this photographic tour. I did seek permission before taking these photos inside the museum.

It was a memorable Memorial Day weekend, spent in Baltimore. Time spent with my twin sister is always fulfilling!

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The exterior of the building is far different than the interior. Don’t let it fool you!

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Dramatic and exquisite entry into the “Walters”

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Above & Below: Baroque & Flemish paintings inside this gallery space

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Above & Below Images: Architectural Embellishments

The Leo in me couldn’t resist the Lion on the doors to one of the galleries

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Images Above & Below: Italian Art

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Above Image: Exhibit about book binding

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This blog is brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com. See you tomorrow on http://www.AllThingsFulfilling.com , where independent thoughts, words and views are all part of the business.

Revisiting Charm City

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It’s surprising how much of memory is built around things unnoticed at the time. ~ Barbara Kingsolver

Things have really changed in Baltimore from the days of my childhood in the 1950s and 1960s.

This past weekend I spent time visiting tourist sites in and around the Harbor Place and in other sections of Baltimore where monuments and museums I remember from my childhood, still stand. Now dubbed “CharmCity,” Baltimore has made the most of attracting tourists from all over the world to their port.

As my sister and I walked the city this weekend, so many fulfilling memories came flooding back. I was reminded of the fact that writers Edgar Allen Poe, H.L. Mencken, musician James “Eubie Blake,” and singer Billy Holiday called Baltimore their home. And of course, Francis Scott Key wrote The Star Spangled in this city filled with art, culture and one of the  top medical institutions in the country, Johns Hopkins.

Today, join me on my tour of the BaltimoreHarbor. It is always fun to return to this city and see the various phases of development that have come to sections of the city since my growing up in the suburbs of Towson, Maryland.

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 Pyramid Structure in Distance is the Aquarium http://www.aqua.org/

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Maryland Science Center http://www.mdsci.org/

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 Spirit of Baltimorehttp://www.spiritcruisesbaltimore.com/

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Frozen Custard, piled high, on the cone always brings fulfillment!

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Historic Ship – USS Constitution moored in the Baltimore Harbor http://bit.ly/13WUHQA

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Above Image:Barnes & Noble in the Power Plant – awesome store, multi-storied

Below: Interior of Barnes & Noble – books and more

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Performing Arts Center on the Harbor

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 Portable Beer cart – Taps are musical instruments

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Street Performer on a Unicycle

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Beach Volleyball in the Center of the City, Amid the High rise office buildings

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Of course- a trip to “Bawlmer”  isn’t complete without mention of the Marylander’s beloved “Oreos” (Orioles baseball team)

or “goin’  downy o-shun” (going down the ocean), Ocean City, of course. Marylanders favorite vacation spot.

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Do return to All Things Fulfilling tomorrow, as I bike over to a place of personal fulfillment that I loved to go as a teen on rainy afternoons – The Walter’s Art Gallery. The architecture of the building is as spectacular as the permanent collections of art. The light filled spaces illuminate the art exquisitely. We will also see the Peabody Institute, Maryland Humanities Council, Mt. Vernon Place and other iconic historic landmarks.

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com, the space were sharing independent thoughts, words and views is all part of the business.

Paving the Way for Commerce Westward

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“Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.” ~Warren Buffett

A stroll along The Cliff Walk and Bellevue Avenue was a beautiful place to be last Saturday. Sunny skies and flowering trees added to the charm of Newport, RI, a city filled with mansions from The Guilded Age.

Many of the homes were built with embellishments found in European castles and cathedrals. The structures, fit for kings and royalty, are now museums because they are so expensive to maintain, and they are open to the public for touring. The mansions were once “seaside cottages” for wealthy families who came to Newport, RI, their summer playground. Life by the sea for the Vanderbilt’s, Astor’s, Webb’s and Dupont’s was more glitzy than it is today for most ocean resort dwellers. The families came with a full staff of servants, and house help who helped orchestrate the entertainment of other notables of great wealth and social standing. These prominent society people can be thanked for paving the way for prosperity in the United States. Through their investment in the railroads and steamships, commerce spread westward across America. They were the same individuals who were great patrons of the arts, and invested in magnificent paintings and other art installations, such as sculpture, in their mansions.

Enjoy your tour of Newport, through my photos:

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 Photo above & below: At the start of Cliff Walk in Newport, RI

with my twin sister

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The Breakers, Newport, RI

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Another summer cottage by the sea on Cliff Walk

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Graduation Day at Salve Regina University, Newport, RI http://www.salve.edu/

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Tree on Campus of Salve Regina University – Rooted in two different places!

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Another of the Mansions along Cliff Walk

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Dogwoods, Azaleas, and other flowering trees were in bloom

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Sue, Jan and my niece, Kara in the middle

Return tomorrow to All Things Fulfilling, where sharing independent thoughts, words and views is all part of the business. I  will show you a few more of the sites in Newport, RI from my travels. My trip to Rhode Island was not my first, but I found plenty of fulfilling things I had never seen before. Come back  to see the mansion we toured.

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