Category Archives: book publishing

Food Inspired Books

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“Ice cream is happiness condensed.” ~ Jessi Lane

There are books that nurture our mind, body and spirit. Many books are inspired by our relationships to food because for many people eating is considered a spiritual thing.

 Certain types of foods calm us down, add spice to our lives, and uplift our moods. To read more about serotonin and the effect it has on our brains, please visit this website. http://on-msn.com/15XKQhf.

Photo: BlessDesign.com blessdesign.com

Quirk Books “Seekers of All Things Awesome” has come up with some book titles inspired by ice cream flavors.

  • Berry Potter and the Container of Secrets
  • Whirled War
  • War & Peach
  • Oliver Twist : Please Sir, I Want Some More
  • Clockwork Orange Creamsicle
  • One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish: The perfect snack to share with Zax

Which flavor would fulfill your palette? For me, Clockwork Orange Creamsicle would do it – refreshing citrus combined with smooth, buttery-like texture.

janet maccaro bookChange Your Food, Change Your Mood, a book by Janet Maccaro, provides diet solutions which help elevate the mood, stabilize mood swings, stress and increase focus. Good health means happy body, mind and spirit. By eating the right foods we can achieve an improved lifestyle.Click for info & ordering

Remember to eat foods that feed your soul. Life is meant to be enjoyed, so give into your cravings sometimes. Eat what turns you inside out with happiness.

ice cream happinessz

See you tomorrow on All Things Fulfilling. com.

Writing for the Young Adult Market

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Personality can open doors, but only character can keep them open. ~ Elmer G Letterman

Dom testaYesterday I left you hanging. I mentioned radio personality Dom Testa and his work with the Rocky Mountain PBS StoryMakers contest, but I didn’t say much about who he is as a writer.

Dom Testa has found success in reaching the hearts and minds of teenagers through his Galahad Series. Young adults are known to be reluctant readers and it’s no secret teens tend to be fickle, so it takes smarts as a writer to hold the attention of this age group and provide them with fulfilling reading.

Comets CurseTesta won international acclaim as an author when The Comet’s Curse, the first in the Galahad series, won the grand prize from Writer’s Digest Magazine and an EVVY award for the best Young Adult book. His readers wanted more, so books two and three, The Web of Titan and The Cassini Code followed. In a capsule, the story is about a group of teens who must leave home in order to save the planet. As within nearly every crowd, the characters include an athlete, a nosy meddler and the lovesick yearning for attention. To learn more about the characters in the story, please watch this You Tube video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzJaL9Hi-HY.

The Mindbender books, also published by Testa help support the organization he founded The Big Brain Club. In an all new series, Cooper James Mysteries, Testa’s talents have been tested as a sleuth writer. You can follow his latest series on Facebook.

This author/public figure visits classrooms to talk about teen issues, education and attitudes and he also is a popular keynote speaker in corporate settings. For more information on all of Dom Testa’s publications or to book him as a speaker, please visit www.domtesta.com.

Please return tomorrow to All Things Fulfilling. Where independent thoughts, words and views are all part of the business. This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Labors of Today’s Innovators

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“Thou, O God, dost sell us all good things at the price of labor.” ~ Leonardo daVinci

Today, I am going to spare my labors and shift the spot light to an author who has a lot of good things to say in his books about how to think and work creatively. He has written a number of publications that contain fascinating thoughts and concepts.  For more information on Michael Gelb’s writings and workshops, please visit his website. http://michaelgelb.com/

Here are a few of Michael Gelb’s titles:

Work Like DaVinci: Gaining the Creative Advantage in Your Business and Career  Click for info & ordering

michael gelb book 1

 Mind Mapping: How to Liberate Your Natural Genius Click for info & ordering michael gelb4

 Innovate Like Edison: The Five-Step System for Breakthrough Business Success Click for info & ordering
michael gelb 2

Body Learning: Regain your Natural Poise Click for info & ordering

michael gelb3

I’ll be back tomorrow with some information for parents about a contest that encourages children to use their creativity by writing a story. There are no entry fees, so every child can participate and use their God-given artistic abilities.

Happy Labor Day, everyone! Find something that fulfills your own sense of fun. I’m going for a bike ride!

This blog brought to you by Sue Batton Leonard, author of Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected. Click for info & ordering Return tomorrow for more independent thoughts, words and views from All Things Fulfilling.

Texas Art Exploration

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All art is a kind of exploring. To discover and reveal is the way every artist sets about his business. ~Robert Flaherty

header_ArtistsGalleryAugust2013Today I continue my interview of artist Sandra Sherrod, an artist who splits her time between Steamboat Springs, Colorado and Houston, Texas.

Sue:  Sandra, what medium of art would you like to try, but haven’t tapped into it?

Sandra: Sculpture. I may try to do that when I am in Houston at a place called Glassell. http://www.mfah.org/visit/glassell-school/.  When I am in Houston I take all kinds of art courses. I am always learning.

In Houston, my art sales are stronger, particularly among women, because my pieces have a feminine side to it. In Steamboat, it seems the more masculine art sells a little better.

Sue: Interesting.  Do you stick with one project and finish it or do you jump from project to project?

Sandra: My rule of thumb is to make 15 – 20 pieces and explore an idea. When I get bored with it, I jump to something else. History has shown that both kinds of artists, those that work in only one medium and multi-dimensional artists can be successful. No matter what, you have to tweak your ideas every so often and not overwork it.

Sue:  What do you like to create the most?

Sandra: Writing is my favorite. As you know writing a book can take years whereas with other forms of art you can complete and get it out quicker to be seen by others. The satisfaction comes more immediately.

Sue:  What are you writing now, anything?

Sandra: I’ve been writing about 1,000 words a day. I just completed a series of eight books in the fantasy genre. They’re intergalactic stories. I am looking for a publisher so I can be involved in other creative projects. The series is geared to age nine to twelve.  I am also writing magical realism – earth stories with magical things happening. These are for young adult to adult.

Sue:  Seems like I’ve heard you read some of them at the Steamboat Writers Group.http://steamboatwriters.com/.

Sandra: Yes, I have read some of them to the group.

Sue: I look forward to seeing them published.

For a long time I’ve wanted to sit down and talk with Sandra about her life as an artist. Since  she was “manning the gallery” the day I visited with her, I had the added bonus of learning more about all the other artists The Artists Gallery of Steamboat represents.

Thank you, Sandra. You’d also make a wonderful art educator because you are so knowledgeable and your heart and soul is really in it!

Sandra’s jewelry was featured at The Artist Gallery in Steamboat throughout August, but it will continue to be displayed – stop in and see it. You can also communicate with her about ordering through her website. www.SandraSherrod.com.

This blog is brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com. See you on Monday.

Art at the Heart of the Story

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“Life is a quarry, out of which we are to mold and chisel and complete a character.” ~Samuel Butler

Yesterday we featured a soon-to-be released book by Pearl S Buck. The unpublished manuscript was found many years after her death, and the story is projected to be one of Buck’s best publications yet. If you missed out on the blog about The Eternal Wonder, scroll down and read it.

Photo Below: Pearl S Buck

Pearl S BuckToday I’d like to highlight one of Pearl S Buck’s lesser known stories, called This Proud Heart. The story is about a sculpture artist who is torn between her second marriage and her craft. Her life becomes a juggling act to try to find balance between her relationship with her husband and her art. I wonder how many artists worldwide have this theme weaving in and out of their own personal life and career.

The struggles of the main character, Susan, were particularly burdensome because in the 1930’s when the story takes place, few women ever made difficult choices between marriage and a profession. Overwhelmingly, women stayed the course and made self-sacrifices in the best interest of the marriage. And gaining credibility during that era as an artist or in any business, for women, was much more difficult.

Artists, put This Proud Heart on your reading list. Click for info & ordering
 It is fulfilling to read something other than contemporary fiction every once in a while.  Reacquaint yourself with a classic from time to time, you’ll most likely rediscover some of the characteristics of why novels like this become classics in the first place.

This Proud Heart can be downloaded on Nook and other digital readers, as an e-book. Click for info & ordering

Do return tomorrow to All Things Fulfilling. I will be interviewing an artist about all sorts of things. This blog brought to you by Sue Batton Leonard, author of Gift of a Lifetime:Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected. Click for Info & ordering

Pearl S Buck Fans: Get Ready

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“I am always glad when any of my books can be put into an inexpensive edition, because I like to think that any people who might wish to read them can do so. Surely books ought to be within reach of everybody.”  ~ Pearl S Buck

I learned something exciting today. There is a new publication by the late Pearl Sydenstricker Buck (June 26, 1892 – March 6, 1973), that is about to be released, in October.  The Eternal Wonder will be available on-line and in the brick and mortar book marketplace.Click for Info & Ordering

In her late years, Pearl S Buck resided in Danby, Vermont, a quiet rural community in southern Vermont. Surprisingly, Buck’s unpublished manuscript, a coming of age story, was found in a storage container in Texas some forty years after her death, please visit read this article about the discovery.  http://n.pr/19ZgzTu.

This book will be available in digital format, as well as in print, and it is bound to be popular with fans of Pearl S. Buck. As with many of Buck’s other novels, inspiration for this story came from being the daughter of Southern Presbyterian missionaries and living in China. Her other classic books such as The Good Earth, The Good Mother: A Novel, Sons, East Wind West Wind, This Proud Heart have seen a resurgence in interest since many were out of print and now they have been converted into e-books.

More than seventy of her literary works had been published by the time of her death, and The Good Earth was adapted for film by MGM in 1937. She is a Pulitzer Prize Winner and a Nobel Peace Prize Winner for this masterpiece also. To read more about the life of Pearl S Buck, please visit this link. http://bit.ly/19Z5eD9 .  

The Eternal Wonder I look forward to reading The Eternal Wonder once it is released. Amazon Books has said The Eternal Wonder “is perhaps her most personal and passionate work, and will no doubt appeal to the millions of readers who have treasured her novels for generations.” 

If you are a fan of the great classics novels, many of them are now available as free e-books thanks to Project Gutenberg.

This blog brought to you by Sue Batton Leonard, author of Gift of a Lifetime:Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected. Click for Info & Ordering Do return tomorrow to www.AllThingsFulfilling.com.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Writing Conflict and Lessons

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Life is a circle. The end of one journey is the beginning of the next.”
― Joseph M. Marshall III, The Journey of Crazy Horse: A Lakota History

I read a marvelous article recently in Poets and Writers Magazine about character development in stories and it got me thinking about real life people. Is it not true that some of the most interesting individuals you have ever met have incredibly complex life journeys?

If every thing in life was smooth, easy and breezy, our personal stories would be boring and there would be little reason for memoir writing. Out of strife and struggle comes personal growth, and by reading tales written by others we meet some very interesting characters who inspire us to become better people.

art of perseveranceThere is a book I encountered on Goodreads called Keep Going: The Art of Perseverance.  This book may be a good resource for writers who are frustrated and disappointed in their progress or at a loss for direction. Sage advice on not giving up is incorporated into this book. Rather than the typical new age jargon, wisdom of the ages from the Lakota Indian is shared through the writings. Click for info & ordering

Author Joseph M Marshall III, a Native American writer, inspires others in his workshops on character and leadership and through his other publications. Please visit his website to learn more about Marshall as a writer and motivational speaker. http://www.josephmarshall.com .

This blog brought to you by Sue Batton Leonard, author of Gift of a Lifetime:Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected.Click for info and ordering See you tomorrow on http://www.AllThingsFulfilling.com. The space where independent thoughts, words and views are all part of the business.

Moonstruck

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“One grateful thought is a ray of sunshine.  A hundred such thoughts paint a sunrise.  A thousand will rival the glaring sky at noonday – for gratitude is light against the darkness.” ― Richelle E. Goodrich, author of Eena

The evening of August 20th was a full moon which always means a short night of sleep for me. Every month my circadian rhythm (biological clock) is always thrown off during a full moon from the light streaming in the bedroom window. As I tossed and turned from 2:30am until morning, it gave me plenty of time to reflect on how grateful I was for the kindness of others who helped me celebrate my birthday just hours before.

My We Write Steamboat networking group surprised me, as I walked into the conference room for our monthly meeting. A birthday cake with lit candles and other surprises to help me celebrate were waiting for my arrival. Thank you all, it meant so much!

IMAG0855Guess what else I received for my birthday? My twin sister took time out of her life to go by train from the ‘burbs of Maryland into Washington, D.C. to pick up some book-related things from the Library of Congress gift shop http://www.loc.gov/shop. She sent some book plates, a 2014 calendar, Library of Congress post-it-notes and a magnetic book marker that reads “I Can Not Live Without Books.” Wonderful present, Jan. It was so thoughtful of you, I greatly appreciate it!  Don’t I have a nice sister?

Speaking of the Library of Congress, there was a recent article in the Wall Street Journal about the explosion of the audio book publishing industry. Did you see it? Must be it will be necessary for The Library of Congress to expand their catalogs to accommodate for the growth of e-books and audio books. Here is a link to the article. http://on.wsj.com/13DcAKm

Again, thank you to everyone who sent birthday greetings on-line from all over the world, cards and phone calls. Who would have thought when I began this business in 1998 that  my list of independent publishing friends and acquaintances would grow  exponentially  – that’s the progression of an industry. I am feeling over the moon because my life is fulfilling and there is no darkness in my life except in the middle of the night, when the full moon is not bathing me in bright light.

books buy happiness

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com. Come back tomorrow on All Things Fulfilling. Where independent thoughts, words and views are all part of the business.

An Age Old Question

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If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in. ~Rachel Carson

Before I start today’s blog, I have a special birthday to acknowledge – my husband’s.  My partner in life helped create the artist featured in yesterdays blog. As a role model and teacher to our son, he could not have been a more involved father. But then, he was experienced because he has mentored many stellar students. Happy Birthday, Coach!

Across the ages, and across the lands, children have wondered the same things “Who created the universe – the sky, the planets, the stars, human beings?”

playdough poemThe Playdough Poem, by author Sandra Edwards, published by Wine Press Kids, helps to fulfill children’s need to know the answer to these questions. Using a literary work of art along with modeling clay, children can use their tactile skills to make their unique creations that to lead to the children’s understanding of the Universe. This independently published book is used as an art resource and educational activity in Sunday schools, Vacation Bible Schools and with homeschooled Christian families.

This book is written in three languages (English, French and Spanish) all in one publication, to reach multi-cultural communities. As an adult resource, The Playdough Poem is presented at leadership conferences helping teens and older individuals understand one of life’s revelations about creation. Once we arrive at adulthood, it is up to us to create our own lives into something divinely beautiful.

The Playdough Poem is available through iTunes, in paperback, as an e-book and there is even a YouTube video http://bit.ly/16YueHz  which helps interested parties determine whether this book is suitable for sharing in certain environments. The book can be ordered from all over the world. For more information, please visit this website. http://bit.ly/1aiem5W.

molding lives

Please return tomorrow to All Things Fulfilling, where independent thoughts, words and views are all part of the business. This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Film Friday: Hector & the Search for Happiness

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“Knowing and feeling are two different things, and feeling is what counts.”  ~  François Lelord

Hector & the Search for HappinessHector and the Search for Happiness is a movie that is currently in post production. This film is based on a publication of the same title by Francois Lelord. The book is an international bestseller, with two million copies sold to its credit.

The movie is about a psychiatrist who notices, despite his counseling, his clients are not finding personal fulfillment. He journeys around the world looking for answers to what happiness in life really means. This simplistic tale is told in a humorous and uplifting fashion bringing optimism and insight to the audience.

The stellar cast, including Christopher Plummer (of Sound of Music fame), will add to the attraction of this film. It has been said the film combines the charm of The Little Prince along with the fundamental principles of the Alchemist. Sounds like a winner to me, I loved both of those publications.

If you to wish read the book, order it now! Click here for info & ordering of Hector & the Search for Happinesshttp://amzn.to/15G7Fm9

Please return on Monday to All Things Fulfilling, the space where independent thoughts, words and views are all part of the business. This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.