Category Archives: paranormal fiction

e-Book Extravaganza

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Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family. ~ Kofi Annan

cipa logoOn Saturday I made the very worthwhile three hour trek into Denver from Steamboat Springs, Colorado to attend Colorado Independent Publishers Association (CIPA) monthly meeting. The September agenda was an e-Book Extravaganza. Here are just a few things that were discussed throughout the day:

  • The e-book industry now represents 33% of book sales. How about that?
  • People like having a choice of formats, so offering books in print, as well as an e-book version is wise marketing.
  • There is still a viable market for books-in-print but there is a certain part of the reading population who are clamoring for e-books due to their convenience.
  • Surprisingly, people who are 55 years of age and over ARE BUYING e-books, contrary to what was expected. It is not just the young generation that are interested in the digital format.
  • We discussed pricing of e-books and how you can leverage your intellectual property.
  • E-books make it easy to offer samples, providing potential book buyers the  opportunity to see if they like an author they’ve never read before.
  • A big advantage to e-books – there is no printing involved, thus it removes the need for physical space of inventory.

If you are a writer who wants to get on The Fast Track to Independent Publishing, here is a short webinar that will introduce you to the basics. http://bit.ly/10cCp1Y. 

Do return tomorrow to All Things Fulfilling, we will be discussing the next best step if you are a person who is considering independent publishing and you are in need of knowledge. I will tell you a quick but valuable story from this weekend.

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

 

Reflections on the Writing Process

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Writing became such a process of discovery that I couldn’t wait to get to work in the morning: I wanted to know what I was going to say. ~Sharon O’Brien

This morning as I open this blank Word document, I think of the adage that “every person has a story to tell.” A white page gives us a space to create, a place to give birth to a beginning and an ending. Our imaginations can compose a fictional tale without a bit of truth or we can recount a factual story with unswerving loyalty or create a composite, with a bit of both.  Even with writing a narrative that is one hundred percent true, there is choice in the words we use and the voice we use to tell it. What an opportunity! That’s the beauty of writing.

If you are a person who has a story that needs to be told, I urge you to begin writing. If you need support, look for a local writers group in your area, or take a writing class at a local college or on-line. Networking with other authors and attending writer’s conferences or seminars also is helpful throughout the process. Unbiased feedback, from others can be invaluable because it is difficult to critique your own work.

You will be surprised how a tale will begin to take shape all by itself, if you allow it. You’ll learn all kinds of things you never knew about yourself or your characters in the process. Writing is a beautiful exercise in self-discovery and perhaps discovery about others.

Enjoy creating. It will be reflected in your work.

beginnings and endings

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

Treasures in Corners

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“Schools and libraries are the twin cornerstones of a civilized society.” ~ Nicholas Meyer

Bud werner libraryI have a very bad habit. As soon as I walk into our local library, the newly released books are front and center. Of course, I’m always anxious to see what’s hot off the press. The section begins with fiction first, and usually, I need not be enticed to venture any further. I find several books of interest and head over to the self-check out counter.

The other day when I was talking to my mother on the telephone, she mentioned she was reading Maya Angelou’s book I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and she asked “have you read it?”

“No,” I said, “I haven’t. I ought to get it.” On Sunday I went in search of the book at the library. Not allowing myself any dalliances with the newly-released section, I ignored it and went directly to the computer to look for the title in the catalog, and learned it was in the biography section. “Where’s that?” I thought.

I found it, in one of the far off corners of the library, where I need to venture more often. There was Angelou’s book on the shelf, and another I have been looking for.Cathie Beck’s memoir Cheap Cabernet: A Friendship was sitting on the same shelf as Angelou’s.

A few years ago, I made the acquaintance of Colorado author Cathie Back, through independent publishing circles. Beck’s success was the subject of my blog Using Stepping Stones, some time ago. If you missed it, here is the link. http://bit.ly/ZjfwHz.

Beck’s book, like many other independent publications are finding their way into libraries, including e-books.  Frankly, who is surprised? Non-traditional publishing has turned a corner. According and to the Miami Herald, the traditional publishing industry has been “upended.” To read the full article about the growth of independent publishing, please visit this link. http://bit.ly/ZjfwHz .

There is so much of value in all libraries, and I was reminded on Sunday, that I need to search out every corner of the library. Good reads go beyond the fiction section.

Return tomorrow to All Things Fulfilling, where sharing independent thoughts, words and views is all part of the business. This blog is brought to you by another memoir writer, Sue Batton Leonard.

Brains at the Center of the Story

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  The Seventh Journey book cover

Robert J R Graham’s newly released fictional story, The Seventh Journey, is fascinating because of it’s insight into human behavior. The experiment that is at the center of the narrative warrants deep consideration. It addresses how brainwaves control our human emotions and potentially, by rearranging frequencies in the brain, the ramifications on a society could be stunning. 

We, as human beings, it must be pointed out, already have the capacity to change our own mindsets and outcomes of our lives through our subconscious thinking. However, the premise of The Seventh Journey introduced me to concepts that go beyond just individual behavior, and begged me take a more serious look at researchers speculation that media, through music and film, has the capacity to change large populations of people. If fiction became reality, the ramifications of this tale could positively overhaul the medical field, military engagement and the energy of the Universe, as we know it. Or conversely, it could be used to create a path of destruction and despair. 

I have not read a large selection of books in the new genre of writing, paranormal fiction, however, Graham’s publication was fascinating to me. I have always been a student of human behavior, and resolve to live a life that is personally fulfilling. I deeply believe my life experience will be the result of my own choices, intentions, thoughts and reactions to relationships. The Seventh Journey addresses the theoretical power of our own brain frequencies and energy we put out into the world. 

Robert J R GrahamThe Seventh Journey has been honored with the Editor’s Choice and the Rising Star awards from the publisher, iUniverse, a division of Penguin Books. It is the first book in a series. For more information on this Canadian author or to order this creatively written story in hardcover or paperback, please follow this link www.robertjrgraham.com.  The book is also available in e-book format through Smashwords http://bit.ly/ViAiFt  and at select bookstores in Canada. 

Anyone who has an interest in quantum physics, self-development and mastery will be stimulated by the concepts Graham brings to this invented story that could have astounding real life consequences.

reviews The Seventh Journey

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