Category Archives: romantic women’s fiction

Gem Stone Village Discovered

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“I’m also looking for gems that the average reader might have missed.” ~ Terry Windling

“My, oh, my, isn’t it gorgeous?” I said to my husband and son, as we drove into Ouray, Colorado on Saturday. “Didn’t I tell you, Mom?” my son said “that’s why I said you have to come see it.”

Ouray, nestled between high, high peaks in the San Juan Mountains is called “Switzerland of America©.” The “alpine-like” village is a gem. Outstanding ice climbing and summer rock climbing and the healing hot springs are just a few reasons that this little town is so busy with tourist activity.

On Saturday morning the center of town was the starting place for the Imogene Pass half marathon. Fifteen hundred runners faced a challenging course that climbed from altitudes of 7,700 elevation to 13,000, over an unpaved mountain pass from Ouray to Telluride.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the relief and pride I felt as my saw my son cross the finish line after running seventeen grueling miles. It takes guts and grit to tackle it. He did well for himself, finishing 14th in his age group. But, he said many of his competitors were “seniors who looked older than the mountains and really put him and the younger people to shame.” I noticed that as I watched.

Ouray has so much going for it! Well cared for Victorian buildings, art galleries and quaint little shops, the Ouray Hot Springs, and charming bed and breakfasts, historic hotels.

It was second Saturday Art Walk, and we made the rounds. We stopped into Buckskin Booksellers. They have a large and outstanding collection of books of regional interest on Colorado, Western history and of geological subjects such as mineralogy, mining, fossils, rock hounding and the like.

I also noticed some outstanding art books scattered in different retail establishments throughout town. You could not help but notice them because some were like tomes – oversized, beautifully crafted, filled with magnificent images. I spied John Fielder’s Ranches of Colorado http://www.johnfielder.com and books on the Art of Howard Terpning. 

Many notable movies were filmed in Ouray County. My son Marc’s interest in visiting Ouray was more than just to run in a footrace. As a filmmaker, he was interested in seeing the settings of these movies:

Our visit to Ouray was a perfect stop along the way of a fun and fulfilling weekend. I’d like to return some day to further explore this area. It is located near where four states – Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Utah come together. There is a lot more to see such as Twin Peak Falls, and more to do than I ever realized.  For more information, visit this website http://www.ouraycolorado.com/.

This blog brought to you by Sue Batton Leonard, author of Gift of a Lifetime:Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected and www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Local Authors in the Limelight

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“If you could say it in words, there would be no reason to paint.” ~ Edward Hopper

Saturday was a day of great fun for me as a person who works in the independent publishing industry. The literary community of Steamboat Springs, Colorado came  out from behind their computers and into the limelight at the Written Arts Festival. I am aware of the fact that we do, indeed, have a growing population of independent publishers in this community. Nearly thirty were gathered; some having just published their debut novels, while others have more than one book published.

Panel discussions added interest to the event. “How should history be portrayed in writing?” was a subject that drew differing opinions from the authors. In the opinions of some, there is an obligation to write stories true to history; while others contend that history can be written from different perspectives.

Other authors specialize in fiction writing. The panelists in this genre seemed to agree that authors draw, to a certain extent, from personal experience and background which often gives them the basis of the story. Then the storyline “is pushed in different directions,” sometimes ending in a total surprise, even for the author. One panelist mentioned how her deeply felt spiritual beliefs influences her writing and a prolific romance writer admitted that individuals she encounters inspires her characters.

Sites, smells and visual landscapes also influence writing. A third group of panelists discussed how stories are crafted from experience in travel as well as from their rootedness in community. Place plays great significance in our identity as people and as writers. Local issues are often brought into books of regional interest.

The event culminated with an interview of a very talented poet and the Home Ranch owner, Ann Anderson Stranahan. Words, when used with the right cadence and meter makes music, she said. When Stranahan was asked  if “her poetic images come to her in black and white or in color?”

“Vividly and suddenly, perhaps as in a photographic image, rather than an oil or watercolor,” was her answer.

The Bud Werner Memorial Library http://www.steamboatlibrary.org/ and the efforts of their staff made this inspiring event possible. Also, the support of the Steamboat Arts Council http://steamboatspringsarts.com/and Off the Beaten Path Bookstore’s  http://www.steamboatbooks.com/ handling of the bookselling allowed the authors to visit with potential book buyers and answer questions.

I would have liked to have mentioned each of the authors individually, in this blog writing, but there were too many. I did get around the room to talk to each of them briefly. Thanks to all who participated and coordinated the Written Arts Festival. It was encouraging for anyone who is contemplating writing and publishing a story.

This blog brought to you by Sue Batton Leonard, author of Gift of a Lifetime:Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected.

Things that Serve Writers and Filmmakers

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“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did.”  – Mark Twain

New and improved digital publishing software and digital filmmaking software for editing and post production is appearing on the scene.  In this world of producing digital content for all kinds of screens, there is a growing need. 

Perhaps you are a budding writer or independent filmmaker who has made a resolution to invest in stepping things up a notch by purchasing professional software for digital publishing or for creating films or video in  2012. Choices can be confusing and many when it comes to picking the best software. 

Adobe has a website that may be useful in fulfilling your need for knowledge about which way to turn. Their full range of software is suitable for individual and enterprise solutions. Investment in professional software means the ability to create high quality, professional results. 

Adobe Digital Publishing Suite has solutions for those who wish to create content that will captivate viewers and readers on mobile devices. The publishing suite is all encompassing software and it includes individual programs such as:

  • Photoshop
  • InDesign
  • Flash
  • Premiere
  • After Effects
  • Dreamweavers
  • Illlustrator 

Along with the need for software may come a need for education on how to use it, too! There are certified instructors who can lead you through the effective use of these products. They have the experience and the know-how. To help you explore the right product for your needs and to find out how to locate a certified instructor, please visit this link, http://adobe.ly/r0ONyr. 

Cornerstone Fulfillment Service, LLC does not endorse any one software program. This information is offered to fulfill a need for independent publishing help. By using your favorite search engine, look for digital publishing software. The choices are varied. Be wise! Research before you buy. 

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com

 

Collaboration Strengthens the Indies

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“Individually, we are one drop. Together we are an ocean. ~ Ryunosuke Satoro 

Independent publishers in Steamboat and the surrounding Routt County have good reason to celebrate this month. Our meet-up group, SHe Writes Steamboat has grown to include 29 members. We are fulfilling networking opportunity for independent publishers and fostering independent publishing success. Some members are first time publishers, others have several titles under their belt and many are working on new books. The group has been in existence since June 2011. 

Last weekend we made a collaborative appearance at Holiday in the Rockies. This event was organized by the Steamboat Art Council. http://bit.ly/uJFXs7.   SHe Writes Steamboat is also pleased to announce that our individual member’s publications are being considered by book clubs affiliated with the Bud Werner Library for reading in 2012. 

If you are an independent publisher, male or female, in Routt County or in the surrounding counties looking for a meet-up group of this type, we invite you to join us at our monthly meetings. We meet every third Tuesday of the month from 4pm to 5:30pm. For more information on the group and where we meet, go to the SHe Writes Steamboat Facebook page and send us a message you would like to be included in this group. Here is the link http://on.fb.me/oOWKWm. You can also contact me, Sue Leonard of Cornerstone Fulfillment Service, LLC, through SheWritesSteamboat@gmail.com. 

We look forward to learning more about you as an author, independent publisher and as a contributing member of this collaborative group!

The Heart Knows A Winner!

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“There are many things in life that will catch your eye, but only a few will catch your heart…pursue those.” ~ Michael Nolan 

Days of Our Lives actress Mara Purl and author of “What the Heart Knows”  has had admirable reviews of her women’s fiction novel that  was released in October. In honor of 11-11-11,  Mara  has created a contest that you can join in on,  free of cost. What are the perks? The chance to win a Kindle Classic e-reader or a free e-book. 

How can you join in?  By fulfilling Mara’s request to be one of the first 11 people who post a review on Amazon for “What the Heart Knows.” In turn, you will receive a FREE downloadable pdf of the best-selling short story —“When Hummers Dream.”

Here’s how to enter:

Part I – Write your Review
1-write and post your Amazon review

2- e-mail the link to your review to (Kara@BellekeepBooks.com)

3- You will receive an e-mail with a downloadable  link for a free copy of the e-book “When Hummers Dream” if you are one of the first eleven to respond.

Part II — Play the Novel Contest (purchase necessary)

The one-hundred-eleventh (111th) purchaser of “What the Heart Knows”
receives a FREE CLASSIC KINDLE!

1 – Buy a copy of “What the Heart Knows” from your favorite website

2 – E-mail a copy of your receipt to Kara@BellekeepBooks.com as proof of purchase.
(Kara will keep careful track of each e-mail with its attached purchase receipt, in the order received. )

3 – You will receive e-mail  notification you’re the WINNER and get the details of how to receive your new Kindle!

For more information on the Milford Haven Books,  please visit http://on.fb.me/eK4i3b.

Mara has created this contest because she has alot of heart as an author and as a human being. Her inspiring books are full of more of the same! Good luck and you can’t win if you don’t play! Happy Reading and Writing.

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

Holiday e-Book Buying Guide

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“Only one shopping day left ’til tomorrow.” ~Author Unknown

I am always in awe of people who begin their holiday shopping before Thanksgiving. Shopping from the computer, through e-commerce has become routine. Catalogs in print, arriving through the mail, have been reduced. Many of the big catalog companies now have catalogs on the web. That is a positive move toward sustainability –  a very good thing. It will save a lot of trees! 

There has been a dramatic uptick over past ten years in digital and electronic gadgets that appear on Christmas lists. Everything from laptops, to i-phones, i-pods to digital cameras and more are the most wanted gifts on any adult and children’s wish lists. 

In 2011, e-books are selling at a rapid rate. As sales of electronic reader devices increases (such as the Kindle, the Nook, i-Pads and Sony readers), there becomes a proportionate increase in electronic books sales, too. Some e-book authors are selling 9,000 or 10,000 books per month. 

Let’s face it –  e-books, are on the fast track of independent publishing. http://bit.ly/oIkV2g. They have provided, to the reader, the most convenient and affordable way of purchasing new books. 

To view a catalog of authors who make their titles available through independent publishing, follow this link. http://bit.ly/qs0jUN .  Authors in this holiday  guide are among  leaders in the independent publishing industry. There are others available and they can be found by searching the internet for “top selling e-books or independently published books.”

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

Butterflies at Art Award Night in Vermont

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“A novel is not, after all, a historical document, but a way to travel through the human heart.” ~ Julia Alvarez – In the Time of the Butterflies 

Tonight, November 4th,  the Vermont Arts Council http://bit.ly/7Ncf6e  will have their annual awards honoring three outstanding artists. All three are working in their fields to share their talents through their poetry, books and musical compositions. 

Christian Wolff will be receiving the Walter Cerf Award for Outstanding Achievement in the performing arts.  He has recorded over 20 solo CDs and his book Cues, is a collection of his writings on music. For more information on his musical compositions and his life, please visit  http://bit.ly/cJGbcs. 

Julia Alvarez is the writer-in-residence at MiddleburyCollege. She has 5 published novels, a book of essays and many books for young readers. Several of her books have been adapted for film and theatre and are available in many languages and in many countries around the world.  An organic farm-literacy arts center in her homeland of the Dominican Republic holds a special place in her heart, and she shares of herself there, too. For more information on this author and her new book which will be available in the spring of 2012, please visit  http://bit.ly/9WSMSJ. 

Sydney Lea is a poet and prose writer often writing on subjects such as ecology and the natural environment. He has two books of essays, a published novel and has just been named Poet Laureate of Vermont. He makes his home in Newbury, Vermont. To read more about this multi-lingual professor of literature, please go to  http://bit.ly/ofelnu. 

Every year I look forward in great anticipation to receiving my Vermont Arts Gala invitation, whether I am able to attend or not. It is fulfilling to learn about the artists who are being celebrated for their contributions of inspiring others in the creative state of Vermont.

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

Talkin’ Turkey about Book Selling Events

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“Self respect – that cornerstone of all virtue.” ~ John Herschel (1792-1871) 

Are you an independent publisher who is ready to hit the book selling scene by doing book appearances and book signings at local libraries, bookstores and other venues? 

 Traveling from venue to venue can be expensive and time consuming, but it is still a necessary part of selling books. Not every independent publisher has it in their budgets to travel from coast to coast on book tours, so they concentrate their efforts locally and regionally.  A very effective way to increase your visibility, as an author beyond the local or regional level, is to put a solid e-marketing plan into place. There are companies that specialize in e-commerce and e-marketing for independent publishers, who can help you with that. 

Let’s talk turkey for just one moment .When you do schedule personal appearances at bookstores and in other venues, make sure your time and money is well spent. Arrive at the venue with all the information you need about the details of the event stuffed inside of you, well in advance. 

There are questions to ask before you arrive at the site. Ask about size of the meet and greet area and it’s location within the store. Find out what the book store’s “take” of the bookselling proceeds will be. So you can fulfill your part of the agreement, ask whether to bring signage, a cash box or credit card machine and about other promotional materials that might be helpful. If you are well organized and prepared, you will be viewed as a bookselling professional when you arrive at the scene. It will reduce the stresses on the day of the event.

To learn more about planning a successful do-it-yourself book tour, please visit this site  http://bit.ly/RUJsq /. It is filled with good tips.

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

Celebrate Tell a Story Day

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“Firelight will not let you read fine stories, but it’s warm, and you won’t see the dust on the floor.” ~ Celtic Saying 

Tomorrow, October 28th is Tell a Story Day in Scotland and in the United Kingdom. http://bit.ly/11gmg3. Telling stories verbally and through the written word can be fulfilling for both narrator and for the listener or reader!  

What a great opportunity to use creativity to tell stories orally.

  • Tell a scary story – dim the lights, illuminate the room with some candles and creep the listener right out of their seat!
  • Reminisce about your favorite family story. Use old family photos to enhance the images you paint in words.
  • Seize the moment, act silly and use your wit to tell a hilarious, goofy tale.
  • Host a murder mystery party story. Have your guests be the gumshoe in solving “who done it.”
  • Tell a Cinderella love story and dress the part! Don’t forget the handsome young prince too.
  • Do a little research on your favorite era in history. Dress in period clothing and do some play acting to recount the tale or the event. 

Do you like telling stories through writing? In the United States, the perfect opportunity to start writing your novel is coming up. November is National Novel Writing Month! Challenge yourself to write a novel in 30 days. There is a website that will give you all the details of how you can be involved and many local libraries participate with fun events all revolving around this nationwide event for authors. For more information, please visit  http://www.nanowrimo.org/. 

Happy Story Telling, Everyone!

More independent thoughts, words and views tomorrow from www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Book Selling Opportunities

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“You don’t get harmony when everybody
sings the same note.” ~Doug Floyd

There is a misconception that once an author finishes his book, the work is done. In truth, the work has just begun. Promotion and
marketing is even more important than the writing of the narrative, if an author is to successfully sell. Even in the traditional publishing world, authors are more often being called into action to fulfill the duties of promoting and marketing their own book.

It is important that independent publishers think beyond book signing appearances at libraries and bookstores. Although those are appropriate venues for bookselling, there are many more opportunities that exist.

 Last weekend, I attended a fall food and wine festival at the Bethesda Co-op – A Natural Foods Market in Bethesda, Maryland. http://bit.ly/nDoCoB. My niece works there and she wanted me to see where she works. As I strolled through the outside tents of food and wine sampling the goods, I came across an author, Judith Welles, selling her book. It is a regional publication called “Cabin John: Legends and Life in an Uncommon   Place. www.judithwelles.com. The book is full of mystery and history of the area known as Cabin John, along the Potomac River. The Cabin John Citizens Association Foundation (a non-profit organization) published the book. www.cabinjohn.org.

I spent time with the author discussing the book and the marketing of it. The book is finding great success in selling in several local hardware stores. As we all know, men are attracted to hardware stores like magnets. Many men are also history buffs, thus the book is finding it’s way into the hands of men through a retail environment far different than a bookstore.

This brings me to the point of how necessary it is to think beyond the bookstore when researching bookselling opportunities. In fact, artists working all kinds of mediums, can promote their work by appearing in unlikely places.

I was also introduced to a lively band of six talented women called Wicked Jezabel. They were not in a nightclub, in a bar or on a traditional stage. They were on the roof of a structure, jamming away at the Natural Foods Market Fair. They are promoting their art in non-traditional ways. www.wickedjezabel.com.

Next time you think book selling opportunities are limited, take a good look around. Sometimes doing things in non-traditional ways draws attention – that is why the independent publishing industry of books, films and music is finding great success! The industry and the artists in it are fulfilling a need for independence away from the routine.

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