Category Archives: Independent Publishers Resources

Journalistically Speaking

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“I like putting my thoughts out there. Sometimes it is just a relief to get things out.” ~ Sarah Whitfield

Have you ever used a personal shopper? I haven’t, I am a good decision maker and I like to be in control of my own destiny! Besides, I know all that I like and all that I don’t like – usually.

The other day, I began browsing the shelves for a new journal. It’s time, my other one is filled with oh so brilliant ideas! But, gone are the days when a simple diary, with lock and key, will do!  Before I even start my search, I had better decide what kind of journal toting person I am!

First, I need to decide whether it will be leather(english bridle, croc, italian, suede), hand-tooled, silk covered, canvas for the rough and tough, hardbound, envelope wrap, softbound, lockable, a zero carbon notebook, a mini or a maxi or somewhere in between!

Secondly, how about the paper inside it? Lined, blank, recycled, tibetan paper, rice paper, replaceable/refillable, handmade, colored, white?

Not to be esthetically incorrect,I had better match my genre of writing style with my choice of journal style. Shouldn’t a person who writes about cowboy adventures carry real leather? Someone who writes about the arts certainly does not want to tote anything too serious and business like – what would people think?

Next, what are my reasons for keeping a journal? To capture my life story? Enhance my creativity? Help me focus? Gain better organizational skills, help me get in touch with my feelings? Reduce stress? Improve my health?

Not any old journal will do – I had better think long and hard. My choice  could effect the way I am able to come up with so many of those oh so brilliant thoughts! I don’t know, I don’t know!  Shopping for a journal these days is enough to drive you mad! It could consume a whole day! This whole process of selecting a journal has me in a tizzy! I think I will, for the first time ever, call on a personal shopper – perhaps she can tell me what to write too!

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Meaningful Morning Menu

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“All people should spend one third of their time in recreation which is rebuilding, voluntary activity, never idleness” ~ Brigham Young

Morning is my cup of tea! As far as I am concerned, it is the most fulfilling time of day. My energy is at it’s peak, and before the world even begins to stir, I walk and ponder.

What glory nature provides in the dawn’s early light. The grass glistens with dew, the wildflowers stand at attention, birds cry out their excitement, the sun rises up from it’s night sleep, and the world comes alive before my very eyes.

Breakfast of nature’s most beautiful provisions feeds my soul, during the hush of the day,when I can appreciate the unfolding of the new dawn. The menu put before me, as I walk and observe, is there to celebrate and enjoy each and every day, as long as I rise to greet it.

Sunrise is the appetizer! The main course of the day for those who reside, work, live and play in Steamboat Springs, Colorado is what God has created for us – the river, the mountains and the scenic vistas. We can recreate till our hearts are content in this wonderous place!

Let’s see – what shall I do today, after the work is done? What ever it is, it is bound to be good!

Good Morning, Sunshine!

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Summer Screens

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“There’s a certain drive in me that won’t allow me to do certain things the easy way.” ~ Johnny Depp

Drive-in movie theatres were at the height of popularity in the 1950s. Since then, almost all have slowly disappeared. Movie goers have traded in their Chevy or Ford bench seat viewing posts for singular, cushy, indoor theatre seats complete with 3D glasses and air conditioning.

Thanks to jumbotron screens, outdoor movies are making a resurgence. There is also a New York non-profit organization www.rooftopfilms.com that is helping to advance this resurgence in their own way. This non-profit’s claim to fame is to screen feature and short “underground” movies outdoors. They also provide youth media education and rent film equipment at low cost to artists.

Interested? You had better be quick! Their summer season runs every weekend from May 14 to August 14. The films screened are as diverse as those shown in movie theatres – everything from documentaries, to fiction to drama, comedy and more!

For more information on outdoor screening locations, the history of the non-profit and films they will be showing during the summer of 2010, please visit www.rooftopfilms.com.

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

Play it Again, Sam!

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“Patriotism is your conviction that this country is superior to all others because you were born in it” ~ George Bernard Shaw

Have you ever wished you could have a “do over” – a repeat of a day, an hour,  a moment? I’d like our country’s citizens to have a “do over” of yesterday, for one moment, each and every day.  America was hard at work celebrating all things patriotic. We waved our flags, pledged our allegiance and sang “America the Beautiful.” We celebrated with baseball games, parades, barbeques and fireworks. Forgotten were the woes of stock market statistics, the high price of living, and the lackluster economy. Instead we had fun celebrating the liberties and freedoms that we so enjoy. The American spirit reigned supreme!

Don’t let the 4th of July be the only day of the year that you show your appreciation for this country of ours. Play it again, Sam, for each and everyday you are alive in this fabulous country, The United States of America – the land of independence! Every time you hear the words of our National  Anthem “the land of the free and the home of the brave,” put your hand over your heart, cause that’s where it belongs, in remembrance of our honorable countrymen who have fought the battles for us. We continue to live the dream, in a land relatively free of strife and struggle, compared to many countries around the globe. Thank, God.

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Authors, Build your Whuffie!

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“Friendships are fragile things, and require as much handling as any other fragile and precious thing.” ~ Unknown

What’s your whuffie, you say? Why, it is the way of the world, these days! Something that all authors and business people need to include in their marketing plans.

Whuffie is built through forming relationships with communities of people on-line. By developing an audience and customer base on-line, you will build support and increase visibility for your products. That means sales of  your independently published books, cds and DVDs.

One of the best resources I have stumbled upon is “The Power of Social Networking” by Tara Hunt. www.threeriverspress.com. This book provides great stories of on-line business successes through building whuffies!

Make no mistake, building your whuffie on-line takes time. But, building a business does not happen overnight. Even after reading this book, the concept is still very foreign to many. Where do you start? Call on an expert, a company who specializes in e-marketing for independent publishers. While you are at it, you had better ask whether they handle order fulfillment for independent publishers too ! You will be needing that !

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Smell a Blog

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“All glory comes from daring to begin.” ~ Unknown

The day of independence is almost upon us! In honor of this holiday, one of the things I have decided that I am going to do is to strike out, be bold, and add more herbs to my diet. Today, I thought I would cook up a batch of flavorful gazpacho soup in readiness for the holiday weekend.

I will begin with tomatoes, not common beefsteak tomatoes, but some juicy, ripe off the vine, heirloom tomatoes! May as well start out right and stew them up! Now comes the good part – I’ll add some of those herbs that the Indians used to keep their bodies in tune with nature and helped them maintain proper balance. Into the pot will go:

  • Basil for a little Love
  • Chives to make myself more Useful
  • Parsley for some Merriment on this 4th of July
  • Thyme – why not? I said I was going to become more independent minded and daring in my cooking!
  • Rosemary – to help me Remember the loved ones
  • Chervil – to add Serenity, and just because!
  • Garlic – I don’t think so! That won’t make me any friends!

Umm – Smells good! Can you smell it? Of course you can’t, silly me! Until some entrepreneurial soul decides to spice up the blogging world by adding smell a blog as a new feature, you won’t be able to! Rest assured, that entrepreneurial soul will not be me! I am too busy trying to make my life more fulfilling! How about you?

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Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe

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“Your life is the sum result of all the choices you make, both consciously and unconsciously.” ~ Robert F Bennett

I should never have done it! Yesterday, as I was leaving the library, I picked up the latest issue of Bookpage (www.bookpage.com). Man – what a tease! For me, what Bookpage is all about is choices, choices, choices and too many of them!! I’m trying to simplify my life, not complicate it!

After having leafed through the summer’s hot book list, I have come to realize my reading list is longer than ever before. What disturbs me most is some of the same books have continued to appear on my reading list time and time again. I must take action!

Can someone steer me? Hello – are you out there? Tell me where to start! Dan Chanon, I Await Your Reply! Here is my reading list:

  • The Guardians – Richard Williams
  • The Help – Kathryn Stockett
  • The Price of Stones – Twelgye Jackson Kagurt
  • Making Lemon Cake out of Lemons – Aimee Bender
  • It is Well With My Soul – Ella Mae Cheeks Johnson
  • Perfect Reader – Maggie Pouncey Pantheon

What do you think? Perhaps I ought to make my own decisions! But maybe I just need a little time. Laura Vanderkam might just give me 168 Hours. We’ll see —

Women like to give good advice! How about First Lady, Mrs. Laura Bush? I have found she has always Spoken from her Heart. I know I can rely on her to tell me what she thinks! I feel better already.

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Handing it Over

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“It’s not the things you get but the hearts you touch that will determine your success in life.” ~ Unknown

Many people wait until their days are limited to consider the question “Am I living a fulfilling life?” Last summer as I was about to loose a lifetime friend to cancer, I stumbled upon a poem that poignantly helped me to consider this very question.

“The Dash” by Linda Ellis (www.lindaslyrics.com) perfectly demonstrates how despite the brevity of a poem, its depth in meaning can rival a 500 page book. In less than 250 words, this poem helped me to consider the question “Am I living a fulfilling life?” Moreover, it brought clarity to me that my friend’s life had indeed been filled with what matters most and it was time for me to “let go and let God” take my friend as he saw fit.

At the risk of copyright infringement, I will not post the poem “The Dash.” This poem serves another purpose, too. It aptly demonstrates how poetry can involve the reader by communicating thought provoking ideas. Quality of content is more important than length, just like our lives. Although, everyone likes a good long story, too! One they can settle into and enjoy.

If you are struggling with whether there are things in your life you would like to change, “The Dash” says it all. check it out.

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Seniors on the Rise

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“Until he extends his circle of compassion to include all living things, man will not himself find peace.” ~ Albert Schweitzer 

Eldercare has become big business! Marketers have not contrived a need for eldercare services, there is a real need!  Our senior citizen population is growing at a fast pace! Adult children are looking to fulfill their parent’s senior care needs, in the best way they know how, by researching information and making good decisions about Alzheimer’s facilities, cancer care facilities, long term care facilities and other housing arrangements. Many are looking for advice on fitness for seniors, hospital concerns, privacy issues, in-home care options, integrative health issues and more. 

We are fortunate that in this country, experts are available to guide and advise senior citizens and their adult caregivers on a multitude of issues. On-line support is also available at sites such as:

http://www.parentgiving.com/expert-nswers/caregiving/housing-choices/. On the team of experts of this site is eldercare consultant Mike Campbell. Mike has written a new book called “When Mom and Dad Need Help.” Mike shares advice and information for seniors facing difficult decisions about housing choices and long term care options. Through his consulting business, Campbell Consulting, Inc. Mike has visited hundreds of senior care facilities across the country and has seen, first hand, what is positive and what needs improvement. For more information on this very valuable resource book, please visit http://www.iffenwen.com. 

Seniors deserve good, quality care. If you have an obligation or desire to help your parents when the time is right, make your job a little easier by knowing the facts.

 

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

Sweet, Satisfying Summer

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“Memory is a complicated thing, a relative to truth, but not its twin.”                                          ~ Barbara Kingsolver

When was the last time you witnessed someone rocking their day away in a hammock reading a book? I have  not seen anyone lollygagging this way since – well… since… I don’t know when! Too many people consider this too much of a luxury – there is too much to do, too many places to go, too many sites to see (on the internet, of course). The practice of taking out time for our selves has been overtaken by electronic communication device demands – cell phones ringing, emails to answer, texting, faxing and blogging! It has become a second, third or fourth job, for many! Humans have become their own worst enemies by creating ways to communicate 24/7. I have resisted in all ways that I can – but unfortunately, doing business today, requires keeping step with all the rest!

For today, I am going to take great pleasure in recounting summertime memories of my childhood. Come on along, and feel free to add to my list, of what you remember from your days as a child:

  • Hearing the Good Humor truck coming down the road
  • Dousing myself with Muguet des Bois cologne, made cool by refrigerating it before spraying my body.
  • Playing badminton or croquet with neighborhood children
  • Playing “Mother, May I?” or hopscotch on the paved walkway at my Grandparents house
  • Building tree forts with my sister and two brothers
  • Sleeping in the back of the station wagon as my parents watched “Gold Finger” at the Drive-In Movie Theatre (I only peeked once or twice).
  • Sipping delicious, homemade, root beer that our neighbor concocted annually
  • Playing Jacks and pickup sticks
  • Reading Nancy Drew mysteries and the Bobbsey Twin novels
  • Learning to do the swan dive and cannonball jumps into the pool.
  • Playing softball with the neighborhood families on the 4th of July.
  • Catching lightning bugs in jars
  • Snowballs (snow-cones) with Thunderbird or Tutti-Fruity flavored syrup
  • Taking a class at the YMCA on drawing with pastels (I was pitiful!)
  • Helping my mom deliver Meals on Wheels to inner city elderly people.

Ah, the good ole days! I hope children of this generation will be able to look back and have childhood memories of simple pleasures. Take time to share a memory of an activity that was fulfilling to you as a child, in the good old summer time. We would love to hear from you!

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