Category Archives: literacy

Book Award Results!

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“Charms strike the sight, but merit wins the soul.” ~Alexander Pope

“Sue,” my sister said, peaking out of our guest room door yesterday morning, “what are you doing up at this hour?”

I was sitting on the sofa with the computer on my lap. “It’s 4:30 in the morning. I thought we had agreed that you’d wake me at 5:30 to leave by 6:00 am to go to the Denver airport. Go back to bed!” my sister said, not too pleased that she had been awoken when she heard the teapot whistling.

“I couldn’t wait any longer to check my email,” I said to my sister. “I want to see the results of the EVVY Book awards.” My twin sister was visiting from Maryland and we were spending our first birthday in more than 30 years together. Since family rates first in my book, I decided to give my twin sister the gift of not shortchanging her vacation by trekking into Denver for the EVVY book awards over the weekend. My publisher Joe McDaniel of http://www.bookcrafters.net had promised to email me after the book awards were over with the results.

“Did you win anything?” my sister asked, peaking over my shoulder, rubbing her sleepy eyes as she looked at my computer.

“Yep!” I said, as I read directly from Joe McDaniel’s email. ” Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected was awarded 2nd prize in the Audio book category and Merit Award in the Anthology category.”  Of course, hugs followed.

“That’s so, so great, Sue, two prizes!” My sister said.

“I can’t believe it!” I replied, “I am so glad I decided to publish the story.” What started as recording  just a few childhood memories to send to my family somehow became a full-fledged anthology of published stories contending among 274 other entries in the 20th annual Colorado Independent Publishers Association EVVY book award contest!

Although I wrote the story, I’d like to say “Congratulations to my twin sister Jan, and the rest of my family too” because in part, it’s their life story too! My life and the tale would not be nearly as fulfilling without all of them in it.

And then, there’s the real star – Fanny. What a character. She left an indelible mark on my life and is leaving the same kind of impression on the readers’ hearts. The voice in this award-winning memoir holds the real treasure. But I am more confident than ever that if you prefer to read the paperback or e-book format, you’ll still enjoy the story!

This blog is brought to you by the award-winning author Sue Batton Leonard. Please return tomorrow. I will be posting some information about people who were very instrumental in helping me to publish a high quality publication, worthy of merit and two awards.  I wish to say thank you.

Eggs in the grass

Finally!  A birthday together after more than 30 years! (Jan on left, Sue on right).

quotes about life storiesThis blog brought to you by the award-winning author Sue Batton Leonard. For more information on the memoir “Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected,” please visit this link http://amzn.to/1tIG0PI

Towson, Now and Then

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“Friendship is…..one of those things that give value to survival.” ~ C.S. Lewis

Today I am going to take a trip down memory lane during the 1950s and 1960s  to my native stomping grounds of  Towson, Maryland (in Baltimore County) . It’s the  home of Goucher College http://www.goucher.edu/  and Towson State College (now known as Towson University)http://www.towson.edu . Johns Hopkins University http://www.jhu.edu/ and Loyola University http://www.loyola.edu/ are  just down the road in Baltimore City.

When I was a young girl, Towson Plaza, was our shopping mecca. Stores like Tuerks (Twerks, as Fanny the stellar character in my memoir called it), Reads Drugstore and The Plaza Florest were just a few of the stores located there. Of course, S.S. Kresges (aka  Kresgeree’s according to Fanny) was the “flagship store.” It anchored all the rest of the stores and really kept the shopping center active with business.

Towson Plaza

Just down the street, within walking distance was Towson Bootery, Stebbins Anderson, Finkelstein’s and Sunny Surplus – my Dad’s favorite store! The last time I went into Sunny’s was in the mid-to-late 1970s when I took my husband-to-be there. He nearly went crazy. I wonder if it’s gone out of business?

In the early nineteen-seventies, during the years I went off to college in Vermont, progress really began to take place.Commercial real estate development changed the entire look and feel of that area of town. Evidently, it’s gone through several renovations and revitalizations since then. Here’s a photo with just one of the crown jewel stores in the “Towson Plaza” area now.

towson plaza now

 

Although I visit family in Towson now and then, its been quite a while since I have been to the “Towson Plaza” area. I bet I’d have a hard time finding my way around. I’m hoping to return to the area this fall and do a book signing of “Gift of a Lifetime:Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected.”

I’ll keep you posted. It would be wonderful to see old school friends, aquaintances and people who have done business with five generations of the Batton building businesses throughout Baltimore County and beyond.   http://on.fb.me/1k1hWb5  and http://bit.ly/1u2nrdE.

 

 

 

Elevating Thoughts

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I’ve learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow. I’ve learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.” ~ Maya Angelou

Last week our country lost some treasures. Poet and writer Maya Angelou passed on. She magnificently showed us who she was by the words she wrote. heart_of_a_woman_the_maya_angelou   She has left us volumes of words to ponder. Her inspirational thoughts help us in working toward being better people.  And yes, as Angelou has told us then there will be a better tomorrow. Things are always improved when we sleep on elevating and enriching thoughts.

I am sad because I also lost one of my favorite aunts on the same day Maya Angelou passed away. My aunt lived with a great sense of humor. She had to, she was married to my Uncle King, the character I wrote about in my story. She, too, was a gift to me in my life.  Rest in Peace, Dot, your spirit will live and love on in the family you and King left behind.

Do return to All Things Fulfilling on Monday. Next week we will feature the lives of some young artists, whose lives have just begun, and they are impressing people already with their talents.

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

May 5th: Steamboat Springs, CO

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Love grows from stable relationships, shared experience, loyalty, devotion, trust. ~ Unknown

You are cordially invited to Sue Batton Leonard’s book signing for Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected  in Steamboat Springs, Colorado: Here are the details:

  • Date: Monday, May 5th, 2014
  • Time: 6pm
  • Place: United Methodist Church, 736 Oak Street, Steamboat Springs, CO 8048

This event is open to the public and refreshments will be served.

The author will talk about her newly published memoir and about her experience of independent publishing.Sue’s memoir

See you on Monday, either in Steamboat or right here on the site of All Things Fulfilling!

Book Club Selection

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“Plot is no more than footprints left in the snow after your characters have run by on their way to incredible destinations.” ― Ray Bradbury, Zen in the Art of Writing
Last summer I had the opportunity to join in with a Dorchester County Book Club as they discussed the book The Postmistress. I enjoyed being with this group of ladies immensely. Here is the blog that I wrote last summer about the experience. https://allthingsfulfilling.com/2013/06/26/book-clubs-buzz/

book clubI have been notified by this Maryland-based book club that my new publication “Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected” will be their group’s June selection and the subject of their discussion. How exciting is that! They’ve asked whether the author (yours, truly!) can be present.  Of course, I’ll do all I can to be there in person. But, if the logistics don’t work out, perhaps I can Skype in and have an “author chat,” like many libraries and bookstores arrange in this day and age.http://bit.ly/1gMOBNs.

This group of ladies, no doubt, will find the cultural and historical references  familiar. Many of them were living in the vicinity of Baltimore, Maryland and in the prime of their lives raising young children when the story takes place (1950’s- 1960’s). Their discussion of my memoir, is sure to be rich with opinions. And, I am sure, the book club members will have their own fulfilling memories to contribute to the discussion.

So, that’s the good news on this Easter Monday on All Things Fulfilling. We will see what transpires on that story. I will keep you posted.

Connecting to the Great Outdoors

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“Teaching children about the natural world should be seen as one of the most important events in their lives.”  ~Thomas Berry, The Dream of the Earth

If you are a baby boomer, no doubt you learned to read from the Dick and Jane series. For forty years (1930s – 1970s) these books were used by elementary school teachers around the world to teach children the art of reading.

dick and jane jumping ropeDid you ever notice how the Dick and Jane series had so many pictures of children engaged in outdoors activities? The books typically featured images of kids walking the dog, playing hopscotch on the sidewalk, planting flowers, pulling wagons, playing ball, lying in a hammock under the shade tree day-dreaming, and flying kites outdoors.

Miss Zerna Sharp, known as the “Mother of Dick and Jane” http://bit.ly/1pwGk0u had great insight in the creation of the series because she felt that students would enjoy learning to read and find it much easier if they identified with the children shown in the illustrations. If she were alive today to redo the series to make the stories more relatable for this generation of children, she’d probably be horrified to realize what would the illustrations would look like. Rather than publishing pictures of fit children playing outdoors, I suppose we’d see images of  children engaged in all things digital and figure drawings of children with physiques that look very different than those of the children from the 1930s – 1970s. dick and jane use the force

We are living in a very visual age. With the power of digital marketing perhaps we need to stir children’s interests and entice them into wanting to experience the great adventure of life called the “great outdoors.” Personally, I think our whole society would benefit by becoming more aware of our connection to mother nature and all that she has to offer.  And it may even save us some trips to the doctor!

Those are my independent thoughts, words and views for today. See you tomorrow on http://www.AllThingsFulfilling.com. Have a great day, and remember to get outdoors for some fresh air! It’s good for fulfilling the mind, body and spirit.

Fulfilling Reading for 2014

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Over the past four or five days, I have mentioned some hefty goals for myself in the New Year. According to the article I posted a week or so ago about how our morning routine helps us to accomplish our goals, please note there is a much better success rate of achieving our aspirations if we write down our plans. The commitment to making them happen is much greater.

So, I’m going to state right now I want to read more non-fiction in 2014. I prefer non-fiction over fiction, and get sidetracked by fictional stories too often. It’s too easy to be drawn into stories of other people and go on journeys with people I don’t even know. There’s an article in the Huffington Post called Why We Care about Fictional Characters,http://huff.to/JBZ5Bl by Blakey Vermeule, who writes that “people need to know what other people are like.” That explains why I get pulled into others tales.

Here is my short list of non-fiction I want to read in 2014:

  • Give and Take
  • David & Goliath
  • Contagious
  • The Examined Life
  • Lean In: Women, Work & the Will to Lead
  • Master Mind
  • Decisive
  • Faith Powered Profession

live fulfilledPersonal insights into what makes a person “tick” can be gained through reading non-fiction: memoirs and autobiographies. One of my goals as I have gone through the writing process of recording my own personal story, has been to give the reader some insight into why I find living ones life with purpose, faith and personal fulfillment is so very important. It matters.

Hmmm….each one of these books on my list looks terrific. Where do I start?

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com. A company specializing in e-commerce & e-marketing for independent publishers.

Books for Expanding the Brain

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A great life is born in the soul, grown in the mind, and lived from the heart. ~ unknown

Looking for a book that makes you contemplate all kinds of things? Books that incorporate a multi-disciplinary approach expands our ways of thinking of the world, and the meaning of life. Publications that stir our emotions, our intellect, as well as broadening our rational thinking skills are good for us.

Brainpickings.org has listed thirteen best books in 2013 which enrich the readers mental capacities. Here is the list. To read descriptions of these publications, please visit this website http://bit.ly/1lpSGWb.

  • On Looking: Eleven Walks With Expert Eyes
  • Advice to Little Girls by Mark Twain
  • Self Portrait as your Traitor
  • Lost Cat: A True Story of Love, Desperation & GPS Technology
  • Codex Seraphinianus
  • My Brothers Book
  • Don’t Go Back to School: A Handbook for Learning Anything
  • Susan Sontag: The Complete Rolling Stone Interview
  • Letters of Note
  • Intuition Pumps and Other Tools for Thinking
  • Eighty Day: History Making Race Around the World
  • Time Warped: Unlocking the Mysteries of Time Perception
  • This Explains Everything: Deep, Beautiful & Elegant Theories of How the World Works

I will forewarn you – you may find all kinds of subjects that you hadn’t thought much about before until these books set your mind in motion.

If you are a person who has put “personal, emotional or intellectual growth” on your New Years resolution list in 2014, pick your brain with the concepts that are held within the covers of these fascinating books. Begin fulfilling your New Years resolution by enhancing an area of your life that needs developing. No procrastination allowed!

my goals

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com. See you tomorrow on All Things Fulfilling!

Literary Benevolence

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More than cleverness, we need kindness and gentleness.~ Charlie Chaplin (1889-1977) Comedic Actor, Filmmaker, Writer

Happy Thoughtful Thursday. Today I am thinking about seasonal opportunities for sharing literacy. If you are a library patron or a book lover, these ideas might appeal to you – acts that you can do for others that will mean a lot.

  • Write a literary letter from a beloved literary character about the true meaning of Christmas.
  • Leave post-it notes in random places with uplifting quotes from inspirational writers.
  • Pay off someone’s late fees at the library
  • Drop-off free, pass along books on buses, at a table in a restaurant, on a park bench, in a senior citizen center.
  • Pick-up an extra newspaper at the newsstand and give it to the person behind you in line.
  • Arrange a book swap in a public place and invite anyone walking by to join in, even if they come empty handed. Make sure you have a good supply of  pass-alongs.
  • Put a pass-along book in someone’s mailbox, gift wrapped. What a nice surprise!
  • Create a gift for a loved one – a Shutterfly book of memories. www.shutterfly.com
  • Check out an extra book from the library and take it to a shut-in.
  • Set up a Book Angels program in your community to give new or gently used children books at Christmas time.

book angels

Photo: Book Angels from www.deviantart.com

These random acts of literary kindness can be given at anytime of the year but will especially be appreciated during the holidays.

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com. See you tomorrow on All Things Fulfilling.

Book for Reluctant Teen Readers

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The secret of education is respecting the pupil. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Experienced writer Linda Collison knows something about relating to the hearts and minds of young adults when creating a good story. She made her first big break as an author in 2006 when her first novel Star-Crossed, published by Alfred A Knopf was chosen by the New York Public Library as one of the best Books for Teen readers in 2007. Her coming of age story With a Little Luck won the Grand Prize at the Maui Writers Conference in 1996.

Collison’s latest novel, Looking for Read Feather, was published by Fiction House, Ltd. Although written for teenagers, the book is for anyone who has a youthful spirit and can remember what it is like to feel invincible and determined to seek one’s own path toward personal fulfillment.

 looking for redfeatherLooking for Red Feather is about the three teenagers who take to the road for different reasons. Yet the truths they discover in their travels will make you want to pack your bags and take to the highway across country with your friends on a whim. The author’s dialogue is so authentic to the feelings that come with the age she writes about. Collison also accurately relates throughout the story the difference in culture between East and West attitudes because she’s lived in both parts of the United States. Like myself, Collison is a Baltimore native. However, she migrated west when she was 24 years of age.Click for info & ordering

This book is highly recommended for adolescents who are at the age where they are becoming reluctant readers. I’m confident that Collison’s well-crafted tale will grab your teens attention and hold them until the end of the story.

Do return to All Things Fulfilling tomorrow, I will give you a little more insight into my memoir.Click for info & ordering This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.