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“An Artful Read” from Algonquin

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“A work of art is above all an adventure of the mind.” ~ Eugene Ionesco

Did you see in the news yesterday that 75 year old mobster Robert Gentile of Connecticut was to appear in court on a prescription drug and arms case? Federal prosecutors say this man many have some important knowledge about the biggest art heist in history. Gentile’s lawyers say “he knows nothing about the art and has never stepped inside an art gallery before.” http://fxn.ws/XIr2MT.

Twenty-two years ago, the Isabella Stewart GardnerMuseum was robbed of a half billion dollars worth of art of the masters – paintings of Rembrandt, Manet, Vermeer and Degas. Despite the $5 million dollar reward that has been offered, there have been no leads in this theft until now.

This real life museum theft is the subject of a fictional book that is on my Christmas list. The Art Forgers, published by Algonquin Books, an imprint of Workmen Publishing.  B.A. Shapiro’s thriller is about deception, the authenticity of art and finding answers which may lie, according to the author within the brush strokes.Click for info & ordering

Shapiro’s book is #1 on my MUST READ list for the New Year. It is also a New York Times Best Seller and #1 IndieNext Pick list. Available in audio and e-book format, this author is experienced in bringing together a good story. She has written five other novels, four screenplays and a non-fiction book. For more information on B.A. Shapiro, please visit this link. http://bashapirobooks.com/bio .

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A Fashionable Read

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“The secret of fashion is to surprise and never to disappoint.” ~ Edward G Bulwer-Lytton

Do you have a want-to-be fashion designer in the family who you are  looking for something to give them other than clothing for Christmas? Tired of seeing your hard earned money thrown in the trash because the clothes you have given your budding fashion stylist, as gifts, do not fit their own unique look?

How about an independently published book about the fashion industry that encourages high fashion at low cost? In this economy, many feel that is the wise way to shop.

Consultant Marisa Lynch’s book, developed out of her blogging efforts called New Dress A Day: The Ultimate DIY Guide to Creating Fashion Dos from the Thrift Store Don’ts  is now available. Click for info and ordering

Lynch has gained further fame by appearing on Nate Berkus’ Show, RickiLake, Martha Stewart and has also been interviewed by Anderson Cooper. She as part of the E! Red Carpet team at the Oscars, transforming dresses from thrift stores into stunning gowns that met the approval of many of the top fashionistas and the paparazzi, too.

Support literary arts  through your Christmas shopping. There are unique books being published independently. You will be doing our local economies a great service by helping to build a creative economy industry.

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Imparting Knowledge to Younger Generations

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There is so much we can learn from generations who came before us, if we would only listen and read about what others have to say through their writing.

On Sunday afternoon, the photography of Andrew Zuckerman and his wisdom project was featured on Rocky Mountain Public Broadcast Service (RMPBS). Zuckerman’s portrait photography is really stunning. He captured 51 important celebrity personalities who are familiar to most of us through their careers in all different fields. Each person’s image was captured, through the lens of the camera, with a pure white background; completely eliminating any distraction to the eye when viewing the aging faces. Hence, each person’s unique facial characteristics really pop. The stark photographs allow the viewer to better see beyond the external.

Zukerman’s book, Wisdom: The Greatest Gift One Generation Can Give To Another  is accompanied by a DVD. An oral recounting tells each person’s truth about life as they know it. To read more about the people who are featured in this project, Click here for info and ordering

There is also a show produced by Maryland Public Broadcast Service called My Generation, hosted by Leeza Gibbons in association with AARP.  This weekly, Emmy nominated show also highlights individuals, aged 50 and older, who have much to share with younger people about living healthy, active lives. Lifetime experience and knowledge is the basis for great words of advice. http://bit.ly/SYWDae.

 The advice and knowledge imparted in the book/DVD and the TV programs all give insight into the art of living a fulfilling life. Check them out.

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

Fulfillment Etiquette at Thanksgiving

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“Self expression must pass into communication for its fulfillment.” ~ Pearl S Buck

Dear Ms. Nice Netiquette: 

 I am writing to you because I am faced with a dilemma that involves fulfillment. I am hoping that you and our internet readers will send me their opinions. Here is the situation: 

A large part of my East Coast family, which is a lot of people, are planning to meet myself, my husband and our son, in the southwestern part of the country for Thanksgiving. We are really looking forward to having  ‘turkey day’ in a unique region and showing the “East Coasters” something different. 

All say that getting together and having fun is what is important. That part is easy- thankfully, we are not like some families that you read about that leave gatherings arguing and at odds with each other.

The dilemma is this – What to have for Thanksgiving? We will be in a rental place with a kitchen so we could pull most anything off – if, I’ll reiterate “if” we really want to. Some are stuck on the idea of having the traditional Thanksgiving Day fare. Others say “who cares? Let’s go get tacos or something different.” Traditionalists retort, “What is Thanksgiving without all the trimmings?” Myself, I just want us to all be together. Our opportunities for reunions have gotten less frequent because some have moved from the East to various parts of the country  – that makes it difficult. 

Trying to satisfy so many different tastes is a predicament. Some of them would eat anything. Others are vegans, some are classified as just plain organic or health food conscious,  others don’t tolerate hot or spicy stuff. We have a gourmet chef  in the family but, we will be nice and give him the day off since he will be on vacation.

Please, Ms. Nice Netiquette, send me some signals – your advice, your opinion, a tip- off, a wink, a nod in the right direction…anything, so I will know what to do in this situation. I am the person in charge.

I am interested in knowing what you would do to make sure everyone has a fulfilling meal for Thanksgiving. I know the holiday is still two weeks away but please send me your thoughts. I want to begin my planning. 

Thank you, Miss Nice Netiquette for your help.

Signed, Grateful  for my family and our Thanksgiving get together.

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

Elect to Write this Month

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Holy Cow! The first week of November has already passed us by. Don’t we all know it, with all the political rhetoric we’ve been subjected to on TV, radio and online. I’ll pass on commenting about the outcome of the election and talk about something else. It feels like my bogging has been all over the map in subject matter this week. For those who have been dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy in their lives, I am sure you can relate to being spread out in all different places. I hope help arrives real soon for the East Coast people in the way of temporary housing, food, gasoline, heat.

Let’s switch gears, yet again in today’s blogwriting.

 Did you know November is also known for – Na No Wri Mo – National Novel Writing Month? Are you participating? Elect this month to join the challenge and start that book you have always wanted to write but haven’t yet begun. Perhaps being part of a national contest will be just what you need to propel you forward in your efforts. 

Want to learn more about Na No Wri Mo? Here is a link that will provide you with all the details.http://www.nanowrimo.org/. Don’t delay, the contest is only one month long, and we are already a week into it. 

Kids are encouraged to participate, too. Check with your local library. There may be a coordinated program in your area to involve children, making it even more rewarding. 

I’ll bet there will be some amazing horror stories and stories of great inspiration that will be written about Hurricane Sandy, as there were with Hurricane Katrina. Join in on Na No Wri MO –  relieve some stress,  share your stories or just have fun and enjoy the beauty of the writing process.

Write your heart out this month! It may do you some good.

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

Help for Individual and Societal Problem

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“If you have knowledge, let others light their candles with it.” – Margret Fuller

Last winter, on All Things Fulfilling, we put the spotlight on a multi-award winning book called Mission Possible: A Missionary Doctor’s Journey of Healing by Dr. Dawn V Obrecht.  

Doc Dawn’s second publication was recently published by Richer Press. It focuses on her field of specialty, addiction medicine. From the Edge of the Cliff: Understanding the Two Phases of Recovery and Becoming the Person You’re Meant to Be addresses the author’s personal account of “coming clean” and her own successful recovery of 28 years. “Doc ” Dawn willingly opens up her life to help others who face the pervasive problem of drugs and alcohol in today’s society. Addiction is not specific to any one community, socio-economic group, or any other specific segment of the population; addiction is an equal-opportunity disease. Most people are somehow touched by an addiction, if not personally then tangentially, perhaps at work or in a relative or neighbor.  People in places everywhere struggle or know someone who struggles with overuse and unhealthy reliance on drugs and alcohol.

Education about the two phases of recovery and the quality of life that comes with putting addiction behind is an enormous part of the information available in this publication. Learn how abstaining from the use of “legal drugs” prescribed by physicians can be the key to avoiding triggering relapses.

The author uses her expertise as a board certified Medical Addictionist, and her own experience, and approaches the subject in this book in a voice that is non-clinical in nature. It is effective in reaching those who struggle to admit there is a problem in their life. From the Edge of the Cliff is also a helpful resource for those who wish to reach out to a family member or friend who is struggling with any kind of addiction.

To read more about Doc Dawn’s publications,Click on this link

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

Reading Life’s Signals

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“Hear with your heart, see with your soul, be guided by a hand that you can not hold, and trust even if you can not see. That’s how faith must be.” ~ Unknown

Last week when I was interviewing Mara Purl, author of What the Heart Knows and  Where the Heart Lives we spoke about her recent keynote address for Go for the Red event, sponsored by the American Heart Association.

I asked her whether there was a connection between the message in her books and the subject of her keynote address. She said “she  took  the principles of Life Simple 7 http://bit.ly/RsCok9  that  are outlined in the American Heart Association’s brochures and literature. Then she made a correlation between a  literal interpretation of unclogging our lives by saying “we need to stop ignoring our intuition when it is telling us something.”  When our intuition tells us to change something, such as to stop smoking or get that cholesterol checked, Mara said “we need to listen.”

In Mara’s story “Where the Heart Lives,” the protagonist makes a geographical move, based on a “heart” decision. This decision has implications that changes her life and the focus of it. For more information on Mara Purl’s books, <a target=”_blank” href=”http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-keywords=mara%20purl&linkCode=ur2&rh=n%3A283155%2Ck%3Amara%20purl&tag=allthinfulf-20&url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&linkId=JAPOA45PHI7EE76U”>Click here</a><img src=”https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=allthinfulf-20&l=ur2&o=1&#8243; width=”1″ height=”1″ border=”0″ alt=”” style=”border:none !important; margin:0px !important;” />.

The events of Hurricane Sandy, reminds us of how life can turn on us at a moments notice, dealing  nasty,long lasting blows. Unfortunately, individuals sometimes forget to take the time to interpret signs and signals that tell us it is time to slow down and heed the warnings along the path of life.

What a gift life is!  It is up to us as individuals to honor the life we have been given by taking good care of ourselves through healthy diets, regular exercise and by avoiding addictive behaviors – such as overindulging in food, alcohol, and other risky behaviors. Maintaining healthy personal relationships helps us to be mentally and spiritually fit.

Intuition research has been a growing field among nurses and other medical professionals.  It has been said that listening to our hearts and intuition, can help us to create better lifestyles for ourselves. Sometimes we learn the hard way, through devastating life events. We are all  guilty of not listening to our hearts at various points in our lives, I suppose. Here is an article that addresses some of the most recent findings concerning intuition research. http://lifesciencefoundation.org/inmain.html

What kind of listener you are? Head or heart?  Do you listen to what your heart is telling you?

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

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Fonts Intensify the Experience, Spooky!

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Over the past months, discussions keep cropping up with people who are publishing their first e-books or are converting books-in-print to e-books.  This has led to the subject of fonts, and how some fonts just do not work well in  digital publishing. I am sure with time, a larger variety of typeface will become available for e-books. There is a lot more to come in the growth of the industry. That is both exciting and scary to many people. 

Have you ever noticed how a font can really make a difference in the ease of reading?

Times New Romans is said to be the best for “easy on the eye” because it is a “serif typeface.” It is the default font for programs such as Word. 

Here is a very insightful article about the purpose of fonts in writing. You will learn how to  fulfill and enhance your objectives for a piece of writing by inserting mood and atmosphere using  certain fonts. http://bit.ly/VO3BC6. 

Today I’d like to share some examples of what impact using different fonts has on words. You’ll think differently about the utility of typeface after you see what an effect it has on text. 

See what I mean? The spookiness of these words is intensified all because of the font that’s been used.

 

Happy belated Halloween, everybody, from my house to yours! Return tomorrow for more independent thoughts, words and views from www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

A Charming Idea, Mara Purl

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Today’s blog is part 2 of my interview with Mara Purl, author of the Milford-Haven series. The second book, Where the Heart Lives was the subject of yesterday’s blog. Please scroll down to read it.

Sue: Mara, I’d like to talk with you for a few minutes about books, in general, and what, if any, shift you have noticed among readers in recent years?

Mara: Readers know what they like to read, and with people being so busy these days, I think people are looking for more specific categories of books. Rather than just say, general fiction, they are looking types of fiction such as women’s fiction or family sagas or romance. My books are categorized in all three.

Authors are offering free sample chapters of e-books, prequels that are free, and 99 cent e-books which allows readers to venture into trying new genres and new authors they otherwise may have never discovered.  Short stories had been diminishing in the marketplace, and with the arrival of e-books, they are making a return. Serial story telling has also had a resurgence. 

Because of space constraints, in the past, booksellers have been hesitant to carry whole series of books; not wanting to take up too much space with just one author’s books. With e-books, there is not that concern of taking up too much shelf space. Thus, readers have the ability to read a whole series from beginning to end. Collecting and reading an entire series presents no constraints in storage in electronic (e-book) format.  

For fans of books that bring the reader through a chronology of generations, such as Louis L’Amour books, e-books can be very useful way to fulfill the readers desires to collect an entire series without having to find space to store them in their homes. 

Sue: I have noticed your wonderful newly redesigned website. There are all kinds of fun things for your readers on the site, including jewelry for fans of the Milford- Haven Books. Tell me what it has meant to you to follow the spirit of your character, Miranda Jones, and use your artistic expression to take your creativity in a new direction.

Mara:  Women love jewelry, and I have noticed that stories go along with jewelry that women wear. Women say, “oh, that necklace or bracelet was given to me by so and so, or it used to be my grandmothers, or I got that piece of jewelry when……” I thought that women may like to collect jewelry that will remind them of the Milford-Haven books they have read. As a talisman or reminder to listen to the heart. So, each book has a different shell “dingbat” (an ornament, character or spacer used in typesetting) and each will be available as a charm and can be collected for bracelets. The first book What the Heart Knows has a heart cockle shell “dingbat” in it, and then the 2nd book in the series Where the Heart Lives is a placuna shell, (called a windowpane oyster) which is a marine bivalve that is flat and translucent, in shape).  

Sue: Where can these charms and bracelets be purchased?  I will put a link to your newly designed website for our readers, and people can keep their eyes open for them as an upcoming product. Mara’s Blog site www.marapurlcom.  Link to Milford-Haven book charms on Pinterest  http://pinterest.com/marapurl/.

Mara: Yes, they are still in the development phase by a jeweler in Colorado Springs, but once available, they can be shipped anywhere in the world and if you go to my newly redesigned website, there is information.

Sue: Mara, I appreciate so much the opportunity to interview you again. I am so pleased at the success you are having with the Milford-Haven series. When will Bellekeep Books publish the third in the series When Hearts Keep Secrets be available? I look forward to reading the next book.

Mara: Look for When Hearts Keep Secrets in 2013. Probably in autumn of the year. Also, the e-book “When Whales Watch” the prequel to the second book  is available through Amazon.

For more information on all of Mara Purls’ publications,Click here

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

Preparing for Blog Tour Storm

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“Life…it consists mainly of the storm of thoughts that is forever flowing through one’s head.” ~ Mark Twain 

Good Morning! I am preparing for tomorrow’s blog – a special interview with best selling author Mara Purl. Many of you may remember our blogs about What the Heart Knows, book one of the Milford-Haven series . We are so excited that Mara’s promotions company contacted us a few weeks ago to request that All Things Fulfilling be part of her blog tour again for her 2nd book Where the Heart Lives. An astounding 17 million readers followed All Things Fulfilling and the other blogs that participated in the blog tour for book one. 

If you missed out, here are links to our previous blogs about Mara Purl as a published author of her Milford Haven series.

 Portrait of a Consummate Artist
https://allthingsfulfilling.wordpress.com/2011/08/17/portrait-of-a-consummate-artist/

Part I
Speaking the Language of Books
https://allthingsfulfilling.wordpress.com/2011/08/18/speaking-the-language-of-books/ 

Part II
Speaking the Language of Head and Heart
https://allthingsfulfilling.wordpress.com/2011/08/23/speaking-the-language-of-heart-and-art/
Extra Bonus
Getting Drawn In – Reading “ Hummer” on Kindle for PC
https://allthingsfulfilling.wordpress.com/2011/08/22/getting-drawn-in/ 

Mara’s book one What the Heart Knows  is an Amazon best-seller (ranked #5) and a finalist for the Book of the Year Award. Her prequel short story When Hummers Dream (also a best seller) was nominated for the Global e-book award. 

Please return tomorrow. Mara is guaranteed to have some interesting things to say about book two Where the Heart Lives. As a former soap opera actress who played the part of Darla Cook, R.N. on Days of Our Lives, Mara is well versed in telling and writing award-winning stories that reach hearts of her readers.

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