It’s A Book!!

October 4, 2016 By
Book Reading and Signing, september 30, 2016, New Dominion Bookshop.

Book Reading and Signing, September 30, 2016, New Dominion Bookshop. Photo by Mark Rough.

Scattering Ashes, has been launched!! I had a great crowd on Friday night and the question and answer period could have gone on forever, but having done a few poetry reading in the past, I know it’s good to stop and leave the audience wanting more. From the calls and notes I’m receiving from those who were there, my reading and book talk were very much enjoyed.

Writing my book and getting it published has been a humbling and educational process. But I need to take some time to let it settle before I can truly say what it means to me. I loved the whole experience for sure, but I want to think about what the easiest part was, the hardest part, and how it will affect me in the future.

So far I’ve noticed that my sense of self-esteem has hit the top of the charts. I did it. I really did it. Who’d a thunk this highly sensitive, shy, introvert would actually share the details of her life with others in a book and enjoy doing so? How do I separate myself as an individual who wrote a book from the book itself? Am I the book or am I still Joan, who happens to have written a memoir? Why does it matter?

There are so many questions rolling around in my noggin and I haven’t had time to get to the end of the list just yet. Needless to say, I will be writing about all of this in coming blogs.

In the meantime check out my newsletter which was published yesterday morning. I’m giving away two signed copies, of Scattering Ashes, to those who send a comment and reply to my newsletter. I’ll be choosing the winners at random. If you haven’t yet subscribed to my newsletter now is a good time to do so. You can sign up at the top of this page on the right.

Here’s to life’s journeys and the learning! My love and best to you all!

Filed Under: Memoir, My Newsletter, The Journey, Writing

What’s Happening With My Book

May 9, 2016 By

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For those of you who aren’t subscribed to my newsletter, I’m posting my May 1st newsletter here so that you’ll know exactly what’s happening with my book.  It’s an exciting and busy time with lots of travel, exploring and learning new things.

memes-bea-chicago4I’ll be making my way to Chicago this afternoon. I’ll be sitting in the She Writes Press booth #1150 at Book Expo America for a few hours on Wednesday and Friday, doing a bit of book pitching and meeting fellow SWP authors. I’ll also get to meet my editor Annie, who I loved working with.  I will also wend my way through the crowd at this huge trade show to learn more about the publishing industry. My first book, Australian Locker Hooking, published in 1980, was self-published long before Indie Writers were doing their own thing. The changes in the industry and book marketing are huge and I want to learn all about it.

 

My Newsletter, May 1, 2016:

Last week I noticed a big box sitting on my front porch, and asked myself, What did I order that I really don’t need? Running late for my Pilates lesson, I brought the box indoors and left it on the hall table. I didn’t notice the return address. A few hours later between fixing dinner and feeding the dogs, I remembered the package. I still couldn’t remember having ordered anything and as I slit the top of the box open I grew more curious as I pulled out wads of white packing paper. There before my eyes were the Advanced Reader Copies of SCATTERING ASHES, A Memoir of Letting Go. I had completely forgotten that they would be arriving any day — in time for me to take them to Book Expo America in just two weeks. Oh yes, I needed them.

Holding the book in my hands I couldn’t believe that I had come this far. During the last few months there were times I felt it was all a dream and all the work I had done on this project was just a figment of my imagination. But no, there it was. Bill grabbed a copy for himself. When I told him it was only a galley and still needed proof reading, he said, “That’s okay. I want one of each.” We celebrated with a glass of wine and toasted to the book’s success.

I also have other irons in the fire heating up. Last week I ordered postcards to hand out to participants at BEA, and to send to those on my mailing list. They just arrived and they look great with a photo of the cover and several descriptive blurbs. They were designed by a great designer, Alex Baker, out in Seattle.

Last week I heard about the 2016 Journal Conference to be held in Hendersonville, North Carolina, the week after I return from Chicago. I threw my usual need to stay home for a while after a trip aside and signed up to be there. I will have just four days between trips to get laundry and other catching up activities done before I head out to what I believe is going to be a great conference.

I have been journaling for the past 35 years and those writings were extremely helpful to me as I began putting my story on paper. Writing daily journal entries was a huge part of my healing process as I struggled with PTSD and life as my mother’s caretaker. I’m looking forward to meeting other writers and journal keepers and want to begin the process of putting together my own ideas on how to help women in my own community begin keeping journals and writing their own stories as a way of healing the bumps and bruises that life has to offer.

Also happening: My publicist just sent out press releases and ARCs to several publications in hopes of having them write reviews. After I return from my trips I’m hoping to get a few articles written for various publications. Things just keep on happening and at times my excitement gets out of hand!.

I never woulda thunk this would be happening for me!

You can go ahead and preorder SCATTERING ASHES on either Amazon or Barnes & Noble now.

Filed Under: Book Publishing, Journaling, My Newsletter, She Writes Press, Travels, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , ,

R&R And The Free Newsletter I’d Like To Share With You

September 15, 2015 By
What I see when I open my eyes in the morning,

What I see when I open my eyes in the morning,

I’m on vacation on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. I’m staying on Currituck Sound this time around. It’s quiet, peaceful, and absolutely gorgeous. Besides some Canada geese there was a Great Blue Heron fishing next to the dock early this morning. Evenings are filled with killer sunsets that change by the minute and seem to last for hours. The ocean is an easy six minute trek away, where I walk at least twice a day; the first as soon as I get up and put some clothes on and then a late afternoon walk as the shadows begin to shorten and the heat of the day is on its way out.

I have only four more days here. I wish I could stay another week.

But the main point of this blog post is that I’m joining the ranks of those who put out a newsletter as a way to expand my horizons and those of my readers. My blog is usually story driven with contemplations on how to live a rich and fulfilling life.

My newsletter will have different content and will be published monthly on the first day of each month, beginning on October 1st. It will cover many of the themes and issues I write about in my book, including compassion, gratitude, forgiveness, aging, PTSD, and caring for an aging parent.

Some Enchanted Evening

Some Enchanted Evening.

I will also write about how writing my memoir and making visual art have helped me to find my center after years of wandering across an emotionally viscous sea of confusion and what AA and ALANON both call, Stinking Thinking.

There will be links to helpful articles on all of the above topics as well as books and movies that I have found to be of particular interest.

Each newsletter will include an image from one of my visual journals, for your enjoyment, as well as a way to encourage you to start one of your own. Everyone is an artist. By keeping a journal of your own creations you’ll find that being an artist does not mean you have to show your work in a gallery or share it with the rest of the world.

I will provide an occasional excerpt from my memoir along with updates as it makes it’s way to bookshelves in 2016.

Please use the sign-up form at the top of this page on the right to let me know you’d like to receive this new offering. Please take note that I will never share your email address with anyone else.

I’m very excited about sharing my newsletter with you and send you wholehearted THANK YOUs for signing up in advance.IMG_1563

Filed Under: Being Creative, Memoir, My Newsletter, Navigating Through Life, The Outer Banks, Travels, Visual Journals Tagged With: , , , , , , ,