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Sources of Light
COMING SOON!
Due out April 12, 2010 from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
It's 1962, a year after the death of Sam's father--he was a war hero--and Sam and her mother must move, along with their very liberal views, to Jackson, Mississippi, her father's conservative hometown. Needless to say, they don't quite fit in.
People like the McLemores fear that Sam, her mother, and her mother's artist friend, Perry, are in the South to "agitate" and to shake up the dividing lines between black and white and blur it all to grey. As racial injustices ensue--sit-ins and run-ins with secret white supremacists--Sam learns to focus with her camera lens to bring forth the social injustice out of the darkness and into the light.
To read an interview with Margaret McMullan about her newest books,
Margaret McMullan is the author of five novels including In My Mother's House,
Cashay, and When I Crossed No-Bob, a 2008 Parents' Choice Silver Honor, a 2007 School Library Journal Best Book, a 2008 finalist for the Willie Morris Prize for Southern Fiction, and a 2008 Horace Mann Upstander Honor book. Both When I Crossed No-Bob and How I Found the Strong won the Mississippi Arts and Letters Award for Best Fiction (in 2004 and 2008) and the Indiana Best Young Adult Book (in 2005 and 2008). How I Found the Strong also won the 2006 Award for Fiction from the Mississippi Library Association, was named an ALA 2005 Notable Social Studies Book, and a Booklist's Top Ten First Novel for Youth. Her essays and short stories have appeared in Glamour, the Chicago Tribune, Southern Accents, the Indianapolis Star, TriQuarterly, Michigan Quarterly Review, The Greensboro Review, The Southern California Anthology, Mississippi Magazine, Other Voices, Boulevard, Ploughshares, The Pinch, and The Sun among several other journals and anthologies. She received a Special Mention in the 2005 Pushcart Prize collection and twice she received the Individual Artist Fellowship from the Indiana Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts. She was the 2007 Eudora Welty Visiting Writer at Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi, and she received her M.F.A. in fiction from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. She is currently a board member of the New Harmony Project and a professor of English at the University of Evansville, in Evansville, Indiana, where she's working on a collection of stories and a new young adult novel for Houghton Mifflin due out in 2010. She lives with her husband, Patrick O'Connor and their son, James.
Letting My Pen Bleed is a collection of evocative writings that capture feelings of fear, pain, anticipation and love.
The life of Beverly Jones Davis, an African American, single mother of two and published poet, resembles a roller coaster in slow motion, inching slowly up, only to roll back down. At times in her 27 years, Davis has risen above her circumstances. Despite being diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, she continues to be upbeat, controlling the condition and not allowing it to control her life.
Davis has dreams, of publishing her poetry, starting a clothing design company, sending her children to college.
Check upcoming issues and our monthly Authors & Artists Magazine for scheduled readings and signings. Purchase book today at Amazon.com.
America ... A Nation That's Lost Its Way By Joe Kulbacki
Joseph V. Kulbacki, author, vinter, entrepreneur, and former pro football player, writes an amazing page turner.
In America...A Nation That's Lost Its Way, Kulbacki reveals the pattern of all civilizations - that they rise, flourish, and then perish. The pages of this book review the history of America and how our government, culture and society parallel the phases of past civilizations.Revisiting and commenting on the momentous changes occurring in American society today, this daring work focuses on a changing culture which is taking America in new and dangerous directions.Kulbacki reaches into more than 200 years of American history to rediscover the bedrock heritage, values and principles that are the foundation of our nation's prosperity and world power.PURCHASE BOOK
Suggested Retail: $8.99 ISBN: 978-0-7369-2050-6 Case Lot Quantity: 80
Suggested Retail: $8.99 ISBN: 978-0-7369-2050-6 Case Lot Quantity: 80
Release Date: January 01, 2009 Size: 5 x 7 Binding: Trade
Deborah Smith Pegues, author of the top–selling 30 Days to Taming Your Tongue (more than 360,000 copies sold) and 30 Days to Taming Your Stress, offers 60–second etiquette solutions for awkward pauses, social situations, and everyday encounters. While other books focus on doing things right, Deborah shares how to do the right thing as she presents simple ways for readers to
make proper and inviting introductions
give gifts for any occasion graciously
scribe personable emails, letters, and thank–you notes
understand and be mindful of intercultural do’s and don’ts
host events, dinners, and overnight guests with ease and generosity
For everything from networking to dating to tipping, this quick and thorough guide is conveniently sized so readers can turn their thoughts to the needs of others and practice courtesy and consideration anytime. AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE SOON. . .
Amid the confusion, anger, and anxiety surrounding the U.S. economic crisis, this book offers proven strategies and wise counsel for financial survival. Deborah answers the most frequently asked questions and addresses common financial dilemmas. This book also offers practical advice on how to cope emotionally, physically, and relationally during times of uncertainty. She arms you with the information you need to make wise decisions, prioritize and control spending, get out of debt, cultivate contentment, maintain quality of life amidst the economic turmoil, and much more. Soul-searching questions and biblical principles combine to fill each chapter with hope. AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE SOON. . .
Deborah Smith Peguesis an experienced certified public accountant, a Bible teacher, a speaker, and a certified behavioral consultant specializing in understanding personality temperaments. As well as the bestselling 30 Days to Taming Your Tongue (more than 300,000 sold), she has authored 30 Days to Taming Your Finances and 30 Days to Taming Your Stress. She and her husband, Darnell, have been married for nearly 30 years and make their home in California.
What a GREAT informative book! The information was both a reality check - the realities of publishing and reassuring – the steps to getting you there. The information is presented clearly, in layman terms with updated information on changes in the publishing industry, as well as a CD-ROM with sample pitch letters, proposal templates and a comprehensive list of literary agents and likes to fantastic author websites and more.
Each chapter is set up with the needed information, little asides – Hot Off The Press – tales about the publishing world, Definition – publishing terms clearly explained, Slush Pile – warnings of what to avoid, and Experts Say – Additional industry colleagues share their expertise, and end with The Least You Need To Know at the end of each chapter.
I consider this an excellent source for writers that are willing to DO THE WORK to become authors or professional writers.
About the Authors
Sheree Bykofsky, founder and owner of the Sheree Bykofsky Literary Agency, has written over a dozen nonfiction books and represented hundreds of successful titles. She teaches university courses on publishing and speaks at writer’s conferences. Visit Sheree CLICK HERE.
Jennifer Basye Sander has been an author and a book packager for nearly 20 years. She founded the Big City Books Group, a packager with over 40 successful books in print. She is also the author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Self-Publishing. Visit Jennifer CLICK HERE
Excerpt
Chapter 8: Bulletproof Nonfiction Book Proposals
Video Clips
Videos - whether on videotape or on CD/DVD - of you being interviewed on a major television program are great to include with your proposal. Short clips are best, though. Don’t go overboard, as agents and editors will rarely watch an hour-long video. A professionally edited and labeled video clip is best. Worst is sending the wrong video, like the one of your children in the bathtub. Be sure to label your video clearly with your name and address in case it gets separated from your proposal.
Has all the proposal talk left you feeling overwhelmed? In Chapter 11, we fill you in on some folks who can help: proposal doctors and book doctors.
Gina Johnson Smith - Author
Authors & Artists
Marketing & Promotions
Marketing authors and artists through print, television, radio and online promotions, scheduling and coordinating bookings, as well as other services. "My job is to help you and your product become known to a larger audience". Rates as low as $75 monthly.
Gina Johnson Smith is the founder of Smith Publishing & Media Group,the author of several books, numerous articles, and an Author & Artist Marketer. To retain her services, contact her at (888) 841-7779 or email her at smithpublish@yahoo.com.
God never intended for His creation to misuse, abuse or pervert their bodies sexually. Christ wants to be fully formed within you. And it is only through your body that He can reveal His power and glory.
"Can’t Touch This" is a blatantly candid, revealing and awe-inspiring testimony of a young woman’s struggle between obtaining sexual gratification and God’s will and purpose for her life. Buckle your seat belts because you’re going on a real ride to freedom, victory and liberty in Christ Jesus. It will shock you, inspire you, and provoke you to do things “God’s Way.” To purchase this book or to book Dominque for your group, visit Can't Touch This (click here).
Quest for Recognition of a Father’s Invention
Herman L. Grimes, Jr.
ISBN #978-0-9815783-1-6 U.S. $13.00
“Quest for Recognition of a Father’s Invention” is about an unsung African-American hero. It is a son’s journey to uphold his father’s legacy. Hermon L. Grimes, Sr., is one of the nation’s best-kept secrets. Mr. Grimes developed the official patent for FOLDING WING AIRCRAFT. U.S. Patent Office Number 2,137,486. The new folding wing aircraft was used extensively in the Pacific theater during World War II. Upon the attack of Pearl Harbor, it was made clear that the Japanese Navy had gained air superiority over the U.S. Navy. This handicap was quickly overcome by the implementation of folding wing aircraft on naval carriers. Hermon L. Grimes helped to revolutionized aviation.
Herman L. Grimes, Sr. received a Purple Heart, yet he died with a broken heart without receiving recognition or compensation for his invention. This is a must-read book for all who seek to right the wrongs of history. Available through Milligan Books (click here).
Here's our monthly newsletter from Goodreads—giving you the latest and greatest in our quest to connect people through reading!
Your love affair with a book doesn't have to end on the last page. Join a Goodreads book club to find fellow readers. Here is a sampling of some of our 10,000 book groups. Find an online group or search for local groups in your area!
TIME magazine book critic Lev Grossman's latest book, The Magicians, is the story of a callow, young magician—not to be confused with Harry Potter. Although the book has been billed as a pastiche of classics from the fantasy genre, including a twisted homage to The Chronicles of Narnia, Grossman injects unexpected realism into the world of magic—think Holden Caulfield at Hogwarts. It's a far cry from the style of his previous endeavors, Warp and Codex, but all three novels share a common theme of 20-something confusion. The Harvard grad talked with Goodreads about the malaise of young overachievers and why women in glasses will always be sexy.
Goodreads: Fantasy literature is full of young characters who discover magical worlds. Why is this classic equation continually compelling to readers?
Lev Grossman: I think everybody feels a bit out of place in life—like they've been slightly miscast or incorrectly routed. We're wired to expect the world to be brighter and more meaningful and more obviously interesting than it actually is. And when we realize that it isn't, we start looking around for the real world.
I read a lot of fantasy when I was young, but I especially loved books where kids found a way to break through into a new world, where magic was real. Like Narnia, or The Wizard of Oz, or (a particular favorite) The Phantom Tollbooth. Of course, in all these books the big lesson is that at the end of the book you have to go home again, and not complain about it. As you'll see if you read The Magicians, I have a problem with that.
She may come from small-town Louisiana, but Rebecca Wells has a vagabond spirit. She has studied with Tibetan monks in Colorado, played jazz piano in Paris, and toured the United States performing in her one-woman show. In 1996, Wells struck publishing gold with her second novel, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, which stayed on The New York Times bestseller list for more than a year and spawned Ya-Ya clubs worldwide. Her new book, The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder, returns to her Louisiana roots with plenty of female sisterhood, but this time without the Ya-Yas. Wells shares how she has continued to write despite her debilitating struggle with advanced Lyme disease, and why nothing is more delicious than slow-cooked gumbo.
Goodreads: In your new book, the heroine, Calla Lily, experiences a significant first love. Why is first love so powerful?
Rebecca Wells: Oh, yes, we never escape first loves. No matter how much we love our husbands, how many of us don't sometimes fantasize about that first, fresh, errant love? Where you had that first hot French kiss. We all have that part of us that longs for it and that wishes that we could get it again.
Calla Lily has that first hot love, and it stays with her as she moves through her life into other forms of love. But she doesn't fixate on it, because if we get stuck in our first love (unless we marry him and stay with him)...wow. We are in trouble.
The award-winning novel of faith, country, and revolution that bestselling author James Rollins hails as "thrilling and vibrant...a must-read for all."
Looking for something outside the English-language canon? Great stories know no borders. Each month Goodreads brings you a new recommendation from a different country!
Stockholm, Sweden:
59° 21' N
18° 4' E
The Unit
by Ninni Holmqvist, translated by Marlaine Delargy
"Who is dispensable?" That's the chilling 1984-esque question that Holmqvist poses in her near-future novel. Childless women aged 50 (and men aged 60) must leave their homes and enter "the unit," where they will live out their days participating in government experiments and donating their organs to younger, more "productive" members of society. When Dorrit arrives at the unit, she is ready to accept her fate, but when she unexpectedly finds companionship in another "dispensable," she discovers a reason to live. Indie bookstore Orinda Books says, "A taut, creepy, yet thought-provoking page-turner, The Unit is a meditation on the consequences of complacency, the value of human life, and what we're prepared to give up for security and comfort." View book »
Summer is almost over, but there are plenty of new books to explore before fall ramps up. This month Philippa Gregory explores the War of the Roses in The White Queen, Pulitzer winner Richard Russo returns to New England with That Old Cape Magic, and James Patterson has churned out yet another gripping thriller, Alex Cross's Trial. Here are some other noteworthy titles that have been racing up our most popular charts this month.
Inherent Vice by Thomas Pynchon Legendary recluse Pynchon goes noir. The marijuana-clouded '60s are ending and the '70s are finding their groove when private eye Doc Sportello gets tangled in his former flame Shasta's plot to kidnap a billionaire. Tod says, "It's not a novel of dark tunnels and those random shards of illumination that Pynchon fans live for. Paranoia though, as ever, is in full bloody force. Probably Pynchon's funniest book, and easily his most readable."
Zeitoun by Dave Eggers Eggers spotlights the true story of one New Orleans resident, Abdulrahman Zeitoun, a Syrian American father of four. While his family evacuated in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Zeitoun stayed behind to help, but instead he was arrested for looting his own property. (Book proceeds go to the Zeitoun Foundation for rebuilding New Orleans.) Robert says, "Heroic and harrowing. Inspiring and insane. Spiritual and scandalous. I was sure I didn't need to read anything more about Katrina. I was wrong."
This Is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper Judd Foxman is having a bad week. His wife is cheating on him with his boss, so he ends his marriage and quits his job, and then his father dies. Sitting shiva with his reluctant siblings, Foxman confronts the end of life as he knows it. Carol calls Tropper "the most underrated humorist alive today. Maybe that's because he writes real, emotional, character-driven novels that also happen to be screamingly funny."
The Crying Tree, by Naseem Rakha (Goodreads author) NPR journalist Rakha examines the grief and anger surrounding the issue of capital punishment in her debut novel. After her teenage son is murdered, Irene secretly corresponds with his killer in a herculean effort to find forgiveness. After 19 years on death row, his execution date is set. Eileen says, "Rakha generates suspense from the first sentence. This is a brilliantly plotted, exquistely written book."
Strength in What Remains by Tracy Kidder Pulitzer winner Kidder details the awe-inspiring story of Deo, a young med student who survives civil war and genocide in Burundi, homelessness and poverty in New York City, and becomes an M.D. from Columbia dedicated to providing health care in Burundi. Nancy says, "It's about the strength and resiliency of the human spirit. Kidder's portrait of this remarkable man reveals both his flaws and his fortitude."
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater (Goodreads author) In this young-adult fantasy, Grace is attacked by ravenous wolves, but one wolf with yellow eyes inexplicably saves her life. Years later she meets a boy with the same haunting, amber gaze. TheStorySiren calls it "unique and alluring" and says, "This may be a story about werewolves, but it's mostly about love...and the boundaries we're willing to overcome to keep it." (Enter to win a copy!)
The Never-Ending Book Quiz
Think you have a mind like a steel trap? Play the The Never-Ending Book Quiz and see how you stack up against your friends!
Featured Trivia Question
What is the name of Merlyn's owl in The Once and Future King?
Since Henry David Thoreau wrote from the shore of Walden Pond, "Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity!", philosophers and romantics have dreamed of opting out of our increasingly frenzied modern life. City dweller Brad Kessler, author of Birds in Fall, recently left Manhattan in search of tranquility in the wilds of Vermont. His new book, Goat Song, chronicles his pastoral transformation as he learns how to keep goats and make cheese. Kessler shared his favorite books about listening to the rhythm of nature.
Walden by Henry David Thoreau "Thoreau conflates literary culture with agriculture. There's gold on every page. Forge through the first chapter on Economy, and the story begins again as an adventure story—a man building a cabin in the woods."
Growth of the Soil
by Knut Hamsun "Another man building a home in the woods, this time in the wilderness of the Norwegian north. An epic simply told in almost Biblical style. Wonderful chapters on work and peasant life."
Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard "Dillard broke form with this 1974 classic. Pilgrim is a book of wonder. Dillard enters the woods around Roanoke, Virginia, wide-eyed, agape, with all her senses on. Thoreau wrote: 'I have never met a man who was quite awake. How could I have looked him in the face?' Dillard is that man, and she happens to be a woman."
The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Matsuo Basho "A book about walking and weather, mountains and rivers and skies. Basho's 17th-century travelogue is written in a form called Haibun, prose inlaid with haikus. Basho shows that a haiku can express as much—more—than a page of prose. It's not the amount of words you throw at a given thing—but the words one chooses."
Pig Earth by John Berger "The first book in Berger's beautiful trilogy, Into Their Labors (Pig Earth, Once in Europa, Lilac and Flag). All three are worth reading. They tell of a small village in the French Alps and what becomes of its people over the course of the 20th century. A book about work, the earth, human migration, love, death, and storytelling."
First Reads—win prerelease books from Goodreads!
Be the first to read new books! Goodreads has tons of prerelease books and reading-themed goodies available for our members. All you have to do is sign up and cross your fingers! View all prerelease books on First Reads »
Want your words to reach 2 million people? Goodreads and the ¡ POETRY ! group have partnered to host an ongoing poetry contest. Each month the winning poem will appear in our newsletter. Join the ¡ POETRY ! group to vote each month to pick a winner from among the finalists. You can also submit a poem for consideration. Here is our August winner!
Give them ample time to process your requests and return your phone calls.
Tell them things that come across your desk or emails that would help them get the word out for you. They can’t be everywhere all the time.
Tell them if you get a good response from an interview.
Tell them your “wish” list of media interviews and hosts you’d like to talk to and WHY.
Give them as much background on you as possible: schools, awards, speaking engagements, places of employment (any place where there have been gatherings of people that know you or about you).
Help other author friends. You reap what you sow. Look out for others.
Keep a database. Everywhere you go and speak – start a mailing list.
Send personal thank you notes to the media. Keep in touch with them – but don’t be annoying.
Give them ideas. Discuss new publicity angles. Marketers work with a variety of clients and they appreciate clients that are engaged in their marketing process and can see natural opportunities that they might miss.
Give them good materials to work with: a great book cover, a good head shot, a great book title and great endorsements. Have a good business card too (with photo if possible).
Be nice to the media and get rid of the “entitlement” attitude.
Remember to say your book title and website several times during the interview.
Follow the advice, suggestions and recommendations of your marketing team.
Let your Marketer know your expectations right from the beginning.
Be consistent!
Make a positive confession about your marketing campaign and ask for prayer from your “inner circle”. They’re your “cheerleader” and intercessor.
Research & know your market and ask them what “buzz” they have heard about your book and what you could do to improve.
Critique your interviews and constantly improve your “sound bites.”
Don’ts
Ignore interview requests.
Don’t take credit for your “media” success – know that it’s God that orchestrates everything and a team that helps you LOOK good.
Don’t lie or over exaggerate the truth to the media. They check you out anyway.
Assume that the media will give you copies of the story or the interview. Ask before the interview begins, or better yet, tape them yourself and/or subscribe to their periodical/newspaper via the website.
Be a lone ranger. Connect with other writers/authors/speakers. Go to other author’s book signings. You reap what you sow.
Smith Publishing & Media Group's Author & Business Marketing services will help you implement your marketing plan and garnering media coverage. From drafting and distributing press releases to limited following-up with media contacts. With our services, we can help you successfully launch a regional, national or local marketing campaign for your Book, Project or Business at economical rates. For more information, click here - Pay4Ads.
Letting My Pen Bleed
Cheryl Iszard, Inspirations From the Heart
