Below are some of the best things that have happened since Ellis River launched. It's been an amazing journey so far and continues! Now that I have this new website (thank you Pub-Site!), I plan to stop by this Musings tab now and then and let you in on what's happening and what I'm thinking. You know...Musings.
Successful Book Signing 12-1-24
What a joyful experience to watch folks, young and old, delighting in buying books at Barnes & Noble yesterday! I love finding homes for my books, chatting with book lovers, and sharing in the delight of reading. I met a couple from my old Pacific Northwest stomping grounds; I met a delightful young woman who is a published poet; I met a woman who reads most of her books by audio but loves collecting signed books. Selling books is wonderful, and engaging with fellow readers (and authors) puts the icing on the cake. A big thank you to Barnes & Noble in Gilroy CA, and to all the bookstores who reach out to independent publishers and authors for such events. It's December...the holidays are nigh...books make great gifts!
MPC Guest Author Series 10-10-24
Happy Autumn everyone!
I am so looking forward to the upcoming talk at Monterey Peninsula College on Thursday, October 10th, at 6:00 p,m. I love talking about all things writing and publishing and this will be a momentous event for me. In the autumn of 2019, I workshopped chapters of Ellis River in MPC's Novel Writing class. Those students' reactions and feedback, under the adept guidance of Henry Marchand, encouraged me to move forward to publication. As I continued to take classes through MPC's Creative Writing Program, I was able to workshop pages of Zephyr Trails, as well. I owe much of these books' success to Professor Marchand, his students, and the MPC Creative Writing Program. It is with deep gratitude that I will be standing at the Guest Author Series podium.
The reading, talk, Q&A, and booksigning will take place on campus in the Karas Room next to the library. It's free and open to the public. A $10 donation helps keep the program going and enters you in a drawing to win free books. Hope to see you there!
The Weekly article 9-1-24
Thank you Agata Popeda (writer) and Daniel Dreifuss (photographer) for this article in today's paper, and for spreading the word about my upcoming appearance at Riverhouse Books on Sunday, August 4th at 1:00 pm. So grateful to everyone at the Monterey County Weekly!
Short story "Curly" published!
I'm thrilled to have had my short story "Curly" published by the California Writers Club—Best of the Best: 2024 Literary Review. The California Writers Club is one of the oldest and largest writers' clubs in America, with a proud heritage going back to 1909. The club has over 1900 members in 22 branches spread across the state. Early honorary members included Jack London, George Sterling, John Muir, and the first California poet laureate, Ina Coolbrith. "Curly" is about a dog, a woman living on a boat in a small Pacific Northwest town, and how a moment can be an adventure. Best of the Best is available on Amazon, $15.
Honored to be in issue 12 of Scheherazade!
Monterey Peninsula College's literary magazine is published annually by the MPC Creative Writing Program. The newest issue includes the prelude from Zephyr Trails and an author Q&A regarding my experience with author-publishing my first book, Ellis River. Thank you, Henry Marchand, readers and contributors for another stellar issue!
Mark your calendars!
Please join me at Riverhouse Books in the Carmel Crossroads on August 4th, at 1pm, for the official launching of Zephyr Trails!
Zephyr Trails available now!
Today's the day! June 25th, 2024! Just think, if 5000 copies are sold this week, Zephyr Trails will be a "best seller." Wouldn't that be something! The book is now available anywhere books are sold. Please support your local independent bookstores. Thank you!
Monterey Herald article 6-24-24
Check out this great article by Lisa Crawford Watson! Thank you, Lisa! (Author photo credit: Liz Monroe)
Zephyr Trails now available for NetGalley review!
If you're a NetGalley reader, I hope you'll choose to review this sequel to Ellis River. If you don't know about NetGalley, check it out. It's a way you can be one of the first to read a new book, pre-publication, and write a review of it. Reviews are so very appreciated by authors. ❤️
Ellis River Audiobook wins Gold IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award!
Independent Book Publishers Association PubU conference...
We did it again! The audiobook won the GOLD for Best Audiobook - Fiction. Thank you, Audivita for production, and Madeleine Norton, narrator. I can't say enough about Madeleine Norton's voice acting talents. She literally breathed life into my characters. There were some amazing books in 57 categories in this prestigious awards event. Thank you, so much, to IBPA for another amazing conference, and congratulations to all the silver and gold winners!
Ellis River Audiobook finalist for IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award!
Yes! A few weeks ago I was informed that the audiobook is a finalist for IBPA's Benjamin Franklin Award for best audiobook! That means we will be trying to turn silver into gold on Friday, April 26th! Fingers crossed! Such an honor to be a finalist next to Susan Rogers and John Roosen's Cobra Pose: Yoga Mat Mysteries, and Charles Armstrong's Belly of the Beast: Sorce Book 1. Congratulations to us all!
December 10, 2023 – Holiday Event
Ten local authors gathered at River House Books in Carmel, California, to sign books and chat (nothing we like more than talking about the writing process!) Thank you, Julie Tully, River House Books, and staff! What a delightful afternoon spent with fellow local authors! And thank you to those who stopped by to chat and purchase books for yourselves and for those last-minute Holiday gifts!
November 4, 2023 – Book Signing
I signed books at Barnes & Noble in Gilroy, CA, on Saturday, November 4th. A great big THANK YOU! to the staff of B&N and to all of you who stopped by to say hello, and bought a book! It was a joy to spend my afternoon in a beautiful bookstore, and to watch so many people of all ages delighting in books and reading!
Ellis River now an Audiobook!
Now an award-winning audiobook! For those of you who’d rather listen than look, you can find Ellis River available on your favorite audiobook platform. Voices are adeptly brought to life by the talented voice actor, Madeleine Norton.
Ellis River Wins IBPA’s Benjamin Franklin Award! (May 2023)
What an exciting night! Ellis River and Bay Feather Books were honored with the GOLD for IBPA’s Bill Fisher Award for Best First Book – fiction. Thank you, IBPA, and congratulations to all the nominees and winners!
Eric Hoffer Awards! (May 2023)
Thrilled to be a Finalist for the Eric Hoffer “First Horizon” Award, and received Honorable Mention for the Eric Hoffer Grand Prize! Feeling grateful!
