Sunday, January 1, 2017

2017 Starts Out Sexier Than Ever!


We're starting out 2017 with a bang. *giggle* Out today ~ This sexy, raw, uninhibited multicultural, pansexual, intercontinental novel grabbed me from the moment I read the first two chapters of THE WRONG KIND OF INDIAN.  Every other chapter travels back to “Jennifer’s” youth through a painfully dysfunctional childhood. While in present-day, she straddles 30-years-old and finds those seeds of dysfunction have been planted deeply into every aspect of the gut-wrenching events that play out in the life of this mysterious, bawdy, beautiful, tortured poet.

A member of the Cherokee Nation, Jey Tehya (a pen name) was born and raised in Oregon. An award-winning poet, she received a Writers in the Schools (WITS) residency from Oregon’s Literary Arts, her master’s degree from Portland University’s Ooligan Press Program, and was recently granted a residency with the Hosking Houses Trust, Stratford-upon-Avon, UK! Jey owns a writing services company, founded a scholarship for Native graduate students pursuing a writing degree, and has established a karmic yoga movement. She currently lives in Oregon (which plays a character in her novel).



Jey did her first reading at Wordstock this year! (Unfortunately the video from the Portland Art Museum was absolutely fascinating and funny but was too big to download.) Her next reading is January 19th at the awesome little neighborhood hangout Another Read Through Bookstore in Portland.



Cynicism is Sexy in 2017!

For a group project in grad school we had “avatars” created (at fiverr.com, of course). I laugh every time I look at mine—I know, looks a little cynical, right? I think it's going to be my new profile pic. I'm turning 49 this month and somehow it seems to fit.

For 2017 I'll be cynically optimistic (or optimistically cynical?) as we start our 19th year of indie publishing!

Saturday, December 31, 2016

Rest in Peace, 2016


I'm ready to say good-bye to 2016. So much was lost. 

One post began,“Tonight I can write the saddest lines...” and my heart sank. It was already at rock bottom, so I guess it churned. One of our esteemed authors, Dr. Patti Ashley (LIVING IN THE SHADOW OF THE TOO-GOOD MOTHER ARCHETYPE) lost her fiancĂ© of two years (and best friend of nineteen years) unexpectedly to a heart attack. No!

Here's Patti on a happier day... her book launch party. I've always loved this little video:




The next post were the sad words of a daughter who lost her mother. No! Churn. I always envisioned a scene from “The Notebook” when Bob Staffanson showed the love of his life, Frankie, who he lost this month, the beautiful pages of his memoir WITNESS TO SPIRIT filled with photos of their impressive life together. Here's a recent interview where he brilliantly said this: “Standing Rock issue is a tip of the iceberg. The American Indian Institute, of which I am emeritus President, is working on the iceberg.” Here's a photo I sent for the article—Bob and Frankie as she adjusts the bow tie of Boston Pop's Arthur Fiedler. Such a grace-filled and beautiful lady. Behind every great man...


Then the worst words I've ever heard. “Quality of Life.” Noooooo. Everything got darker this fall as my 10-year-old chocolate lab became frail and began to suffer. The more we tried to help, the worse he got. In the middle of caring for “Book” his buddy, our 11-year-old black lab, lost the use of his legs. Oh those dreaded words “Quality of Life.” Twice in a matter of weeks. Part of me believes each of them couldn't handle the other being sick, like an old, loving couple. 
  
Still together... somewhere.


 My “Book” was a reader from day one!

He made me happy. Constantly. 

So, this month I dove into work and tried not to think about the beautiful energy no longer in the office with me. I found a soundtrack which made me both happy and sad in alternating bursts. I was able to bring a number of Imprint books to fruition alongside our next trio of novels: January's THE WRONG KIND OF INDIAN, February's THE MERMAIDS OF LAKE MICHIGAN and April's THE PROMISE OF PIERSON ORCHARD. Woot.

On to better things in 2017! 
 

Wednesday, November 30, 2016

November Highlights, Low Lights, and, Delight.


A fall to remember... and forget. 

The dismay over what happened this election was tempered, if only slightly, by a few incredible appearances of our titles in prestigious magazines—Orion and Foreword. So honored by both.

 “In Secrets of Worry Dolls Impellizzeri winningly weaves together the stories of a mother and daughter ... both women are well drawn, and their stories take surprising turns that deepening their relationship.” — FOREWORD

 “Staffanson explains with awe and humility why he threw over a brilliant career in classical music to work on behalf of Native American values and make them available to a spiritually bankrupt nation.” — ORION MAGAZINE

*  *  *  *  *


“Delight”

One of the wonderful lessons from graduate school this semester was the idea of bringing delight into the book experience, however that might be. I've always subscribed to this delightful philosophy...

Our second book-inspired scented candle ~ I was over the moon when I received my Secrets of Worry Dolls Book Scents Candle, complete with an itty bitty worry doll. Delighted.



Book-inspired seed packets ~ The ARCs of our environmental novel The Promise of Pierson Orchard were accompanied by Zinnia seeds, straight out of the story. Super delighted.



Crazy fun for an entertaining memoir ~ I went way out on a delightful limb with our spring celebrity memoir, giving a fanciful nod to the author's funny and determined spirit, the iconic role she had on 1970s TV and one of her legendary co-stars.

*SPOILER ALERT email me for an advance review copy of RUN, HOLLY, RUN! instead of watching this video



My Master’s Degree in Publishing Update...
I'm thrilled to report—one semester down! Two classes complete and 12 to go, and yes, a 4.0. I'm having a ball. Granted, I get a little defensive when textbooks, guest lecturers, or even the professors belittle the little *ahem* guys. 

I mentioned creating a fake book for one of the classes—watch the beginning of my final presentation, below. (Tip of the hat to Caroline Zani for her Fiverr.com voice-over guy! Too much fun.)


The ironic delight of this project (fake cover, below) came when my research for a fake pie-in-the-sky foreword writer—a celebrity with the disease—turned out to actually be in a real upcoming Spring 2017 Wyatt-MacKenzie book! Whoa. #mycrazypublishinglife #masters@50