Book Business
Exciting news! Boutique of Quality Books (BQB Publishing) accepted my latest book about doodle art. It will be released in September of 2021. For the first time in my 39-year career I am both author and illustrator. Though I took many art courses for my MA in Art Education, I wasn’t familiar with this art form—a blend of doodling, cartoons, and folk art.
Of course, I had to learn more about it. I read about doodle art, looked at examples, and logged into training sessions. Then I started practicing. The more I practiced, the more “doodley” I became. Now I think of myself as a doodle artist. Doodle art helps me slow down for a while, something every caregiver needs. When I’m involved in doodle art I become totally engrossed in it and my cares fade away.
My book, From Darkness to Sunshine, a workbook for grieving kids ages 9-12, just came off the press. It is illustrated by doodle artist Roxanne Wach. Her illustrations add interest to the pages and foster participation. If you are the parent or grandparent of a grieving child, this workbook is for you. A widowed friend of mine paged through it and declared, “I would do this.” Her comment made me wonder if the workbook would help adults.
The companion workbook for younger kids, From Sad to Glad, is in production now. I don’t know the release date yet. Both workbooks are published by Centering Corporation in Omaha, Nebraska, www.centering.org. Bulk rates are available.
Thanks to author and brain injury educator Donna O’Donnel Figurski for having me on her Blog Talk Radio program. She is the author of Prisoner Without Bars: A Caregiver’s Tale, an award-winning book. To hear our caregiving discussion go to https://survivingtraumaticbraininjury.com/2020/04/caregivers-speak-out-harriet-hodgson-caregiver-and-author.
To hear our brain injury discussion go to http://survivingtraumaticbraininjury.com/2015/07/speak-out-on-the-air-with-grain-injury-radio-show-menu-another-fork-in-the-road/ Scroll down to March 20, 2020. Thanks for inviting me on your program, Donna. I appreciate your interview skills, kindness, and help.
Reviews
Thanks to the Online Book Club for the four-star (out of four stars) review of So, You’re Raising Your Grandkids! This is a detailed, informative review and I am grateful for it. To read the review log into https://forums.onlinebookclub.org/viewtopic.php?f=114&t=147455
Why do authors need reviews? First, reviews help an author’s work get noticed. Book reviews also raise an author’s Amazon ranking. Reviews help authors get their books into bookstores. There is one more reason and it’s a make or break reason. If an author’s book isn’t selling well, the publisher may delete it from its book list. Reviews help authors keep their books on these lists.
Recent reviews of some of my books are encouraging. About Smiling Through Your Tears: Anticipating Grief - “This book helped me a lot with my son’s illness and getting through the tough time before his death. About So, You’re Raising Your Grandkids - “A story . . . filled with inspiration and spirit.” About The Grandma Force - “I was surprised at how much I learned reading this book.”
As Katie Rose, an author, speaker, and law professor notes, “Your words are as important as an author’s words.” Well, I need your words. After you have finished reading one of my books, please post a review on Amazon. If the book was a gift, state this first to ensure your review gets posted. Thanks for sharing your time and your words.
From My Window
The pandemic pushed grief to the forefront of American life and made grief a publishing trend. I’ve written 10 grief healing and hope books. Instead of sending sympathy cards, I send a copy of my book, the Writing to Recover Journal, published by Centering Corporation. I also send copies of my book, 101 Affirmations to Ease Your Grief Journey. It costs the same as a card and is more useful.
Writing requires constant attention. I email my WriteLife publisher, Terri Leidich, weekly. In a recent email, she said I was “still sharp as a tack.” This made me think about maintaining the mind. Dr. Sanjay Gupta, in the April/May issue of “AARP: The Magazine,” says he is convinced that “the brain can be constructively changed—continually enhanced and fine-tuned—no matter what your age or access to resources is.”
How do you exercise your mind? I exercise mine by writing and speaking. On June 22nd I was honored to participate in the Open to Hope Foundation’s free online conference, “Finding Hope During Uncertain Times.” Open to Hope editor Neil Chethik, author of FatherLoss, and I talked about getting a grief book published. Our discussion ranged from author credentials, to finding a publisher, to book marketing, and more. We could have talked for hours.
Thanks to the Open to Hope Foundation for inviting me to speak and thanks to Neil Chethik for chairing our panel discussion. The online conference had 50 presenters and more than 4,000 attendees.
Quote of the Month
No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader. No surprise in the writer, no surprise in the reader. Robert Frost, beloved American poet, recipient of four Nobel Prizes, and citizen of the world.