October 2020 Monthly Newsletter

Book Business

Young children lack the words to express their feelings, but thankfully, their drawings speak for them. With this thought in mind, Kathy Kasten and I wrote a companion book for Ready, Set, Lead! The title is Drawing Out the Leader in Me: An Art Activity Book for Kids Ages 4-8. Each page begins with a leadership fact, followed by a drawing prompt.

The prompts focus on different aspects of leadership: building a team, leading at home, leading other kids, leading at school, and serving others, to mention a few. This sample prompt gives you an idea of the content: Offer to help your teacher. Choose a task you enjoy, like putting books away. Draw your school or draw your house or building if you are home-schooled.

Drawing Out the Leader in Me is in production now and will come off the press in about five weeks. We thank Penny Weber for the cover illustration. The release date for Ready, Set, Lead! is March 1, 2021. It is already on Amazon and available for pre-order. Each book makes the other stronger. Best of all, young children benefit from both books. To order the set go to https://lioncrestleadership.mykajabi.com/ready-set-lead-book. 

Reviews

Authors have three kinds of reviews to choose from: trade, non-trade, and readers’ reviews. Trade reviews appear in publications for booksellers and librarians. Non-trade reviews appear in online publications. Reader reviews appear on book covers and online. An author may be willing to pay for a review. Daniel Lefferts and Alex Daniel discuss the pros and cons of paid reviews in their article, “The Indie Author’s Guide to Paid Reviews.” 

According to Lefferts and Daniel, reviews are crucial to book marketing. They think reviews make a book seem more professional. Reviews also give potential buyers an idea of what the book is about.

Kirkus Reviews is will-known in the book industry. I was going to pay for a review from them until I saw the fees. A basic review, with a waiting time of seven to nine weeks, was $425. An express review, with a waiting time of four to five weeks, was $575. These fees do not guarantee a favorable review. If the review is unfavorable, the author can ask Kirkus not to publish it—little consolation after spending hundreds of dollars.  

Authors may turn to companies like Self-Publishing Review and BlueInk Review. BlueInk has three options for authors, but all of them seem pricey. “Read each publication’s past reviews to get an idea of quality, detail and depth of critical attention indie authors can expect,” write Lefferts and Daniel. Checking the original source is sound advice and I try to follow it.

From My Window

I have a new, fascinating pursuit—Japanese Enso painting. Enso means circle in Japanese and drawing circles is associated with Buddhism. Though I am not Buddhist, I have benefited from this practice. To paint an Enso, I meditate for a moment or two, take in a breath, wet my brush, paint a circle with one stroke, and let my breath out.

Here is a photo of me holding my oriental brush. The brush looks like a knife because the sheep, pig, and cow bristles are still wet. After using the brush, I clean it and press the bristles together to keep them straight. Kathy Meyer, the registered nurse who comes in the morning to get my husband up, took the photo. Thank you for your kindness Kathy.

Painting Ensos is challenging because of all the variables: type of brush, width of brush, painting medium (acrylic paint, watercolor, etc.), how wet it is, and the painter’s experience. The circle can have a small gap. Some painters add extra circles, figures, birds, flowers, and calligraphy to their Ensos. Is an Enso empty or full? Does it represent the circle of life? The meaning depends on the painter’s viewpoint. My circles are full and that is a blessing. 

Quote of the Month

Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts. William Strunk, Jr. in the book The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White. 

William Strunk taught English 8 at Cornell University. E.B. White took his course and bought Strunk’s textbook, The Elements of Style. After Strunk died, MacMillan Publishing Company asked E. B. White to update Strunk’s book. He did it gladly and 10 million copies of this 100-year-old classic have been sold.

September 2020 Monthly Newsletter

Book Business

I’m so excited about Grief Doodling: Bringing Back Your Smiles I want to cheer from rooftops. Thanks to Jay Highum of Action Graphic Design in Rochester, Minnesota for his eye-catching cover and using my doodles in such a creative way. The blue to yellow shading—dark days of grief to bright days of hope—symbolizes the spirit of the book.

And thanks to WriteLife owner and publisher Terri Leidich for accepting the manuscript and believing in this unique grief resource. When I thought about the illustrations, I had many types to choose from: scribble art, doodle art, zendoodling, zentangles (abstract, repeat patterns), stendoodles (using stencils), and mandalas (round designs). I wanted to demonstrate—not intimidate—so I drew simple doodles that show techniques detailed in the book. 

Doodling spans all cultures and generations. Though I wrote Grief Doodling for tweens and teens, adults may find it helpful.

Reviews

The Elite Choice Awards gave The Grandma Force the Gold Award for non-fiction in the family category. According to the review, The Grandma Force is as gem of a book. “With actionable practices and step by step instructions, the book outlines simple yet powerful techniques readers can use to become the best grandma they can be.” I am grateful for this wonderful review and thank the Elite Choice Awards.

What do authors think of reviews? I looked online for answers to this question and was amazed at what some authors said. J.R.R. Tolkien, the famous author of Lord of the Rings, was annoyed by some of the “boring, absurd, or contemptible” reviews he received. He had no cause to complain, Tolkien continued, because he had a similar opinion of the reviewer’s reading choices.

Isaac Asimov, the prolific author of novels, mysteries, fantasy, short stories, and a guide to the Bible, said writers fall into two groups. One group is made up of authors who bleed copiously after reading bad reviews. The other group is made up of authors who bleed copiously in secret after reading bad reviews. I wondered which group was his.

Of reviewers in general, humorist and columnist Art Buchwald wrote, “No one has ever questioned the credentials of a critic who writes a rave review notice.” I think Buchwald was right. Publishers, authors, and marketers know good reviews sell books. You may purchase books based on reviews and recommendations from friends.  

Thankfully, I have never received a bad review. One reviewer said he was disappointed with my memoir. He must have confused me with another author because I have never written a memoir and have no plans to do so. However, I do plan to write more articles and books and know inspiration strikes anytime and anywhere.

From My Window

This photo shows me working on the illustrations for Grief Doodling. (Photo by Kathy Meyer, RN.) I love doodle art, continue to do it, and developed a “Fun with Doodle Art” workshop for the Alice Mayo Society, a supporting organization for Mayo Clinic physicians’ spouses, voting administrative staff, senior associate consultants, and Mayo scholars. 

Co-author Kathy Kasten and I have created a leadership kit for the kids who read Ready, Set, Lead! This poster is part of the kit, which also contains a poster to color. We thank illustrator Penny Weber for creating the posters. As the March 1, 2021 release draws near, Kathy and I get more excited. Ready, Set, Lead! is already available for pre-order on Amazon. When you pre-order, the price is guaranteed and you receive the book 35-40 days before the release date—a good deal.  

Quote of the Month

I make it a rule to sit at my desk eight hours a day whether anything’s happening or not. Theodore Geisel (Dr. Seuss), author and illustrator of 60 books. His most popular book is Oh, the Places You’ll Go.

August 2020 Monthly Newsletter

Book Business

Sound the trumpets. The cover and illustrations for Ready, Set, Lead! are done! Co-author Kathy Kasten and I are thrilled with the illustrations and thank Penny Weber for bringing our book to life. Penny attended the School of Visual Arts in New York City. She creates murals, greeting cards, portraits, caricatures, and has illustrated award-winning books. We are blessed to have this multi-talented artist on our team.

I am part of The Compassionate Friends (TCF) virtual conference team. My workshop, “Raising a Grandchild While Grieving for Your Child,” is on August 1st. It is based on my GRG (grandparent raising grandchildren) experience. Thanks to Cathy Seehuetter, TCF Director of Online Services, for inviting me to speak.

Audio books are more popular these days and I have three of them: The Family Caregiver’s Guide, So, You’re Raising Your Grandkids! and The Grandma Force. Evie Irwin, an accomplished voice actress, does a marvelous job of narrating the books, and they are packed with useful information. Audio is the way to go. Sign up for an Audible Trial on Amazon today and get a book for free!

Reviews

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the need for grief resources, so WriteLife Publishing is releasing Grief Doodling: Bringing Back Your Smiles sooner than planned. The release date is now April 1, 2021. More information about this unique book will be in the September newsletter. Thanks to these experts for their reviews: 

Mitch Carmody, artist, grief author/educator, author of Letters to My Son, staff writer for “Living with Loss” magazine, owner of Heartlight Studios

Sunni Brown, best-selling author of Gamestorming and The Doodle Revolution, founder/owner of AB Ink Consultancy

Joanne Fink, grief educator, best-selling author, award-winning illustrator, calligrapher, author of When You Lose Someone You Love, founder of Zenspirations®

Linda Goldman, Fellow in Thanatology, Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, Adjunct Faculty at Johns Hopkins University, author of Life and Loss: A Guide to Helping Grieving Children and many other books

Sandy Goodman, grief educator/speaker, author of Love Never Dies: A Mother’s Journey from Loss to Love, founder/leader of the Wind River Chapter of The Compassionate Friends

Dr. Heidi Horsley, Executive Director of the Open to Hope Foundation, Adjunct Professor at Columbia University, Co-Host of Open to Hope Television and Radio, co-author of Teen Grief Relief and many other books

Glen Lord, President and co-founder of The Grief Toolbox website and co-founder of the International Grief Institute

Heidi Smith, Fellow in Thanatology, grief educator, support group leader, Certified Grief Counselor at Seasons Hospice in Rochester, Minnesota.

As soon as Grief Doodling appears on Amazon, I will add these comments to the Editorial Reviews section of the listing. Busy as they are, each expert reached out a helping hand to me. I am profoundly grateful for their time, generosity, and kindness. 

From My Window

“How can you write and be John’s caregiver?” is a question I am often asked. My life is a balancing act. Every morning, an RN comes to help get John up for the day. Her help enables me to write. I stick to a schedule and am usually up at 5:00 a.m., clicking away at computer keys, and sipping coffee. Mornings are devoted to writing new copy and editing. Afternoons are devoted to emails, filing documents, and research.

Most of my books are based on life experience. This is my 23rd year in the caregiving trenches, nine years as my mother’s caregiver, seven years as my twin grandchildren’s guardian/caregiver, and seven years as John’s caregiver. My four-book series for family caregivers came from this experience.

Are you a caregiver? If so, Affirmations for Family Caregivers may be helpful. (Please see sunflower cover above.) I researched affirmations before I started writing. Some experts recommend writing about the life you hope to have. Other experts tell you to “fake it ‘til you make it.” Neither approach suited me. Instead, I affirmed the caregiving life I am living. Some sample affirmations:

Patience may be courage in disguise.'

No matter what happens in a day, I still say “yes to life.

Happiness is a choice and I choose it for myself every day.

Caregiving is love in action.

This beautifully designed book, with its sunflower cover and interior drawings of sunflowers, is a thoughtful gift for yourself or another caregiver. Donate a copy to the public library, your church library, or Little Library in your neighborhood. Caregiving support groups would also benefit from this inspiring resource. Reading an affirmation in the morning can set a positive tone for your day.

Quote of the Month

Get it down. Take chances. It may be bad, but it’s the only way you can do anything really good. William Faulkner, author of 13 novels, recipient of the Nobel Prize, Pulitzer Price, and National Book Award.

A Parent’s Grief: Symptoms and Solutions

In the stress and confusion of grief you may:

• lose track of conversations

• put things in odd places, such as comb in the refrigerator

• lose things like car keys or even an egg

• read with poor or no comprehension and need to re-read

• get a driving buddy for safety reasons

• burst into tears without warning

• dream about your child and awaken with tears on your face

• have the urge to say your child’s name and say it often

• get angry and apply this energy to healing

• share your grief story with others

• learn from other bereaved parents

• banish guilt feelings; they are usually non-productive

• have bad days and good days

• detour from the healing path

• treasure happy memories of your child and talk about them

• be comforted by linking objects

• thank others for bad advice and then ignore it

• create memorials in honor of your child

• continue to love your child after her or his death

• build on love and face a future without your child

• give yourself permission to laugh

• create a new, happy, and satisfying life in memory of your child.

A Grandparent’s Bill of Rights

You have the right to:

• Enjoy your grandkids.

• Feed them nutritious, balanced meals, and normal servings.

• Give your grandkids sandwiches if they reject dinner.

• Make play part of each day.

• Help with homework, but not provide answers.

• Teach grandkids basic manners.

• Ask grandkids to help around the house.

• Laugh at your own jokes even if they are sappy.

• Ask permission to give grandkids hugs.

• Expect teens to provide who, what, when, where, why and how details.

• Set reasonable bedtimes and curfews.

• Use the word “no” when necessary.

• Teach grandkids how to budget and save money.

• Get grandkids to clean up their bedrooms and ignore the “moanie groanies.”

• Require drivers to fill the car gas tank when gauge reads one quarter full.

• Ask drivers to turn the car radio back to your favorite station.

• Stop loud music and phone calls after 9 p.m.

• Repeat stories even if your grandkids roll their eyes.

• Say “I love you” every day.

Copyright © 2017 by Harriet Hodgson    

July 2020 Monthly Newsletter

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. 

Getting My Book Marketing Act Together

I’ve been a freelance writer for 39 years. During this time, I’ve had various business cards designed, printed information cards to publicize books, and printed bookmarks. Maybe it’s due to sheltering at home, but I had a creative spurt, and wrote three books for children. All are in production now. Clearly, it was time to plan and unify my book marketing materials.

To begin with, I had a graphic designer create a logo. It is double H with my name beneath. The color of the letters matches the color of the sweater I’m wearing in my photo. I’m pleased with the logo and the eye-catching teal color. This logo appears on the back of my business card, and the masthead of my new newsletter.

I had been thinking about writing a newsletter for some time. A few weeks ago, I acted on the idea. My newsletter is about 600 words long, the word count of an article. Recurring columns give the newsletter continuity. As my needs change, the column headings may also change. My granddaughter, an independent photographer and artistic person, designed the newsletter masthead.

We decided to include the covers of my latest books on the masthead. One glance and readers have an idea of what I write. The covers also add color to the masthead. Writing a short newsletter is time-consuming and, as soon as I finish one issue, I start work on the next. This is a time-consuming process because writing short takes more time than writing long.

I’m feeling pretty good about book marketing. After years of fumbling around, I have my act together. Do you have a unified marketing approach? Is your business card current? Are you willing to spend time on an E-newsletter? If you’ve going to compete in today’s market, you need to answer these questions, and allocate money to marketing.

You can do it!

Tangy Lemon Dessert Sauce

A simple sauce can transform plain cake into a special, memorable dessert. This sauce tastes good on angel food cake, pound cake, yellow cake, and for a double zing, lemon cake.

INGREDIENTS

• ½ cup sugar (or ¼ cup sugar, ¼ cup Splenda)

• 1 rounded tablespoon cornstarch

• Dash of salt

• 1 cup water

• Juice of one large lemon

• Zest of one large lemon

• 1 ½ tablespoons butter

METHOD

1. Whisk sugar, cornstarch and salt together in medium saucepan.

2. Stir in water, lemon juice and zest.

3. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture bubbles and thickens.

4. Remove from heat and whisk in butter.

5. Serve warm or cold over your cake of choice. Makes 4 servings.

Rich Chocolate Cookies with Chocolate Chips

INGREDIENTS

• 1 ¼ cups Smart Balance spread

• 2 cups granulated sugar

• 2 large eggs, room temperature

• 2 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract

• ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

• 1 teaspoon instant coffee 

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• 1 ½ cups chocolate chips

METHOD

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.

2. In large mixing bowl, cream Smart Balance, sugar, and vanilla extract together until fluffy.  

3. Add eggs and beat until combined.

4. Set mixer on lowest setting. Gradually add cocoa powder and instant coffee.

5. With mixer at a low setting, gradually add flour, baking soda, and salt.

6. Work in chocolate chips with rubber scraper or large spoon.

7. Drop rounded teaspoons of dough onto prepared baking sheet, leaving 1 ½ inches between cookies.

8. Set baking sheet on middle oven rack and bake for 8-10 minutes. Leave cookies on baking sheet 1 minute before removing. Cool on parchment or wax paper. Makes about 5 dozen cookies.