Jean Coleman Book Signing in NC
Jean Coleman, author of I Met Him in My Overalls: Life Lessons from the Master Gardener, has two upcoming book signings:
Saturday January 30, 2010
11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
NoFo
2014 Fairview Rd
Raleigh, NC
Saturday February 6, 2010
11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Everyday Creations
144 West Main St.
Washington, NC
Tulips, daffodils, zinnias . . . breathtaking flowers abound in Jean Coleman’s garden—and life. But her path wasn’t always radiant. For years she cultivated external excellence, wearing many hats to please many people, only to find loneliness sprouting in her soul.
Life changed when she moved to the country and began growing flowers for market. Little did she know she’d not only grow flowers in that tilled field, but God would grow her. Donning overalls, and with dirty hands, aching muscles, and itchy bug bites, Jean met her Master Gardener, and by His unconditional love, grace is budding on the abundant branches of her life, each blossom bearing the imprint of her Gardener’s hand.
Some lessons God cultivated:
- Seeds, like us, spend time in darkness, growing healthy roots before sprouting new growth in the light.
- Lush from afar but damaging to the desirable plants, weeds show how our seemingly good activities can crowd our spirit, leaving us weak.
- Just as pruning helps flowers flourish, God uses life’s trials to build, strengthen, and develop our souls.
- God’s transforming grace converts our compost pile of sins into useful, life-giving fertilizer.
- Arranging flowers allows a glimpse of God’s perspective as He places us in His arrangement.
- Hand-made bouquets, a cow-print apron, and a welcome smile made Jean’s farmer’s market booth a success—and opened her eyes to how God markets us for His purpose.
5 Ways to Express Your Gratitude to the Media
Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.
–William Arthur Ward
By Robyn Williams
Have you ever made a list of what you’re thankful for—the small and the large? Maybe you’ve told loved ones how special they are to you and how grateful you are for them.
Have you thanked members of the media who have given your book publicity?
Our authors sometimes ask how to express their gratitude to these individuals or groups. Here are 5 ways to show your thankfulness to others for your publicity.
1. Send a hand-written thank you note.
This is a time-honored tradition which stands out in our days of electronic mail. A handwritten note adds a nice touch that takes only a few minutes to write. Mention something specific about the host or event (such as an interview, review, blurb, book signing, etc.) that you appreciate.
2. Thank your host both on and off the air.
The host invited you on his or her program. Let him or her know how much you appreciate that time by thanking the host before, during and after the interview.
3. Offer to provide signed copies of your book to the media.
Radio and TV stations as well as other organizations periodically host give-aways or fund raisers. Your book could help in these areas and also gain more exposure for your message.
4. Leave a sincere comment on the media’s blog when appropriate.
This is a thoughtful way to encourage other writers.
5. Add the media’s Web site link to your Web site.
Providing a link on your Web site helps the media gain exposure and is also a great resource for you. Readers can click to listen to your interview, read an article written about you, or read a book review, for example.
The ideas are limitless! Just be sure to take the time to thank others.
Thanks for reading!
Related Articles:
As a member of WinePress’ Publicity department, Robyn Williams’ goal is to help authors promote their message and make media contacts. She loves getting to know authors, learning why they wrote their books, and helping them share their stories.
Author Cindy Scinto interviews on KHQ 6 News
A Heart Like Mine by Cindy Scinto
NBC news affiliate in Spokane, Washington--KHQ 6 News.
It will air locally on Tuesday, 1-26-2010 at 5:00 and 6:00 p.m.
Available online, Wednesday, 1-27-2010.
In September 2001, Cindy Valenti-Scinto, a healthy young woman, suffered a heart attack that was only the beginning of a grueling seven-year journey through heart disease. Four years later, after forty operations and several brushes with death, Cindy received a miraculous heart transplant that saved her life.
http://www.cindyscinto.com
http://cindyscinto.blogspot.com
Right to Life Organization Reviews ‘The River Nile’
The River Nile (by Kenny Blair), continues to garner reviews from right-to-life organizations. The Right to Life Committee of New Mexico featured The River Nile in their January 2010 newsletter, Viva Life.
The reviewer writes:
The River Nile is an interesting book with a modern twist on the Underground Railroad movement that took place in our history with slavery…. It is a fast paced, controversial novel that will keep you guessing, and it challenges you as to what you think. A different approach in the pro-life movement.
Related Review:
Colorado Citizens for Life Review
How to Set Up Your Own Gravatar
By Laura Christianson
Guest Columnist
You’ve probably heard of the hot new movie, Avatar. But have you heard of gravatar?
A gravatar is a Globally Recognized Avatar – your avatar is the thumbnail image that appears when you comment on someone’s blog.
If you have a Blogger profile, the image that accompanies your profile is posted whenever you comment on blogspot.com blogs. But that avatar works only for blogs hosted by Blogger. To make your avatar show up on WordPress (and other) systems, you’ll need to create a gravatar… a universal avatar.
Why do you need a gravatar?
To develop brand identity.
A custom gravatar — I recommend using a professional-looking photo of your smiling face or your company logo — establishes a consistent look for your brand. Wherever you go on the Web, your gravatar subtly promotes your brand. Eventually, people will begin to associate your face with your brand.
If you don’t use a gravatar, you’re stuck with a default avatar. WordPress, for example, gives me the following default options:
A “Monster ID” to brand my company? I don’t think so!
I ran into one glitch after creating my own gravatar; I noticed it wasn’t appearing on many of the comments I was publishing on other people’s blogs.
My problem?
I was commenting via an e-mail address that didn’t correspond with the gravatar I had created. (Depending on what type of blog I’m commenting on, I may use my business address or my personal address).
The solution?
I added additional e-mail addresses to my gravatar account. Here’s how to do it:
Go to:
- My Account
- Add an e-mail address
- Type in the address
- You will receive an activation e-mail
- Click the link, which takes you back to gravatar.com
- Select an e-mail address to modify
- Click an image you’ve already uploaded (or add a new one), click “Confirm”
Within minutes, my gravatar on comments I had already posted was updated to include my gravatar.
Your turn! Create your own gravatar right now and post a comment here, so we can see who you are!
Laura Christianson owns Blogging Bistro, a company that helps writers enhance their relationship marketing through Web sites, blogs, Twitter, and Facebook.
Her company manages the WinePress blog, and she regularly consults with WinePress authors. You can read Laura’s monthly Relationship Marketing column in the Snohomish (WA) County Business Journal.
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