Month: August 2021

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One Book Launched, What Comes Next?

carolyncordon

I’m thrilled to say the launch of my most recent book, “Plague Invasion” was a success, with many copies of the book finding new homes, and many more to post to their new homes iin the following week or so.

Self-publishing a book needs so much more than just asking for submissions, putting them together, and then have a launch to give a copy of the contributors present, and actually sell some of the books.

So I’ve done that part now, and as I indicated, it was a successful day, with the money taken bringing me closer to breaking even, if I don’t factor in the time this project has taken, and other related costs. I’m enjoying what I’ve been doing, and so am happy to cover some costs.

And one of the costs is to send out books that have been ordered. I have postal addresses, so today I’ll be putting together the books to post, in Australia and beyond.

But I’ve already begun work on the next Covid-related book. Someone (I can’t remember who) gave me the idea for the title, and I’ve already begun a file on my laptop, with some contributions that didn’t get into this first book.

The second book has the working title of “Are We There Yet?” or possibly the slightly longer title of ‘Are We There Yet? Yeah, Nah …” This second, longer title will, I hope, lend a satirical tone to the project, and assist in bringing in a diverse range of creative writing responses.

I plan on this new anthology being ready to launch at about this time next year, hopefully during the Gawler and Adelaide Plains Festival of Words 2022. So I am in the middle of getting all of these copies of Plague Invasion out, but I am also looking to the next book.

Am I mad? Or am I just enjoying myself with this so much, I don’t want the fun to end?! Maybe a bit of both. But if I can do this without sending myself broke, and give some previously unpublished writers the chance to have their work in a book, without getting ripped off, I’m more than happy to do that!

I have a sponsor (my mother), who I acknowledged in Plague Invasion, and she is one of those people who had their written work published in a book for the first time, and she read the short story she wrote at the book launch, a very prooud moment for her, and for me as well!

My Mum is great! I don’t know whether she will get hooked on this writing thing, and want to be in the next book, but if she does write something, I will certainly consider it, as I did for the works published in Plague Invasion.

The book, what will the cover for the next book look like?

I was stunned at the perfection of this book cover, and can hardly wait to see what may happen for the next book. I’ll have to wait and see what works may come in, once I’ve put the call out. Not yet, I need a rest! Patrick Millikan, the young man who created the from cover image has done fine work with this one, that’s for sure!

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I Love Book Launches, Do You Love Them Too?

carolyncordon

I have a new book that is going to be launched soon, and I’m getting excited about it! I’ve been to a good few book launches now, and I’ve loved them all, whether they are for my book, or someone else’s book! Bringing a new book out into the world is a beautiful thing!

This is the book that is going to be launched, “Plague Invasion” and it looks like this:

Looks great, doesn’t it?

This book has I think 43 contributors, and while not all of them can be present on the day, a good few of them will be, as will the clever young man, Patrick Millikan, who produced this awesome front cover for the book. And the book launch will be held at the Prince Albert Hotel, a venue I know well, and I’m going to get there early, and have a nice meal first, I hope lots will be there early too!

The actual event will include announcing the winners of the Adelaide Plains Poets poetry competition, then the book will be launched, and talked about, and book sales can commence. Once that is all wrapped up, contributors can read their pieces that are in the book, and after that, the usual Gawler Poets at the Pub will happen. People will be able to put their name down in our little book, and read when their name is called out.

Fun, fun, fun! The day’s event should be all over by 5pm, then people can go home, with their lovely new book to read, and can think about what was said about a possible new book that may come out into the world next year!

Words work well, and I love to bring books into the world, it brings me joy to help make it happen! I look forward to seeing you at the Prince Albert hotel, if you live in South Australia, or hearing from you here, if you’d like to know more about this anthology.

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Give Your Best, To Get The Best …

carolyncordon

Life is made up of many different things, and knowing how to get the best things in life, you really do best if you can give back your best things.

I’m a writer, writing books, poetry, articles, and blogging too. I have a good life, with family and friends who like me, and some who even love me! And I like/love them back. I do my best to be a good friend and family member, in the best ways I can.

I share my knowledge whenever appropriate, giving information to my writing friends, for instance, when I see something interesting they may enjoy, or learn from. And on my blogs, I try to give information about the things I’m knowledgable on as well.

I love being connected with my community, and I give to the community when I can as well. My most important communiy thing is to be the Editor of the Mallala Crossroad Chronicle, a monthly newsletter giving information to the poeple living in and around Mallala.

I’ve been involved with this for around fifteen years, and I’m thrilled when anyone tells me they enjoy reading it every month. I do my best to put out the most interesting newsletter possible, and obviously that is appreciated!

My life gives me good things, so I’m happy to give good things back, in everty way I can!

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Having Hobbies Is a Good Thing, Isn’t It? Yes It Is!

carolyncordon

My latest hobby, which I talk a lot about here, is Pokemon Go. It isn’t a dangerous addiction, this hobby, but a little bit of fun, instead.

And being a writing and having a variety of other things you do is a good thing, because it gives you things to write about, right? Yes, too right! So to further prove my idea that tis hobby is a good thing, I wrote that article, and I’m currently thinking about how I may get this hobby onto the Cosy Murder Mystery series I’m slowly writing.

But if that series is ever going to get anywhere, I’d be better off actually writing more of it, rather than playing with Pokemon Go. Oh, perhaps it is an addiction, dangerous to my chances of ever becoming a published writer of Cosy Murder Mysteries …

But having fun in life, using my brain, and getting exercise are all good and healthy things, so for now Pokemon Go, can Stay!

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Life Contains Many Things

carolyncordon
My dog, her bed, some of my books, my hand weights, one of my slippers, my life …

I am something now, that I wasn’t when I was born, and when I was born, I was something I no longer am. At various times in my life, I have been different things …

My memory holds some of these things, and lets others slip away, for a time, anyway, perhaps to come back to me again, when something happens that reminds me of the past. To hold stongly to memories, and never release them, seems a futile thing, especially if those memories don’t offer anything useful, or good.

From childhood, to young adult years, then mature adult, finally aged person. This is the usual way it goes, although the process can be halted at any stage, and so only some of the memories the majority might hold will be able to be yours.

What if you had chances to do things, that you left, to do ‘when you’ve stopped work’, or next year, or some mysterious time ‘when you’re ready’. I say, if you want to do it, learn it, experience it, do it now, the time to do something is when you can do it, and that time is often now!

I would much rather have failed experiences in my life, rather than having regrets for never never having a try at doing a thing. Thinking with sadness and regret, about what might have happened, but didn’t because you didn’t give it a go, what a sad life that might be …

My own life has mistakes, bad ideas, failed attempts, but it also has triumphs, books, happy memories of things I tried and succeeded with! If I had stood back and never tried to do any ‘big things’, what a sad life that would have been.

I’ve had and lost friends, through death, or changes in life circumstances, but I have new friends come along, different ones, but loved and appreciated. Friends from my past may have been the best friends for those former versions of me, but I have changed as I’ve grown, and who I am now, is different to who I have been in the past.

Of course, I still hold those earlier memories, somewhere within, I simply don’t dwell on ‘mistakes’, because I hope I’ve learnt the lessons those errors presented to me, and no longer have to go over and over what I did wrong, because I know not to do that again, and that is enough. I’ve changed and grown.

Life and lessons bring love, and liberty! Freedom to be open to what may come next, to consider what it may offer, and then embrace it, or turn it down, for the time, perhaps to be taken up another time, when it seems to be the best time for it.

Good things and bad, triumphs and mistakes, it is all a part of who I have become, and I’m glad for every thing, now, because they have made me the person I now am. A kind person, who thinks about thinks, and cares.