Long Hollow

Where seeds of thought have room to grow

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Realtor, writer, blogger in Austin, TX

Fingers Crossed for Fame and Fortune…

…for my friends, at least. If I can't have it myself ("yet" – I haven't given up!), I can at least celebrate and shamelessly promote my friends. Last night I placed orders on Amazon for two books published by friends from high school…

Ann is beyond just a friend to me…our relationship is timeless…our souls have become soldered over the years since we first met (click here for more on our friendship story.)  She has poured her heart into this first book, Objects of Reflection: A Soulful Journey of Reflection. Don't be fooled – it's not just another "how-to" art book. It is full of her beautiful, eclectic, original art, yes…but it also includes passages of her thoughtful, poetic writing. It can also be purchased through Etsy on her blog, Isla. Ann will soon be traveling to Haiti with Artisans for Haiti, a group of artists who will use art as therapy with the earthquake victims. (The website is just being developed…keep checking.)

Gina is one of my rediscovered friends, reconnected thanks to Facebook. We worked together on our high school yearbooks, but she was a year younger than me and I lost track of her after my graduation. I think we've become better friends in these last few months of chatting via Facebook and reading each other's blogs than we were in high school. What a wonderful surprise to find out she had written a book! From Gravel to Glory: Becoming a House of God is about her spiritual journey…specifically (from her website) she "digs deeply into her own difficult spiritual journey to demonstrate how every experience we have is related to being a house of God." The book is just part of Gina's Stone's Throw Ministry…plus she's a personal coach, Christian speaker AND writes one of my favorite blogs: simply "Gina Calvert". It's enough to makes me step back and wonder what the heck I've been doing with my time these past 30+ years!

While I was ordering and feeling a little under-accomplished, I was tempted to buy another copy of State Lines – a collection of essays which includes one of mine, "A View from a Catwalk" – but seriously, how many copies do I really need? Instead, I tossed a few Elmer Kelton historical novels and and one on the history of the Texas Rangers (Lone Star Justice: The First Century of the Texas Rangers by Robert M. Utley) into the virtual cart to use as references for my book-in-progress.

Yes, I'm a history nerd…on my own journey back into Texas during the 1800's. These friends of mine are giving me the encouragement I need to stick to it…to follow it all the way to the end. So now it's time for me to mosey on down the trail…in other words, get back to writing, so I can see my own book on Amazon! Happy Trails!

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4 responses to “Fingers Crossed for Fame and Fortune…”

  1. Gina Calvert Avatar
    Gina Calvert

    You might not want to hold your breath on that fortune and fame, even when you do get published! Thanks so much for the plug!
    I didn’t remember that you were a year ahead of me. You were in my brother’s class then (Robert Burt).
    Now I will want to go and get a copy of State Lines!

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  2. Barbara Shallue Avatar
    Barbara Shallue

    Well, I know that’s true…fame and fortune aren’t really my motivation to write, although a tiny bit of fortune would help! I didn’t remember that you were Robert’s sister!
    If you get a copy of State Lines, I promise you’ll enjoy it. There are some wonderful essays in there…some by famous writers like Marion Winik and Naomi Shihab Nye! Mine is in wonderful company, that’s for sure! It still amazes me that it was chosen.

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  3. Gina Calvert Avatar
    Gina Calvert

    I could use a tiny bit of fortune too! You should start now learning about marketing. There’s a reason there’s a Best-Seller List, but no Best-Written List. And unfortunately, the personality skill required for writing is usually in direct opposition to the personality skill required to promote yourself tirelessly and, these days, through advanced use of technology.
    Just popped in to tell you I ordered State Lines today! Can’t wait to read it. How did your essay come to be chosen?
    Also, http://www.billycoffey.com/2010/01/writing-naked/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BillyCoffey+%28Billy+Coffey%29 is an interesting blog post for writers.

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  4. Barbara Shallue Avatar
    Barbara Shallue

    Thanks for the link to Billy Coffey’s blog – I already skipped over there. Awesome! I know I’ll be back!
    I agree about the writing personality vs. the promoting personality, but age has helped me in that department. And I’ve learned a lot about marketing in my current job and we practiced “selling” our scripts in my screenwriting class. I still don’t like the WORK of submissions, etc., which is one reason why I don’t have anything else published. My first essay was submitted because my first writing teacher suggested I do it. I was shocked that it was accepted and even more shocked when the editor called to tell me it had been selected for the book. Once that first essay cleared the outer screening circle, my “name” was known and my submissions went straight in. It was nice! But the magazine folded, the editor retired and I barely have the time or energy to write right now…much less search for a new market. Plenty of good intentions but that’s as far as it gets…for now, anyway. Keep passing me all the tips you know, though, and thank you! You’re way ahead of me in the game!!

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