Posts by Susan Crossman
Shades of Teale in Revelstoke BC
We all need a holiday every now and it was just my great luck that the need for a recharge coincided this year with my sister’s insistence that I go skiing with her in British Columbia. What a gift! My sister owns a log cabin in Revelstoke, BC, which lays claim to the highest lift-serviced vertical in North America (1,713 metres or 5,620 feet). I cheerfully packed up my ski gear, folded up my laptop, and flew off for an amazing week of powdery exertion in the mountains. It was beautiful! (See my Shades of Teale Facebook Page for a photo. (If you would Like the page while you’re there, that would be nice too!) Revelstoke is a town of just over 7,000 people located in southeastern BC about 640 kilometers east of Vancouver and roughly 400 kilometers west of Calgary. The Columbia River flows through the city and it’s nestled in amongst the Selkirk and Monashee Mouintain ranges. The town was named in appreciation of Lord Revelstoke, head of the UK investment bank that helped save the Canadian Pacific Railway from bankruptcy in 1885. A little south of Revelstoke is the whistle stop of Craigellachie, which some folks may recall was where the last spike was hammered into the ground marking the completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway. (There’s another photo waiting for you on my Shades of Teale Facebook Page). I’ve been to BC a couple of times and although gorgeous terrain is common throughout Canada, I find the BC mountains represent a spectacular feast for the eyes. And the skiing is a demanding workout! While in Revelstoke I was pleased to appear with fellow Manor House author Jane Eamon at two booksigning events hosted by local bookstores. Castle Joe Books at 103 Second Street West, is a very charming store that focuses primarily on second hand books and art supplies. (feel free to Like Castle Joe’s as well.) Owner Gwen Lipps gives a very warm welcome and her engaging appreciation of books and business added a very bright note to the visit. I’ve left some copies of “Shades of Teale” with Gwen so if you’re in Revelstoke and you’d like a copy, you can pick one up there. I also dropped in on Grizzly Books, at 208 Mackenzie Street in Revelstoke for another enjoyable few hours in the company of books and book lovers. Vanessa Smith is the owner of Grizzly’s and the store features an impressive selection of reading material. Needless to say, it’s been tough to get back to work! If you’d like me to appear at a speaking or booksigning event for your store, group or organization, please get in touch. I enjoy opportunities to talk about the book world and I love meeting other folks who are book lovers too. We’re everywhere! ...
Read MoreNovel Thoughts from a Women’s Writer
I’m the luckiest person I know. As a career writer with a focus on business copy I’ve met many fascinating people engaged in compelling work and I’ve had some amazing experiences. I’ve toured an underground salt mine and a factory that turned out millions of donuts weekly. I’ve gone incognito to political meetings and fully ID’d to retirement homes. I’ve met people old enough to have ridden horses down Yonge Street 100 years ago and others who glide along the crest of new technologies. The opportunities are still cropping up for me – a few months ago I enjoyed a special behind-the-scenes tour of a major international airport and just last week I was walking the beach in California with some people who are changing the world. No matter how you look at it, my work as a paid writer is exhilarating and fulfilling. Now that I’ve added “published author” to my writing identity, I’m immersing myself in a whole new world of activity. Here are my top three book activities right now – no doubt there will be more to add as the year goes on: 1. Booksignings. I’m a people person in general and I especially love meeting people who like talking about books. Despite all the gloom and doom we hear in the media about the death of publishing I don’t think we are anywhere near the death of reading. Although the publishing business is definitely changing, it’s not going to go away. 2. Radio interviews. Taking part in a vibrant conversation with someone who is interested in what I’m doing is very flattering, to be sure – but it also gives me insights into what other people care about, which is valuable information for an author who wants to connect well with her audience! 3. Learning about the publishing industry. I’m really pleased that Manor House Publishing selected my novel from among thousands of manuscripts that are currently yearning for publication (well, technically it’s their authors who are doing the yearning). It’s a competitive business and with the blossoming of self-publishing, the game is changing faster than colors on a chameleon. Many of my business clients have written books they would like to bring to print as well and I’m learning as much as I can as quickly as possible so I can serve my business clients with impact. It can sometimes be a bit of a challenge for me to seamlessly blend my business writing and authoring activities – and aren’t I lucky to have that problem? There’s grace in the juggling though — and who knows, maybe my next book will involve a donut-eating salt miner who rides political horses in retirement homes? Stay tuned for...
Read MoreGoal Setting: An Author’s Key to Creation
I’m a big believer in the power of setting goals and it wouldn’t be January if I weren’t thinking about what I want the year to look like. I posted some of my goals 12 days ago on my freelance writer website and one of them was to enter four short story contests this year. Believe it or not I’ve entered two already! But in terms of “Shades of Teale” I think it would be interesting to set a direction now and see where I end up. I’m a newbie at this novel-promotion business and I have no idea at this point how realistic my intentions are. But it will be fun to see how things turn out. So here goes: 1. “Shades of Teale” tells the story of a woman’s journey through an increasingly unhappy marriage to a better sense of her own strength on the other side. Unfortunately, the story is one many women (and certainly many men as well) know to be part of the truth of our world. One of my goals is to connect with national and international women’s organizations to explore ways of using my novel to help women in distressing situations move into happier lives. 2. Develop a set of meditation cards and bring them to market as a means of supporting my message of hope, particularly for people trapped in bitter domestic situations. 3. Welcome the “Shades of Teale” e-book to the world. 4. Sell out the original press run and create enough demand for a huge reprint. 5. Do at least three virtual book tours. And that’s about it. Coupled with my work as a freelance corporate communications writer, and my ongoing work towards my MA degree in English, I’m going to be busy this year. But I’m a very methodical person and a lucky one, as well, so I’m hopeful that all will go according to plan. What are your writing-related goals for the year? I’d love to hear what you’re doing to make 2012 the best year yet! ...
Read MoreOrdering My Book?
I was horrified to see that both amazon.ca and chapters.indigo.ca indicate it will take from three to six weeks to take possession of a copy of “Shades of Teale” after it’s been ordered. “Really?” I thought, “SIX WEEKS?!” I decided to find out for myself so on November 30 I placed an order with amazon.ca and a week or so later I repeated the process with an order on chapters.indigo.ca. The good news is that the amazon.ca order came in today — a breathless 19 days after the order was placed. My results may not be representative of what everyone else experiences but at least I’m reassured that six weeks is not necessarily going to be the norm. If you order a copy online I would love feedback on how long you had to wait — please drop me a line with that information so I can post it for others to see as well. Cheers! Susan...
Read MoreA Story about a Book Signing…
Many thanks to all the friendly folks who made it out to my book signing at A Different Drummer Books in Burlington yesterday – it was a delightful afternoon and I appreciate all the effort that went into making that happen. I saw some faces I hadn’t seen in quite some time, which made the joy of the event that much more powerful. Sometimes writing takes place in bit of a “social vacuum” and I’m always energized by the opportunity to connect with friends and new acquaintances. Yesterday found me grinning from ear to ear all day and it’s all thanks to everyone’s gift of time! Ian Elliott, owner of Different Drummer Books, was a wonderful host and I could have spent hours browsing. The store has been around for quite some time and Ian has built it into a solid establishment that caters exclusively to book lovers. There is a homey feel to the store, although it’s quite spacious, and it is such a welcoming environment that I felt like relaxing into the book world as soon as I walked in the door. Do check it out if you’re ever in the neighborhood – it’s at 513 Locust Street in Burlington. I was so pleased to be able to spend some time with Canadian artist Anna Sponer at the signing yesterday as well – she painted the picture that graces the cover of “Shades of Teale” and we’re planning some joint events in the future so stay tuned! Fellow Manor House writer Alyxandra Harvey was also in attendance, signing copies of her new short story collection, “Briar Rose and other stories darkly revisited.” I am the proud owner of a copy myself now and am looking forward to reading it! Alyxandra has a long list of dark stories to her publishing credit and it was fun to spend the afternoon with her. My essay about completing and publishing my novel is in today’s Globe and Mail – if you’d like a little more “deep background” on the subject, here’s the link:...
Read More