I want to talk about Marianka. She’s a twenty-something neighbor, whom I know only through a high-school friend, whom I haven’t seen for 30 years (her husband), and both of whom live a mere 10 minutes away from me. She is a spectacular woman. She changed me, for the better. Here’s the gig: Okay, giving forward. Do unto others. Live for the living. Random acts of kindness. You’ve heard of these concepts . . . where people “give just to give” –...
Order Sharon's roaring book via her website or Contact Us on the form at the right. New Bern, NC, author Sharon Phennah is just a charmer. She's nutty and
This is a review straight from the heart of a reader, me (as opposed to the editor, the marketer, the reviewer, the writer) ~~ Janet Fix First, the basics. Renee James debuted with her new novelComing Out Can Be Murder this month through Windy City Publishers, a hot alternative publishing company based in the same blustery city of the story’s plot. This is a fiction novel about a hairdresser named Bobbi, who struggles with gender transitioning and the “fitting in” that does...
~~ Musings from The Pipeline by Jan Fix ~~ I met Alva Harris as a freelance editor through his ex-publishing company. I guess it's been almost a year now, and I continue to be enraptured by his charming character. From New Bern, NC, where all great authors seem to blossom (think Kenneth Capps, Sharon Phennah, and Nicholas Sparks), Alva Harris is a fine wine to be savored, as is his book Born on a Buzzard's Stump. I wrote the following blog on...
Musings From the Pipeline, by Janet Fix ~~ May 19 RELEASE :: Rude Awakenings by author Keith Donaldson On three novels now, I have I had the pleasure of working with Keith (thank you, Keith), an inventive writer whose mind tumbles so fast-forward at times that I feel I can see the future through his eyes. That case is none the more true than in this novel, his third, where we worked diligently through the editorial process to refine and capture the immensity...
~~Recommendations from the Pipeline ~~ You know if Blake Shelton sings about it, it’s got to be good. In fact, everything is good about honeybees. They’re smart: They’ve been around for millions of years so they know some things. They’re food-creators: In fact, they are the only insects that provide a food product for man—honey! Unless you actually eat insects, of course. They’re talented: Honeybees communicate with each other by “dancing.” They’re “green”: Honeybees are environmentally friendly and give the world its eco-balance through pollination...
~~ By Editor Janet Fix ~~ A Pipeline Contribution I recently started this: http://nogoofs.blogspot.com/, a CONVERSATION CUBBY for editors and authors, in hopes to increase awareness of the needs of each other. In my current interactions in the industry, I see self-publishing taking a step back slightly and, instead, responsibility in writing taking a step forward. The inevitable bond that must take place between a professional editor and an author (new or not), I suspect, will contain many important elements for ultimate...
~~ Editor Jan Fix ~~ As we crawl out of our winter caves and begin thinking about springtime, I find myself looking forward to all the buzzing delights of this time of year: Easter, March Madness, Pattie’s Day, bulbs flowering from the ground, prepping the lawn and garden, planning for spring break, not thinking about taxes. White shoes and snappy hats. Then snap, I’m thinking about spring cleaning. Cleaning up my shabby self, a new haircut, getting rid of my winter rolls, using...
By Janet Fix, wordshaper :: Reading to children is such a joy, particularly if the story is filled with plenty of opportunity for showing off my thespian skills. The kids love it. But it's the story that gets me there, and so I wanted to offer a few simple guidelines that make a children's story a dynamite opportunity for bonding and fun. From a child's perspective: 1. Characters with pet peeves, weird personality traits, or silly quirks are super fun. We can...
