Category: Ashland news


Ashland Book & Author Festival 2012!

By Midge Raymond,

We’re thrilled to be participating in the Ashland Book and Author Festival on June 23, 2012, from 10a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Hannon Library on the campus of Southern Oregon University — and hope you’ll join us!

The festival, sponsored by the S.M.A.R.T. (Start Making a Reader Today) pre-K through 3rd grade literacy group and the Friends of Hannon Library, will feature authors of all genres including poetry, fiction, and drama, as well as health and wellness. Storytelling and a special tour for children and families will include how books are made and restored, samples of ancient books, and talks with artists Betty LaDuke (“Children of the World” paintings) and Meera Sensor (Nobel Peace Prize winners sculptures).

In a sort of literary Antiques Road Show, book restorer Sophia Bogle will give estimates on restoring treasured antique books to those who bring in a favorite book. Art books and fine art letterpress works by Cathy DeForest and Demecina Gray will be on display, as well as award-winning modern book designs by Sabina Nies.

Hear live Middle Eastern and Chinese music featuring Ronnie Malley of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Afternoon panel discussions will include the critical role of independent publishers, crime fiction writing with Tim Wohlforth (this panel features Ashland Creek Press author Cher Fischer and her eco-mystery, Falling Into Green), and a panel on health and fitness.

There is no charge for admission — and parking is free! For more information, click here.

Better yet, do you want to be a festival volunteer? The festival is hosting a volunteer sign-up coffee on Wednesday, June 6, from 10 to 11 a.m. at the Hannon Library cafe (at the entrance to the library). Contact Laura Baden at 541-482-0654 for more information on how to be a volunteer.

Addressing the mysteries of e-publishing

By Midge Raymond,

Ashland Creek Press was delighted to be a part of a workshop on e-publishing last weekend at the Ashland Public Library, where authors, editors, and publishers gathered to talk about the ins and outs of e-publishing, from editorial to production to marketing.

Author Tim Wohlforth began with a State of Mystery (also a State of Publishing) address, which highlighted the fact that e-books are rapidly gaining momentum (the triple-digit percentage increases in sales have only recently begun to level off), as well as the fact that mysteries remain a bestselling genre, second only to romance. After his remarks on all the recent trends in publishing, Tim concluded with a great bit of advice for writers: Don’t get caught up in what the latest trend in mystery is. “Write what you want to write,” he advised.

We heard next from LJ Sellers, an award-winning journalist who is now a full-time author. She talked about her experiences getting her books out into the world and how she spent $12,000 on self-publishing her first novel, The Sex Club; now, thanks to user-friendly strides in digital and self-publishing, she spends an average of $600 on each. And she’s living every writer’s dream: making a living off her books. As this Mail Tribune article notes, last year, LJ’s e-books were on the Amazon Kindle bestseller crime fiction list for three months, and she estimates she has sold about 150,000 e-books in the last two years. LJ pointed out something that is important for all author-entrepreneurs to know: that she is as much businesswoman as she is author. She pointed out that she views her books as “products, not children,” and noted that this means she doesn’t hesitate to fix what may need fixing if a book isn’t selling well, whether it’s the cover copy or the keywords or even the title. Her parting advice: “Be flexible, be a risk taker, be social [as in social media], and be thick-skinned.” (By the way, I just began reading her novel The Sex Club — loving it so far!)

Author Michael Niemann gave an insightful presentation on the mechanics of creating e-books on the two most common formats, ePub and Mobi — a great overview for any author or small publisher interested in e-publishing.  Then Ken Lewis, of Krill Press, and I talked about marketing and promotion. I chatted a lot about social media and virtual book tours, and we got a great tip later from writer and photographer Liza Kendall Christian on how writers can use Pinterest in a fun way: As well as  a cover image, post a few of the best lines from your book.

Ken and I both pointed out that, ultimately, the most important thing about promotion is to have an excellent book. I especially enjoyed what Ken had to say about the importance of titles: Authors need to have titles that stand out among the rest, and cover art to match. He told the story of one of Krill Press’s popular mystery titles, formerly Full Circle, now titled Absinthe Of Malice (A Penny Mackenzie Mystery), and how good titles, matched with engaging covers, have made all the difference in selling mysteries.

After the presentations, we broke out into smaller sessions in which we got to chat with authors, answer questions, and learn more about the state of mystery — a lovely afternoon. A million thanks the event’s sponsors: the Ashland Mystery Readers GroupFriends of the Ashland Public LibraryStanding Stone Brewing Company, and Bookwagon New and Used Books.

Helping animals one brushstroke at a time…

By Midge Raymond,

We’ve long admired the work of Ashland artist Dana Feagin, whose Inspired Pet Portraits are not only lovely, whimsical, and adorable but amazingly generous: Dana donates 10 percent of the proceeds from her sales to local animal charities and rescue groups.

We were thrilled when Dana was inspired to create a portrait of our general manager, Theo.

It is a testament to Dana’s talent that she was able to capture his personality so well (yes, he really is this scary), and we enjoyed seeing the portrait (aptly titled “You looking at me?”) debut at the Ashland Art Center last weekend.

We love Dana’s work as well as her commitment to animals; she’s an active volunteer at a local animal shelter as well as at Sanctuary One, an amazing organization that offers healing for people, animals, and the planet. Dana also does commissions; visit her website for more information.

 

 

Discovering Tree House Books

By Midge Raymond,

Tree House Books in Ashland, Oregon, is one of the town’s many treasures.  I first visited this sweet little children’s bookstore last year, around the holidays, while shopping for the little readers in my life. And I’m glad I did — it’s one of the most charming bookstores I’ve ever seen, and it’s fun to wander around inside even if you are a grown-up. There really is something for everyone here.

Tree House Books has been on the Plaza in Ashland since 1978 but has relatively new owners who curate a hand-picked selection of books for infants to young adults, as well as a small selection of their favorite books for grown-ups as well. The space is welcoming and inviting, and in addition to books there’s a wonderful selection of gifts, toys, and seasonal items that makes it worthwhile to stop in for a look whenever you’re walking by.

Tree House also has a book club for kids age 11 and older (if there’s anything better than a book club, it’s a book club for young readers) as well as many other events, including local author appearances. And be sure to check out Tree House’s October calendar, coming soon, for upcoming Halloweeny events.

Meet the Spanish Fir: Ashland Tree of the Year 2008

By John Yunker,

Just a few yards from the Monterey Cypress (Tree of the Year 2004) is a statuesque Spanish Fir (Tree of the Year 2008), shown here:

The Spanish Fir is also known as Abies Pinsapo in its native country.

The picture doesn’t convey just how tall this tree is. If you’re visiting Ashland, I recommend a visit to the corner of Wimer and Scenic Drive, where you’ll find not one but two Trees of the Year.

Here’s a Google Map of this tree and others.

  Category: Ashland news, On nature
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