Tag: South Branch Scribbler

Book Fair, and other Notes

Posted on by joepowersauthor

It’s been a little while since I had much to say in this space, but I thought I’d take a minute to mention a couple of items.

This weekend marked a first for me, as I participated in the first annual Greater Moncton, Riverview, Dieppe Book Fair. It was a packed house and a loaded roster, with more than forty local authors taking part. For the full list of participants, here’s the link to the website. I sold some books, which is always appreciated, but I also spent a lot of time socializing and mingling with the other vendors and the steady stream of people that came to check it out. I really enjoyed reconnecting with some old friends, and meeting some new ones as well. Some folks I’d been acquainted with through social media, but had never met in person – always nice to put a face to the name. I’m told the plan is for this to become an annual event, which would be great.

Speaking of the fair, at one point my writing classes came into the conversation. I didn’t have the information on the tip of my tongue, but for those interested the start dates for the spring sessions are May 11th for Crafting the Short Story and May 8th for Writing Horror: The Dark Side. Registrations are already rolling in, but there are still spots available for writers of all ages* and skill levels.

*Writing Horror is for ages 18+. We have a little more leeway for Short Story.

One final note on the book fair: Kudos to organizer Allan Hudson, who worked tirelessly to put this together and make it successful. Allan does a lot for writers and the writing community in this part of the world, including but not limited to his South Branch Scribbler which always has something interesting. It’s worth a look if you’re interested in the local (Atlantic Canada, primarily) author scene.

I’ve had a few ideas for blog posts rattling around in my head for a while, but so far haven’t taken the time to come in here and actually churn them out. Maybe I just needed to do this update to ‘prime the pump’, so to speak. So hopefully, over the next little while I’ll churn some of those out as well. We’ll have a post that takes a look at the “book awards” phenomenon, sharing my thoughts on why they’re largely a waste of money and bring little to the table in return; and one regarding fake and scam publishers (I covered this topic briefly last year in this post, but it bears repeating, I think).

That’s about it for today, I guess. More to come in the not-too-distant future, barring unforeseen circumstances. Until then, stay safe, talk soon!

-JP

Summer Housecleaning

Posted on by joepowersauthor

It’s been a while since I had much to report on here, but I thought it was high time I checked in. Throw open the curtains, clear away the cobwebs, frown at the layer of dust that’s accumulated since my last visit. I really do need to spend more time in here.

Ahem… anyway, today was spent in the company of some lovely folks, chatting about the writing and publishing biz in my online course, An Introduction to Publishing. If you missed out, don’t worry, the next one runs this December. In the meantime, we’ve got the next Crafting the Short Story and Writing Horror: The Dark Side both running in October.

Due to this scheduling conflict I had to miss out on visiting my friend Allan Hudson at his book signing today at the grand re-opening of Dog Eared Books. Allan, by the way, hosts the South Branch Scribbler blog where he interviews and brings a ton of exposure to many authors, including myself a while back. Lots of good stuff over there, I recommend checking it out.

I’m also pleased to announce a fun interview with my friend James Fisher will be appearing on an upcoming episode of the esteemed Miramichi Reader podcast. This is another fine site that shines a bright light on authors and their work, and is deserving of some recognition as well. There’s a lot to look at there, so feel free to browse around and see the sights.

That’s about all I have for today, aside from a hearty thank you for your continued support, and a reminder that posting reader reviews is a wonderful way to bring much-needed exposure to the authors you enjoy. Feel free to drop back here any time, and for all the latest updates delivered right to your inbox, pop over to my contact page. Until next time, stay safe, talk soon!

-JP

Mid-Winter Notes

Posted on by joepowersauthor

We’ve got January behind us, which for the optimistic among us means the worst of winter is now behind us. It’s not gone of course, not by any means. But now that we’re half way through February I for one am starting to let myself feel a bit optimistic.

 

We’re back into the swing of things with the winter 202 0 edition of Crafting the Short Story. It’s a fun and creative group that I’m enjoying as we pass the halfway point of our session together. I’ll be following this up with another round of Introduction to Publishing on March 21st, then a short break before diving right back into Crafting the Short Story on April 20th.

 

In case you missed it, here’s the link to my interview with Allan Hudson of the South Branch Scribbler from earlier this month. Allan does a lot to promote the industry and those of us that toil within it. I know he’d appreciate it if you dropped in at the Scribbler’s website and had a look around. Odds are good you’ll discover something there that catches your eye – maybe even a new author to add to your list of favorites.

 

Elsewhere, last summer I cobbled together a collection of my short stories which I submitted to an open call for consideration. Still awaiting word on that. I think it’s a solid collection, so we’ll see how that goes. Additionally my second novel, Seventeen Skulls, has been sent to my publisher. I’ll keep you posted on what’s going on with that as things progress.

 

Speaking of updates and news, if you click here and enter your name and email address you”ll get updates right to your inbox hot off the presses. Feel free to invite your friends to sign up, too. The more the merrier, I say! And who knows, maybe you know someone who would find my stuff is right up their alley.

 

One final note for the day: my usual plea for reviews. I appreciate all the support for Terror in High Water. Lots of you have written or spoken to me about how much you enjoyed it, for which I’m very pleased and grateful. It would really make my day if those of you who did read and enjoy the book could take a few minutes to pop over to Amazon or Goodreads (or both, if you’re feeling motivated) and leave a short review to let others know what you thought of it. It can be as long or as short as you want – they all help increase exposure and get it in front of a wider audience.

 

As always, thanks for reading. Until next time!

-JP

Back to Class, and Other Tidbits

Posted on by joepowersauthor

It’s been snowing most of the day here. I guess I got a little bit spoiled with all the unseasonably warm weather over the holidays, to the point where I’m mildly offended when it dares to turn cold and snow in January. On the other hand, it’s hard to be too upset about such things while our Australian friends are going through such a terrible, terrifying experience. Perspective.

In any event, it’s a brand new year, the start of the 2020s, and what better way to start the year off than to plunge into writing?

For some, getting started is the toughest road block to overcome. But fear not, I’m here to help. The next installment of Crafting the Short Story launches on January 27th, and it’s a great way to get inspired and get writing. Or for those who already have something written and are looking for the next steps, there’s An Introduction to Publishing on March 21st (one day workshop). Follow the links for more information, or drop me a line with any questions.

There are lots of other great courses offered at the College of Extended Learning. Even if writing isn’t your thing – and perish the thought! – have a look at some of the other stuff they have to offer. Odds are good you’ll find something interesting and informative.

In other news, James Fisher at the Miramichi Reader did a review of Terror in High Water this past week. You can check that out here. Many thanks for the exposure and kind words. Incidentally, if you’re thinking of buying a copy you can click the Amazon link at the bottom of his review, for which he receives a small commission at no cost to you.

In the coming weeks, look for an interview I did with Allan Hudson at the South Branch Scribbler. Allan’s a great interviewer who likes to dig below the surface a little bit, and it was a fun and thought-provoking process that I really enjoyed. I’ll let you know when it goes live.

I try not to ramble on about High Water too often, so the regular reader doesn’t tune out. I did want to say that it has gotten a few more reviews lately, which is awesome. If you’ve read it and wouldn’t mind taking a few minutes to leave a review, just know that it’s greatly appreciated. Just follow these links to Amazon, Goodreads or both. Every little bit helps spread the word and get more copies into the eager hands of new readers.

Want to receive updates and all the latest musings directly to your inbox? Go to my contact page here, enter your name and email, and add something to the comment box so the system knows you’re not a robot, and bada-boom, you’re the first to know when a new blog post is published.

More news and notes as they unfold. As always, thanks for reading.

-JP