My Next Adventure:

 

On Saturday, April 30th, I'm participating in Middletown Thrall Library's Local Authors and Illustrators Showcase. I started this event in December 2014 and have helped organize it twice since then. This time, 28 local authors and illustrators will participate. 

The Hudson Valley is rich with talent, especially literary talent. This event gives these authors and artists exposure and introduces them to readers who may be looking for something beyond the bestsellers. It's a wonderful opportunity for readers and writers to learn about the publishing process, and to view and purchase books directly from the people who create them.

The list of participants includes: Jan Berlin & Lynda Gerenser, Sandra Bischoff, Andres Bodon, Dawn Bonney, Frances Brown w/a Claire Gem, Kevin Christofora, Catherine Ciocchi, Jennifer Circosta, Terri Del Negro, Christine Der Ohannesian, Elaine Freed Lindenblatt, Jason Gehlert, Adria Gross, Tom Ingrassia, Charles Isaacs, William Lemansky, Alan Lewis, Tracey Lyons, Liz Matis, Bette Lee Meci, Lisa Melville, Phil Murphy, Barbara Reina, ML Stainer, Lisa Vaughn, and Michael Worden. They represent a variety of genres including non-fiction, memoir, general fiction, romance, paranormal, fantasy, thriller, horror, crime, children's, and young adult. To view their bios please visit the event's web page.

The first session (11 AM - 1:00 PM) will feature children's and young adult authors and illustrators. Following this will be a story hour in the children's room featuring several of the authors. The second session (1:30 PM - 4:00 PM) will feature authors writing for adults. Author-donated books will be raffled off to attendees after the event (no need to be present to win!)

The library is located at 11-19 Depot Street, Middletown, New York. Directions are available on the library's website.

Questions? Send me an email at mariannesciucco@gmail.com.

I hope to see you there! Please spread the word and share this post with your book loving friends and family.

My Next Adventure: Middletown Thrall Library's Local Authors & Illustrators Showcase

 

For the second year, I'm working with my public library to put on an exhibit of literary and artistic talent.  On Saturday, September 26th, 34 authors and illustrators from the Hudson Valley will be at Middletown Thrall Library for its second Local Authors and Illustrators Showcase.

The Hudson Valley is rich with talent, especially literary talent. This event is a great way to give these authors and artists exposure and to introduce them to readers who may be looking for something beyond the bestsellers. These authors and artists are publishing in adult fiction, non-fiction, and children's books. This free event promises to be a wonderful opportunity for readers to meet these creatives, to learn about the publishing process, and to view books they may not have seen before. 

“This is Thrall Library's signature event," says library executive director Matt Pfisterer. "We are pleased to provide an opportunity to connect a diverse group of really talented local authors and illustrators with people who regularly come to Middletown Thrall Library in search of great reads and unique literary perspectives.”

The featured authors and illustrators include Barry Adelman, Vince Begley, Michelle Birkenstock, Sandi Bischoff, Jeanne Bogino, Dawn Bonney, Bill Braine, Frances Brown, Christina Cameron, Kevin Christofora, Pari Forood, Marc Fried, Jason Gehlert, Natalie Gehlert, Tammy Gehlert, Amy Gopel and Keryl Pesce, Wes and Barbara Gottlock, Norma Halahan, Dr. Richard Hull, Dr. Charles Isaacs, Eleanor Kuhns, Alan Lewis, Liz Matis, Barbara Neiman, Renee Pearce and Kaylin Ruffino,  Diana Slater, ML Stainer, Justine Williams and Michael Martinez, Michael J. Worden, and myself. For more info please visit the library's webpage.

These authors and illustrators represent a variety of genres including children's and YA, general fiction, romance, paranormal, fantasy, thriller, horror, crime, and memoir.

The first session (11 AM - 1:00 PM) will feature children's and young adult authors and illustrators. The second session (1:30 PM - 4:30 PM) will feature authors writing for adults.

Refreshments will be served. Author-donated items, including books, will be raffled off to attendees throughout the event.

The library is located at 11-19 Depot Street, Middletown, New York. Directions are available on the library's website.

Library Love and How Library Journal's SELF-e & BiblioBoard Get Indie Authors on Their Shelves.

If you saw my Jeep downtown, most likely you spotted it in the library parking lot. This is a frequent stop, and has been for just about all of my life. I owe my love of reading and the writer fire it ignited in me to all of the public libraries I’ve had the privilege to use. Without these libraries I would never have been able to read the thousands of books I’ve absorbed. I would not have discovered the beauty of the written word, nor aspired to become the creator of that beauty myself, to study and learn the craft, to challenge myself to write my own books. 

I grew up going to the library. As a child, visits to the Campello branch of the Brockton Public Library were, at the least, a weekly thing, and involved hours perusing the shelves for just the right stack of books to bring home, some titles checked out again and again because they were so good and needed to be read one more time. I even loved the school library and looked forward to Library Day. I never knew what I’d find, and, being a naturally curious and open-minded child, this was a wonderful place to explore. When I grew up and left the Campello library and all its rich adventure behind, I made it a point to become acquainted with the public libraries in my new home towns, obtain a precious library card, and avail myself of their unique offerings. 

The library has been a haven for me as a reader, and now as an author, where I am fortunate to see the copies of Blue Hydrangeas I’ve donated to my home library and to libraries on Cape Cod (where the book is set) enjoy lots of check-out action. I’ve also been invited to do book readings and signings, teach classes on self-publishing, and organize a local author and illustrator showcase at my home library. Yes, the library and I are great lifelong friends. 

So when I learned last week that Blue Hydrangeas was accepted into Library Journal’s curated SELF-e collections, I did a happy dance because now my book will be available to readers all over the United States via 2,500 public libraries subscribed to BiblioBoard Library, a service that brings quality self-published works to the attention of the librarians who stock digital libraries. This will enable me to gain readers in an area – public libraries - that has, until now, been closed to most indie authors. 

BiblioBoard provides an easy to use online library browsing system that offers readers a variety of unlimited reading material, including books, articles, and documents, as well as multimedia content such as images, video and audio from traditional publishers, indie-published authors and the library’s own special collections. BiblioBoard also creates new library business models for publishers while helping authors build a brand and reach new audiences. Upon my selection for SELF-e, I received a “badge” for my book, free marketing materials, exposure via Library Journal, and inclusion in a service that will reach millions of potential readers. 

This is a boon to indie authors who have historically been denied access to library shelves, primarily because there was little to no system in place to vet the million+ titles out there. With Library Journal (the gold-standard for library reader services) curating submissions to SELF-e, there’s no need for individual libraries to read and screen submissions. They can add to their collections with confidence the materials are suitable for their patrons. And, since the platform allows unlimited checkouts of the same book (most libraries are only allowed to loan out one copy at a time) librarians don’t have to worry that a popular book will cost them more money to keep on hand, or that long waiting times to check out a book will upset patrons. 

As an indie author, at this point in my career I’m more interested in gaining readers than royalties. The opportunity to have my book (books) available in public libraries all over the country and throughout New York State (my home state) as a "highlighted selection," will help me build a strong base of readers, some of whom may write a review of my book, post it on Facebook or Goodreads, refer it to a friend, or purchase my next title. 

The first Library Journal SELF-e curated collection will be available to libraries in mid-2015. 

To submit your book visit SELF-e.

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My Next Adventure -Middletown Thrall Library's First Local Authors and Illustrators Showcase

My local library has been so good to me throughout my publishing adventures. Reference librarian Mary Flannery-Climes has offered moral support from the beginning and is always willing to listen to me go on and on about my next project.  Gail Myker, adult program coordinator, hosted a book reading and signing for Blue Hydrangeas and allowed me to present my Adventures in Publishing program "How to Independently Publish Your Own Book" to a wonderful audience. Library director Matt Pfisterer said "Yes!" to my suggestion that the library put on a local authors event. So it is with great pleasure that I take part in my latest adventure - Middletown Thrall Library's first Local Authors and Illustrators Showcase on Saturday, December 6^th. 

The Hudson Valley is rich with talent, especially literary talent. This event is a great way to give these authors and artists exposure and to introduce them to readers who may be looking for something beyond the bestsellers. This free event promises to be a wonderful opportunity for readers to meet local authors, to learn about the publishing process, and to view these authors' books. It's also a great place to shop for holiday gifts.

“We are very pleased to provide an opportunity to connect a diverse group of really talented local authors with people who regularly come to Middletown Thrall Library in search of great reads and unique literary perspectives,” says library executive director Matt Pfisterer.   

The featured authors and illustrators come from all over the Hudson Valley and include Sandi Bischoff,  Maria Blon, Jeanne Bogino, Allie Boniface, Dawn Bonney, Carole Bugge, Bern Cohen, Matthew Field, Sharon Fox, Jason Gehlert,  MJ Hanley-Goff, Lynn Marie Houston, Liz Matis, Susan Beth Pfeffer, Lisa Vaughn, Fred and Barbara Weissman, Justine Williams, and Michael J. Worden. 

These authors represent a variety of genres including general fiction, romance, paranormal, fantasy, thriller, horror,  and crime, as well as poetry, memoir, cookbooks, writing instruction, and self-help.

Workshops with Maria Blon and MJ Hanley-Goff will also be available.

The first session (11 AM - 12:30 PM) will feature children's and young adult authors and illustrators. The second session (1 PM - 4:30 PM) will feature authors writing for adults. 

Refreshments will be served.  Author-donated items, including books, will be raffled off to attendees throughout the event. 

For more information, please contact Gail Myker at (845) 341-5483 or thrall3@warwick.net

If you're in the area, don't miss this event.