------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*********************
The following article was written by R. Grace Comyns for the League of Vermont Writers newsletter,
League Lines, while attending the LVW 2006 fall meeting at Gove Hill Retreat (pictured below).
Friday, September 22nd set off the fall meeting of LVW, which took place at Gove Hill Retreat in
Thetford, Vermont. If you’ve never been there, you won’t want to miss the next opportunity to visit.
If you have been there, you won’t need any encouragement. The drive there was pleasant and
well worth the distance; I drove from North Duxbury. After helping Phyllis Deming display her
multiple boxes of books, she and I had a lovely cup of tea and chatted with other guests in an
atmosphere of ye olde family farmhouse.
The colossal white Manor house was built in 1906, and for forty years has been run by Gove Hill
and Sentinel Ministries, now a non-profit organization which hosts a wide array of events,
meetings, concerts, youth camps, and spiritual retreats. Hiking trails, a pond with canoes (and
life jackets), spectacular views, comfortable accommodations, and a crackling fireplace are just
a few of the reasons people love to visit this charming place. The caretakers, Bill and Bernice
Clark, make everyone feel right at home with their warm hospitality, well prepared meals, and
helpful suggestions.
The panel discussion on Self-Publishing got off to an interesting start with John Hilferty, author of
the mystery: Moonlight in Vermont, A Novel. Mr. Hilferty hoped to find a mainstream publisher,
but after a few years of the all too usual agent and publisher disinterest, he decided to self-
publish with I-Universe, which he found to have very good reviews. The so-called ‘vanity’ publisher
is one of many that offer a wide range of packages, from Basic to Premier, which include setup,
editing, cover design, printing, worldwide distribution, etc. In John’s case, his book cover took
several tries to look as good as it does. He advised writers to set a budget since the entire
process is a “crap shoot,” and to learn to think like a bookstore owner; i.e. Accept a smaller
royalty in order to get your books on the shelf. There are so many Add-ons offered that a person
can end up spending much more money than anticipated, and probably will. Marketing tools, such
as press releases and announcement postcards are often included in the package, however
actual marketing is left up to the author. John offered some rather discouraging statistics on the
slim chance of success, which I won’t repeat here. You can thank me later.
Panelists, Kate Harper and Leon Marasko, spent ten years writing, editing, and finally publishing
their book, If Only I Could Tell You…Where Past Loves and Current Intimacy Meet. They chose to
take a different, seemingly less expensive path to publication, starting their own imprint, Spruce
Mountain Press, and using a book manufacturer: Lightning Source, Inc. To print their books on
demand. Whenever one book is sold, or a quantity book order is received, Lightning Source
simply prints the books and sends them out, at a cost of about $5 per book, plus shipping and
handling. Books printed by a POD, (Print on Demand) company, can be ordered through Amazon.
com as well as other book sellers. Kate and Leon’s experience taught them to be cautious when
hiring an editor, and hopefully find one with an open mind. Their cover choice speaks well for their
book, as does the endorsement by Tim Brookes, author of Guitar. Their "seat of the pants"
common sense approach to publishing has worked well so far.
Ann Day and others shared their own publishing experiences, and many questions from attending
league members were addressed by the panel. In my view, the costs for either publishing method
are approximately the same, in money and in effort. The difference is in control.
Articles
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Note:
Please contact <ridleybrook@pshift.com> for permission to use any of the following articles.
Article for Yankee magazine, by r. grace comyns
The Nor’easter of Oh-Seven
For three days all I’d heard about was the massive snowstorm that was heading our way.
Two to four feet of the white stuff was predicted. Being the mountain woman I am, I just
laughed it off and said, “This is Vermont; it’s winter, so what’s new?” Some people got
nervous and stocked up, but most people, including me, went about business as usual.
Tuesday was a cold but sunny day, no sign of a storm on the horizon. I came home around
six, pulled a frozen wheat pizza crust out of the freezer, piled on a bunch of cheese and
veggies, then added a few black olives and some fire-roasted peppers. When I turned on the
oven, nothing happened. “What’s going on,” I said to my stove. It didn’t answer, so I went
downstairs to check my furnace and propane space heater. I’d been expecting a fuel
delivery all week, and now it became abundantly clear that the fuel had run out. I called Blue
Flame, got the answering service, and she paged the on-call delivery guy. “Burt” called me
within minutes and told me to go out and check the gauge on the tank to be sure it was
empty. I did, and it was. When Burt called again I reported my findings. He proceeded to tell
me that he didn’t actually work for Blue Flame, didn’t know my road so it would take him
hours to make it up the mountain, and I’d have to pay a $125 late delivery fee. He obviously
did not want to venture out, and he didn’t care whether I was on automatic delivery or not.
Eventually his belligerent attitude triggered my New England stubbornness.
“Never mind,” I said. “You stay home and keep warm. I’ll just freeze to death.”
After I fired up my old Vermont Iron woodstove (yes, I still have The Elm), I wrapped my pizza
in tinfoil and cooked it on the stove. The next morning I shoveled several feet of snow from
the driveway in anticipation of a fuel delivery. The snow was falling so fast it felt like the
snow gods were laughing at me, and on Valentine’s Day no less. After the truck finally came,
I hunkered down and waited for my plow guy to come. He finally arrived on Saturday morning
and managed to remove over five feet of snow with a bucket loader. His father ran the
regular plow and cleaned up the sides of the road by the brook where the snow was
dumped. It was quite something to watch.
Since I had an obligation that Saturday, I appreciated being plowed out, and just in time.
Being a writer, most of my work is done at home, and I suppose I could have survived for
weeks before I ran out of provisions and wood. But the next time I hear the words “Nor’
easter comin'...,” I do think I’ll check my propane tank.
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
This opening message was written by R. Grace Comyns for The Tenth
Annual New England Conference on Child Abuse, held October 1st and
2nd, 2007 at the Sheraton conference center in Burlington, Vermont. This
year's conference was sponsored by O.U.R. House of Central Vermont, a
member of the National Children's Alliance.
"Loneliness is not being alone, for then ministering spirits come to soothe
and bless. Loneliness is to endure the presence of one who does not
understand."
That quote by Elbert Hubbard is one I used in my book When Darla Hit.
Writing has been a lifelong passion of mine, starting at an early age. By
first grade I was reading everything I came across that I could understand,
and by third grade I was writing -- making up stories or poetry, writing
down my thoughts and fears, writing through my anger, my shame, and my
sadness. Reading was my escape, and writing a form of expression as well
as escape. Being from a large family didn't necessarily provide someone
to talk to, especially since I was confused and frightened as many children
are, and I simply didn't know how to relate or verbalize my fears. So I wrote
to express, to communicate my feelings. Paper and pencil became my
friends, my personal therapist -- my voice. Writing gave me the inner
strength I needed to get through life, to take the next step on my path.
Whether I was the teacher or the student, I just kept taking those steps,
doing my best to survive and abusive childhood, abusive marriages and
to raise my two children, who turned out to be my best teachers.
My book deals with the subject of abuse, how to cope with and accept,
how to learn from devastating experiences, how to find happiness
through forgiveness, humor, and love -- how not to abuse others. Child
abuse is rampant, more so than anyone cares to admit, and it is horribly
destructive; it changes who you are. Any form of abuse robs a child of joy,
spontaneity, confidence, and dignity. One thing I've realized over the
years is that no matter how scathing one's childhood, there are others
who suffer even more and some who never fully recover.
The experiences that I wrote about led me to a wonderful organization
called O.U.R. House of Central Vermont, a children's advocacy center.
O-U-R stands for One Unified Response. After many years of sending small
checks to every charity that asked for a donation, I now spend much of my
time trying to raise money for O.U.R. House and others, and much of my
money getting my books printed; not only to donate them to raise money
and awareness to help stop child abuse, but also to help other victims of
abuse find hope and happiness.
I hope you'll read my book and pass it on to someone who has been
abused or who is involved in an abusive relationship. Being a victim of
abuse can actually help us gain the strength to help others, and to help
stop the madness. In most cases abusers have been abused. They need
help to stop abusing. We must help them, and more importantly we must
help their victims find peace, happiness, and forgiveness. The sooner a
child finds his/her voice, the sooner he or she will start healing.
I'll end with a quote from another of my favorite authors, Hermann Hesse:
"Serenity is neither frivolity, nor complacency, it is the highest knowledge
and love. It is the affirmation of all reality being awake at the edge of all deeps
and abysses. Serenity is the secret of beauty and the real substance of all
art."
r. grace comyns
Check out the author's profile in the Scorpio edition of Venus Rising Magazine:
http://venusrisingmagazine.
com/index/VR/profile/rgrace_comyns_publishes_her_first_novel/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Colony Collapse Disorder July 2007 -- Exit 10 Newspaper -- r. grace comyns
Beekeepers across North America and throughout parts of Europe have reported signs of
“colony collapse disorder,” an unexplained phenomenon causing massive die-offs in bee
colonies. Also known as “vanishing bee syndrome,” the former term of “fall dwindle
disease” is no longer relevant due to the fact that disease need not be present for an entire
colony to disappear. Theories including cell phone towers, genetic seed modification,
pesticides, pathogens, and parasites are being assessed. Canadian beekeepers claim that
nicotine-based pesticides may alter a bee’s immune system, adding stress and even
memory loss to the bee population, which has been cut in half since 1971.
Here in central Vermont most beekeepers have suffered losses. In addition to the loss of
beehives, lower priced honey from other countries has hurt our bee industry. The honeybee
is not indigenous to this country; however we have come to rely on the strength of the bee
colony for our survival, and on the integrity of the beekeepers to keep the industry alive. It's
not a science cut in stone; it’s one you have to learn for yourself. Even though the philosophy
and integral workings are the same, everyone’s methods are different. No two apiaries are
the same, just as no two sugar houses are the same. A beekeeper’s relationship with bees
is reportedly similar to a farmer’s with cows, in that most beekeepers talk to their bees,
treat them with respect, and keep their environment healthy.
A number of beekeepers feel that this latest struggle in the bee industry is caused by many
factors that add to the degradation of quality and strength in a colony. Bees decline after
varroal or tracheal mite problems, and also suffer greatly from lack of cleanliness or
weather fluctuations. Bees need constant attention, room to grow, and extreme cleanliness.
When this microscopic insect gets bitten by a mite that drinks its blood, ultimately killing the
host and in turn the mite, the remainder of the colony becomes infected with a new disease
called PMS, post mite syndrome. Intestinal bacteria cause the bees to act as though they
were drunk or like they have motion sickness, staggering and panting for air.
The stress from migration has caused many beekeepers to stop renting out colonies for
pollination, since even moving a colony across the road stresses bees to the max. And when
apiaries are sold, as many have been because of the increased difficulties and financial
problems, even sterilization doesn't always insure success for the new owners.
Even though this isn’t the first time in the last century that there have been problems in the
honeybee industry, this latest disorder seems to be the most challenging. The world can only
hope that this mysterious problem will be solved, and that the bee industry will once again
prosper and grow.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
**********************************************************************************
See the March/April 20009 issue of the Healthy Hippie Magazine to read
Melissa Brodeur's review of When Darla Hit.
**********************************************************************************
Archer Mayor Visits Waterbury, Vermont
January 25, 2007, by R. Grace Comyns
On a bitter cold evening in this not so sleepy town (you couldn't’t find a parking space
anywhere near Stowe Street), a growing number of town folks gather at the Senior Center to
see their favorite author. A few of the author’s hard cover books have been placed near the
podium. I notice his latest three are not among them and wish I had remembered to bring
mine, which are already signed by Mr. Mayor. Our favorite librarian, Mary Kasamatsu is busy
setting up chairs and helping arrange snacks. It is because of her efforts that we are
gathered here. As the room fills up and people exchange greetings, grab a cup of coffee and
a snack from the table of sweets, in walks the author, tall and thin and with a curious smile
on his face. That smile never leaves his face during the evening as he tells about his writing,
his unorthodox methods, and his life. He is animated and funny, often forgetting the question
as he dives into one story after another about all the places he has lived and all the
languages he speaks. We learn he isn’t even a true Vermonter, absolutely no roots or
relatives in the state, although his father was born elsewhere in New England. “We moved so
often that by the time I was thirty, I had lived in thirty different places all over he world. I am
the youngest of six boys, and we all thought Dad must be a fugitive; it turned out he was just
restless.” His father lived to be ninety-nine and eleven months, and his mother who is from
Argentina, is eighty-eight and lives in NH. When Mayor decided he had lived enough places
and that it was time to go home, he chose Vermont, which has been his home for over
twenty-five years. “Say what you will about this state with twelve people; it’s the only state I
know whose government actually cares about its people. You can actually find your
representative by going to the state house in Montpelier, and you can get the governor on the
phone. When that changes and they build a governor’s mansion, I’ll be really mad.” Archer,
who is working on his eighteenth novel in the popular Joe Gunther series, is considered a
mid-list author and insists he barely makes a living cranking out a new book every twelve
months. His income is supplemented by work as a part-time police officer and death
investigator for the Vermont’s Chief Medical Examiner. He is also an EMT Captain as well as
a Volunteer Firefighter, so it’s amazing that he has time to write at all. Reading is another
matter; he once told me he had just finished a book that had taken him two years to read.
When I asked him which novel was his favorite, since several reviews have touted his latest
book, The Second Mouse as his best yet, he responded, “It’s always the one I’m working on
in my head.” He is currently finalizing his latest novel, Chat, which is about online
perpetrators. He talked about his book Bellows Falls, now being made into a movie by
another favorite Vermonter, Jay Craven. Twelve of Archer’s books are no longer in print, and
are now being acquired by the author for re-release as paperbacks. He fielded questions for
nearly two hours, after which, a few people started to leave. Those who stayed behind got to
chat with the author, get their books signed, and hear a few more stories. It was a delightful
evening, filled with much laughter and all good stuff.
Note:
Please contact <ridleybrook@pshift.com> for permission to use any of the following articles.
Article for Yankee magazine, by r. grace comyns
The Nor’easter of Oh-Seven
For three days all I’d heard about was the massive snowstorm that was heading our way.
Two to four feet of the white stuff was predicted. Being the mountain woman I am, I just
laughed it off and said, “This is Vermont; it’s winter, so what’s new?” Some people got
nervous and stocked up, but most people, including me, went about business as usual.
Tuesday was a cold but sunny day, no sign of a storm on the horizon. I came home around
six, pulled a frozen wheat pizza crust out of the freezer, piled on a bunch of cheese and
veggies, then added a few black olives and some fire-roasted peppers. When I turned on the
oven, nothing happened. “What’s going on,” I said to my stove. It didn’t answer, so I went
downstairs to check my furnace and propane space heater. I’d been expecting a fuel
delivery all week, and now it became abundantly clear that the fuel had run out. I called Blue
Flame, got the answering service, and she paged the on-call delivery guy. “Burt” called me
within minutes and told me to go out and check the gauge on the tank to be sure it was
empty. I did, and it was. When Burt called again I reported my findings. He proceeded to tell
me that he didn’t actually work for Blue Flame, didn’t know my road so it would take him
hours to make it up the mountain, and I’d have to pay a $125 late delivery fee. He obviously
did not want to venture out, and he didn’t care whether I was on automatic delivery or not.
Eventually his belligerent attitude triggered my New England stubbornness.
“Never mind,” I said. “You stay home and keep warm. I’ll just freeze to death.”
After I fired up my old Vermont Iron woodstove (yes, I still have The Elm), I wrapped my pizza
in tinfoil and cooked it on the stove. The next morning I shoveled several feet of snow from
the driveway in anticipation of a fuel delivery. The snow was falling so fast it felt like the
snow gods were laughing at me, and on Valentine’s Day no less. After the truck finally came,
I hunkered down and waited for my plow guy to come. He finally arrived on Saturday morning
and managed to remove over five feet of snow with a bucket loader. His father ran the
regular plow and cleaned up the sides of the road by the brook where the snow was
dumped. It was quite something to watch.
Since I had an obligation that Saturday, I appreciated being plowed out, and just in time.
Being a writer, most of my work is done at home, and I suppose I could have survived for
weeks before I ran out of provisions and wood. But the next time I hear the words “Nor’
easter comin'...,” I do think I’ll check my propane tank.
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
This opening message was written by R. Grace Comyns for The Tenth
Annual New England Conference on Child Abuse, held October 1st and
2nd, 2007 at the Sheraton conference center in Burlington, Vermont. This
year's conference was sponsored by O.U.R. House of Central Vermont, a
member of the National Children's Alliance.
"Loneliness is not being alone, for then ministering spirits come to soothe
and bless. Loneliness is to endure the presence of one who does not
understand."
That quote by Elbert Hubbard is one I used in my book When Darla Hit.
Writing has been a lifelong passion of mine, starting at an early age. By
first grade I was reading everything I came across that I could understand,
and by third grade I was writing -- making up stories or poetry, writing
down my thoughts and fears, writing through my anger, my shame, and my
sadness. Reading was my escape, and writing a form of expression as well
as escape. Being from a large family didn't necessarily provide someone
to talk to, especially since I was confused and frightened as many children
are, and I simply didn't know how to relate or verbalize my fears. So I wrote
to express, to communicate my feelings. Paper and pencil became my
friends, my personal therapist -- my voice. Writing gave me the inner
strength I needed to get through life, to take the next step on my path.
Whether I was the teacher or the student, I just kept taking those steps,
doing my best to survive and abusive childhood, abusive marriages and
to raise my two children, who turned out to be my best teachers.
My book deals with the subject of abuse, how to cope with and accept,
how to learn from devastating experiences, how to find happiness
through forgiveness, humor, and love -- how not to abuse others. Child
abuse is rampant, more so than anyone cares to admit, and it is horribly
destructive; it changes who you are. Any form of abuse robs a child of joy,
spontaneity, confidence, and dignity. One thing I've realized over the
years is that no matter how scathing one's childhood, there are others
who suffer even more and some who never fully recover.
The experiences that I wrote about led me to a wonderful organization
called O.U.R. House of Central Vermont, a children's advocacy center.
O-U-R stands for One Unified Response. After many years of sending small
checks to every charity that asked for a donation, I now spend much of my
time trying to raise money for O.U.R. House and others, and much of my
money getting my books printed; not only to donate them to raise money
and awareness to help stop child abuse, but also to help other victims of
abuse find hope and happiness.
I hope you'll read my book and pass it on to someone who has been
abused or who is involved in an abusive relationship. Being a victim of
abuse can actually help us gain the strength to help others, and to help
stop the madness. In most cases abusers have been abused. They need
help to stop abusing. We must help them, and more importantly we must
help their victims find peace, happiness, and forgiveness. The sooner a
child finds his/her voice, the sooner he or she will start healing.
I'll end with a quote from another of my favorite authors, Hermann Hesse:
"Serenity is neither frivolity, nor complacency, it is the highest knowledge
and love. It is the affirmation of all reality being awake at the edge of all deeps
and abysses. Serenity is the secret of beauty and the real substance of all
art."
r. grace comyns
Check out the author's profile in the Scorpio edition of Venus Rising Magazine:
http://venusrisingmagazine.
com/index/VR/profile/rgrace_comyns_publishes_her_first_novel/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Colony Collapse Disorder July 2007 -- Exit 10 Newspaper -- r. grace comyns
Beekeepers across North America and throughout parts of Europe have reported signs of
“colony collapse disorder,” an unexplained phenomenon causing massive die-offs in bee
colonies. Also known as “vanishing bee syndrome,” the former term of “fall dwindle
disease” is no longer relevant due to the fact that disease need not be present for an entire
colony to disappear. Theories including cell phone towers, genetic seed modification,
pesticides, pathogens, and parasites are being assessed. Canadian beekeepers claim that
nicotine-based pesticides may alter a bee’s immune system, adding stress and even
memory loss to the bee population, which has been cut in half since 1971.
Here in central Vermont most beekeepers have suffered losses. In addition to the loss of
beehives, lower priced honey from other countries has hurt our bee industry. The honeybee
is not indigenous to this country; however we have come to rely on the strength of the bee
colony for our survival, and on the integrity of the beekeepers to keep the industry alive. It's
not a science cut in stone; it’s one you have to learn for yourself. Even though the philosophy
and integral workings are the same, everyone’s methods are different. No two apiaries are
the same, just as no two sugar houses are the same. A beekeeper’s relationship with bees
is reportedly similar to a farmer’s with cows, in that most beekeepers talk to their bees,
treat them with respect, and keep their environment healthy.
A number of beekeepers feel that this latest struggle in the bee industry is caused by many
factors that add to the degradation of quality and strength in a colony. Bees decline after
varroal or tracheal mite problems, and also suffer greatly from lack of cleanliness or
weather fluctuations. Bees need constant attention, room to grow, and extreme cleanliness.
When this microscopic insect gets bitten by a mite that drinks its blood, ultimately killing the
host and in turn the mite, the remainder of the colony becomes infected with a new disease
called PMS, post mite syndrome. Intestinal bacteria cause the bees to act as though they
were drunk or like they have motion sickness, staggering and panting for air.
The stress from migration has caused many beekeepers to stop renting out colonies for
pollination, since even moving a colony across the road stresses bees to the max. And when
apiaries are sold, as many have been because of the increased difficulties and financial
problems, even sterilization doesn't always insure success for the new owners.
Even though this isn’t the first time in the last century that there have been problems in the
honeybee industry, this latest disorder seems to be the most challenging. The world can only
hope that this mysterious problem will be solved, and that the bee industry will once again
prosper and grow.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
**********************************************************************************
See the March/April 20009 issue of the Healthy Hippie Magazine to read
Melissa Brodeur's review of When Darla Hit.
**********************************************************************************
Archer Mayor Visits Waterbury, Vermont
January 25, 2007, by R. Grace Comyns
On a bitter cold evening in this not so sleepy town (you couldn't’t find a parking space
anywhere near Stowe Street), a growing number of town folks gather at the Senior Center to
see their favorite author. A few of the author’s hard cover books have been placed near the
podium. I notice his latest three are not among them and wish I had remembered to bring
mine, which are already signed by Mr. Mayor. Our favorite librarian, Mary Kasamatsu is busy
setting up chairs and helping arrange snacks. It is because of her efforts that we are
gathered here. As the room fills up and people exchange greetings, grab a cup of coffee and
a snack from the table of sweets, in walks the author, tall and thin and with a curious smile
on his face. That smile never leaves his face during the evening as he tells about his writing,
his unorthodox methods, and his life. He is animated and funny, often forgetting the question
as he dives into one story after another about all the places he has lived and all the
languages he speaks. We learn he isn’t even a true Vermonter, absolutely no roots or
relatives in the state, although his father was born elsewhere in New England. “We moved so
often that by the time I was thirty, I had lived in thirty different places all over he world. I am
the youngest of six boys, and we all thought Dad must be a fugitive; it turned out he was just
restless.” His father lived to be ninety-nine and eleven months, and his mother who is from
Argentina, is eighty-eight and lives in NH. When Mayor decided he had lived enough places
and that it was time to go home, he chose Vermont, which has been his home for over
twenty-five years. “Say what you will about this state with twelve people; it’s the only state I
know whose government actually cares about its people. You can actually find your
representative by going to the state house in Montpelier, and you can get the governor on the
phone. When that changes and they build a governor’s mansion, I’ll be really mad.” Archer,
who is working on his eighteenth novel in the popular Joe Gunther series, is considered a
mid-list author and insists he barely makes a living cranking out a new book every twelve
months. His income is supplemented by work as a part-time police officer and death
investigator for the Vermont’s Chief Medical Examiner. He is also an EMT Captain as well as
a Volunteer Firefighter, so it’s amazing that he has time to write at all. Reading is another
matter; he once told me he had just finished a book that had taken him two years to read.
When I asked him which novel was his favorite, since several reviews have touted his latest
book, The Second Mouse as his best yet, he responded, “It’s always the one I’m working on
in my head.” He is currently finalizing his latest novel, Chat, which is about online
perpetrators. He talked about his book Bellows Falls, now being made into a movie by
another favorite Vermonter, Jay Craven. Twelve of Archer’s books are no longer in print, and
are now being acquired by the author for re-release as paperbacks. He fielded questions for
nearly two hours, after which, a few people started to leave. Those who stayed behind got to
chat with the author, get their books signed, and hear a few more stories. It was a delightful
evening, filled with much laughter and all good stuff.
