New Opportunity for Literary Projects

Award-winning author, Deborah J Ledford has come up with an innovative way to finance her next project. IOF Productions Ltd. established the NatAmGoGo crowd funding campaign on Indiegogo to produce and distribute the audiobook version of her latest thriller novel, Crescendo from Second Wind Publishing.

The NatAmGoGo campaign will also benefit The Blue Feather Corporation, a Native American language and culture nonprofit organization.

The professional audiobook presentation will be narrated by TV and film actress Christina Cox, who has appeared in a variety of films and television episodes including NCIS, Dexter, 24, Castle, Chronicles of Riddick, Better Than Chocolate and Nikki & Nora. IOF Productions Ltd will record Crescendo in November at Costa Mesa Studios in Southern California for download and to purchase as CDs for a December 2013 release.

“We are thrilled to have Christina Cox set to perform Crescendo. Her exquisite voice and acting prowess will truly bring my words to life,” Ledford says. “The audiobook will be recorded by an experienced staff, with the quality that will equal narrated books presented by top publishing houses.”

Contributor packages for the Indiegogo/ NatAmGoGo project include a PDF version of Staccato, the first book in the Steven Hawk/Inola Walela mystery series; autographed poster of the Crescendo audiobook cover signed by Christina Cox and Ledford; print versions of book series, including Staccato, Snare and Crescendo, signed and personalized by the author; a leather bound package containing all discs of the Crescendo audiobook with booklet signed by Cox and Ledford; a full content edit by Ledford of a manuscript up to 90,000 words, and hand-crafted jewelry created by a renowned Navajo, Hopi and Taos Pueblo artists.

Ledford spent her summers growing up in the Great Smoky Mountains of western North Carolina, where her novels are set. She met Floyd “Mountain Walking Cane” Gomez in 2006 while doing research for her award-winning novel, Snare. Several years later, Floyd expressed the need to protect languages and culture on reservations throughout the United States, which is why he is establishing the Blue Feather Corporation.

“The storytelling campaign is an effort to prevent the disappearance of Native American languages and culture,” says Arizona author Ledford, who is part Eastern Band Cherokee.

“Native tribal languages and ancient ways are dying on our nation’s reservations,” Ledford explains. “We want to ensure that ancient societies survive.”

The Native American nonprofit foundation will receive 50% of the royalties from downloads and sales of the Crescendo audiobook. “But once the funding goal is reached, any excess will benefit the foundation 100 percent,” Ledford adds. “We can’t let another language or culture disappear,” Ledford concludes. “‘Wado,’ which means ‘thank you’ in Cherokee.”

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Click here to contribute: NatAmGoGo

Buy Your Child A Book Project – A Program of the Piercy Charitable Foundation

My guest today is the Piercy Charitable Foundation, explaining the Buy Your Child a Book Project:

Buy Your Child a Book Project encourages authors, educators and publishers to develop literature and programs that increase the number of heroes of color in children’s books.  Focusing on such topics as creating diversity in children’s literature, the shortage of age-appropriate books for children of color, the translation of brain research to the classroom and other educational innovations, the foundation seeks to encourage the creation of heroes of color in literature as well as for other social platforms, including the entertainment industry, schools, communities and businesses.

We believe that literacy and reading programs can solve many of society’s problems. With teen dropout rates in some parts of our country reaching almost 60%, our programs present students with age appropriate reading materials to encourage reading and to build resources that focus on inspirational role models for minority students, especially for children between 6–14 years of age.  

Encouraging Literary Heroes of Color

Our annual Buy your Child a Book Conference took place at the Barnes & Noble Booksellers store in Santa Monica November 6, 2010. Featuring some of the most respected contributors in their fields, the program offered new information on current heroes of color literature for the classroom, presentations by established authors, the corporate support of Barnes & Noble Booksellers, and innovative approaches to storytelling by one of Hollywood’s most notable producers. Other upcoming conferences will be held in Atlanta and Washington D.C. This year’s conference was in conjunction with Barnes & Noble Booksellers, McKesson Enterprises, the Los Angeles Academy of Media and Technology, the Los Angeles Urban League, the Milken Family Literacy & Youth Training Center, SP Turner Group, and the Publishers Association of Los Angeles.

The conference keynote speaker was Charles F. Johnson, a veteran television and film producer with more than 30 years in Hollywood. He began his career with The Rockford Files, progressing into many successful TV series franchises including: Magnum,PI, Quantum Leap, JAG and NCIS. NCIS achieved status as the number one series on television in 2010 and continues to expand its reach in syndication while still being in current broadcast. It has also garnered a successful spin-off NCIS: Los Angeles, which Charles was important in developing as the most successful spinoff at CBS. Soon to be released is Charles’ latest feature endeavor, Red Tails, the story of the Tuskegee airmen, the first African-American pilots to fly in a combat squadron during World War II. Charles has joined with George Lucas in this project. They are co-producing and the film which will be in theatres this fall. Charles has taken an interest in the charter school community and has a deep concern for children’s education especially at-risk children in the inner city.

If you or your organization would like to organize a Buy Your Child a Book conference in your community, please contact us at:  

Piercy Charitable Foundation
8306 Wilshire Blvd. #1213
Beverly Hills, CA 90211
(866) 604-3852 • www.bycabfoundation.org

Let’s Celebrate Blog Jog Day!

Welcome to Blog Jog, a one-day trot around the highways and byways of the blogosphere. Feel free to look around before you move on to the next blog in the jog. If you don’t know where to start exploring Dragon My Feet (which started out as a place to post things I did to procrastinate and evolved into a book blog), you can scroll down to see the latest posts, or you can check out one of my favorites: More Deaths Than One by Pat Bertram. If you are a writer and would like me to post information about your book, leave a comment, and I’ll get back to you.

Everyone who leaves a comment on this post will be entered in Second Wind’s best contest ever — a chance to win a copy of every title Second Wind will publish in 2011, including my own upcoming release, Light Bringer. 

Light Bringer tells the story of  Becka Johnson, who had been abandoned on the doorstep of a remote cabin in Chalcedony, Colorado when she was a baby. Now, thirty-seven years later, she has returned to Chalcedony to discover her identity, but she only finds more questions. Who has been looking for her all those years? Why are those same people interested in fellow newcomer Philip Hansen? Who is Philip, and why does her body sing in harmony with his? And what do either of them have to do with a shadow corporation that once operated a secret underground installation in the area?

So, be sure to leave a comment, then jog on over to visit Virtual Book Touring and Carol Denbow, author of How to Organize a Virtual Book Tour.

You can find the entire list of participants for Blog Jog Day at: Blog Jog Day.

Note: If you don’t wish to receive notices of future Second Wind book releases and contests, please mention that in your comment. You will still be eligible for this contest.

The Christmas Wish by Valerie Bouthyette

According to Diane Marti, Marketing Representative for FutureWord Publishing, “FutureWord Publishing is proud to announce the release of the first of a new juvenile fiction series, The Christmas Wish, by Valerie Bouthyette. In this new release, Bouthyette features an adorable little brown mouse with a white muzzle and thick fur, who treks across ice and snow to peek into the window of a little white farmhouse. This colorful and detailed, illustrated work reflects Bouthyette’s years of experience in the children’s storybook market. Not only the illustrations, but the story will appeal children of all ages. We are honored to present The Christmas Wish to the Pine City local community right away.”  

Valerie Bouthyette began her creative career when she picked up her first crayon. An award winning graphic and fine artist, Valerie finds illustrating for children to be the most rewarding. Originally from Long Island, NY, Valerie blends childhood memories, imagination and touch of magic to bring authors words to life.

 An advocate for the power of art in the community, she is the founder of CATS, Cultural Arts of Tanytown which offered cultural arts experiences for a rural community and the Pocono Mountain Arts Council in Tobyhanna Pennsylvania. 

Valerie is currently completing a teaching degree in Elementary Education at Elmira College in Elementary Education. Her studio is located on a small farm in Pine City, NY. 

The book may be purchased through Amazon.com or through the publisher at www.futureword.net. The print edition is $11.99 and Kindle is $6.99. For more information about The Christmas Wish, visit  the web site at: www.futureword.net

Press Release: The Enduring Legacy of DeForest Kelley: Actor, Healer, Friend

The Enduring Legacy of DeForest Kelley: Actor, Healer, Friend, written by Kelley’s former personal assistant Kristine M Smith, skyrocketed immediately to first place in the non-fiction category at Payloadz.com upon its May 1st release, where it has resolutely remained for three weeks.

In the new 61-page electronic book, Smith compiled the memories and reminiscences of nearly two dozen fans and friends whose lives were blessed and changed forever by the career or kindness of the late actor who portrayed Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy in the original Star Trek television series and motion pictures.

“I’m delighted the new book is receiving top honors at Payloadz,” Smith says. “It was a real labor of love for so many of its contributors and for me. And the unanimous, positive reviews of the book have also been gratifying. ”

The e-book reveals that many of Kelley’s devoted fans have gone on to become doctors, nurses, medical technicians, social workers, and other helping professionals, while still other fans continue to impact the world as writers, actors, and teachers.

The success of the new book has also bolstered sales of Smith’s earlier memoir about the actor who became her mentor. DeFOREST KELLEY: A HARVEST OF MEMORIES suffered from an untimely release date, coming as it did just weeks after the attacks on the World Trade Center and Washington D.C. on September 11, 2001, relegating the memoir to easy dismissal by and silence from mainstream media. Now that both books are receiving attention during the recent release of the newest STAR TREK movie, prospects for both books have increased significantly. Smith has been contacted to do radio and podcast interviews from science fiction and golden oldies radio producers.

Smith says, “This June 11th will be the tenth anniversary of the De’s passing. I can’t imagine a greater tribute, at this time – to the man and to the actor – than the timely attention being paid to these two books, along with taking in the wonderful resurrection of the McCoy character as portrayed by Karl Urban. He was able to capture so much of what De’s spirit and sensibilities brought to the role. I hope my two books will show that DeForest Kelley, the man, was every bit as worthy of respect and emulation as was his alter ego.”

Author Kristine M Smith’s blog is located at http://almostfamousbydesfault.blogspot.com/.