Publishers Comments – Page 19 – Rosepoint Publishing

The Absolute Definitive List of the Top Ten Best Selling Genres

Apparently, it is impossible to find one absolute definitive list of the top ten best selling genres anywhere–but can you find a list with 150? Yes, if you know where to look!

There are SOOO many variables out there from website to website. What is the focus? Is it hardback fiction, hardback non-fiction, paperback, or ebook? Are you asking the New York Times, USA Today, or Amazon? I recently wrote an article regarding Historical Fiction, and alluded to that genre’s sub-genres. This week I went looking for where the Historical Fiction genre related to all the others. See below for the breakdown. Continue reading “The Absolute Definitive List of the Top Ten Best Selling Genres”

Budweiser is Still King of Horse-Dog Commercials

I was struck by the recent post on Twitter by Ellen DeGeneres of the charming little picture of a dog and horse friendship and the obvious appreciation by Ellen as she noted, “They’re so cute and they nose it.”

Not the first picture of an unlikely pairing of animals far out of their own species, but as amazing and fun as the friendships between canines and felines or mammals and avians.

Sitting Horse and Dog — Sitting companions courtesy of pawmygosh.com

I suppose the bond between horse and dog isn’t so unnatural as the two have a history of working together under domestic situations for their humans the world over.

It’s Friday and we love cuteness overload. There are possibly few videos of a horse and dog relationship better than those Budweiser has put out over the years. What is your favorite?

10 Amazing Sub-Genre’s in Historical Fiction

Historical Fiction as a literary genre is generously broad and notoriously ambiguous in that the beginning of man can be included in the same spectrum of writing as our own recent Wild West. It was bound to happen then that sooner or later sub-genres would be broken out.

What is Historical?

In that it depicts and closely associates the period’s social conditions, manners, clothing, and environmental factors, the story can capture any century or millennia from the dawn of man. Generally, “historical” refers to publications written at least 50 years after the event. Considering an extended time frame, therefore, an author would usually be assumed to be writing from research rather than from experience. (In the relatively unusual case of my grandfather’s manuscripts, however, they were written some time shortly after his “sailing, mining, prospecting, and cowpoke days,” over 90 years ago but only recently published by myself.)

So if it’s all historical fiction, what are the ten sub-genres? Continue reading “10 Amazing Sub-Genre’s in Historical Fiction”

2017 Spring-Summer Fashions Are Here!

Once again, left in the dust when it comes to haute couture, I set out to see what kind of fashion Europe has cooked up for us this spring-summer and discovered they are not as heavily into the off-the-shoulder look as the home front would have us believe.

Thom Browne 2017 Fashion Collection — The Thom Browne 2017-18 Fashion Collection debuted in Paris in January.

The Entertainment Section of the Sacramento Bee, January 22, 2017, ran an impressive number of pictures that would set your heart aflutter; that is, before you noticed the price. But no problem–you’d definitely be in the “in” crowd with Thom Browne’s 2017-18 fashion collection that debuted in Paris the same month. It would appear they bought a huge bolt of this material though, as they presented two notable styles with the same fabric. Continue reading “2017 Spring-Summer Fashions Are Here!”

Winter May Be More Attractive South of I80

Just over 30 years old, Interstate 80 runs across the United States from San Francisco, California to Teaneck, New Jersey, which is actually in the New York Metropolitan Area, according to Wikipedia. The interstate is the second longest in the US (after Interstate 90) at 2,899 miles. Started in 1956, it wasn’t actually completed until 1986!

From California, the highway progresses over the Sierra Nevada range, through the barren, windy desert and over the Rockies, where it finally drops into the plains. This time of year that means everything from more rain in California, blizzard conditions in the mountains, and treacherous driving and flying most everywhere else.

More than half the country is expected to receive a major wallop in the next week with three successive storms. Meanwhile, there has been a wild variety of temps along the I80 corridor demonstrating what an expansive, topographically diversified country in which we live.

Around here they can’t remember a recent winter with this little snow (18″), but they are expecting small amounts from these systems. Meanwhile, it was 75 degrees in Goodyear AZ today. ©2017 Virginia Williams

Celebrate Another President’s Day–It’s Not Just Another Day Off Work

We are about to celebrate another President’s Day weekend, and with good reason: We’ve had some amazing presidents!

Most of these men issued forth a veritable number of memorable quotes. So it is here that I shall honor just a few:

George Washington-Born February 22, 1732-Died December 14, 1799

Actually, this quote was shortened–the full text was: “Associate yourself with men of good quality if you esteem your own reputation; for ’tis better to be alone than in bad company.”

Thomas Jefferson-1743-1826

“When angry, count ten, before you speak; if very angry, a hundred.”

Abraham Lincoln-quote — **Excellent quote for today’s president–yes?**

Abraham Lincoln – 1809-1865

“Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other one thing.”

Franklin D. Roosevelt – 1882-1945 “The only thing to fear is, fear itself.”

Harry S. Truman-1884-1972

“I have found the best way to give advice to your children is to find out what they want and then advise them to do it.”

John F. Kennedy-1917-1963

Ronald Reagan-1911-2004

“The future doesn’t belong to the fainthearted; it belongs to the brave.”

Of course, there are the memorable quotes made by others regarding our presidents, such as the one from Ann Richards about George W. Bush:

“Poor George. He was born with a silver foot in his mouth.”

And then, there is the one from William Taft that all authors and writers can take to heart: “Don’t write so that you can be understood, write so that you can’t be misunderstood.” Good one, Bill! Thanks to BrainyQuote.com for all the great photo pins! ©2017 Virginia Williams

Not Your Grandma’s Library Anymore!

Lake Co Public Library-Merrillville — **Sunday Afternoon at the Lake County Public Library – Merrillville**

OMG, have you been to a library lately? What is this nonsense about reading being dead? Libraries are huge, newer, and offer SO many services these days; they are way beyond a normal repository for books. I’ve always enjoyed using libraries, but a quick trip to my local neighborhood depository discovered it’s no simple store of books anymore.

Beyond books of information and education–a storage of knowledge–libraries now have information specialists. Find the answer to any question–but not necessarily in books. Now the world wide web is at your service with internet access provided. Continue reading “Not Your Grandma’s Library Anymore!”

Let’s Go Audio-Books

Perhaps you are one of the folks out there who just love the kinesthetic feel of your books, and I’d agree with you–most of the time. (I love the feel of those books, too.) In the four years since we left Idaho, however, our print book library has taken a major hit. Indeed, we finally had to sift through even our old college books and decide whether we really needed to store or lug those poor things around–again. (We didn’t.)

In all the miles we shared on the road either in our car or the RV, one of the things we enjoyed most (after heart-to-heart conversations, of course) was to fill some of those open roads with borrowed audio books or those gleaned from a thrift store for a couple bucks. We listened to a wide variety of genres, and they were as exciting and remarkable for the distracted-free driver as the passenger. Continue reading “Let’s Go Audio-Books”