#Elaine Ambrose

Boise’s “alternative” newspaper intends to print a negative review of our new book, Drinking with Dead Women Writers. As the coauthor and publisher of the book, I appreciate any publicity, but I do hope the article will be placed ahead of the provocative ads for bi-sexual swingers and discreet Asian escorts. Otherwise, the book could get lost in that prolific cornucopia of literary excellence.

I was sad for two minutes after hearing about the pessimistic review. But, I’ll save a copy in my “Stupid Rejections” file – which is delightfully smaller than my file labeled “Hot Damn, I Won!” Before publication, the book was reviewed by an internationally-renowned, successful author. He wrote that the stories were “a rare mix of cleverness and intellect, and a total blast to read.” That review goes into the “win” file along with other glowing comments.

On a more positive note, I’ve also learned that my company Mill Park Publishing is a Bronze Medal winner in the 2012 Independent Publisher Book Awards (IPPY), and our book Little White Dress was selected from more than 5,200 entries from around the world. The Ippy Awards honor and recognize excellence in independent publishing and writing. So, put that in your crack pipe and smoke it, Boise Weekly.

Mill Park Publishing has published five books in the last two years, all of them written by local women authors. Little White Dress provided 26 women writers with the opportunity to share their stories about the myth and meaning of their wedding dresses. Now these women can promote the fact that they are authors of a national award-winning anthology. We have four more books scheduled to be released in the next year, and they are written by, about and for women. Most of us are have survived the slings and arrows of outrageous criticism and now we’re mature enough to wash away any lingering homicidal tendencies with a bold Cabernet.

Drinking with Dead Women Writers offers a collection of essays about 16 famous women writers. In researching the greatest female voices in literary history, AK Turner and I discovered fascinating facts: many of these women suffered numerous rejections, others weren’t published until after their death, one published only one novel but it won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, and several wrote under pseudonyms or used a man’s name because the prevailing opinion was that women didn’t have the competence to be writers. My name is Elaine Ambrose.

Today’s blog is fueled by a delightful bottle of Three Legged Red by Dunham Cellars in Walla Walla, Wa. It’s only $18, and it’s the cheap cousin of Dunham Cellars 2008 Trutina, a marvelous blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Merlot. That wine goes for $30, and both wines can be found at A New Vintage Wine Shop near Fairview and Eagle Road. Read the label on the Three Legged Red – it’s a touching story about an injured puppy named Port.