Bestselling Author, Ventriloquist, & Humorist
Books from Mill Park Publishing provide hours of entertainment without needing batteries, electricity, or sizing. And, they are reusable. Consider buying, reading, and giving these books written by women authors. Here are three of 12 choices:
Mill Park Publishing of Eagle has sponsored “Write by the River” writing retreats since 2008, and the quarterly events are scheduled in two deluxe cabins near the mountain town of Garden Valley, Idaho. Previous faculty for the retreats includes Pulitzer Prize Winner Anthony Doerr, Whiting Award Winner Alan Heathcock, and New York Times bestselling authors AK Turner and Jennifer Basye Sander.
In 2015, a women-only option was added to include a focus on wellness in addition to writing. The weekend is organized and hosted by Elaine Ambrose, Mill Park Publishing owner and author, and Emily Nielsen, a wellness coach and owner of Balance Family Fitness. Activities include healthy meals, gentle yoga, writing workshops set to music, fireside chats, and free time to write or explore. Attendees have arrived from four states, and the retreats usually are sold out.
The next Women’s Wellness and Writing Retreat is May1-3, and details are on the website at http://womenswellnesswritingretreat.eventbrite.com/?s=32519943. The costs begin at $250 for two night’s lodging, all meals, healthy snacks, speakers, writing materials, and individual coaching. The Saturday-only option is available for $100.
Mill Park Publishing produces books written by women. The books have won 14 prestigious awards, including a Silver Medal and a Bronze Medal from the Independent Publisher Book Awards program. The company has produced 26 published authors, and two more books are in production. Mill Park Publishing donates a portion of books sales to various local charities, including Treasure Valley Dress for Success, the Cabin Writers in the School Program, and the Women’s and Children’s Alliance.
Mill Park Publishing is announcing a “Call for Submissions” for a new anthology to be published in paperback and e-book format in early 2016.
Midlife Cabernet, a sassy blog written every Friday by Elaine Ambrose, will be published regularly on BlogHer – a forum for millions of bloggers and readers throughout the world. Preview the various blogs at www.BlogHer.com.
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.
