Paddle Turn
She has the rhythm, the love of movement, and there will be many ways she might enjoy those in her future. And opportunities to bond with her mom. That’s the circle of life. Paddle turn.
Continue reading →Cynthia Kraack
Cynthia Kraack is an author of fiction and nonfiction including The High Cost of Flowers, winner Midwest Book Award, and 40 Thieves on Saipan.
Tapping Out the Grief
For ninety minutes a week, the world I experience is a musical place with classic jazz or Broadway tunes accented by the sounds of fourteen tap shoes slapping and flapping and stomping across a studio floor.
Continue reading →Book Award Season
But, there’s a whole lot of post-award publicity and book sales left on the table for small press or self-published writers . Without resources of a large publisher, there’s no expertise to develop plans in advance or manage promotion after winning a significant book award.
Continue reading →Peace on Earth
To you and yours I send one simple message: If it is not possible to have peace on earth, may we at least live at ease with each other. Pax.
Continue reading →That Time of Year
There are no traditions for merging the happiest time of the year with the emotional pain of loss, whether sudden or lingering.
Continue reading →A Fiction Writer’s Social Media Plan
How can an author supplement a publisher’s efforts to find readers? The pros say discoverability is key to an author’s success and active social media is a must. I’d like to believe that social media can also open two-way communications.
Continue reading →Frightened Off Station Eleven
Margaret Atwood, PD James, Cormac McCarthy and James Howard Kunstler have not bothered my sleep in worse times. But I wouldn’t sleep with Mandel’s story in my mind.
Continue reading →Mix and Match Social Media
What makes sense for my work to be discovered by readers? Here’s what I discovered: Women over 45 account for 58% of all books purchased. They rely on personal recommendations and like to visit bookstores..Some are not online. Those who are find their way to Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Pinterest.
Continue reading →Who is @c_kraack?
@c_kraack is now truly a brand. One that Calumet has built. At any moment someone in the world could be reading a tweet from @c_kraack that I generated or Calumet generated. A lesson is now learned—expecting @c_kraack to serve as both my personal twitter handle as well as a business presence is like forgetting difference between Facebook and LinkedIn.
Continue reading →What to Read: The High Cost of Flowers
“This luminous novel is so moving, so real, parts are difficult to read because this is the story of every family,” writes books editor Mary Ann Grossman in the Pioneer Press.
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