March 19, 2023
This photo shows a “marcescent” leaf … but is it as creative as saying “ghost leaves” or “the wings of moths” to describe leaves that don’t fall in autumn.
Check out Jill C. Baker’s author site for a new post about the pros and cons of using scientific terms in fiction writing, rather than creative interpretations.
March, 2022
This is a strange occurrence, but it’s happened twice, so author Jill C. Baker blogged about it on her site. Her post is not about pulling energy from the universe to make something happen, but rather, envisioning something, then seeing it happen in real life.
by Jill C. Baker
February 7, 2022 — If you’re a writer looking for vivid details or a reader hoping to improve your experience, don’t forget to check your Memory Bank. Chances are, you already have a stash of shining gems that can be used for this purpose.
Author Jill C. Baker recently saw something interesting that triggered a memory. The event also made her realize that she was already building on this memory in her book, #SilverLine.
Enjoy some writing perspective and excerpts in her blog, “Between the Lines.”
Don’t Forget to Unlock Your Memory Bank – Jill C. Baker (jillcbakerauthor.com)
February 2021 — SPG author, Jill C. Baker, decided to do something different. She interviewed herself in order to address the many questions she receives about the writing process and book publication. Seeing this as a resource for professionals, she posted it on Linked In, rather than on her own website.
Perhaps you will find it helpful.
December 2020
SPG author Jill C. Baker tackled this topic in a recent blog on her site.
In a post called “Summoning the Genie,” she describes how the mundane task of polishing an old nutcracker doorstop, revealed long-buried memories and led to multiple story ideas.
Take a read and let your mind wander.
Writers can learn a lot from their environment as long as they look, listen, and pay attention. Observation is critical in crafting the details that tell a story.
One of our authors, Jill C. Baker, recently blogged about a lesson she learned in foreboding, provided by an incoming storm. She captures the moments leading up to the first splats of rain, the wind, the dropping acorns, and bird feathers cast across the lawn — an ominous precursor of what is to come. Check it out here.
Diverging from the recent focus on fiction, SPG is pleased to announce a non-fiction title that is both personal and potentially helpful to genealogists — established or aspiring.
Nelson M. Baker, 19th Century Genealogist, A Family Album is a careful compilation of mementos, photographs, and documentation about a line of Bakers who lived in upstate New York. Editor Jonathan W. Baker, who descended from common ancestors, brings unique perspective to the work.
Here is the backstory as to how this compilation came to be:
Nelson M. Baker published the Genealogy of the Descendants of Edward Baker in 1867. To this day, that volume is the definitive genealogy for the descendants of Edward Baker. This volume is a group of Carte de Visite of Nelson M Baker and his siblings, his parents, his father’s siblings, and his grandmother on his father’s side. These images come from a satchel that was in the attic of the Baker homestead in Lafayette, N.Y. and were turned over, in the 1970s, to the local historian, J.Roy Dodge. He held onto the satchel waiting for any descendant to reach out to him. I connected with Mr. Dodge accidentally, by calling the Lafayette Public Library and was put in touch with Mr. Dodge, who graciously allowed me to copy and publish this book.
The book is currently available as color paperback on Amazon. Other formats are in-production.
Sometimes people ask us where writers get their ideas and how they develop them into plotlines. Aspiring authors wonder where to find interesting stories and characters who could come to life in their work.
SPG author, Jill C. Baker, stumbled upon a story in a story in a story, so fascinating, that it sent her on an exploration. This story covers centuries, decades, and recent days.
If you’re intrigued by history, coincidences, and bizarre connections, check it out.
She writes about it on her blog, Between the Lines, in a post called, “There’s Always More to the Story.”
Ever think about the attributes of a book, whether in print or digital format? Books have a lot going for them.
They’re portable. Non-perishable. Non-caloric. Easy to give. Nice to share. Generally affordable compared to other items of value.
Books can be personalized with a message, passed along, saved for a rainy day — and they can bail you out when you forgot to get you aunt/boss/neighbor a holiday gift!
Buy Now. Direct links provided to 7 online stores.
On June 29th, we had a nice opportunity to meet fellow authors and publishers, as well as readers, at the New England Authors Expo. The event was held at a new venue this year — the Hartleb Technology Center on the Northern Essex Community College campus in Haverhill, MA.
One of the things we had at our booth was a loop of “visual excerpts.” These we built by creating screens/jpegs of text and images either taken directly from the book (as the cover images, seen above) as well as photos fitting to to the theme. We thought this was a good way to bring the story to life.
To see the entire presentation, click here. It’s been saved as a PDF, so you do not need PowerPoint to view.