Working Titlez

We are proud of each and every book we publish, but when one of ours is nationally recognized, we just can’t contain our enthusiasm. And in this case, we feel like we are ‘walking on air’ … Carolyn Uber, president, Stephens Press

Stephens Press announces the selection of Play in the Clouds, a title from the Tomas the Tortoise Adventures series, to represent Nevada at the 12th Annual Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington DC.

The illustrated series featuring a desert tortoise helps children explore the diverse terrain and environments of Nevada. “Tomas and his friends, including Chacko the Coyote and Luis the Lizard, interact with other native creatures,” says author-illustrator Mike Miller, “as they travel around the Silver State. From experiencing snow for the first time on Mount Charleston to exploring the ghost town of Rhyolite and taking a dip in Lake Mead one very hot day, their adventures are relatable to what real kids living in Southern Nevada can experience.”

Play in the Clouds will be featured by the Nevada State Library in the Pavilion of the States on the Washington Mall on September 22, 2012. Presented by the Library of Congress, honorary chairs are President and Mrs. Barack Obama. The Pavilion of the States salutes the literary traditions of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. territories. Play in the Clouds will also be featured in the Library of Congress’s brochure, “Discover Great Places Through Reading,” which will be available to all attendees to the Pavilion.

“Each state selects only one book from their state to represent adventures in reading,” said Stephens Press publisher, Carolyn Hayes Uber. “The committee liked the book because it was for children and highlighted the great diversity of our state’s landscape and dispels the myth that Nevada is only a vast desert.”

For more information about the book series visit www.tomasthetortoise.com.

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Headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada, Stephens Press publishes both fiction and non-fiction titles and markets books online, through newspapers, bookstores, and specialty retailers. Topics include history, current events, travel, entertainment, nature, sports, lifestyle and more. Stephens Press is the book division of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Contact Stephens Press at 702.383.0201 or info@stephenspress.com or visit the Stephens Press website.

This was originally posted on my old CarolynHayesUber blog. There’s been so much talk in both of my hometowns about libraries, their funding (or lack thereof), hours cut, outsourcing, and even closures, I remembered this post and wanted to share with you my personal love of libraries. How about you?

From the Nevada Historical Quarterly

We were recently delighted to read this comprehensive review of HOWARD HUGHES: Power, Paranoia, and Palace Intrigue by Geoff Schumacher. Fascination with Hughes never ends because, well, he was a pretty fascinating guy. His impact on Las Vegas lives on today.

—Stephens Press

“The buildings and institutions of Las Vegas don’t attract nearly as much attention as the personalities who have called that city home, even briefly.  Thus far, there has been no great Vegas visionary born in Las Vegas; those who have changed the city have, for the most part, come to town from elsewhere. Most of the stories, then, have the same trajectory: The genius moves to Las Vegas, does something never before seen, then reaps the fruits of his fortune, for better or worse.

Perhaps the most exhaustively written-about Las Vegan, Howard Hughes has attracted numerous biographers of all stripes. More than four-dozen books about him have been published since the 1960s. It would seem that there’s little more we can learn about his life. But a recent book places Hughes into what may be his definitive Las Vegas context. In Howard Hughes: Power, Paranoia, and Palace Intrigue, Geoff Schumacher has written a hybrid. In some regards, it’s a synthesis of the plethora of previous Hughes works. Schumacher combined through what must have been an endless array of news clippings and tomes of Hughesiana. But he also availed himself of rare and unique primary sources at University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Special Collections; the Nevada State Museum and Historical Society; and the treasure troves of private collectors. His thoroughness definitely shows. I doubt there’s much about Hughes particularly his four Las Vegas years—that Schumacher doesn’t touch on.

The book starts with a quick summary of Hughes B.V. (Before Vegas), then discusses his less-known earlier stays in Las Vegas, including his 1943 Lake Mead crash and his 1953 purchase of the Green House, which is still intact on the land of KLAS-TV. Then he brings in the story of Hughes’s right hand, Bob Maheu. Maheu’s story has been well documented, but seems to gain something by being placed more clearly in the critical context of Hughes’s time in Las Vegas, as presented by Schumacher.

As the Hughes roller coaster inches higher up the initial slope, Schumacher stops to describe “what Vegas saw” with a quick chronological survey of contemporary media coverage of the Hughes Las Vegas years (1966-1970). Then he dives into detailed chapters on Hughes in Vegas. These run the gamut from profiles of significant figures such as Hank Greenspun, Paul Winn, and John Meier, to discussions of key topics: the Clifford Irving hoax biography, the palace coup that brought Maheu down, and the sometimes outlandish fight over the estate in the face of competing Hughes wills, none of which was proved authentic. Melvin Dummar’s tragicomic tale—more tragedy than comedy, it now seems—gets ample space, and probably its best analysis yet.

Schumacher then jumps tracks, switching from biographer to critic with a section called “Hughesiana” that features a mix of non-Vegas profiles (Jane Russell, Rupert Hughes, and the RKO fiasco) and extended takes on “Weird Tales” (obscure Hughes texts) and “the Fictional Hughes,” which is an up-to-date consideration of the reams of paper and reels of celluloid fantasy that Hughes has inspired.

The book’s key strength is Schumacher’s attention to detail and thoughtful use of his sources. Without an axe to grind, he is able to write a dispassionate book about the eccentric billionaire, a decided rarity. Since Hughes was far from balanced, he invites wild speculation and still, more than thirty years after his death, an almost messianic fervor. Schumacher immersed himself in his sources without becoming captured by them—a hard task, indeed, where Hughes is concerned.”

—David G. Schwartz, Nevada Historical Society Quarterly

The Nevada Historical Society is a perfect way to embrace your fascination with Nevada’s rich history. Membership fees are very modest (just $35 for an individual) and garner all sorts of advantages including a subscription to the Nevada Historical Society Quarterly, free admission to seven museums, discounts, and other benefits. For more information, go to the Nevada Culture website.

Book review reproduced with permission.

A message to our Stephens Press authors (and any others who want to join in): Heard of Pinterest? Heard that it is the fastest growing Internet presence? I’ve been experimenting with it, and must say, I love it! Kind of addictive. To me, at the end of a long day, a few minutes exploring Pinterest is like flipping through the pages of a favorite magazine. Think of Pinterest as a way to find what interests you online and creating visual bookmarks for future reference. Beth Hayden’s new book, PINFLUENCE, is loaded with tips to use Pinterest for marketing … well … everything. In particular, non-fiction authors can find creating “boards” and “pinning” items can help the reach the very audiences that would like their books. The article linked below can help you get started. Please share your efforts with us at Stephens Press, too. Once you get your boards started, we’ll “follow” you, and help you spread your (P)influence to a bigger audience. Happy pinning!

FROM BOOKBABY.COM:

[Note: This post was written by guest contributor Beth Hayden, a social media expert and author of Pinfluence: The Complete Guide to Marketing Your Business with Pinterest.]

Pinterest may be the hottest ticket in town these days — but what are the best ways to use it to promote your book? How can you create targeted, effective Pinterest campaigns, so pinning doesn’t turn into a time-wasting social media sinkhole?

READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE HERE

I’ve been meaning to write on this subject for some time now, and the just-announced passing of novelist Maeve Binchy has prompted me to do it today. Binchy was a marvelous storyteller. In fact, in our writing book, Damn the Rejections, Full Speed Ahead: The Bumpy Road to Getting Published, author Maralys Wills dissects a compelling scene from Tara Road. A couple are at dinner at a local restaurant and the wife hesitantly begins to tell the husband she thinks it is time they have another child. The husband jumps to the conclusion the wife knows that his mistress is pregnant. Binchy works this scene like a master, building tension and drama, captivating the reader and making you feel like you’re at that table with them.

But the purpose of this post is to encourage all of you readers who’ve been inspired and touched and have wept and laughed because an author wrote a book that engaged your own imagination. For that’s the difference between reading a book and watching a film. With a book, you’re in something of a partnership with the author, sharing the story together. The writer provides the bones, the storyline, the characters, and the settings. But your own creative mind brings the story to life, adding the details and feelings that your own life experiences fuel. What a synergy!

As a publisher, I’m surprised how reluctant readers are to reach out to authors. From experience, I can tell you that authors are thrilled to hear from their readers, and especially how their books have touched another.

Lisa Gioia-Acres is a fan of Maeve Binchy, and recently she told me why. Lisa details her personal experience reaching out to Ms. Binchy on her blog This Gioia’s Chronicles. It is a special story.

Now, Stephen King and his coterie of mega-bestselling author friends may not answer you directly, or send your ten Euro banknote back. I’m sure they hear from legions of fans. But writers of most of the books you’ve liked are easily reached these days when most all of them have their own websites or blogs. You can send them an email or make a comment. Or send a note to their publisher and it will be passed on to them.

You thank the butcher, the baker, and the candlestick maker in the course of each day. Why not let the person who’s given you hours and hours of reading pleasure know that you’ve appreciated their work? I’m off to write some notes myself!

Happy reading!