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Greetings, friends, writers and readers!

In the past six months, I have worked very hard to send a monthly newsletter as close to the beginning of the month as possible. In February, I have released myself of that obligation. I have struggled to know what my audience wants to hear, and, if I am honest, I have no answer.



About 1/3 of my newsletter subscribers are readers, 1/3 are writers, and 1/3 are peers, which means there’s a little bit of both. I knew next-to-nothing about publishing when I started this business, and we’re still a young business— learning slowly, experimenting, networking and using our resources to invest in the future.

We recently constructed a very crude online store where you can order titles direct from us. (Click here.)


Remember that any support you can offer helps us provide more opportunities for more writers and artists. We produce an ambitious amount of titles for a boutique, craft press and to keep doing that we need your support. If you wish to buy multiple books, whether the same or different titles, email us at angel@parisianphoenix.com for a discounted invoice. Discounts are nice!


To best serve my distinct audiences, I hope to send a generic newsletter once a month, and also said emails when I have news: new titles, new opportunities, new events. And I hope to capitalize on our web site to direct newsletter readers to the content that best serves them.


NEWS

  • We now have a TikTok, @ParisBirdBooks. A certain Gen Z someone I love informed me that my original TikTok’s are cringeworthy, but hey— I’m Gen X and I tried. Anyway, I’m going to keep making my bad TikToks until the teenager takes over the account. She already made me log into the account on her phone so it’s only a matter of time. #BookTok (If you want to learn more about BookTok, I have a curated podcast playlist on Spotify, “BookTok.” More on Spotify below.)

  • Many of our books are in stock in downtown Easton’s Book and Puppet Company, Lafayette College Store, and Darrell Parry’s Twists can be found in the Barnes & Noble in Bethlehem Township.

  • Speaking of Darrell Parry, our published poet is releasing a second, expanded edition of his book, Twists: Gathered Ephemera. This means you can order a copy of the first edition for a reduced price here. The new volume should officially release Feb. 20 and includes a previously unpublished poem.

  • Thurston D. Gill’s book, The Phulasso Devotional, has a gorgeous, custom-commissioned watercolor cover by mixed media artist Maryann Riker. Maryann’s original art also appears on the cover of Twists and in the anthology Not An Able-Bodied White Man with Money. Thurston’s devotional, aimed at Christians but insightful for the spiritual of any faith, uses Thurston’s background in law enforcement, private security, and ministry to prepare the layperson for emergencies and person protection without sacrificing their moral values. We hope to release this book on or before March 17.

  • Larry Sceurman has submitted his list of short stories for his fiction anthology, Coffee in the Morning, coming this spring. Today, I edited his longest story in the collection, “Angel in the Pines,” Larry’s tribute to Philadelphia and legend of The Jersey Devil. (Speaking of which, good luck, Eagles! Fly, Eagles, Fly!)

  • Eva Parry has submitted her manuscript for her as-of-yet untitled tarot journal. The concept combines a tool for learning the cards and recording readings.

  • Angel Ackerman, Gayle Hendricks and Nancy Scott will be speaking to the Apex Writers Group in a private session March 20.

  • If you are in or near Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley: For writers, the Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group hosts its annual conference March 23-25, featuring Kathryn Craft and Maria Snyder. For readers, Let’s Play Books and Bethlehem Area Public Library will host the Lehigh Valley Book Festival March 24-16. Parisian Phoenix tabled at last year’s event so Angel decided to volunteer with the festival this year.


FOR READERS


If you are a reader, click here to read excerpts from our current fiction titles: my own Fashion and Fiends series, Seneca Blue’s Trapped, and Larry Sceurman’s The Death of Big Butch.


The Fashion and Fiends series blends chick lit and horror into what is now called paranormal women’s fiction— so if you like supernatural creatures, big bad threats, strong female characters, romance, sex, humor, and real-life issues like body image, self-confidence, relationships, depression, disability, interracial dating, etc., all set in the high fashion world and across multiple continents, you might want to check out Manipulations, Courting Apparitions, Recovery and the novelette, Not the Quiet French Kid. And if you don’t know what a novelette is… it’s an extra long short story. For samples, click here.


If you want something not-so-dark, but still poignant, try Trapped by Seneca Blue. The novel is a rom-com with some seriously farcical elements. Protagonist Edna, who goes by Ed, falls in love with the trapper who comes to her house to rid her of the skunks in her urban backyard. Ed is overweight, almost 40, has too many part-time jobs, bad luck and a colorful family. In the background of the novel, Seneca addresses the insecurity of the gig economy, redevelopment and sprawl, environmental concerns and the non-profit world without missing a single laugh. For a sample, click here.


Want something just as easy to read but less feminine? Perhaps even nostalgic? Larry Sceurman’s The Death of Big Butch offers an unusual coming-of-age story. It’s 1974, and Jimmy Washburn has a second child on the way. He finds himself facing not only the change of his small-town community as the new shopping mall opens, but through the antics and experiences of his friends, he learns that it might be time to stop hanging with the boys at the bar. Larry richly captures the spirit of the seventies and the internal conflicts of twentieth century American masculinity. For a sample, click here.


FOR WRITERS


  • Our blog offers a variety of posts on publishing, writing, and resources and importantly, accepts submissions from people outside our staff. So pitch us!

  • We have several open calls right now— we hope to return to The Parisian Phoenix Cat Book, as soon as our production schedule opens up a bit. This book will feature poems, photos, fiction, non-fiction and real-life rescue information that we hope we can offer as a fundraiser for cat rescue work. The delay, while frustrating, means you still have time to submit your work for the collection.

  • In June, we hope to start our first potential souvenir/travel/photo book, nicknamed The Scavenger Hunt. If you have any photographers in your life, the book will feature unusual detail photography of Lehigh Valley scenes. The front of the book will feature a map, and the photos will be printed inside without identification, allowing participants to find these new views of familiar places. A family-friendly game! We need submissions, so see (and share!) our web site.

  • We’re hoping the writers of Apex will bite at the chance to participate in our Modern Frankenstein anthology. This modern take on Frankenstein stories encourages a twenty-first century, multi-genre interpretation of how man would create new life based on our current science. Submissions open, closing date TBD. You have at least until June. Probably longer.

  • Finally, I want to remind everyone that I curate writing related podcasts into playlists on Spotify. Spotify is free, and these lists are separated into topics that are easy to navigate. Just look for my profile— Angel R. Ackerman, in the photo I’m holding a cat— and you can access the various lists for free. I recently started a column for the Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group newsletter about writing podcasts. Want to read it? Click here. 



I hope this email finds you well, and if you have any questions on any of this, contact me at angel@ParisianPhoenix.com or via any of our social media: Goodreads, Patreon, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and Facebook.


Pick up your pen, or your favorite book, and as always, support your favorite independent authors, presses and bookstores! And if nothing else, make a writer’s day by reviewing their work online!

—Angel


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