The company facilitates fee-based book publication and marketing for local authors,
organizes writer's retreats, and sponsors a television talk show.
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Elaine's Blog
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"Write by the River" Writer's Retreat is Sept. 29
Written by Elaine Ambrose
The 4th Annual "Write by the River" Writer's Retreat sponsored by Mill Park Publishing will be Saturday, September 29 at Elaine Ambrose's cabin in Garden Valley. To keep costs down, the retreat only will cost $50 to cover speakers, materials, lunch, an awesome canvas tote bag and snacks.This year's theme: Get Published: On Your Own and by the New York Big Guys.
Speakers include New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Basye Sander and national humorist Stacy Dymalski.
The retreat will begin at 9:00 a.m. and end around 4:00 pm. For an additional $20, participants can attend a private reception with the speakers on Friday evening, September 28.
Former speakers have included Tony Doerr, Lance Olsen, and Alan Heathcock. Past participants who are now published authors include Gretchen Anderson and AK Turner.
Registration details will be added to this site as soon as possible.
Written on Saturday, 21 April 2012 21:07 in Elaine's Blog Read 67 times -
Drinking with Dead Women Writers - New Book!
Written by Elaine Ambrose
DRINKING WITH
DEAD WOMEN WRITERSImmediate Release: April 17, 2012
Contact: Elaine Ambrose, Author/Owner of Mill Park Publishing
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Boise, ID: Idaho authors Elaine Ambrose and AK Turner share their talents for storytelling in a sassy new book about 16 famous dead women writers. The Premiere Party for DRINKING WITH DEAD WOMEN WRITERS is Saturday, May 12 from 3:00 – 6:00 pm at Asiago’s Wine Bar, 1002 Main in Boise.
Most early female writers used pen names because women weren’t regarded as competent writers. Margaret Mitchell wrote only one published novel in her lifetime, but Gone with the Wind won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1937 and sold more than 30 million copies. Emily Dickinson was so paranoid that she only spoke to people from behind a door. Carson McCullers wrote The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter at age 22. Her husband wanted them to commit suicide in the French countryside, but she refused. Ambrose and Turner explore these and other intriguing facts about the most famous women in literary history.
“I was completely enthralled by DRINKING
WITH DEAD WOMEN WRITERS, as Elaine Ambrose and AK Turner took turns in a fantastical romp through literature and drink, tossing back cocktails with some of the greatest female voices in literary history, cracking wise, prodding for answers to insightful questions, allowing us to know these writers and their minds in essays both hilarious and thoughtful. A rare mix of cleverness and intellect, and a total blast to read.”-- Alan Heathcock, award winning author of VOLT
-- AlanHeathcock.com
Ambrose is the author of Menopause Sucks and an author of five other books. Her short stories and feature articles appear in several anthologies and magazines. Turner is the creator of “The Writers’ Block” on Radio Boise. She writes a humor column for the Boise City Revue and served as a Writer-in-Residence. The book is published by Mill Park Publishing.
Written on Tuesday, 17 April 2012 23:41 in Elaine's Blog Read 94 times -
Idaho Writers & Readers Rendezvous
Written by Elaine Ambrose
Mill Park Publishing is a sponsor of the Idaho Writers & Readers Rendezvous on May 3-5 at The Centre in Boise. Other sponsors include The Idaho Writers Guild and The BSU Story Initiative.
MPP owner Elaine Ambrose will speak on a panel for "Small Press" on Friday, May 4. On Saturday, Elaine will moderate a panel titled "Publishing Today." Elaine also will judge entries in the fiction competition. Of course, she'll also be an eager and borderline-obnoxious participant in the evening's festivities. Why don't you join us?
Find registration information at www.idahowritersrendezvous.com
Written on Tuesday, 17 April 2012 03:12 in Elaine's Blog Read 97 times -
"Write by the River" Writer's Retreat will be Saturday, Sept. 29, 2012
Written by Elaine AmbroseWritten on Monday, 16 April 2012 23:42 in Elaine's Blog Read 90 times
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Cowboy Poetry: Using Imagery to Write a Poem
Written by Elaine Ambrose
Cowboy Poet Ernie Sites brought his energy, humor, and talent to Boise over the weekend,
and Mill Park Publishing sponsored his workshop titled “Writing the Songs of the West.” Participants were entertained and enlightened as he discussed the various ways to write and recite
poetry. He added some lively guitar playing to demonstrate how he turns his stories into songs.For one exercise, he showed the group various western paintings: agitated horses in a corral, a medicine woman, a Conestoga wagon crossing a river. Then he allowed 15 minutes for the attendees to write a poem. We all were amazed as each one stood to recite her or his poetry. Clearly, the assignment sparked some creative writing within the group.
Ernie instructed us to use free verse or rhyme, and I chose to write a poem about the
river crossing. I wrote in iambic tetrameter, a style I have used since my high
schools days (which happened about the same time as the wagon trains coming
west on the Oregon Trail.) Here’s my poem:Crossing Over
The raging river shoved the wagon.
Pa yelled at us to hang on tight
but Samuel fell into the water.
He screamed and then slipped out of sight.
My mama held the baby close
and glared at Pa to save their child
but he was struggling with the horses
to get across the river wild.
We reached the bank, he jumped back in
but all he found was Samuel’s shirt.
My mama didn’t smile for years
‘cause life was hard, and she was hurt.
Written on Monday, 13 February 2012 18:09 in Elaine's Blog Read 254 times
Liberals, Laughter, and Larry the Cable Guy
I had intended to write about the recent Elizabeth Warren quote that many of my intelligent, creative friends are promoting as “the best thing ever written. Possibly ever.” I had intended to gently but respectfully explain how this Marxist philosophy of class warfare seeks to take from the hard-working job creators, the achievers, the entrepreneurs, the risk-takers, inventors, and major tax-payers and give in larger proportion to the underachievers, the mediocre, the government, the lawyers, and the constant complainers. In my opinion, Comrade Warren is the Pied Piper of the new Proletariat.
But then my brother gave us tickets to see Larry the Cable Guy in Jackpot, Nevada. I laughed until I hurt, and now I feel so good that I don’t care if my friends become dedicated followers of the teachings of Mao Tse-Tung. (Just don’t take away my factory, if I choose to build one.)
The world is bloated with chronic stress, angst, and anger, and the only cure is a massive enema of laughter. It truly is the best medicine. Last night, the audience sat in cheap, plastic chairs in front of a bare stage as a chubby guy in combat shorts and a sleeveless, plaid shirt made them cry and howl for ninety minutes with his irreverent jokes and saucy humor. And, they paid their money in exchange for the joy of being happy. Last night, Larry the Cable Guy made thousands of dollars and flew away in a Lear jet. He earned every penny.
During the show, more than 3,000 people in the audience didn’t care if they were the boss or the employee. They didn’t care that it’s the factory owner who takes the risks to create jobs and pay the salaries that are taxed so that roads and schools can be built. They came to forget the political and social manipulation of organizations on the left (and the right) that seek only to divide, distract, and destroy our country.
I can’t convince my liberal friends to understand why I believe organizations such as MoveOn.org are promoting the Elizabeth Warren speech in order to penalize and diminish entrepreneurship and to advocate dependence upon the government. Conversely, my liberal friends can’t convince me that the individuals who created great inventions and took risks to start businesses should pay even more to those who didn’t try or sacrifice as much.
Instead of wasting time and energy on unproductive debate, friends should go to comedy shows and laugh until milk (wine, beer, water) runs out their noses. Friends who laugh together can acknowledge and honor their individual differences. Then they can walk away lighter, happier, and momentarily stress-free. And, if someone continues to argue, in the immortal words of Larry the Cable Guy, "Just call 'em a peckerhead."