Tag Archives: book publishing

New Organization for Authors and Writers Formed

Society will support and encourage writers and authors at all levels on Long Island, New York.

Riverhead, NY, USA (January 18, 2013) — A new organization dedicated to enhancing and promoting the works of writers and authors on Long Island has just been launched, Tom Gahan, president of the newly formed Long Island Authors and Writers Society (LIAWS (http://www.LIAWS.org), announced today.

The group is committed to supporting the creative talents of local writers and authors, while offering resources on the business end of publishing. “Writing and publishing are very turbulent industries, especially in the age of self-publishing, the rise in the popularity of e-readers and the subsequent troubled finances of the nation’s booksellers and traditional publishers, both large and small,” says Mr. Gahan. “It’s critical for us as a community of professionals to come together to shape the future of the industry and maintain its integrity.”

Long Island is home to countless writers and authors and yet no single organization exists to provide all levels of the craft with resources to further their goals, according to Mr. Gahan. LIAWS will provide professionals and amateurs the opportunity to network, collaborate, or simply to navigate the ins and outs of a complex industry. Membership is open to all published and unpublished writers and authors on Long Island from all genres. “Whether you’re a budding writer seeking your next step or an established author looking for like-minded professionals, LIAWS promises to be a good fit,” adds Mr. Gahan.

In addition to organizing writing workshops and networking events, LIAWS is also committed to community and will work with schools and youth organizations to promote literacy skills, adds Yvonne Capitelli, an award winning children’s book author and vice president of LIAWS. “Our goal is to become vocal and powerful advocates for our community of writers and authors for the long haul,” says Ms. Capitelli.

For more information on the Long Island Authors and Writers Society, or to download a membership application visit http://www.LIAWS.org.

About:

Tom Gahan is the author of Harmony Bay, a well-received novel that became required reading at several high-schools. He has worked as a journalist and as a freelance writer who has shaped the image of various corporate clients. Tom is a digital publishing industry expert.

Yvonne Capitelli has won seven awards for her character building children’s book, Daria Rose and the Day She Chose, which has made the best-seller list at Amazon.com, and as co-author of I Get It! I Get It! How John Figures It Out. Yvonne is a noted motivational speaker for children on topics including self-esteem, making good choices and anti-bullying.

About LIAWS:

The Long Island Authors and Writers Society (http://www.LIAWS.org) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to support and promote the craft of writing through supporting one another, mentoring its members, educational programs, in-school programs, book events and events related to writing, and community outreach to residents of Long Island interested in writing. LIAWS nurtures writers and authors at all levels of development in a mutually beneficial environment. LIAWS: provides a trusting atmosphere where authors and writers can come together to meet their individual needs and share information for the good of the whole, supplies strong motivational programs of interest to all writers, offers the opportunity for members to network on different levels according to their needs, provides an environment that promotes authors, and encourages writers to strive to publish their work. All members pledge to support one another and to be involved in supporting the activities of the organization.

Media Contact Info (Not for Publication):
Tom Gahan
E-Mail: tgahan@optonline.net
Tel: 631-369-0063

Amy Winehouse’s “Personal Painter” Releases Art I Love

Book includes Sam Shaker’s work along with instruction for developing artists.

United States and London, Thursday – September 08, 2011 — Artist, jazz club owner, and celebrity confidant Sam Shaker’s first book, Art I Love, is a rarity in its category – an art book that tells a readable, engaging story.

Part autobiography, part instructional guide, and part historical account, Art I Love (2012, Hola Publishing International, an Imprint of Halo Publishing International), chronicles Shaker’s development from Parisian street artist to recognition as Europe’s premier creator of commissioned celebrity portraits. His subjects have included the late Amy Winehouse (who called Shaker her “second dad”), actor Kevin Spacey, singer/songwriter Adele, and model Kate Moss.

Shaker describes Art I Love as, “approachable for newbies, academic enough for students, and serious enough for history buffs interested in the cultures of Paris and Spain and how these cultures were influenced by artists of various periods.”

Art I Love is the product of decades of diligent work and the culmination of an improbable journey to professional recognition. A self-described “huge Picasso fan,” Shaker studied art and graphic design at the Leonard da Vinci Academy, and was awarded a diploma in Fine Arts. Soon after, he left his native Cairo for Paris to pursue a career as an artist. After years of sporadic success – and nearly starving to death – he left art behind, albeit temporarily, to launch and operate Jazz After Dark, which would eventually become a successful music club in London’s Soho district.

It was at Jazz After Dark that an encounter with Kate Moss spurred Shaker to create again. She commissioned him to paint her portrait, the London media took notice, and Shaker had quickly established his reputation as a specialist in celebrity portraits. Many of these works are reproduced in Art I Love.

Shaker met Amy Winehouse long before the singer achieved international superstardom. “She came to my club, and the admission charge was £3. She said she didn’t have £3, so I told her she could pay me next time,” he recalls. The unlikely friendship blossomed in the years that followed. “She was creative, kind, talented and a very genuine person. She loved art, music, and writing. She never forgot her friends and people like me who gave her a helping hand in her career. She was very loyal to me and never commissioned any other artist to paint her portrait.”

Art I Love also offers a wealth of practical instruction for art students. Techniques, based on Shaker’s own learning experiences, are provided in regard to planning a painting, selecting appropriate materials, working from live subjects versus working from photos, and addressing the nuances in skin tones, shading, facial proportions and similar challenges encountered by the developing artist.

About Sam Shaker
Sam Shaker was born in Cairo, Egypt and studied art at the Leonard da Vinci Academy. The father of three grown children, he owns and operates Jazz After Dark, a popular London music club and art gallery.

A prolific portrait painter, Shaker’s recent subjects have included Prince William and Kate Middleton, The Beatles, Kate Moss, Kevin Spacey, Pete Doherty, Adele, Mark Ronson and many others.

About Hola Publishing International:
Since 2002, Halo Publishing International (HPI) has produced more than 200 titles in adult fiction and non-fiction, children’s, inspirational, sports and recreation, and other categories. Hola Publishing International is Halo’s imprint company.

Visit http://www.halopublishing.com for details.

Press & Media Contact:
Lisa Umina
Halo Publishing International
P.O. Box 60326, AP #726
Houston, TX 77205
(216) 255-6756
Lisa@HaloPublishing.com

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Cancer Patient Inspired Story about Living

Author Kim Nottingham was working as an oncology nurse in a Northeast Ohio hospital when a patient quietly grabbed her attention with a story about life. This interaction represents one of the most memorable moments in her nursing career.

Valley View, OH, September 10, 2010 — Author Kim Nottingham was working as an oncology nurse in a Northeast Ohio hospital when a patient quietly grabbed her attention with a story about life. This interaction represents one of the most memorable moments in her nursing career.

The young woman told the RN she had experienced so much personal tragedy that when faced with cancer, she felt her life wasn’t worth living enough to seek treatment. Instead, she held fast to her secret and allowed her disease to progress. As the caring nurse listened intently, the patient reflected on the consequences of that decision because, like a cruel twist of fate, her situation had unexpectedly changed. The woman said after enduring years of an unhealthy marital relationship, she found true love that could bring her joy for a “lifetime,” one she had, by choice, severely limited.

“And yet, she still had this hopefulness,” Nottingham said, “even though she faced the possibility of dying and the fact that she had a part in it.”

While the RN spent only a short amount of time with the patient, it was the woman’s gracefulness and peace amidst a heartbreaking struggle to survive that inspired Nottingham to write The Path That Led Me Here.

“I ‘ve found taking the time to really listen and connect to patients is enlightening,” Nottingham said. “We all have different people who are placed in our path for a reason. My life and career was blessed by this patient, and my hope is that others will be touched by the story as much as I was.”

Now a wound care nurse for Summa Health System in Akron, Ohio, Nottingham said she continues to actively listen to patients and recognizes she has an opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life each time she goes to work. “I love the nurturing of bedside nursing,” she said. “Those connections with patients balance the challenges of the nursing profession.”

She also finds nurturing in anything creative, including cooking, gardening and her writing. The author recently raised money for the Salvation Army by donating a portion of the proceeds from book sales during a presentation at her church. While working on a new novel, she is promoting The Path That Led Me Here ( http://www.thepaththatledmehere.com ) hoping to offer inspiration to the many people facing a sense of hopelessness. She is speaking in November during a meeting of the Summa Hospital Women’s Board in Akron.

Nottingham is a graduate of Kent State University with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. She is currently in her sixteenth year of her career and comes from a family of nurses including her mom, aunt, and a cousin. She was born in Columbus, Ohio, and lived throughout the Buckeye state in communities where her father was hired as a school administrator. She currently resides in Stow, Ohio with her husband and two children.

Her inspirational, fiction novel ( http://www.thepaththatledmehere.com ) is available in paperback at all online book retailers. Autographed copies are available for purchase through her publisher, Halo Publishing International http://www.halopublishing.com. The novel can be viewed on Facebook and at http://www.thepaththatledmehere.com

Press & Media Contact:
Lisa M. Umina, Publisher
Halo Publishing International LLC
5549 Canal Road
Valley View, OH 44125
216-255-6756
lisaumina@halopublishing.com

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