Supposedly we don’t know what’s missing until it’s gone, but a lot of times we let go of someone or something and don’t realize we’re lacking anything at all. We fill up the recently-vacated space with new people and activities and truly believe all is well, and maybe it is…for a while. But over time, a general malaise and lethargy develops. We don’t quite know what’s wrong, but something is most-definitely off. We switch up our routines, doing more of this and less of that. Unfortunately nothing seems to work. But then by fate, chance, or desperation, we experience what or who we let go and know…this has been missing.
Tom & Huck might be the most famous duo in literary history, but if you listen to Tom and Doug, you’ll probably agree there is some definite potential there. Come on, hitting on topics like fetal resorption, downtown Vegas, and bad relationships, not a bad way to spend thirty minutes.
The broadcast is available on Soundcloud from Rare Bird Books. Since being founded as a home for authors and publishers seeking new ways of publishing and marketing books that deserve to be read, Rare Bird has made a commitment to dedicating itself to being a leader in: a) developing, designing, and publishing great works that exceed the overall expectations of what just words on a page can provide; b) working with authors and publishers as a cohesive unit rather than adversarial opponents; and c) expanding the limits of what books can offer the world.
Finding yourself, coming of age, becoming are all descriptions of our search for identity. The last one is probably the best because it’s fluid and the most open-ended. The other two imply there’s a destination to the journey. While there are plateaus along the way where we feel a total sense of self, these are just moments and soon pass. Identity is neither found nor fabricated. It emerges from within when we have the courage to let go of who we think we are and experience the opportunities presented to us, even if that means we become the opposite.
Loganberry Books is an independently owned and operated bookstore featuring carefully selected new, used and rare books in Cleveland, Ohio. It was established in November 1994 by Harriett Logan. Some of the strengths of their collection include children’s and illustrated books, women’s history and literature, leatherbound and modern first editions, and fine and performing arts. Their browsable store contains well over 100,000 volumes for both readers and collectors. Come visit Doug and check out this amazing store. You can learn more about this event and others by visiting their website or following them on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.
We view the things that stand between us and our goals as opponents. Fighting against them, we believe if only they weren’t there or if we can just find a way past them, an unencumbered path to our dreams awaits. But the challenges that arise along the way are as connected to our aspiration as we are. Hurdle or hindrance, each impediment offers an opportunity to slow down and take inventory of ourselves and the world we live in. We just have to resist our competitive instinct to speed through obstacles and vanquish our enemies and appreciate what they are teaching us about our individual and collective journeys and the truth and beauty they open up to us.
How old are you? It’s one of the first questions we’re all asked and learn to answer. First with our fingers then with our adorable, sputtering speech. But as the days and years mount, it’s also one we avoid — both asking and answering. It’s a reminder of our inevitable mortality — that we are blessed with only so much time. But maybe our waning focus on age is more because we realize it really doesn’t matter. The number of years we amass is merely a counting exercise. Wisdom is the ultimate goal. That comes from living our lives to the fullest.
Jeffrey Keen, President and CEO of American Book Fest, said this year’s contest yielded over 1,500 entries from authors and publishers around the world, which were then narrowed down to the final results. The Investment Club beat out the following finalists to win Doug’s second International Book Award for Best Literary Fiction (Outside In won in 2014):
Congratulations to all of the Winners & Finalists of the 2017 International Book Awards. Read more about all the winners and finalists by category in their announcement.
We all strive to work smarter and not just harder. Unfortunately it’s not always clear how to do that because we don’t know what we don’t know. But we figure out pretty quickly that quality is more important than quantity, so to work smarter, we need to improve the quality of what we’re doing. The easiest way to do that is to reduce or eliminate what we shouldn’t be doing. Whether we like to admit it or not, we know exactly what that is. We just have to have the awareness and discipline to resist the temptation and do it.
From April 3-28, Pump Up Your Book is hosting a virtual book tour for The Investment Club. Each day for the duration of the tour, a different blogger will post a review, an interview, or have a guest blog from Doug. Some of the features include the following:
Pump Up Your Book is an award-winning publicity company placing first in the P&E Readers Poll for Best Book Promotion Company in 2014, 2013 and 2012. Founded in 2007 by Dorothy Thompson, a veteran book publicity, writer, and editor, PUYB has hosted over three thousand tours for authors. Dorothy has represented such celebrities as Paula Deen and Judge Glenda Hatchett, as well as representing other critically acclaimed authors, such as, John Locke, Claire Cook, Caridad Pineiro, Cody McFayden, Lisa Jackson, Ray Comfort, Jane Green and hundreds more. Learn more about PUYB and Dorothy on Facebook, Twitter, Google +, YouTube, or their website.
To stay updated, follow PUYB, the blogs above, or stay tuned to the ByCooper Blog. We’ll be sharing information on all the features as they post throughout the tour.
Worrying about the future and living in the past can be exhausting and merely a means to distract ourselves from what’s really important. While there’s great value in crafting a vision of what we want our lives to be and learning from our histories, we can also become imprisoned by these uncertain potential realities and already determined past outcomes. To be truly free we must let go of both what waits ahead and what lies behind and focus on being mindful and aware and present in the moment. These are the greatest gifts we can give to ourselves and to those around us.
