December Specials & Upcoming Markets

 Good morning!

Can you believe that it's December already? This year has flown by!

I've just got a few updates today. First, I'll be continuing to discount everything in my online Etsy shop, Reprieve's Corner, through the end of the year.

 

 

December Specials:

Autographed Books 25% Off (all titles-- including my new novel, Alternatives)!

Handmade Jewelry 50% Off! 

All Handmade Crafts, Vintage, & Supplies 40% Off!

 

 

 

Upcoming Markets:

 

Coquille Eagle's Holiday Craft Bazaar

Friday, December 3rd-- open 9 am until 5 pm

Saturday, December 4th-- open 9 am until 4 pm

Location: Coquille Community Building, 115 N Birch Street, Coquille, OR 97423

This annual event always draws a large variety of local merchants. There are usually a few non-profit groups as well (including the local human society). Additionally, the Coquille Eagles usually have a booth where they sell fresh baked donuts-- yum!

Pony Village Mall Holiday Craft Faire

Saturday, December 11th from 10 am until 4 pm

Location: Pony Village Mall, 1611 Virginia Avenue, North Bend, OR 97459

This will only be my 2nd time participating in this particular market. Last time there were a variety of vendors-- some selling handmade items and some resale. Please, feel free to check it out!

 

(Shore Acres Light Display)

As you can see, it's a scaled down list for me this year. Unfortunately, the combination of the global pandemic and my personal health issues have taken their toll on be over the past two years. As much as I enjoy participating in local markets (and visiting with members of our community), I've had to reduce the number of markets that I participate in.

As my regular readers know, I'm not the most consistent blogger. So, in case I don't post again before then, I'd like to wish everyone a very happy holiday season and a wonderful new year!

Thank you for taking the time to read this blog post and for supporting my little crafting and writing business. I really appreciate it!

Happy reading!

~ H. S. Contino

Florence Festival of Books Follow-Up

Good morning! 

Earlier this month I wrote about the upcoming Florence Festival of Books. The event is usually annual, but it was cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic. I was excited to return this year. (Fun fact: the 1st annual Florence Festival of Books was in 2011-- which was the year my first book was published. As a result, I can proudly say that I've attended every year!). 

 

 

This year got off to a bit of a rough start. It was stormy on the Oregon coast Friday night. I'm such a light sleeper that the strong winds and heavy rains woke me up several times. Fortunately, by Saturday morning the storm was letting up. It rained off and on during my drive to Florence, but it cleared up about an hour after the festival opened. 

 

 

I knew when I signed up that this year's festival would be different. In fact, for the week leading up to the event, I half expected to receive a message saying it had been cancelled. We've been experiencing a surge in coronavirus cases on the Oregon coast over the past few months (mostly due to the Delta variant). But, they decided to go ahead with the event while implementing several safety efforts. 

 

If you look closely, you might recognize the author in the lower left  photograph.

 

In addition to requiring everyone (both vendors and visitors) to wear masks inside the Florence Events Center, they limited the number of booths. If I remember right, they said there was 1/3 less booth this year than in past years. This allowed them to space out the tables which made it easier for participants to practice social distancing. They also had hand sanitizer stations set up throughout the building.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Despite advertising the event through all of the regular channels, this year's book festival didn't draw as many visitors as it usually does. Given the circumstances, this wasn't surprising; but, if I'm being brutally honest, it was still disappointing. 

I'm incredibly grateful to the people that did attend the event. I enjoyed chatting with the visitors to my booth. Since I wrote two books on local history, I tend to catch the attention of fellow history enthusiasts. This inevitably leads to interesting conversations! I also enjoyed catching up with several of my fellow west coast authors.

Baby book's 1st book festival...

 

I'm looking forward to next year's Florence Festival of Books. Fingers crossed that the world has returned to "normal" by then!

Happy reading!

~ H. S. Contino

2021 Florence Festival of Books

 Good morning!

Mark your calendars! This Saturday is the Florence Festival of Books. I hesitated to write about this before because I was worried that the event would be cancelled due to the current coronavirus surge in Oregon. However, I received an email this morning from the event sponsor and we're still good to go.

As my regular followers are aware, I'm a big fan of the Florence Festival of Books. It's one of the largest annual book festivals on the Oregon coast. The first annual event just happened to be in 2011 which was the year I published my first full length book, Shipwrecks of Coos County (Arcadia Publishing). I had good timing! Because of this I can proudly say that I have had a booth at every Florence Festival of Books.

 

Last year (2020) would have been the 10th annual event but it was cancelled due to the coronavirus. As I mentioned earlier, I was worried that year's event would be cancelled as well-- especially since we're int he middle of a virus surge-- but they're going forward with the event. In order to keep everyone safe, there will be some additional rules and restrictions. For instance, everyone-- both attendees and authors/publishers-- will be required to wear masks. They're also encouraging us to have hand sanitizer available at our booths and the event hosts will be setting up hand sanitizer stations throughout the building.

The Florence Festival of Books is a great venue. Every year it gets a little bit bigger. The majority of the booths are for authors, but there are usually a few publishers as well. One of my favorite parts is the diversity. The event draws a mix of traditional and independent (self) published authors who represent a variety of genres and reading levels. 

My booth at the 2019 Florence Festival of Books.

 

Since I usually attend the events alone, I don't get a lot of time to wander through the booths. But the venue does provide volunteers that are available to watch your booth for short periods of time. I like to take advantage of this opportunity to walk around, say hello to the authors I know, and purchase a few new books for my personal collection. 

 

There's something for everyone! During past events, I've visited with fellow authors that write books for kids through adults, fiction and non-fiction, and a variety of genres. My personal favorites are local history, science-fiction, and I have a soft spot for children's books (I have a healthy inner child!). But, the event draws a variety of other genres as well includes graphic novels, romance, and mystery.

***

The Florence Festival of Books is held at the Florence Events Center which is located at 715 Quince Street in Florence, Oregon. It's a two day event.

On Friday night (September 17th, 2021) they will have a presentation featuring Melody Carlson as the keynote speaker. There will also be an educational panel featuring local authors Bob Welch and Bill Sulllivan.

The actual book fair will be held this Saturday, September 18th from 10 am until 4 pm. Attendance is free, but there will be numerous books available for sale. They also have a small cafe that sells food and drinks.

If you're in the area, please stop by my booth and say hello! If you mention this blog post, I'll give you a 25% discount toward the purchase of any of my autographed books.

I hope to see you there!

~ H. S. Contino

And the winner is...

 Good afternoon!

Just a quick follow-up post today. Thank you to everyone that participated in the recent giveaway for my new novel, "Alternatives." The deadline to enter was Saturday, July 31st, 2021. So, on Sunday morning, I wrote down all of the names and randomly drew one.

 

Drum roll, please! And the winner is... Doc!

 

Small world, Doc also happens to be one of my neighbors. (Since two of my books are about local history, it's not really surprising that the majority of my fans live on the Oregon coast). Yesterday afternoon, I signed a copy of the book (along with a personalized message) and walked it down the street to deliver it. How's that for personalized customer service? 😉

Doc, I hope you enjoy reading the book!

Happy reading (and writing) everyone!

~ H. S. Contino 📚

Win an Autographed Copy of "Alternatives" by H. S. Contino!

 Good morning!

I hope that everyone had a great weekend. On a personal note, I celebrated my birthday on Saturday. Being an introvert and a science nerd, I celebrated by first watching a webinar hosted by The Planetary Society (https://www.planetary.org) on near Earth objects (NEO's) then going geocaching with a friend. We ended the day by getting dinner and just sitting and chatting for a while. And, of course, there was dessert! These may not sound like exciting plans to my extroverted readers, but-- for me-- they were perfect. :)

 

Just a short post today. I've decided to have a book give away for my latest novel, Alternatives (available for sale through Amazon). In the past, I've hosted a few book giveaways through GoodReads. Unfortunately, they have since started charging authors. So, I'll be doing this the "old school" way. To enter to win, simply comment on this blog post or send me an email. I'll print out all of the names on slips of paper, put them in a bowl, then choose a random winner.

Pros and cons-- the book giveaway would receive more attention and participants through the GoodReads webpage. And, of course, the purpose of the giveaway is to draw attention to my new book. But, since my blog gets a lot less traffic, your odds of winning will be much higher. Silver linings!

 ***

Book Giveaway Details:

I'll be giving away 1 print copy of my novel, Alternatives. I will sign the book before shipping it. Both the book and shipping will be free. So, there is no cost to participate. 

Readers have from June 29th through July 31st, 2021 to enter the contest. To enter, either comment on this blog post or send me an email (H.S.Contino@hotmail.com).

Winner will be chosen randomly. I'll contact the winner the first week of August. I'll send them a link to a "custom order"/reserved listing on my Etsy shop, Reprieve's Corner, so they can provide their mailing address.

The book will be completely free, but I would appreciate a book review (through Amazon or GoodReads). However, this is not a requirement.

***

 

About the book:

Sci-fi meets romance in this quirky read!

Theoretically, there exists a parallel version of reality for every possible outcome of our life choices. What if you were given a glimpse into your alternative lives? What version of yourself would you see? How would it influence your future decisions?

Francis Marino's quiet life on the Oregon coast was interrupted when two military officers arrived on her doorstep with a bizarre story and urged her to come with them. Thus began an unexpected adventure that forced her to leave her comfort zone and confront many of her beliefs about the world we live in.

As the commander of a highly classified military facility, Colonel Dominic Davis was dedicated to his job. But, after being exposed to an alien device, he is given visions of alternative realities. Dom realizes that he needs to make changes-- both personal and professional.

Life on Earth hangs in the balance...

 

***

Have a great week everyone!

~ H. S. Contino

 

Welcome to the world, baby book!

Good afternoon!

 

A little while ago, the postman delivered the box that I had been waiting for... After two years of hard work, my novel "Alternatives" is finally here!

 

 

I have a box of signed copies ready to enter the world. If you're interested, they're available in both print and e-book (Kindle) editions. I've included the links at the bottom of this post.

 

 

 ***

Book Blurb:

Sci-fi meets romance in this quirky read!

Theoretically, there exists a parallel version of reality for every possible outcome of our life choices. What if you were given a glimpse into your alternative lives? What version of yourself would you see? How would it influence your future decisions?

Francis Marino's quiet life on the Oregon coast was interrupted when two military officers arrived on her doorstep with a bizarre story and urged her to come with them. Thus began an unexpected adventure that forced her to leave her comfort zone and confront many of her beliefs about the world we live in.

As the commander of a highly classified military facility, Colonel Dominic Davis was dedicated to his job. But, after being exposed to an alien device, he is given visions of two alternative realities. Dom realizes that he needs to make changes-- both personal and professional.

Life on Earth hangs in the balance...

 

***

 If you're interested in purchasing a signed copy, they're available through my Etsy shop:

https://www.etsy.com/ReprievesCorner/listing/1037439983/alternatives-by-h-s-contino-autographed?utm_source=Copy&utm_medium=ListingManager&utm_campaign=Share&utm_term=so.lmsm&share_time=1623890586887

If you'd prefer an e-book copy, they're available in a Kindle format through Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08TP1KTCQ/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

 

 

Thanks everyone! As always, I appreciate your support. Without readers, I'd have no one to share my books with!

~ H. S. Contino

 

"Alternatives" Pre-Orders!

The view from my computer desk.

Good morning! It’s shaping up to be a gorgeous day here on the Oregon coast.

Once again, I’ve been neglecting this blog, but I had a good excuse. I received the proof copy of my novel “Alternatives” in January and I’ve spent the months since then painstakingly working my way through edits and revisions. I’ve also been corresponding with my beta-readers to apply their recommended changes to the manuscript.

The good news is that I’m almost ready to release the final edition of the novel into the world. Phew! I’ve been working on this project consistently for nearly two years, so getting so close to the finish line feels like a huge accomplishment.

They always advise writers to “write the story that you want to read”— and that’s exactly what I did. As one of my beta readers told me, this “book is so you”! The novel is soft sci-fi (science fiction without a lot of hard science or “techno-babble”). There’s also a strong romantic story line. Being a “me” book there are quirky characters and lots of pets. I also intentionally incorporated several references to the Oregon coast, sci-fi TV shows and movies, and pop culture. And an acoustic guitar makes a cameo! It’s basically a mash-up of most of my favorite things

Brand new proof copy...

 

Just a few changes...

Proof copy several months and many edits later...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now that I’m getting close to the finish line, I’ve created a list of people that would like to pre-order a copy. This will also help me figure out how many copies to order from my publisher. Please message me if you’re interested in purchasing a copy. (Details: paperback, 400 pages; signed by the author; $15 per copy plus shipping).

Thanks everyone! I really appreciate the support!

~ H. S. Contino

PS– Due to the pandemic, I’ll be mailing out the signed copies of my book. I’ll have them available for sale through my Etsy shop, Reprieve’s Corner. Eventually, I’ll be returning to selling books in person at local craft fairs, farmers markets, and book fairs. I’ll also be lining up some book talks– eventually. But, for now, the case numbers in this area are still to high for me to feel safe hosting an indoor event.

Now available: "Alternatives: A Ghenesain Chronicles" Novel!

 Good morning!

Well, it's official! My latest novel, "Alternatives" is available as both a print book and a Kindle e-book through Amazon. As I discussed in previous posts, I decided to release a "Beta Reader" edition in order to receive some reader feedback before I make the final edits to the manuscript.

In the meantime, I've moved on to another writing project. I went through an incredibly creative period during late 2019. I wrote the rough drafts to what became "Alternatives" and another novel that I'm tentatively calling "This Forgotten Life" back to back over a 2 1/2 month period. (although, I had been "percolating" on the story lines for several months prior to sitting down and putting words to paper).

I printed out the second manuscript and began editing it the day after I submitted the "Alternatives" manuscript to Amazon. I've been cringing a lot as I re-read my very rough draft, but the story has potential. It took me a year and a half of continual editing and polishing to get "Alternatives" to the point where I was ready to share it with readers. I suspect it's going to take a while to do the same to "This Forgotten Life"-- although this manuscript is about 100 pages shorter which should speed up the process.

Without further ado, "Alternatives" is available at the following links:

Print edition ($14.99)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08TQ965FM?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860

Kindle edition ($4.99; free for Amazon's Kindle Unlimited subscribers)

https://www.amazon.com/Alternatives-Ghenesain-Chronicles-Book-1-ebook/dp/B08TP1KTCQ/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Amazon also allows people to read a sample before purchasing a book. Simply click on the "Look Inside" link. I checked it out and it allows you to read the entire prologue and a good chunk of the first chapter.

And to (hopefully) tempt you to read the book:

According to theory, there are countless versions of reality running in parallel with each other. What if you were given a glimpse into your alternative lives? What version of yourself would you see? How would it effect your future decisions?

Francis Marino's quiet life on the Oregon coast was interrupted when two military officers showed up on her doorstep with a bizarre story and urged her to come with them. Curious-- and figuring that she had nothing to lose-- she agreed. Thus began an unexpected adventure that forced her to leave her comfort zone and confront many of her beliefs about the world we live in.

As the commander of a highly classified military facility, Colonel Dominic Davis was dedicated to his job. But, after being exposed to an alien device, he is given visions of two alternative realities. Dom realizes that he needs to make changes-- both personal and professional.

Life on Earth hangs in the balance...

 

Happy reading!

~ H. S. Contino

PS-- I made some tweaks to the cover of the print edition since my last post. I intentionally used a different color font on the cover of the e-book in order to make it easier to tell them apart.