New Opportunities in Inspirational Fiction Through Harbourlight Books

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Lisa Dawn, Marketing Director
Harbourlight Books
A division of Pelican Ventures LLC
PO Box 1738
Aztec NM 87410

http://www.harbourlightbooks.com
lisadawn [at] harbourlightbooks.com

Pelican Ventures offers new opportunities in Inspirational fiction through Harbourlight Books.

Aztec, NM –July 27, 2010 – Nicola Martinez, founder of Pelican Ventures, LLC, a New Mexico media company, announced today that the company has launched a new publishing venture. Harbourlight Books will publish Christian fiction that ranges in length from 25,000 words to 80,000. This announcement comes just nine months after the company acquired White Rose Publishing, a Christian romance publisher of electronic and print titles.

Harbourlight Books seeks to publish all genre of Christian fiction, Martinez said. “Everything but romance.” Martinez said. “Romance will still be handled exclusively by White Rose Publishing.” According to Martinez, there is a need for the expansion of eBook availability within the Christian fiction community. Harbourlight Books will fill that niche, bringing general Christian fiction to the eBook arena where White Rose Publishing fills the gap on the romance side. The popularity of eBooks is on the rise as “…evidenced by the recent Amazon press release that announced eBooks for Kindle outsold hardbacks,” Martinez said. In addition to electronic books, Harbourlight will publish print editions of novels. Submission guidelines are available on the Harbourlight Books website.

Harbourlight Books is dedicated to providing quality inspirational fiction that adheres to mainline Christian teachings. Currently Harbourlight Books is accepting unagented submissions for short stories and novels that are already complete. The company launch its first release in 2011.

Harbourlight Books titles will be available for purchase directly from the Harbourlight Books website and through various retailers such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and others. Bookstores wishing to stock Harbourlight titles may contact the publisher directly, or use Ingram Distributing. Titles will also be available to retailers and at several public libraries as electronic downloads through OverDrive Media.

For information: http://www.harbourlightbooks.com or
Contact: lisadawn [at] harbourlight.com

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Making old things new again…

I’m working on a new computer. I finally acquired a laptop mostly so I could enjoy working outside with a view of our lovely forest. The days have been blissful, so I want to be outside, and being tethered to a landline was hindering me.

That said, the learning curve is a bit stressful. The computer comes with updated software. The keyboard is different, I can’t stand the touch-screen mouse, and my links are gone. There are no folders with all the work I look at each day.

With Nicola’s help, I’ve customized, added, updated, and am slowly learning new processes (Sorry for those late night stupid questions, Nicola!). With my husband’s help, I’ve transferred essential files, photos and apps.

The most astounding thing is the Microsoft Word program. I’ve been using Word 2007 since, well…2007. Now, I’ve been introduced to Word 2010. Things have changed. And yet they haven’t. All the elements are there, they’ve simply been arranged to accommodate new features. Word is more powerful than ever. Nicola explained that I could customize the keyboard right away to aid in learning it. However, I resisted, wanting to know how the features worked and where they were before I changed them. After a day of editing, slowly and with great clunky-ness, I felt I understood the process and customized the toolbar using the instructions she sent.

It occurred to me that our authors do much the same. They take a specific set of parameters, boy-meets-girl, boy-loses-girl, boy-gets-girl-back and a Happy Ever After, and customize to the individual tastes of their readers. Sometimes, they throw out a rule in favor of the story, much like I did with the mouse – I simply bought a wireless mouse and now use it.

Our authors are not tethered to a formula. They simply have to work within the confines of a genre that demands certain elements. Beyond that, every manuscript I read is a new experience, to be savored, to learn, and to grow.

Learning a new way to use a tried and true method isn’t so bad after all, despite my frustrations at first.

Writing within the confines of the Christian environment is simply a way to affirm the love of God, and a fresh approach to an old concept.

Keep learning, keep writing.