Comments for Down Under Views

Comment on Adventures in Card Making by Naturally Curvy » Blog Archive » Starting 2012 the Right Way… On the 2nd

Mon, 02 Jan 2012 04:29:53 +0000

[...] before 2012 started, I discovered that making my own Christmas cards was really good for my headspace. I hadn’t done anything crafty for a long time, and it felt [...]

Comment on About by John Michael Cummings

John Michael Cummings — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 01:17:16 +0000

re: book review request by award-winning author

Dear Down Under Views:

I’m an award-winning author with a new YA book out this fall. Ugly To Start With is a series of thirteen interrelated stories about childhood being published by West Virginia University Press.

Can I interest you in reviewing it?

If you write me back at johnmcummings@aol.com, I can email you a PDF of my book. If you require a bound copy, please ask, and I will forward your reply to my publisher. Or you can write directly to Abby Freeland at:

Abby.Freeland@mail.wvu.edu

My publisher, I should add, can also offer your readers a free excerpt of my book through a link from your blog to my publisher’s website:
http://wvupressonline.com/cummings_ugly_to_start_with_9781935978084

Here’s what Jacob Appel, celebrated author of
Dyads and The Vermin Episode, says about my new collection: “In Ugly to Start With, set in the eastern panhandle of West Virginia, Cummings tackles the challenges of boyhood adventure and family conflict in a taut, crystalline style that captures the triumphs and tribulations of small-town life. He has a gift for transcending the particular experiences to his characters to capture the universal truths of human affection and suffering–emotional truths that the members of his audience will recognize from their own experiences of childhood and adolescence.”

My short stories have appeared in more than seventy-five literary journals, including North American Review, The Kenyon Review, Alaska Quarterly Review, and The Chattahoochee Review. Twice I have been nominated for The Pushcart Prize. My short story “The Scratchboard Project” received an honorable mention in The Best American Short Stories 2007.

I am also the author of the nationally acclaimed coming-of-age novel The Night I Freed John Brown (Philomel Books, Penguin Group, 2009), winner of The Paterson Prize for Books for Young Readers (Grades 7-12) and one of ten books recommended by USA TODAY.

For more information about me, please visit:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Michael_Cummings

Thank you very much, and I look forward to hearing back from you.

Kindly,

John Michael Cummings

Comment on Australia FAIL by JM

JM — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 09:41:13 +0000

Hi Marcie. Good to see you. I’m glad you like the direction I seem to be going without realising it. I never thought I was a political person, but here I am…

Comment on Australia FAIL by Marcie

Marcie — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 00:46:46 +0000

Hey there. I have had a lot of trouble leaving comments on the blogs I’ve been following so have been offline for quite some time, as well as many other reasons. Anyway, I like the direction your blog is going – power to you and all the people making a stand. Love the Stephen Fry bit too. Are you doing the Write a Novel in a Month thing? I haven’t fogotten about purchasing your novel – it is on my to do list – honestly. Take care Marcie

Comment on Occupy Melbourne by Ihaia Murchie

Ihaia Murchie — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 10:57:13 +0000

Ihaia Murchie
Yesterday 21/10/2011 I watch the police beat innocent people here in Melbourne CBD. It broke my heart and sickend me to see Police smiling while they were manhandling and hurting peacuful people.
Don’t bring your peace around here, we carry the piece around here.
Their power was great and there energy was dark.
Today I produced this song to express myself and transmute their evil empire fire. This world wide occupy movement is the voice of the PEOPLE

soundcloud.com/pukusound

Comment on Beautiful Books! by JM

JM — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 02:24:44 +0000

I will be happy to support you and buy a copy of your novel no matter when it’s out.

At the moment, I have the only print copies available in Australia. The plus of that means I can sign it for you. You can shoot me an email at jmfictionscribe at yahoo.com.au

Thanks so much for your support and comments here.

Comment on Beautiful Books! by Marcie

Marcie — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 13:28:18 +0000

Hi there. I’ll buy one because we self publishing writers need to support each other – so in ten years time when I’ve finally finished my novel, you can buy mine!
Well done, great achievement for you
Will it be available in local book shop?

Comment on And the Beat Goes On… by JM

JM — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 02:41:46 +0000

No clue about Watership Down, but there are plenty of incredibly successful self-publishers out there.

I think a writer’s group is incredibly valuable, but there are plenty of people who have to make due without for various reasons. I make most of my writerly connections online through http://www.writingforums.com, http://www.bestsellerbound.com and other places like that.

Comment on And the Beat Goes On… by Marcie

Marcie — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 00:33:21 +0000

Hello again. Yes I do – as my most recent post on funkyunderachiever alludes to. I feel I should join a writers group but I don’t know if I could handle it – plus I have no spare time. Self publishing is more and more popular. Didn’t the guy who wrote Watership Down self publish?

Comment on And the Beat Goes On… by JM

JM — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 00:52:06 +0000

Hehehe. Hi Marcie.

I decided to self-publish, so no publishers involved. You can read more about my choice here: http://www.inkyblots.com/going-indie/

I know that will make me less in a lot of readers’ eyes, but I’m willing to wear that.

I take it you have an interest in the subject… I’m no expert, but if you have any questions, feel free to ask and I’ll help any way I can.