First copies took a little longer to get back from the printer to me than I thought. There were some minor things I wanted to change, like the placement on the spine is off, little things like that. But I’m leaving it alone for now as I need to get this book out. I should have the rest next week and will mail them out to writers and customers. I wish I could have had them to folks by the holiday, but that of course would have required me to have got myself together um, earlier in the year.

More good news, this Friday is my last day at work for 2 whole weeks (my day job is as a substitute teacher) so I have all the time I need to devote to some marketing work for this book. Such as, compiling press releases & mailing them out (local and national), working on the Futuristic Motherhood project website, and more. In the publishing world, this is considered doing things backwards. You’re supposed to do all your press/marketing stuff roughly 3 months prior to the book coming out. I’ve kind of always blew that rule off since I’m all Queen Indie Media, but if I want to take my little indie biz to the next level I’ve got to play by some of the rules. Live and learn.

Dread Mama Blog
Dread Mama: Beautiful, Natural, Successful Locks by Trula. The Dread Mama book contains info about locking various types of hair. Topics include Techniques for locking hair, Maintaining locks, Dreadlocks and children. ISBN#: 0-9749480-4-7

I have had my current set of dreadlocks since 1998. Prior to that I had dreadlocks from 1992-1997. My children have worn locks or other natural hairstyles their whole lives. The Dread Mama Book takes a lot from my experience with having and nurturing dreadlocks for so many years. Dread Mama is for the general dreadlock and natural hair community and those raising children with dreadlocks. Dread Mama is full of support and encouragement as well as info on products and other dreadlock information.

Do you maintain or operate a business, program, or organization focused on dreadlocks and/or natural hair styles, or just want to stock this book in your store? Select wholesale rates when you order the Dread Mama book.

$5.00 – Out of Stock until January 13th, 2010

Trula Kids Blog
Poems I wrote about my mothering experience. Mama Poems is a collection of poetry about my feelings on being a mother. Includes poems on breastfeeding, insomnia, temper tantrums, first day of school, body image, post-partum depression, birthdays, and more. Basically, the ups and downs of motherhood. Do you maintain or operate a business, program, or organization geared for mothers, or just want to stock this book in your store? Select wholesale rates when you order Mama Poems books via mail order, phone, or online.

$5.00 – Out of Stock until January 13th, 2009

Trula Kids blog
A household cockroach makes his introduction and is befriended by a toddler in the home. Co-written with my son Scott. Print copies in stock March 2010.
ISBN# 0-9749480-6-3

$5.00

Finally, at long last, after a tumultuous 28 months, Futuristic Motherhood is out December 4th, 2009! and I should have first copies in my hands week of December 7th. All writers (I am sending email but also posting here) please be sure to email me your current mailing address. It’s been so long since this project started that I am sure many of you have moved or in other ways updated your info. Payment is still $100, I am making good on that promise as well so it is important I have your correct mailing information. I do not need any social/government ID numbers. That was an error on my part, I misunderstood the amount paid out before I’d have to submit paperwork on it for tax purposes. Rest assured, any social/government ID numbers I have received have been thoroughly shredded and I no longer have your info.

Also – please check out the Futuristic Motherhood website for updates, I am turning that into an interactive site and all writers for the project get their own page. So please also send me any info you want listed on your page, including links to your blog/website and a photo.

Upfront I am not using my recent miscarriage as an excuse, because as everyone who’s been involved with this project knows, I’ve been dropping the ball on this book for over a year now. It’s been one thing after another. but I just wanted to let you all know what’s been going on with me lately that’s been preventing me from working. I recently went back to work full-time at another job and also been making sales with MSPmedia, so I will have the money to pay all the writers. That’s been a big part of the delay too, truth be told I didn’t want to admit I didn’t have the money to pay everyone all at once. In retrospect I could have/should have just paid what I could all along; you all would have been paid by now. But at this point all I can do is move forward and get the checks out, along with the books!

Next step: email all the writers and make sure I have everyone’s correct mailing info and/or paypal. Tried to do it tonight and of course (of course!) gmail is acting up. or maybe it’s just my computer, I don’t know. Getting frustrated so I’m going to bed, will figure it out tomorrow after work. I also need to make sure I get everyone’s online info who is interested, like websites and what-not to link to the Futuristic Motherhood website.

I’m making final touches to the Futuristic Motherhood book, including my own story by Mercury Lynch. This weekend I need to email all the writers and coordinate some things. It’s been so long since this project started, I figure some people have probably moved so I need to make sure I have everyone’s correct mailing info to get payments to them. At last! My friend Kim, also an indie publisher, is helping me with press releases, posting about it around the web, and stuff like that.

I will have updates posted about the book by the 26th! In the meantime check out the new site, it is still under construction and I am adding to it soon. I set up the Futuristic Motherhood Book Project site because I got and continue to get so much interest in this project I decided to keep it going for as long as there is an interest, and to develop themes and ideas sprung from the project. I’d like to have this site become an interactive community for folks interested in futuristic ideas about motherhood.

http://futuristicmotherhood.com

The book is almost ready to go,  I just need to get 3 more stories from accepted writers. I mislaid some stories, it has been a weird and strange year for me filled with one sob-story after another – I’ll spare you all the grimiest of the details but reasons for losing the stories includes a computer crash, lost flash drives, and my nervous breakdown.  I know I did promise June, however I loved all the stories and would like to give everyone an opportunity to get them to me again. If not in time for this printing (7/10/09) I will print them up in Futuristic Motherhood II. I got and continue to get so much interest in this project I decided to keep it going for as long as there is an interest.

The back of the cover lists all the writers, so I will post the shot of it once I get all the stories in. Also – I’m putting up a community site for Futuristic Motherhood, stay tuned!

Trula

In the throes of finishing getting Futuristic Motherhood out by month’s end, I promised June after multiple delays and June it’s going to be come high water (or however the expression goes)! There is a change in the cover but all the stories/writers are the same. Will have the new cover posted shortly.