The OCT. 5th Day of Action against Domestic Violence raised awareness of the issue and helped many who had experienced different levels of violence and abuse feel that their day had finally come. 12 communities around the country participated and our local Santa Fe community produced an event that included many speakers from service organizations, a declaration from the Mayor, a theatre piece written and directed by Talia Pura, music by Marsie Sylvestro and a ceremonial die-in directed by Dr. JoAnne Tucker.  Leona Stucky, Regina Ress and JoAnne Tucker, all with the board of Healing Voices - Personal Stories created the Day of Action after Leona wrote a memoir about intimate partner abuse and then realized that the public still doesn't understand the root causes or the effects of domestic violence. Healing Voices will make a short documentary from video clips taken from the different communities' Day of Action. We are grateful to the many organizations that supported us, including 100 Women of Santa Fe, who gave us a grant.  
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Mary Neighbour, owner of MediaNeighbours, gave an extremely informative workshop presentation on October 23 at La Montanita Co-op. She based the topics off of her upcoming book, Wizard or Wannabe?, a how-to guide for authors and self-publishers. The book and the workshop cover a common topic: how to avoid hiring faux professional help, and how to tell the difference between an industry wizard, and just a wannabe. She focused on four main areas: editors, cover design, interior design/layout, and book shepherds. She went through detailed lists of qualifications that a professional in these industries should have, and questions to ask them before hiring. There was an interactive open discussion throughout the presentation where the audience was able to ask specific questions and get expert answers and opinions from Mary. If you missed out on attending the workshop, look out for Mary's book that will be coming out January 2020.

NMBA member Mary Neighbour gave a presentation on the topic of her upcoming workshop, Wizard or Wannabe: How authors & self-publishers can vet the professionals they need to edit, design, & shepherd their books. Mary shared some of the expertise she has gained over her long career as a “book shepherd,” a guide to authors wanting to write and publish a book. She mentioned tips on how to tell if a consultant is up to industry standard, and not just someone who is trying to make money off you, which she will go into detail at her upcoming workshop on October 23 at La Montanita Co-op. There was a robust question-and-answer session, where a few wanted to know what they should be paying for certain services such as an editor or a cover designer. The answer was simple: it depends. It depends on the scope of what you are asking for and the quality of work you are expecting. Mary recommended meeting with multiple people, looking at examples of their work, and being very clear about what you expect from them, and then comparing their price to others. Bottom line: there is no flat rate or magic number when it comes to pricing. To learn more, consider attending her workshop by signing up here.

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Message from Peggy Frank, the owner:
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​Book Mountain has proudly served the readers of Santa Fe in the same location for 39 years. Unfortunately, it has come to pass that we are forced to move. The owners of our little plaza have been great to us for almost four decades, but time and progress march on. The entire building is going to be remodeled, and sadly there will be no room for our used book emporium after the renovation. We love serving our wonderful customers and do not want to close our doors.  
We are now reaching out to our loyal customers to ask if anyone knows of any place near our current location that would accommodate our store. If you can help us, please call at 505-471-2625 or stop by at 2101 Cerrillos Road.

Thank you very much,
Peggy Frank

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Nautilus Book Awards is accepting entries until February 7, 2020. Submit your entry before October 31, 2019, and get the Early Bird Fee of $170. After October 31, entry fees will increase by $10. Grand prize of $2,500.

Eligibility requirements:

• Print book, in English, with ISBN number
• Publication date of either 2018 or 2019
• High-quality writing
• Published version, no Advance Reader Copy
• Articulate and excellent message for the category selected
• Expresses one or more of the four Nautilus values:
  • conscious living and sustainability 
  • high-level health and wellness 
  • spiritual growth
  • positive social change and social justice

A note from Nautilus: “After 20 years, the mission of Nautilus Book Awards remains: to spotlight books, from a wide spectrum of the publishing world, that endeavor to co-create a better world and more positive future. We recognize books that transcend barriers of culture, race and class, and promote conscious living & green values, high-level wellness, spiritual growth, and positive social change. Dedicated to excellence and the highest of standards, Nautilus Awards honors and promotes books that radiate hope, inspiring and connecting our lives as individuals, communities and global citizens.”

Visit http://nautilusbookawards.com/guidelinesforentering/ for entry instructions and a list of categories.

At our Friday, October 11, board meeting we learned that Janet Brennan had stepped down as our vice-president. Current board member Sandi Wright, who continues to help us all with her membership and renewal initiatives, agreed to step up into the vice-president post. She is well-known for her successful Adventures of Santa Fe Sam prairie dog tales book for children. Sandi’s new position was warmly approved by all NMBA Board members present. Janet Brennan remains on the board and will be fulfilling the role of “Publicity and Young Arts.” ​

​Would you like to host a workshop that members could benefit from? Once a month, an NMBA member gets the opportunity to host a workshop in Santa Fe.
 
The workshops typically happen on Wednesday evenings from 6pm-8pm at La Montanita Co-op. They tend to include a presentation of some kind and include an interactive element like a Q&A session, lasting anywhere from 1-2 hours. If you are scheduled to host a workshop, you can give a brief 20-minute presentation at that month’s luncheon to get members interested in attending your workshop.
 
Payment/Pricing: NMBA will give a 60/40 split, where the presenter will receive 60% of the revenue after expenses. The Co-op will charge around $25 to use the room for 2 hours. We typically charge members $15 to attend a workshop, and non-members $20.
 
To submit your workshop for consideration, please email the following to [email protected]:

• Your short bio and a headshot
• The title and description of your workshop
• If the workshop is related to your book, an image of the cover
• The month you would like to host your workshop (please note no workshops are scheduled in December or January)