BIO:  Barbara Florio Graham

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Bio paragraphs of different lengths

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AWARDS
 Shojai Mentoring Award (2010) from Cat Writers' Association
Outstanding Service Award (1992) from Professional Writers Association of Canada 
 Communicator of the Year Award (1990) from International Association of Business Communicators 
Margaret Breen Award (1990) from Canadian Authors Association 
See entire list HERE

   CANADIAN LIBRARIES
LIST

Five Fast Steps
to Low-Cost Publicity

Two-hour interview with Barbara Florio Graham on CFRA Talk-Radio

Interview about Prose to Go with Mitchell Caplan on CHUO, Feb. 1, 2012.

Permanent links to Bobbi's interview as featured author at Writers-Editors.com

Penny's interview with Sneaky, the Library Cat:   https://sneakylibrarycat.wordpress.com/2016/10/09/interview-with-penny- 
Tiny URL: http://tinyurl.com/huyzpyv

Here's a link to Bobbi's op-ed on health care, which appeared in the Ottawa Citizen on November 14, 2016.
See the page HERE and read the article on the Citizen website: http://tinyurl.com/hcr9vyq

Bobbi's interview with Alastair Luft is on his blog, at:
http://alastairluft.com/category/author-interviews/

Fall, 2021:

Bobbi was delighted to be one of three former faculty members to be invited to the ZOOM reunion of the Latin School of Chicago class of 1971.

What a terrific few hours were enjoyed by the large group of both the 50th reunion class and the class of 1970. Bobbi was thrilled to touch base with many students who were in her grade 7 & 8 English classes, include several who had older siblings in previous classes Bobbi taught. Lisa and her husband, Cary Malkin, hosted a lovely dinner party one evening of his 50th reunion, in 2007, which Bobbi attended. 

We avoid Facebook, so hope many of those ZOOM participants will contact Bobbi via email and enjoy exploring this website.

There are several links on the Home page which lead to this page, Bobbi's bio, and the Blog, 

Winter, 2021:

Many years ago, Bobbi was contacted by another "Bobbi" who found her online. They quickly discovered that they were close in age,
had similar careers, and became good friends. Bobbi Linkemer's latest book is How to Age with Grace

When she asked for an interview for the book, Bobbi sent her the much-published My Kick the Bucket List.

Bobbi Linkemer and her editors decided was the perfect last chapter of the book, which  answers the ten most pressing questions
older adults ask to help them live well now and prepare for the years ahead. Each chapter answers one question thoroughly. The book is
both personal and practical, sharing the author's experience, calling on the knowledge of many experts, and offering scores of suggestions 
on how to deal with this stage of life.

The book is now published by HenschelHAUS Publishing.

There's also a website for the book, where you can order review copies. Go to: HowtoAgeWithGrace.com. 

Fall, 2020:

Bobbi sold another chapter from her memoir to 55 Plus. It's called Driving Lesson, and appears on page 64. 

The 2020 edition of the OIW anthology,  Short Stories for a Long Year, has just been published. Bobbi adapted another chapter from her memoir for this book. It's called A Good Death. We're especially pleased at the dedication:
               It is dedicated to two of our members whose energy, commitment and leadership stand out.
               Barbara (Bobbi) Florio-Graham is a long-time active member and has always enthusiastically supported OIW’s initiatives, especially the anthologies, to which she is a regular contributor. She has also fulfilled the essential role as parliamentarian at the Annual General Meetings over many years.
               Susan A. Jennings continues a long association with OIW in various official capacities, including her present role as President. The annual Writer’s Retreat, which she organizes, has been a staple of the OIW’s offerings and has many enthusiastic supporters. She, also, is a regular contributor to the anthologies.
               Together, these two members symbolize the essential quality of Ottawa Independent Writers with their devotion to the organ- ization and their willingness to help other authors in many aspects of the writing craft. We thank them.

Summer, 2020:

The year so far seems to have slipped away from most of us. But Bobbi has continued to publish articles in Freelance Writer's Report, the Working Writer newsletter, as well as in the monthly publication from what used to be SPAWN and is now called the Writers & Publishers Network.

She also had a two-page spread at the back of the winter issue of Latin Magazine.  55 Plus, published Bobbi's humor piece, "My Kick the Bucket List" in the fall of 2018. She then sent it to the Latin School Magazine (where she taught English in the 60s) and they has turned that into a two-page spread for the winter issue. You should be able to find it at: http://latinschool.uberflip.com/i/1209300-latin-magazine-winter-2020

Then Barnard Magazine (Bobbi's alma mater) bought her piece on Peter Falk for the new "First Person" section of their spring issue. It's at: https://barnard.edu/magazine/spring-2020/symposium

Despite the quarantine, Ottawa Independent Writers is publishing a 2020 anthology. It's called Short Stories for a Long Year. It's embargoed until publication in the fall, but we got a peek at the dedication, and think everyone who reads this will be pleased at what it says! Bobbi's piece in that book is called "A Good Death."

***

This appears in Alex Binkley's blog:  www.alexbinkley.com
        Excellent advice from a seasoned author and writing coach

First Novel Hazards,  by Barbara Florio Graham (which appeared in the OIW newsletter)
         Most of the authors I mentor come to me with their first book, often a novel they've wanted to write for a long time. In many cases the author has already written a first draft, and wants help to refine this, find a publisher, and prepare a professional book proposal.
          I've noticed some common mistakes first novelists tend to make, comparing them to water hazards on the golf course. As is the case with golf, it's often a matter of selecting the right club, the right stance, and keeping your eye on the ball!

          To read the rest of her advice, you need to join Ottawa Independent Writers and find it on its web page www.ottawaindependentwriters.com  The group meets monthly except during the summer outside of pandemic times. You can meet a wide variety of writers and hear excellent presentations on the craft. And even meet Barbara, a most gregarious soul. You should check out her web page www.simonteakettle.com

I started writing an article for the online newsletter when the pandemic hit, and plan to continue in the fall.

Spring, 2019:

        Bobbi won First Prize in the Ottawa Independent Writers' short story contest. All members of the largest writers' organization in the Ottawa area received copies of the 2018 anthology, called Twenty in Eighteen, and were asked to vote on their favorite stories.
        Bobbi's story, "Plan B," was written especially for this book, which was edited by Bob Barclay of Loose Canon Press. The prize came with a certificate and a cheque for $150. 
        A description of the book is on the Recommended Books page.

Bobbi with Bob Barclay

The Certificate, along with a card of congratulations signed by OIW President Susan Jennings,
and the cheque.

Winter, 2019:

Mentoring client Chris Higgins has sent a detailed proposal for his first novel to 12 Canadian publishers. Each submission has been customized to suit their guidelines. While he waits for responses, he's been building his website and Instagram account.

Bobbi's article in the Byline (the newsletter of the National Capital Region of Canadian Authors' Assocation) is called Dealing with Difficult Clients.

Bobbi has been a Class Officer at Barnard for several years, writing Class Notes for the quarterly Barnard
Magazine. The winter issue also includes an article Bobbi wrote for the magazine's new Barnard Memory column: https://barnard.edu/magazine/winter-2019/barnard-memory

The March issue of Freelance Writer's Report (accessible to members only) is on First Novel Hazards.

Summer/Fall, 2018:

Bobbi has been working for several months with Chris Higgins on his first novel. He just wrote a great testimonial for her, which we've posted on the Testimonials page.

She sold two more articles to Freelancer Writer's Report which haven't been scheduled yet.

Spring, 2018:

Bobbi had another piece in Freelancer Writer's Report, as well as one in the latest issue of  Working Writer.

Canadian Authors' Association, National Capital Region, has decided to purchase four articles from Bobbi for  The Byline in advance of publication.

A recent mentoring client, Sue Taylor-Davidson, launched her first book. To Pluck a Crow, The Hands Behind Shakespeare's Pen at a special event hosted by Renaissance Press. See the book at renaissancebookpress.com (the site is best accessed using Firefox), or on our Recommended Books page. The second book in this series will be coming soon.

Sue wrote the following in the book she gave to Bobbi: Mentor extraordinaire! Thanks for believing in me and this book when my courage was waning!

Sue read from her book at the OIW June meeting, 
which is always a social and reading night. Bobbi also 
read Grow Your Own Fur Coat from Mewsings/Musings.

Current mentoring client, Chris Higgins, is working with Bobbi on his first book, a novel about fathers and sons. His website will be up soon.

Winter 2018:

Penny was asked to write the backstory of Simon Teakettle for The Daily Mews, in the U.K. 
http://www.thedailymews.com/cat-humour/mewsers-mewsings/mewsers-corner/1891-penny-s-story

And Bobbi was invited to contribute to another round-table at The Cat Site: 
https://thecatsite.com/ams/14-cat-experts-reveal-how-to-get-a-cat-to-like-me.33883/ 

A piece has been sold to 55Plus, a regional seniors' magazine, which will appear later in the year, as well as two more sold to Freelancer Writer's Report. One of those has just appeared in the March issue.

She has also had several pieces in Working Writer.

Bobbi continues to contribute regularly to The Byline, and has had a story accepted for the 2018
Ottawa Independent Writers' anthology, which will be published next fall.

She continues to mentor authors and sell her Canadian Libaries List, and is now selling her
Creativty Tune-Up, a PDF adapted from her popular online course.

2017 Recap:

     Bobbi sold seven articles to Freelance Writer's Report in 2017 (the monthly newsletter from Writers-Editors.com), and four to The Byline, the quarterly newsletter of the National Capital Region of The Canadian Authors' Association.
     She also had many other articles published, including one in Epoch Times, six in SCRIBE (the newsletter for newsletter editors), seven in SPAWN (the Small Publishers and Writers Network), and four in Working Writer.
     Bobbi also serves as an officer of the Class of 1956 at Barnard College, and writes the quarterly Class Notes column for Barnard Magazine.
     That a total output of 33 published pieces, plus one in the 2017 Ottawa Independent Writers anthology. 
     Also in 2017, Bobbi reviewed two contracts for clients, worked with two mentoring clients, worked on communications for a local quasi-government agency, sold many copies of the Canadian Libraries List, and had an adult piano student for nine months. 

In the recent documentary about Steven Speilberg revealed that one of his first directing jobs was the first episode of Columbo.  Bobbi's story about working with Peter Falk before he began his film career is in Prose to Go: Tales from a Private List.
An excerpt from my memoir-in-progress appeared in the OIW anthology, Thirty By Thirty, and has just appeared on the Epoch Times Facebook page. You can read and LIKE Hero at:
https://www.facebook.com/epochtimes/posts/10155746356774266.

A media release about the Simon Teakettle Fan Club has just been sent to a wide range of contacts in the U.S. and Canada. Its focus is the possibility that we'll be adding the seventh continent this fall, as Craig McMahon, who sent us pics of penguins, a vicuna, and an armadillo from Chile, is supposed to be going to Antarctica for NASA. Meanwhile we have Fan Club members from more than 40 countries, expecting to add Denmark very soon, and India next winter.
Ottawa Independent Writers has just published its second anthology in less than a year. After the success of Thirty by Thirty, which celebrating the 30th anniversary of OIW, the organization has honored Canada's 150th anniversary with the publication of Canada One Five O, a compilation of prose and poetry by more than two dozen members. Bobbi contributed to both book.

Bobbi has sold her sixth article to  Freelance Writer's Report this year. The latest is in the November issue.

Two articles in recent issues of SCRIBE were adapted from the fourth chapter in Five Fast Steps to Better Writing.

Bobbi's latest articles for SPAWN include Do You Need an Agent?, Email Efficiency & Safety, and Clearing the Clutter.

Winging It: Live on the Radio has been published in SPAWN, Working Writer, and the Byline. It describes Bobbi's experience in an hour-long interview about Prose to Go: Tales from a Private List.

Bobbi's latest article in Freelance Writer's Report is titled Don't Give Up, and describes how she helped Susan Taylor-Davidson find a traditional (no-cost, royalty-paying) publisher for her first book, To Pluck a Crow.

Bobbi had a busy winter, with articles published in Freelance Writer's Report, SCRIBE, SPAWN, the Byline, and Working Writer.

She's also been busy with the Orpheus publicity committee, and serving as Parliamentarian for Ottawa Independent Writers' annual meeting.

Bobbi has just been added as an expert to Writers Boon, a free directory providing assistance in publishing and marketing. It promises top-notch experts, the best DIY tools & apps, and useful how-to guides. Bobbi's listing is under Book Consultants.

Simon Teakettle Ink has also been added to the Behavior & Training section of the Library of experts and trusted advice for Veterinary Technicians, at http://vettechnicians.org/

 Here's the note Sue Taylor-Davidson included with her latest cheque: We did it! With your wonderful help, the book To Pluck a Crow will be published. You have been more than an amazing mentor, you are a friend. I am forever grateful. The contract is signed!  Sue is referring to the contract I helped her negotiate with a trade publisher (15% royalties, they pay all costs), for her first book. I helped her reshape the book, create her website, and prepare the book proposal.

Bobbi's latest article in Freelance Writer's Report provides a checklist for speakers. When You're the Speaker is in the January, 2017, issue.

Most orders for our Canadian Libraries Database come from North America, but our first order from Australia arrived recently. Gordon Smith is the author of four books, three of which are on the Recommended Books page.  Gordon found us, as many purchasers do, by searching for Canadian libraries on the internet.

Ottawa Independent Writers is celebrating its 30th anniversary with an anthology, Thirty by Thirty.
Bobbi, who was one of the earliest members of the organization, and was named a Life Member in 2015, has  contributed a memoir called Hero to the book. See the book HERE.

One of the authors Bobbi mentored last year has just received a Canada Book Award for her children's book. Check out Kat and the Meanies on the Books for Young Readers page, on Amazon, or on the publisher's website: Knox Robinson.

Q.T. Penny was interviewed by Sneaky, the Library Cat, for his popular blog. Read it at:
https://sneakylibrarycat.wordpress.com/2016/10/09/interview-with-penny-barbara-florio-grahams-teakettle-spokescat/  (Tiny URL: http://tinyurl.com/zc9snr6).

More than a year ago, Michaela Chung came to Bobbi for help in reviewing a contract Skyhorse Publishing had sent her. The book, The Irresistible Introvert, has just been published, and Bobbi wrote a review for Amazon. Read it at: http://tinyurl.com/heaagmq.

Bobbi is now one of a group of experts contributing advice to TheCatSite.com It's the #1 cat site in the U.S., with well over a million visitors every month and more than 2 million pageviews. They also have close to 100K registered users, who appreciate their  commitment to promoting good cat care and cat welfare, instead of  silly cat pictures.

Dealing with hearing loss can be very difficult, both for those who can't understand clearly and people who want to understand them. Bobbi was asked to write an article about this topic for a chapter of The Hearing Loss Society of America. It will soon appear on the national site as well.

Bobbi was invited to share her methods for training cats in a three-part guest blog on Patricia Fry's 
Catscapades blog. The series runs June 13-15, at http://www.matilijapress.com/catscapades/

Bobbi's series of articles on creativity has now been picked up by SPAWN for their monthly newsletter. It will run from June through October.

Michaela Chung came to me last year to help her negotiate the contract she had received from Skyhorse Publications in New York.  I was impressed that they had found her via her blog on introverts, and wanted her to write a book for them. I was equally delighted that it was her grandmother, Sylvia Adams, who had recommended me.  The Irresistible Introvert: Harness the Power of Quiet Charisma in a Loud World, will be launched in July, and you can read the review from Publishers' Weekly on the Recommended Books page.

The fourth of five articles on creativity commissioned by the Canadian Authors Association is now online at: canadianauthors.org/nationalcapitalregion/.  After Bobbi presented a mini-version of her popular workshop,
Tapping Your Innate Creativity, to the National Capital Region of Canadian Authors' Association last November, the executive asked her to write four more articles on this subject for the Byline. See the link at the top of the website to current and past issues.

The first part of a long article called You May Not Need an Agent is in the Jan/Feb issue of Working Writer.
The second part is in the Mar/April issue. 

Bobbi did some short-term mentoring with Valerie Knowles, an award-winning local author, who then wrote this testimonial: I can't recommend Bobbi highly enough as a mentor. For even an established author like myself, she can provide valuable tips on publicity and marketing.

Five Fast Steps to Better Writing continues to be a required textbook in several writing courses at the Thomas More Insitute in Montreal.  Here's the flyer for Basic Essay Writing.

2015 marked the 30th anniversary of the initial publication of Five Fast Steps to Better Writing.  Not only is that book still selling, but Bobbi just received a request from a new mentoring client who contacted her because of this book. This new mentoring client found Bobbi at the Writers-Editors Network site.

Bobbi also had an article in the January issue of Freelance Writer's Report, the monthly newsletter which is a benefit to a member of  Writers-Editors Network.

We just received this nomination for Life Membership in SCRIBE, the newsletter for newsletter editors:

Life Membership Nomination. Who: Barbara Florio Graham, From: Ottawa, CAN.
        Barbara is a PROFESSIONAL AUTHOR & WRITER with many public awards to her credit. Yet, as a S.C.R.I.B.E. member, she has taken time from a busy schedule to write articles for the newsletter and contribute to our Yahoo Discussion Group. Barbara has consistently written an article for every issue of the Scribe Newsletter since the Fall 2001 issue. Count them, 2002-2014. That's 13 years @ 4 issue per year, plus the Fall 2001 = 53 articles! She has begun her 14th year of writing articles and providing expert advice for us. We, the undersigned, feel she is worthy of recognition and wish to recommend that a Life Membership in S.C.R.I.B.E. be awarded to Barbara Graham for her continued and dedicated participation in writing articles for the SCRIBE Newsletter.
         Submitted by: Trudy Martin, Canadian Regional Vice President, Dan Imel, SCRIBE Newsletter Editor, Betty Cain, Treasurer & Rocky Mountain Regional Vice President.

Bobbi was invited to present a mini-version of her popular creativity workshop to the National Capital Region of Canadian Authors' Association on November 10. Bobbi contributed an article on this subject for the CAA newsletter, the Byline. Read it at: http://canadianauthors.org/nationalcapitalregion/

Some of the participants, above, and Bobbi, right, listening carefully.  Executive members at the meeting were so impressed by it that Byline asked Bobbi to create a series of four additional articles for upcoming issues of the publication. 

The August issue of Freelance Writer's Report contains a short article written by Bobbi. She's  been a regular contributor to this newsletter, which is a benefit of membership in Writers Editors Network.

This winter, Bobbi was asked to help the SCRIBE webmaster refine information on their website, as she's been a columnist for this organization's newsletter for many years and he knew what expertise she had to offer. As a result of that, she was asked to write an article about how non-profit organizations can ensure they comply with IRS and Revenue Canada for the American Federation of Mineralogy Societies. It's in their May newsletter: http://amfed.org/news/n2015_05.pdf

She has also contributed writing tips to a manual prepared by S.C.R.I.B.E. editors for rock club editors, which may also be published in the AFMS newsletter.

Bobbi also worked on two book contracts in April. 

One client was approached by a major trade publisher in NY, and wondered if she needed an agent to negotiate the contract for her non-fiction book. She hired Bobbi instead, and is thrilled that the publisher accepted most of the modifications Bobbi suggested, using the arguments she put forward, raised the advance, and included escalating clauses for royalties.

The other client is a local woman who retired as a Canadian ambassador and was appointed as a Justice of the Peace. But she had a children's book she really wanted to publish, and came to Bobbi after being rejected by several publishers. She, too, wanted to know if she needed to hire an agent, and Bobbi suggested a few more publishers and wrote up the contract she needed with the illustrator she had selected. She then returned to Bobbi this winter when a major publisher in the U.K. (who has offices in London and New York) responded to her query, and sent their contract. Again, they accepted most of the modifications Bobbi suggested, and told her they will use her book to launch their new children's imprint!

There have been some lovely comments responding to Bobbi's guest blog for The Publicity Hound. Here's a recent one: From sammysmission@gmail.com (http://www.sammysmission.com): Great article!  Bookmarked it to read again too, great ideas I will be taking advantage of in my business! While I've already used my pets name for our business I am interested in publicizing him more :) 

Freelance Writer's Report published another article by Bobbi in  the March issue, and she also had articles published in SCRIBE, Log Cabin Chronicles, and on the Cat Writers' Association website. 

Barbara Florio Graham has been invited to join The Executive Authors group, selected experts in all aspects of book publishing, aimed primarily at business owners who want to leverage their impact with a book sharing their expertise. Bobbi was referred by publishing guru Dan Poynter, as she's one of Dan's Book Shepherds.
Go to: http://www.executiveauthorresources.com/?p=2578

At the Christmas party for Ottawa Independent Writers Bobbi was awarded a Life Membership. She also won 2nd prize in the annual poetry contest. Read the citation for Life Membership HERE. Among the reaction to this news was a note from Linda O'Neil, who wrote: I’d like to congratulate you on being named a Life Member of OIW. Though I’ve only been a member for a few years I’ve been aware of how much of a contribution you’ve made to OIW and the writing world generally for so many years. Your presentation was the best I’ve attended at OIW since I joined 3 years ago!
The December Freelance Writer's Report contains an article by Bobbi on reclaiming rights to books and to previously-published articles. The article begins with how Bobbi is  now selling ebook versions of Prose to Go, and goes on to mention other ways she's capitalized on unsold rights to various pieces, including selling one of her articles to a magazine in India. 
Bobbi contributed another guest blog to The Publicity Hound in November.
Bobbi has an article in the October 16 issue of Writing-World.com. It's about procrastination, but instead of suggesting ways to get yourself over that bad habit, she describes 10 situations where writers ought to think twice before proceeding. She's also been invited to contribute a guest editorial to this publication.
The first play of the season at the Great Canadian Theatre Company was Boy on the Moon, by Emil Sher, based on Ian Brown's award-winning memoir. Bobbi gave it a rave review, and Emil has asked to used excerpts from that in his promotion for the play.

Published by William Morrow, a division of HarperCollins.

Brian's website: 
http://slimbydesign.org/ 

We also feature Brian's book on our Non-Fiction page.

         Bobbi's humor article, published in McCall's in 1983 and then  picked up by websites in more than 50 countries, has been quoted in the new book by bestsellling author Brian Wansink, PhD.
         Wansink is a nutritionist, behavioral economist, professor and the Director of Cornell University’s renowned Food and Brand Lab. A leading research expert on eating behaviors, his work has been adapted and used in homes, schools, restaurants, workplaces, and companies worldwide.
        His new book, Slim By Design, Mindless Eating Solutions for Everyday Life, demonstrates how to re-engineer our spaces, from home kitchens to restaurants, workplaces to schools, to help us manage what and how we eat to achieve optimal health.
        He integrates funny, eye-opening charts and illustrations to help readers see the simple changes they can make and offers a helpful 100-point scorecard for each area in your food radius to help you see where you are—and how to get where you want to be.
        Wansink says that the most natural way to reverse weight gain is to work with human nature, not against it. The answer isn’t to tell people what to do; it’s to encourage them to make the right decisions that will naturally lead them to lose weight. And this can start a movement that transforms the way we eat.
        He shows readers how taking small actions to redesign the five places where most of our eating occurs can help us better control how our environments impact our eating behaviors.


The presentation on Thursday was wonderful. The members I spoke with appreciated your no nonsense style, and found the information not just useful but easy to apply to their situation.
                 Susan Jennings, OIW President

Barbara Florio Graham was articulate in providing very good examples of the importance of being found on the web - and eventually selling more books or articles. She is an enduring example of being found and selling services and works without the frou frou and excesses of some web designs and social networking platforms.     Theresa Jamone

Bobbi speaking to the first meeting of the year at  
Ottawa Independent Writers.  Her topic was:
Creating a Platform: Establishing a Brand for You and Your Book. Here are some of the comments from participants:


That was an incredible presentation last night at the O.I.W. You gave so much important information and advice...a terrific evening.    Shirley VanDusen


Thanks so much for all the valuable writers' marketing information you provided tonight at OIW.  Nadia A. Senyk


Thank you for an excellent presentation this evening at the OIW meeting. It was both informative and inspiring.  
Steven Wells


Thanks for your fruitful speech. I enjoyed listening to you last night and your presentation was very interesting and instructive.   Majid Kafai


Thanks for all the information at the OIW meeting last night. Great tips.   Joanne Lecuyer 

Thanks for the illuminating talk.  Raeanne Roy,
Project Planner at The Canadian Pharmacists Association

 

The premier pet magazine in India has just published Bobbi's award-winning article, Training Your Cat Like a Dog. Read the article in the current issue, beginning on page 40: www.creature-companions.com
Publicity expert Joan Stewart, who frequently ranks #1 for “free publicity” on Google, works with business owners, nonprofits and organizations that need to use free publicity in traditional media and online visibility in social media to establish their credibility, enhance their reputation, position themselves as experts, sell more products and services, and promote a favorite cause or issue–without an expensive publicist.
Bobbi was invited to guest blog for her, and the first two blogs are now at: http://publicityhound.com/?p=27580
and http://tinyurl.com/nwfxw9r

Joan was so pleased with both of these that she's asked Bobbi to become a regular contributor. Bobbi will blog on her site three or four times a year.  Go to: http://publicityhound.com/blogs

Bobbi read "Cats vs Dogs" one of the humor pieces in Mewsings/Musings written from the cat's point of view, at the annual reading night on June 26, at Ottawa Independent Writers

Here's the video taken by Qais Ghanem: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HikrWKbcXY&feature=youtu.be
See his books HERE or on his website.

Disaster-Proof Your Assignments is in the July/August issue of Working Writers:  www.workingwriter1.com. This piece was included in the Appendix of the 20th anniversary edition of Five Fast Steps to Better Writing.

Bobbi also has a piece in the July issue of Freelance Writer's Report, and has just sold another piece to Writing World.

No Free Lunch was published by MEOW (the newsletter of the Cat Writers' Association) and also by SCRIBE. After it appeared there, the editor of the Rocky Mountain Federation of Mineralogical Societies requested permission to reprint it in their newsletter.

Bobbi's article,  Create a Website that Works for You, is the featured article in the June issue of Writing World (http://writing-world.com)

Bobbi won an Honorable Mention in one of the categories of the 2014 Writers-Editors Network International Writing Competition, in the NOVEL CHAPTER - UNPUBLISHED category. Most categories had winners in first, second and third place, several Honorable Mentions, and a few additional "notables." See the contest winners at: http://www.writers-editors.com/Writers/Contests/Winners/winners.htm

Bobbi's interviews on the Authors/Books pages at the Cassell Network or Writers are now permanently on the website. Go to: http://WritersEditorsNetwork.com/featured-author-barbara-florio-graham/

A goat in Kenya has been named Terzo, and given to this young boy to provide milk and baby goats that will help him afford to go to school. This generous donation and lovely gesture came from Steve Pitt.

The earlier goat Steve donated was named Bobbi. We don't know if the boys who own them live in the same village, but it would be nice to think that Bobbi the Goat and Terzo the Goat might see each other occasionally!

Support the Get Your Goat program by going to the website called Creation of Hope. 

 

 

Bobbi is included in the Acknowledgements of an exciting new novel, the first in a trilogy set in ancient Greece.  Cavanila's Choices was written by Jesse Sisken, who spent considerable time (after he retired from a career in biomedical science) studying ancient Greece and photographing the modern-day Greek islands. See the book on our Books Recommended page, as well as at: http://www.minoangold.jessesisken.com.

Bobbi has had several articles published recently:
"When a Bookstore Goes Under" is in the March/April  issue of The Byline (Canadian Authors Association)
"Editing Rights and Wrongs" in SCRIBE (the newsletter for newsletter editors)
"Quebec's Health System Fails Seniors" in the Ottawa Citizen
"Plenty of Paws and a Flurry of Feathers," in MEOW (the Cat Writers' Association).  
"Creating a Website that Works for You" has been scheduled for the June issue of  Writing-World.com. 

Accepted, but pending publication are three articles accepted by Freelance Writers' Report, and one for WorkingWriters.

Bobbi was also invited to publish an article on LinkedIn, in the Entrepreneurship category.  Find it under her LinkedIn Profile.

Simon Teakettle is mentioned in Victor Laurin's column in the West Quebec Post of March 21-27, 2014.  Victor  talks about his friend's cat but also mentions Simon  many times.

We started off 2014 with a lovely testimonial from a mentoring client. Dr. Helen Douglas, a veterinarian whose memoir, William's Gift, is on our Recommended Books page, wrote:

Barbara Florio Graham of SIMON TEAKETTLE INK has served as a mentor for this humble author throughout 2013.  An encouraging Book Shepherd, she has helped me to take my website and my marketing initiatives for my two books, Williams Gift and Horse of a Lifetime, to the next level. Her knowledge of the use of social media to promote my books and her love of books in general has been enhanced by her obvious love of animals, generating encouraging results.  I appreciate her support, skills and services very much.

This just appeared on Facebook:
        Barbara, I've been meaning to write you for quite a while to say thank you for all that I learned in your class. It was only 7th and 8th grade, but believe it or not I still have the grammar book we used and I refer it often. I'm an editor and managing partner for our local paper and that book as helped me win a few argument during the great comma war debates.        I ended up writing a few Valentine poems for our February issue and was grateful that that I have a strong background in poetry. At least I know the rules as I break them. I owe most of what I've achieved to you, Dick Dolezal, and Truxton Hare. Thank you for everything.  Mary Wolbach Lopert

The following note appeared in the Ottawa Independent Writers' newsletter:
            Barbara (Bobbi) Florio Graham has put her famous cat to work again on a new project, in collaboration with Iris Ten Holder. Five different real cats, members of Simon Teakettle's MEWSical Society, including Simon Teakettle III (Terzo) himself, are now available. Full color, heavy stock, blank inside so you can use them for any occasion, at less than $2 per card. Order full sets from Ottawa Photo (http://OttawaPhoto.com) or order in quantity, without envelopes, from http://SimonTeakettle.com.
           Terzo is also featured in a new perpetual calendar. This type of calendar is common in Europe, to provide a permanent reminder of birthdays, anniversaries, and other special events. The ideal gift, the calendar can be hung on the wall or placed on a desk to remind everyone of important occasions. Featuring Simon Teakettle III (Terzo) in six adorable poses, one for each two-month page, the calendars can be ordered from Ottawa Photo: http://OttawaPhoto.com.

Terzo's MEWSical Society has another celebrity member. Last year we added the famous performing Acro-Cats , one of only four live cat shows in the U.S., who play to sold-out venues across North America.  

Now we've added Aragon the Cat, a Bengal actor best known for playing Lord Tubbington on the Emmy Award-winning Fox series, Glee.

A new group of women writers in Edmonton, Alberta, ordered 10 copies of Five Fast Steps to Better Writing after looking at a copy owned by Elizabeth Atherton-Reid. Elizabeth took Tapping Your Innate Creativity several years ago, and has stayed in touch with Bobbi every since. In fact, her cat, Willow, is a members of Terzo's MEWSical Society.

Red Tuque Books has revised their website, adding author pages. My page is at: http://tinyurl.com/qxejqob and Mewsings/Musings, which Red Tuque distributes for us is listed both on the website and in the 2013 catalogue.

We've created a Quick Reads page HERE, where you can find books by member of Bobbi's Private List which are ideal to take to the cottage or the beach, leave in a guest room or bring as a hostess gift. They all contain short, self-contained pieces which can be read at one sitting.

Our Canadian Libraries Database was featured in the May issue of Publishing Poynters, the monthly newsletter from Dan Poynter, the self-publishing guru who speaks all over the world.  In the June issue, this website is mentioned on page 2 and  the Quick Reads page is at the top of page 10.  Further down Bobbi's name is among those listed as Dan's recommended Book Shepherds.

Bobbi also had an article on time management in the April/May issue of The Byline, the newsletter of the Ottawa Branch of the Canadian Authors' Association, and one about recycling in the May 31st issue of Funds for Writers. That the weekly newsletter which has repeated been chosen for Writer's Digest's 101 Best Websites for Writers. 

As we welcomed our first ferret and second bunny into Terzo's Fan Club, we received a lovely write-up in a blog written by the ferret owner. She used one of my favorite new photos of Terzo. Read it here:
http://debbietheferret.wordpress.com/2013/07/15/people-and-their-pets/ 

All four of our books have now been the Featured Book for two weeks at a time on the Cassell Network website. In each case, there's also an interview with Bobbi about how the book was produced.

Prezi is a virtual whiteboard that transforms presentations from monologues into conversations: enabling people to see, understand, and remember ideas. A student who read Bobbi's Christmas Story in the grade 11 Norweigian textbook, Voices in Time, created a wonderful presentation using her own photos and drawings along with information that she found on this website. See her work here:
http://prezi.com/idxd_eup5r5i/a-christmas-story/

Bobbi is quoted in the 2013-2014 season brochure of the Great Canadian Theatre Company.

Bobbi's quote, My friends and I can always count on provocative and often ground-breaking theatre,  that both stimulates and entertains. Every season is a new adventure!     Barbara Florio Graham,    
                      www.SimonTeakettle.com 
appears on page one.

Bobbi was interviewed by a grad student from Univ. of Western Ontario's journalism school. Mark Kearney, whose trivia books are on this website, teaches at UWO and when this student said she wanted to write an article on the popularity of cats on the internet, he suggested she contact Bobbi. The article is now on the site at:
http://westernreport.fims.uwo.ca/index.php/the-nine-million-lives-of-internet-cats/

The photo at the right is the one which won an HM in the "You Ought to be in Pictures" contest.

Bobbi was also featured on the Women on the Move page in the April issue of Ottawa Woman. This publication is available online at www.ottawa-woman.com. Go to page 18.

Simon Teakettle now has a video on YouTube! It shows some of the tricks Bobbi taught him, which are also mentioned in an article in the December issue of Cat Fancy (written by Janice Biniok. The article was titled: BEHAVIOR & TRAINING: Use Words, with the subtitle: Cats appear to understand a surprising amount of vocabulary. Here’s how you can teach your feline some key phrases. We're hoping to make it available here soon.

See Terzo's First Video at:  http://youtu.be/ZfYO1Z_DU2U
The video has been praised by several Cat Behaviorists, including Steve Dale, who mentioned it in his Pet World blog at Chicago Now.

Bobbi's relationship with Simon Teakettle II is described in the January issue of Canadian Health.

The Christmas article from NBCNews.com that mentions Simon Teaketttle is still online, at: http://tinyurl.com/b8khajm

Here is Terzo sitting up and crossing
his paws on Bobbi's palm.

The Publicity Director of Great
Canadian Theatre Company talked
about Terzo appearing on the GCTC Christmas card in his blog in January.

Terzo received an Honorable Mention in the “You Ought to Be in Pictures” contest held by the  PETroglyphs newsletter. His photo appears on page 19 of the March issue. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/athmqul to view that issue, and the PETroglyphs website (with archived back issues) at: http://www.petroglyphsnm.org/

Mewsings/Musings was the Featured Book for the first two weeks of January at: http://www.writers-editors.com/

Barbara Florio Graham has just signed on with Randy Ray, author and publicist, a speaker agent for clients in Ottawa, Montreal and Dartmouth.  Bobbi will be offering two different presentations. My Cat Capsized My Career, describes Simon Teakettle, called The Cat Who Owns the Company by U.S. Business Week, whose 30- year legacy has produced books, a popular blog, a huge fan club, and a segment on Animal Planet.  Although this is a humorous talk, it also contains nuggets of wisdom about how to promote a book or a business, one of the serious topics Bobbi has spoken on over the years, and the subject of her second book, Five Fast Steps to Low-Cost Publicity.

The second presentation is Creative Coping Skills, which will feature many elements from Tapping Your Innate Creativity, a popular workshop which Barbara has presented to national and international conferences in North America and abroad. She will address the kinds of common challenges many individuals face, as well as dealing with the unexpected at home or at work. This talk offers innovative ideas, practical suggestions, and effective methods, none of which involve purchasing any program or product.   

Terzo is one of the featured cats in the Gallery at The Catalyst Council site.

Bobbi presented a short talk to the Nov. 29th meeting of Ottawa Independent Writers describing the various types of anthologies members may want to contribute to, with cautions about those that purchase All Rights, and some advice about how to make contributions work for you. She used OIW's just-released anthology, Capital Writers as one example, and Prose to Go: Tales from a Private List, as another.

Exciting news: the Great Canadian Theatre Company is featuring Terzo on their Christmas card this year!
Simon Teakettle Ink is celebrating 30 years of supporting GCTC. Our name is on a seat in the Irving Greenberg Theatre (transferred from the old theatre), on a wall in the lobby, and in the show programs.

Terzo's 2013 calendar is now available from www.OttawaPhoto.com. These are produced and sold by Iris Ten Holder, an award-winning artist and photographer who also sells her own calendars on the site. All 13 photos (including the cover) were taken by Bobbi.

Bobbi wrote a guest blog about self-publishing, which was posted on Nov. 7 at: 
http://www.sheilaboneham.blogspot.com  

Bobbi is among the contributors to Patricia Fry's latest book, Talk Up Your Book, just released by Allworth/Skyhorse, and available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

There are several new articles by Bobbi in various newsletters:

The Nov/Dec issue of The Byline, published by the Ottawa Branch of the Canadian Authors' Association, contains an article by Bobbi: Are You Too Shy to Succeed?

Bobbi contributes an article almost every month to the public section of the SPAWN newsletter. Recent articles include one on book promotion, one on how to hire a speaker for a conference, and one on promoting yourself.

Articles on using social media effectively in the fall issue of SCRIBE, and in a coming issue of Freelance Writer's Report.

Joanne Carnegie, one of the 18 contributors to Prose To Go: Tales From a Private List, is co-winner of the Barbara Novak Writing Award for Excellence in Humour/Personal Essay Writing for 2012. The award is given annually by the Professional Writers Association of Canada at its annual meeting in June. She won for her story, Vegetable Grace, in the What in the World section of Prose To Go.

Joanne was one of two of our contributors to win First Prize in different categories in the Summit Studios Story Contest.  Joanne won in the children's category for Just Desserts, which appears in Prose to Go. Steve Pitt won in the Funny Stories About Animals category. Books containing the winners are being published by Summit Studios.

Read the full press release HERE.

Bobbi is the Featured Writer for the week of April 5, 2012, on the PetPr site, a pet product news distribution service used by the media as well as advertisers. This is an "invitation only" site, and the specific page containing Bobbi's profile is at: http://tinyurl.com/8xlwghs

A profile of Bobbi is featured in the February, 2012, issue of The Galley (page 3), the monthly newsletter of The Media Club of Ottawa. When the March issue appears, the February issue will be archived on the site.
The Media Club began as The Canadian Women's Press Club in 1904, and changed its name when it began
to include male members and include those who worked in other media areas, rather than just reporters. 

Bobbi, already a Book Shepherd for Dan Poynter, is now an affiliate of his two new programs. The Para Promotion program takes authors step-by-step through the publishing process, and the Global E-Book Awards are a way to recognize e-books in a wide variety of categories. 

A teacher in Norway emailed Bobbi when she was preparing to teach A Christmas Story,  which appears in the grade 11 anthology for students learning English. She asked about the background of the story (written when Bobbi was 17, and published in textbooks in Canada and Sweden as well as in an earlier Norwegian series. She wrote back the next day to say the students were excited to hear that she had heard from the author, and really paid attention in class as they discussed the story's anti-war message!

Prose to Go is featured on a website dedicated to book clubs. Bobbi is the contact for book club members to call. The listing is at http://www.readerscircle.org/.

Prose to Go is also on the GoodReads site, which has more than six million readers.

There are many reviews and comments about Prose to Go linked to: www.SimonTeakettle.com/prosetogo.htm

Tweet from travellingbooky Barbara Bunce: All #cat lovers will love this writer's calendar, pet cheescake -
writing about Terzo's 2012 Calendar, available now from http://www.OttawaPhoto.com.

Prose to Go: Tales from a Private List published in 2011 by Bridgeross.

Managing Editor:
Barbara Florio Graham

Prose to Go:
Tales from a Private List

34 first-person stories by 18 Canadian professional writers in 14 locations from the NWT to PEI

Table of Contents
Contributors
Back Cover
Foreword

 ISBN 978-0-986652
     168 pages   $17.95

The tone is personal and intimate in a way that effectively bonds author and reader together, so that reading this book becomes a life-enhancing experience... 
and
This eclectic mix of memories of shared love, laughter, and hope should appeal to a wide readership, and deserves to find a place in every public library collection.

 (from an advance review by the NY Journal of Books

Published by
Bridgeross

Distributed by Ingram
Available from Amazon, Barnes and Noble,  Chapters/Indigo, and on Kindle and other e-book formats, as well as at independent bookstores

Articles about the book

Comments on websites like Amazon, Chapters, LinkedIn

Follow Prose to Go on Facebook

 

Bobbi interviewed about Prose to Go on CFRA News/Talk Radio on July 10 from 9-11 pm, repeated on July 31.
Listen to entire interview HERE.

Ottawa launch of Prose to Go
at Books on Beechwood, Saturday, June 25.  Bobbi was joined by contributor Hilda Young.

Barbara Florio Graham and Hilda Young at the Ottawa launch of Prose to Go: Tales from a Private List. Hilda is one of the contributors.

      (photos by June Coxon)

Barbara Florio Graham at the Ottawa launch of Prose to Go: Tales from a Private List, at Beechwood Books.

Bobbi meeting customers at Books On Beechwood.

Books on Beechwood has a wide selection of 
all genres, including a child-friendly children's section. Go to their website at:
www.booksonbeechwood.ca

Prose to Go will be front and center at a presentation to the Media Club of Ottawa on May 16. That session (at the National Library of Canada) is titled: Publishing Options: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.

Bobbi gave a presentation to Ottawa Indpendent Writers on
April 28, called
Help! I'm Going to be on TV!

This is one of Bobbi's most popular presentations, based on her book,
Five Fast Steps to Low-Cost Publicity.

Bobbi offers mentoring in publicity techniques and media relations.

 

 

    Barbara Florio Graham speaking about Prose to Go: Tales from a Private List, at the Ottawa Independent Writers' meeting in 2011.

Ottawa Independent Writers

OIW began in 1984. Bobbi joined in the first year, presented workshops at OIW annual conferences, and is   tapped as a speaker or panelist every year or two.

A few years ago she joined publicist Randy Ray to offer a half-day workshop on book promotion.
It was sold out.

Simon Teakettle was quoted by a student at a community college in Nevada,  in a term paper called Cats Rule and Dogs Drool.  She used several excerpts from an article by Simon Teakettle in Cats Magazine, called Cats vs Dogs: A Continuing Controversy. She had no idea that her professor, Linda Kay Hardie, is a member of the Cat Writers' Assocation, and a fan of Simon Teakettle!

The January/February issues of Women on Top, an e-zine with international circulation, contains a two-page interview with Bobbi, along with a review of Mewsings/Musings. See it HERE.

Bobbi's article, How to Train Your Cat Like a Dog, is in the January issue of Phil Zeltman's newsletter: www.DrPhilZeltzman.com. This is the article that won the $1000 Sticky Paws Award for best article on training at the Cat Writers' Association annual conference in 2002.

Superbly talented artist/photographer Iris Ten Holder has created a calendar for Terzo, using photos from our website. It's available from her, at www.ottawaphoto.com.  It's also being sold at various stores in Ottawa, as well as being included in some of the gift baskets from Classy Gift Baskets.

Bobbi has been named the 2010 winner of the Shojai Mentoring Award, presented at the international conference of the Cat Writers' Association. The award consists of a plaque and $500. She was nominated by a Past-President. No one knows in advance who has been nominated, or even how many nominations the executive has received. The secret is kept until the conference banquet.
Mewsings/Musings is featured at a new "exclusive boutique for cats" in Ottawa. Cats R Us carries luxury items for cats and their owners, Wellness cat food, and wonderful toys.

Meanwhile, Bobbi will be reading from Mewsings/Musings (and signing books) at Books on Beechwood on Saturday, November 27, from 1-3pm.

Bobbi is praised in the acknowledgements of a new book by Edmonton author and expert on men at mid-life, Noel McNaughton. A Harley or Your Wife is a guide for midlife men (and the women who love them.).  See the Testimonials page for Noel's comment.

Bobbi has been asked to write a blurb for the back cover of Moira Allen's new book, Starting Your Career as a Freelance Writer. Moira publishes the popular newsletter, Writing World.

She has also contributed several sidebars to Patricia Fry's new book, Promote Your Book, Over 250 Proven, Low-cost Tips and Techniques for the Enterprising Author. Patricia is Executive Director of SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network).

Bobbi's advice about why an author needs a website will be included in the second book in Gail Martin's series, the Thrifty Author’s Guide (Comfort Publishing). This volume focuses on book marketing. Gail is the woman who interviewed Bobbi for her podcast last summer. She's the owner of Dreamspinner Communications.

Terzo, who was adopted on Oct. 26, 2006, from the Ottawa Humane Society, is the featured cat for October 28 in Peg Silloway's The Cat Lover's Book of Days, published in 2010 in hardcover by Ursa Books.  There's also a Facebook fan page at: http://preview.tinyurl.com/nplppu.

Bobbi  explains what publishing consultants do in a podcast just posted at: http://www.shareddreamspodcast.com/ Host Gail Martin interviewed Bobbi by phone last summer, after finding her on a list of Book Shepherds recommended by self-publishing guru, Dan Poynter.

Bobbi will be telling the story of how Simon Teakettle published his own book to the September agm of Ottawa Lifelong Learning. She wrote about this in a piece called Catastrophe, which appears in Mewsings/Musings and was also featured on Animal Planet TV.  The OLL agm is open only to members, but groups who would like Bobbi to tell them this story (which is not only hilarious, but informative re self-publishing) can contact her to make arrangements.

Bobbi is a founding member of Idea To AUTHOR-ity, where professional speakers, authors and experts can gather, share ideas, resources,news, and connect with each other. There are currently more than 100 members from 8 countries including authors, speakers, film makers, book shepherds, publishers, social media specialists, editors and trainers.  Bobbi has contributed a chapter on international marketing to the first book in the Idea to Author-ity series. 

Readings/signings of  Mewsings/Musings are being scheduled for the coming months. On Sunday, Sept. 26, she'll be at Britton's, on Bank Street at Fifth Avenue, in Ottawa, from 1-3pm.

 Mewsings/Musings  is among a select group of books recommended by Marci Kladnik in her column, which appears in two California newspapers. This also appears on the Catalyst for Cats website, at:
 http://www.catalystforcats.net/reading.htm

The Thomas More Institute for Adult Education in Montreal has once again ordered copies of the 20th anniversary edition of Five Fast Steps to Better Writing for fall classes. In past years, they've ordered 10 copies, but this year they've asked for 20.  Thomas More Institute, founded in Montreal 65 years ago, provides courses in liberal arts, which may be taken for university credit or for pleasure. Once again Alexander Farrell will be teaching a workshop called Basic Essay Writing.

We managed to sneak in a reference to Simon Teakettle, his fan club, and the Facebook group, Freelancers Working Together, in an article on the Upbeat page in the Ottawa Citizen, Saturday, July 10, 2010. Here's the piece they published:

Bobbi replied to a series of questions on creativity for a popular blogger, and her answers appear here: 
http://nelliejacobs.wordpress.com/2010/06/05/creativity-questions-answers-part-7-barbara-florio%C2%A0graham/

Bobbi was also interviewed live, by telephone, on June 10th, for Gail Martin's popular online blog and podcast. Gail's website is www.dreamspinnercommunications.com, and the podcast is online at www.SharedDreamsPodcast.com, as well as uploaded to iTunes and several podcast directory sites. Most of her listeners are small business owners, entrepreneurs and authors. 

We've just become an affiliate of SOURCES, a searchable, deep-indexed database of expert sources, media spokespersons, and news and information sources.  I've been asked to contribute articles on media relations, public relations, publicity, marketing, public speaking and crisis communications to a the site, under the "hotlink" section. Articles I contributed in the past are already archived there, and new ones are now being added regularly.

Bobbi wrote a letter to the editor of the Ottawa Citizen (the large daily in Ottawa's capital) in response to an article on "vanity" publishing. They printed it, in full, on Sat. March 20. Here it is:

Bobbi's letter to Chatelaine (Canada's premier women's magazine) was the Letter of the Month in the April issue. She wrote about iconic journalist and activist, June Callwood, whose death was chronicled in the magazine by her daughter.  Letters don't appear on the website, but the article about June is. It was in the December issue. 

Bobbi was also quoted in an article in the national edition of Forever Young. This piece was written by Randy Ray, who interviewed Bobbi about accessibility of Canadian cities. The article is HERE.

Bobbi's new column in the West Quebec Post focuses on senior issues, and has already generated some positive feedback from readers. The Post isn't online, but many of Bobbi's columns are available at Log Cabin Chronicles, where she's a regular contributor.

Bobbi has been quoted in an article on creativity in the February Reader's Digest. On page 162 of the Canadian edition, in the RD Work section, there's an article by Helen Lammers-Helps called Tapping Into Your Creativity, which mentions Bobbi's online creativity course and includes a side-bar with her suggestions for boosting your creativity.  The link is: http://www.readersdigest.ca/money/cms/xcms/tapping-into-your-creativity_3592_a.html (or http://tinyurl.com/yb2vsco).

Bobbi has just created Freelancers Working Together, an interactive forum on Facebook which will allow freelance writers to share news, information, gripes and suggestions, to help each other in this difficult working environment. Members who join this group will receive a $5 discount on a special  Introductory Membership in the Cassell Network of Writers, which includes a subscription to Freelance Writer's Report where Bobbi is a regular contributor.

Mewsings/Musings was the featured selection on the The Indie Spotlight on Thursday, Feb. 18.  Books selected for this highlight are then available in the archives (in the "Featured" section). http://www.theindiespotlight.com/

Simon Teakettle (with a description of how the name came about, and an explanation of the nickname Terzo) is in a new book, The Cat-Lovers Book of Days, by Peg Silloway. Each of the book's 366 days is all about cats including famous people they've lived with, their place in history, myth, and magic.  It has its own Facebook page, at http://tinyurl.com/nplppu (where you can scroll through the photos and see Terzo decked with ribbons for the holidays). You can also  read a full description of the book at http://sillowaypress.com/pages/bookstore.html

Mother Tongue Books in Ottawa is the latest bookstore to carry Mewsings/Musings and Five Fast Steps to Better Writing.

Simon Teakettle and Bobbi have been profiled in the October issue of 55 Plus, a regional magazine. The feature is called  The Cat Who Owns the Company. See: http://www.fifty-five-plus.com/ go to the Archives, and click on the Ottawa/Kingston edition of the October issue.

This article has been mentioned in the blog/newsletter of The Publicity Hound, as an example of using a specific angle to garner publicity.

Bobbi is also profiled in the October issue of SPAWNnews, the online newsletter of the Small Publishers and Writers Network.

Marta Felber, who took Tapping Your Innate Creativity from Bobbi several years ago, has just won a special award at the Cat Writers' Association annual contest. Marta's A Cat’s Eye View of Life and Love by Sterling  won The WORLD’S BEST LITTER-ARY AWARD.

Bobbi contributed to an article on creativity which was published in the July/August issue of Country Guide Magazine, written by Helen Lammers-Helps. Another version of this piece, quoting Bobbi, will appear in a coming issue of Reader's Digest Living.

She also contributed information on training cats for an article in the April issue of Harrowsmith Country Life Magazine, written by Kate Aley.

2009:

Five Fast Steps to Better Writing is being used this fall at Thomas Moore Institute in Montreal.

Five Fast Steps to Better Writing and Mewsings/Musings are also being featured this fall at two Ottawa bookstores: Collected Works Bookstore and Coffee Bar, 1242 Wellington Avenue West, and Books on Beechwood, 35 Beechwood Avenue.

We just found out that Bobbi's article, The Necessity of Art, was discussed on a web forum in Australia. There are now 45 countries where the company (or Simon or Bobbi) appears on websites. The latest additions are Malaysia and Sao Torme/Principe. You can see the citations (which span 11 time zones) HERE. 

The Animal Magnet - Pet Radio, is hosted by Deb Wolfe every Tuesday from 1:30 to 2pm EST in all 50 U.S. states – and internationally to 158 countries (from NYC). Bobbi was the featured guest on Tuesday, June 2, 2009. This independent, non-commercial station has more than one million visitors a month. Find the Progressive Radio Network at www.prncomm.net. Deborah's interviews are also archived on her site (a few weeks after the broadcast) at: www.campgooddog.com

Bobbi was a panelist at the Ottawa Independent Writers' meeting on May 21st discussing publishing options. Her article on this subject will be in a coming issue of Freelance Writer's Report, as well as in True North Perspective, Log Cabin Chronicles, SCRIBE, and OIW's Capital Letter.

Barnard College has produced a book honoring Millicent C. McIntosh, the ground-breaking first President of the College (she served as Dean from 1947-52, then President from 1952-62), who was a leading advocate of women combining a demanding career with having a family. The wife of a doctor and mother of five boys, she was an example to all who knew her during her tenure. Mrs. McIntosh died in 2001 at the age of 102, and students were asked to share their experiences in this special book. Barbara Florio (class of 1956) is among just 17 students whose memories were selected for this compilation.

The June, 2009, issue of Cat Fancy contained an article by Andrea Dorn, Can Cats Predict Earthquakes.  She describes how Simon Teakettle II (Tiki) reacted the day before the tsunami that devastated the far east in December, 2004.  

Terzo's Virtual MEWSical Society is garnering attention. It's been featured on Facebook, Yahoo, and the NEXUS website, as well as on salon.com and bonniehunt.com.  Many blogs have mentioned it as well, including http://perpetuallyspeaking.blogspot.com/ and http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/catlady/archives/161943.asp.

The 103-year-old Orpheus Musical Society printed the following in their newsletter, The Lyre:

Bobbi spoke to the Ottawa Branch of the Canadian Authors Association on April 14, 2009, at the Ottawa Public Library.  Her topic was Creating Humor.

Terzo's blog is now linked to Darlene Arden's Facebook group. 

Bobbi responded to an article in Salon about how popular kittens are on the Internet, while dogs seem to dominate movies, with a letter about the misconception that cats can't be trained. She mentioned her article on training cats (which won a Sticky Paws award in the international Cat Writers' Association annual contest, and included the URL for this website. The link is:  Letters: The Internet is made of kittens - Salon   http://letters.salon.com/mwt/feature/2009/02/10/cat_internet/view/index3.html

Terzo responded to the Bonnie Hunt Show about why Bonnie should consider a cat as a companion for her dog, Charlie. That appeared on Bonnie's website at:
http://bonniehunt.ning.com/xn/detail/2248152:Comment:171044

Bobbi spoke to the Laughing Matters Toastmasters humor group in Ottawa on February 5, 2009. One of the members had attended Bobbi's sold-out humor writing workshop last spring (presented by the City of Ottawa in its Writers in the Community series) and suggested her as a speaker. Her talk was so well-received they've asked her to return on June 4.

Here's a photo of Bobbi at the podium:

 

The Ottawa Citizen published Bobbi's op-ed piece, The Necessity of Art, on Monday, December 29, 2008. Read it on the Citizen site at: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/opinion/necessity+life/1121448/story.htmlhttp://www.ottawacitizen.com/opinion/necessity+life/1121448/story.html  or Read it HERE

A Freelancer's Christmas Eve won First Prize in the annual Christmas poetry contest held by Ottawa Independent Writers.

Bobbi is now on the list of Canadian humorists at Wikipedia. 

A teen-ager in Norway is blogging about Simon Teakettle! She linked her blog to Terzo's after visiting our website as a result of reading Bobbi's Christmas Story in the Norweigian textbook for high school students studying English in that country. Voices in Time was published last spring, and like other similar books which have published Bobbi's story over the years in other countries, the list of contributors is impressive, including Virginia Woolf, Ray Bradbury, and Oscar Wilde, all of whom are in the same chapter as Bobbi's story.  

There was a great review of the 20th anniversary edition of Five Fast Steps to Better Writing in Absolute Write newsletter.

We had a table at the Small Press Book Fair on October 18, which kicked off the International Writers' Festival at the National Library & Archives in Ottawa. Click HERE to see our display. The author sitting beside me is June Coxon, whose adorable cat book, Just Call Me Ernie, is the charming story of a cat who adopted a seniors' centre in Ottawa. 

The November, 2008, issue of Cat Fancy contains an article called Through the Years, by Stacy Mantle. It features women ranging in age from 24 to 84, one per decade. Each description includes a photo of the woman with her cat, and Bobbi & Terzo are on page 16. 

Using Fido To Clinch The Sale appeared in U.S. Business Week last summer and continues to appear on NBC websites. The columnist quoted publicity expert Joan Stewart, who used Simon Teakettle as an example of "the cat who owns the company." To date this has appeared on NBC websites in Seattle, Dallas, Miami, Atlanta, Chicago, Cleveland, New York City, San Francisco, and Hartford, Connecticut.

Living Cheap and Loving It, by Carrol Wolverton, anticipated the current financial crisis with a book full of suggestions, including some contributed by Barbara Florio Graham. The book is available from Lulu.com.

Simon Teakettle was included in an article on pets at Christmas on the CNBC/Today Show website. See http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/22140438/.

Bobbi was interviewed by Jane Crosier on her weekly radio show, Literary Landscape, which airs  from 6:30 - 7pm every Thursday on CKCU-FM in Ottawa (Canada). Jane devoted the full half hour program on April 10, 2008, talking to Bobbi about the workshop, "How to Promote Your Book or Your Business," and also about Simon Teakettle, the company and the cat.

Bobbi was one of two experts on Steve Dale's Pet Central radio program on Sunday, October 7th. Broadcast live from WGN, Dale's program is allied to his award-winning Tribune Media column.

The 2002 Animal Planet featuring Simon Teakettle II has been a favorite with CTV stations. They have aired it repeatedly, using it as a filler during holiday seasons. Several people have told us they saw it during Christmas week this year.