Deb Simpson's Blog, page 3
March 26, 2013
16 Years Ago Today...
The 39 bodies of the Heavens Gate Cult members who committed mass suicde were found near San Diego, California....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heaven's_Gate_(religious_group)
one members story....
www.ClosingTheGate.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heaven's_Gate_(religious_group)
one members story....
www.ClosingTheGate.com
March 25, 2013
Heaven's Gate Cult -the Elvis Connection
The Elvis Connection
As the 16th anniversary of the Heaven’s Gate cult mass suicide approaches, my thoughts turn to my brother’s decision to follow his cult family and leave this world. Sometimes this brings memories of Jimmy as a baby, sometimes as a young man struggling to find his purpose in life.
This month, as my husband and I traveled to Memphis for a weekend vacation, we visited Graceland, I was reminded of my brother’s love of Elvis, his music, his movies, and his life. In 1976, Jimmy was living with my family in Norfolk, VA, and we had the opportunity to see Elvis in person, when he performed nearby at Hampton Roads, VA. Jimmy and I talked about the chance to see Elvis in person, to hear him perform and experience his strong presence. It was an event I will long remember, not because of the event, but because it was one of those missed opportunities. I simply could not afford the ticket price, so we did not attend. I recall Jimmy’s disappointment and anger, and my own remorse, especially when Elvis died a few months later.
As we toured the grounds of Graceland this month, , and stood near Elvis’ grave, I found myself surrounded by an intense quiet as other visitors stood in silence at the Graceland Mediation Garden. This is the place where Elvis, his mother, father, and grandmother are buried, and where a small marker serves as a reminder of his twin brother who died at birth. For me, it was both a reflection of the impact of Elvis' life, the loss of someone so talented and young (42), and a sad recollection of my brother’s death, also at a young age (36).
Although I wrote about my brother’s life, his involvement with Heaven’s Gate, and his death in the biography, Closing The Gate, I still find myself deluged with small memories like this one-memories of things I had long ago forgotten. When a memory such as this resurfaces, I return again to the remembered moment and then all too quickly, to Jimmy’s death and the loss of his presence in my life
Although Jimmy loved much of Elvis music, his all time favorite was “In the Ghetto”, and his favorite stanza may have been a hidden message…one we should have better understood.
“People, don’t you understand
The child needs a helping hand “
Excerpt from “In The Ghetto” by Scott Davis
www.ClosingtheGate.com
As the 16th anniversary of the Heaven’s Gate cult mass suicide approaches, my thoughts turn to my brother’s decision to follow his cult family and leave this world. Sometimes this brings memories of Jimmy as a baby, sometimes as a young man struggling to find his purpose in life.
This month, as my husband and I traveled to Memphis for a weekend vacation, we visited Graceland, I was reminded of my brother’s love of Elvis, his music, his movies, and his life. In 1976, Jimmy was living with my family in Norfolk, VA, and we had the opportunity to see Elvis in person, when he performed nearby at Hampton Roads, VA. Jimmy and I talked about the chance to see Elvis in person, to hear him perform and experience his strong presence. It was an event I will long remember, not because of the event, but because it was one of those missed opportunities. I simply could not afford the ticket price, so we did not attend. I recall Jimmy’s disappointment and anger, and my own remorse, especially when Elvis died a few months later.
As we toured the grounds of Graceland this month, , and stood near Elvis’ grave, I found myself surrounded by an intense quiet as other visitors stood in silence at the Graceland Mediation Garden. This is the place where Elvis, his mother, father, and grandmother are buried, and where a small marker serves as a reminder of his twin brother who died at birth. For me, it was both a reflection of the impact of Elvis' life, the loss of someone so talented and young (42), and a sad recollection of my brother’s death, also at a young age (36).
Although I wrote about my brother’s life, his involvement with Heaven’s Gate, and his death in the biography, Closing The Gate, I still find myself deluged with small memories like this one-memories of things I had long ago forgotten. When a memory such as this resurfaces, I return again to the remembered moment and then all too quickly, to Jimmy’s death and the loss of his presence in my life
Although Jimmy loved much of Elvis music, his all time favorite was “In the Ghetto”, and his favorite stanza may have been a hidden message…one we should have better understood.
“People, don’t you understand
The child needs a helping hand “
Excerpt from “In The Ghetto” by Scott Davis
www.ClosingtheGate.com
March 22, 2013
One year birthday!
Closing the Gate was launched March 24. 2012 One year ago Sunday!!! Thank you for all your support. 
March 12, 2013
Ebook coming soon via Book Baby!
Hi all! Exciting news--no date yet, but Closing The Gate will soon be out as n ebook--through Book Baby!
January 21, 2013
Inauguration
Alicia Keyes was great but I would like to have heard. Brad. Paisley too. Instead of the t v talking heads!!
January 11, 2013
10 TOp Tips for self publishing
http://www.thebookdesigner.com/2013/01/matthew-turner/
Do you think self publishing might be for you? follow some of the great authors like Lawrence Block (his blog linki is below) and use the linked tips (link above) from the Book designer blog (Joel Friedlander)
I moved very tentatively into self-publishing. Some publishers who’d reprinted early titles of mine—Hard Case Crime, Subterranean Press—were good enough to furnish word.doc files, and I taught myself how to publish them for Kindle,and had a few others scanned to keep them company. I withdrew them when I made an eBook deal with Open Road for 40+ backlist titles, but soon found myself back at the Kindle Direct Publishing platform, offering uncollected short stories at 99¢.
http://lawrenceblock.wordpress.com/2012/04/22/all-changed-changed-utterly/
Do you think self publishing might be for you? follow some of the great authors like Lawrence Block (his blog linki is below) and use the linked tips (link above) from the Book designer blog (Joel Friedlander)
I moved very tentatively into self-publishing. Some publishers who’d reprinted early titles of mine—Hard Case Crime, Subterranean Press—were good enough to furnish word.doc files, and I taught myself how to publish them for Kindle,and had a few others scanned to keep them company. I withdrew them when I made an eBook deal with Open Road for 40+ backlist titles, but soon found myself back at the Kindle Direct Publishing platform, offering uncollected short stories at 99¢.
http://lawrenceblock.wordpress.com/2012/04/22/all-changed-changed-utterly/
November 14, 2012
Another goodreads review for Closing The Gate
In March of 1997 39 members of the Heaven's Gate group committed mass suicide in California believing they were exiting their earthly bodies and would move onto the next level of existence. Jimmy Pirkey had left the group some months earlier but had been trying to locate them to re-join when the group members died. Five weeks later he too would commit suicide hoping to join his "family".
This is the story of Jimmy's life and the path that led him to membership in this religious cult. His life was one of constant upheaval, poverty, and insecurity. His earliest years were spent with a mentally ill mother and a pedophile father. His older sister was the most stable influence in his life but she had problems of her own and was ill-equipped to nurture young Jimmy. The family was constantly moving and lived a consistently unstable life. After Jimmy's father was incarcerated his mother chose to replace him with a series of undesirable men who only contributed further to Jimmy's sad, deprived youth.
This true life account written by Jimmy's sister using the voices of his mother, father, herself and Jimmy, offers a realistic and traumatic look at what life for this family must have been like and how it affected him. It saddened me to think that children are actually raised this way and surprised me that they didn't have more emotional issues than they did as a result of their childhood circumstances. The author did a wonderful job with what must have been an emotionally devastating walk down memory lane for her.
I received this book through Goodreads' first reader giveaway program and I fervently recommend it.
Closing the Gate review and discussion!
http://inkquilletc.blogspot.com/2012/04/entry-denied-deb-simpsons-closing-gate.html?showComment=1352927453793#c7518546675690172140
Entry Denied: Deb Simpson's Closing the Gate
James Edward Pirkey Jr. died on May 13, 1997. He was thirty-six years old, had never married and had no children. He had placed a gun to his head, and reached for the next level, the place where he hoped to meet the precious spirits already departed.
Entry Denied: Deb Simpson's Closing the Gate
James Edward Pirkey Jr. died on May 13, 1997. He was thirty-six years old, had never married and had no children. He had placed a gun to his head, and reached for the next level, the place where he hoped to meet the precious spirits already departed.
November 7, 2012
paying markets for writers....
OATMEAL STUDIOS GREETING CARD CO., P.O. BOX 917 - Dept. J, North Adams, MA 01247. Email: dawn-at-oatmealstudios.com. Website: http://www.oatmealstudios.com. Dawn Abraham, Editor. "We sell cutting edge, humorous greeting cards in many styles: humorous photo ideas, many cartoon styles, and more traditional word-play styles of humor. See our website." 100% freelance. Welcomes new writers. Pays on acceptance. Publishes card 6 mo. to 2 years after acceptance. "We request exclusive purchase and use of any idea we buy. We respond within a few days to e-mails and we hold copy for between 3-10 weeks for review (depending on when it comes during our current review cycle). We tell writers what dates they can plan on final decisions." Samples available at the website. Guidelines by email to dawn-at-oatmealstudios.com.
CURRENT NEEDS: "We are currently looking for birthday ideas. We pay $75.00 if we decide to buy an idea. Word count of an average greeting card length. Submit by e-mail to dawn-at-oatmealstudios.com or by snail mail with a self-addressed stamped envelope that covers return postage."
PHOTOS/ART: "If you have illustrations or photos with your ideas send a query first with a description and we will tell you how to best submit. See our website for more info. about art requirements. Pay is negotiable.
HINTS: "Read cards on the racks in stores and try to write something you would buy (and maybe all your friends would buy, too)."
more markets
More paying markets
CURRENT NEEDS: "We are currently looking for birthday ideas. We pay $75.00 if we decide to buy an idea. Word count of an average greeting card length. Submit by e-mail to dawn-at-oatmealstudios.com or by snail mail with a self-addressed stamped envelope that covers return postage."
PHOTOS/ART: "If you have illustrations or photos with your ideas send a query first with a description and we will tell you how to best submit. See our website for more info. about art requirements. Pay is negotiable.
HINTS: "Read cards on the racks in stores and try to write something you would buy (and maybe all your friends would buy, too)."
more markets
More paying markets
October 23, 2012
webinar for authors on Social Media
http://www.thebookdesigner.com/hub-and-outpost-webinar/
The Hub and Outpost Method of Social Media Marketing Webinar
Authors: Feel Like You're Spinning Your Wheels in Social Media?
The Hub and Outpost Method of Social Media Marketing Webinar
Authors: Feel Like You're Spinning Your Wheels in Social Media?
