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The Milford-Haven Novels, Novellas & Novelettes have now won more than 60 book awards!
Prequel Novella
Novelette
#1 Artist AdventureNovella
#2 Artist AdventureNovella
#3 Artist AdventureNovel One of the Pentalogy
Novel Two of the Pentalogy
Novel Three of the Pentalogy
Novel Four of the Pentalogy
Holiday Novelette
Holiday Novelette
Holiday Novelette
PEARLS OF WISDOM
Category Archives: Soap Opera
Part I – Books versus TV, Narrative Voice versus Scripted Scenes: Longmire, Outlander
A Guest Post by Mara Purl
Every author wants their novels to be made into a film or a television series. Right?
So let’s take a look at how these two worlds of “series”—both the readable and the viewable kind—connect, overlap, or compete. Some people discover a great series first on TV, then want to dig deeper by reading the original books. Some don’t want to see the adaptation on a screen until they’ve delved into the books, sometimes referred to by producers as “source material.”
Here we’ll take a look at works by Diana Gabaldon (the Outlander series), and Craig Johnson (the Longmire series).… Read more
Posted in Art and Entertainment, BBC Radio, Books, careers, Mara Purl, Milford-Haven Novels & Stories, narrative voice, Novel series, Radio, Radio Drama, Serial Drama, Soap Opera Fiction, Television series, Writing
Tagged Bosche, Longmire, Milford Haven, narrative voice, Outlander, TV series
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Milford-Haven Celebrates its 25th Anniversary!
Mara Purl hosts the 25th anniversary of her original radio drama Milford-Haven with original cast members, local sponsors, broadcasters, journalists and friends in Cambria, California, where the show began.
Posted in Art and Entertainment, Audio Drama, Authors, BBC Radio, California, Cambria, Creativity, Days of Our Lives, involvement in issues near and dear to heart, Mara Purl, Radio, Radio Drama, Serial Drama, Soap Opera
Tagged author Mara Purl, Cambria California, Days of Our Lives, foley artist, NBC, Radio Drama, radio drama Milford-Haven, sound engineer, town of cambria
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Whales’ Tales by the Dock of the Bay
Writing is tough. It takes hours, weeks, months, years of solitude and focus. It requires “killing your darlings”—a writer-term for throwing out your favorite passages. It means wrestling with characters, struggling with storylines and remembering why the heck you’re putting yourself through all this torment in the first place. Then there are days when writing is just plain fun. For me, this often occurs when I get do a research field trip. I’m not entirely stupid about this—I choose favorite locations where my story just happens to take place. So I got to spend today in Morro Bay, one of the most delightful spots along California’s gorgeous Central Coast.… Read more
Posted in about issues of the heart, AHA Moments, Art and Entertainment, Authors, Authors on Talk Shows, Book Clubs, Book Marketing, Books, California, Coastal regions, community and transformation, Connecting through books, e-books by Mara Purl, eco-location, Ecology, Environment, Finding treasures of the heart in books, Heart, Heart and head connection in books, Journalism, Love of Books, Magical moments, Mara Purl, Marine Mammals, Marketing, Milford-Haven Novels & Stories, Music, Novel series, Nurturing the soul, Opening up to New Worlds, Personal Essays, saving whales, Small Town Fiction, Soap Opera Fiction, Songwriters, Sperm whales, synchronicity, Whales, When Whales Watch by Mara Purl, Wildlife, Women authors, Women's Fiction
Tagged author Mara Purl, California coast, Greenpeace International, Milford Haven, novel series by Mara Purl, save the whales, sperm whales, The Milford-Haven Books, transformative fiction, whales, women's fiction
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Mile High Tea
You’ve heard of “Pie in the Sky”—an idiom to convey that which is so unlikely that we shouldn’t count on it, a kind of fool’s gold, a dream only a Pollyanna would dare to dream.
Well, if Pie-In-The-Sky describes what can’t come true, perhaps “Mile High Tea” should be the new descriptor for what can. Why? Because anything Judith Briles touches actually does turn to gold. Judith was my hostess this past weekend for a gorgeous, elaborate and delightful tea at the lovely home where she and her husband, poet and editor John Maling, love to entertain.
So what do I mean by “gold”?… Read more
Posted in about issues of the heart, Art and Entertainment, Artists, Author Mara Purl on Blog Tour, authors and entertainment world, Authors and Publishers Services, Authors on Talk Shows, Baby Boomer women, Baby Boomers and Empty Nest Women, Bellekeep Books, Bellekeep Books by Mara Purl, Book Editing, Book Marketing, Books, Books for Baby Boomers, Business, Business Coaching for Artists, careers, Collaboration with other writers, Colorado, Community, Connecting through books, Creativity, Current Event, current events, E-Books, Editing manuscripts for good writing, Editors, energy, Escapism through romance novels, Fictitious town of Milford-Haven, Finding treasures of the heart in books, flow of life, Gifts, Gratitude, head and heart connection, head and heart connection, Heart, Heart and head connection in books, heart of an artist, history, Innovative marketing, Innovative marketing, inspiring through fiction novels, Integrating lifes purpose through art, Intuition, involvement in issues near and dear to heart, joy, Life in Baby Boomer years for Women, life's purpose, Logical Thinking, Love, Love of Books, Magical moments, Mara Purl, Mara Purl, Mara Purl Romance novels, Mara Purl using new marketing methods for Books, Marketing, Milford Haven, Milford-Haven Novels & Stories, mission and core purpose in life, Motivation and inspiration for Baby Boomer careers, new methods of marketing books, Novel series, Novels for Romance Junkies, Nurturing the soul, Of Baby Boomer Women, of lives through books, Opening up to New Worlds, physical and emotional process of creating art, Possibili-Teas in Colorado and New York, Power of the universe, power of the universe, power of the universe, Power of Universe, Presidents of publishing trade organizations, Publishing, Re-Build your Life, relationships, Romance novel readers, Romance Novels by Mara Purl, Romance Novels by Mara Purl, Romantic fiction, romantic novel storylines, Science, self-growth, Skill sets, Small Presses, Small Town Fiction, Soap Opera Fiction, sychronicity of life, synchronicity, synchronicity, Teas with author Mara Purl, Transformation, Travel, Uncategorized, What the Heart Knows, What the Heart Knows by Mara Purl, When Hummers Dream by Mara Purl, women and romance novels, Women and Romance Novels, Women authors, Women's Fiction, womens literature, Writing, writing romance novels
Tagged adventures of Mitford Haven novels, author and speaker Judith Briles, author Mara Purl, author services at Author U, author services of Judith Briles, Author U, business partners, Fiction, fools gold, fulfilling callings in life, gifts of the heart, good books published well, heart, Judith Briles, Judith Briles and the power of the Word, Judith Briles inspiring others to publish, Mara Purl inspiring others to publish, Mile High Tea in Mile High City, Mile High Tea with Judith Briles and Mara Purl, Pie in the Sky, poel and editor John Maling, Pollyanna dreams, possibilities in publishing, publishing opportunities, science and art of Judith Briles, steeping tea with Mara Purl and Judith Briles, strategies and solutions by Judith Briles, Suze Orman, The Milford-Haven Books, the power of the word, women's fiction, women's fiction novels, www.marapurl.com
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Whose Mystery: Our Characters’ or Ours?
“Who done it?” Why do we get so caught up in solving mysteries? I have several readers—whose names I shall not divulge—who regularly e-mail me demanding to know who killed Chris, and whether she’s really dead, and when the crime will be solved! And I thought I was the only one who couldn’t sleep at night wondering about the characters of Milford-Haven!
My accomplished friend Margaret Coel has equally marvelous stories about the obsessive nature of readers and how involved they become with her characters. At our event last weekend, she recounted some of the “helpful suggestions” she receives regarding her two protagonists, and how their life-dilemmas might be solved.… Read more
Posted in about issues of the heart, Art and Entertainment, Artists, Author Mara Purl on Blog Tour, authors and entertainment world, Authors and Publishers Services, Authors on Talk Shows, Baby Boomers, Bellekeep Books by Mara Purl, Blog tour of author Mara Purl, Blog Tours, Book Marketing, book marketing using websites enewsletters and blogs, Books for Baby Boomers, Business, careers, Collaboration with other writers, Community, Connecting through blogs, Connecting through books, Creativity, Current Event, Domestic Violence, E-Books, Editors, energy, Escapism through romance novels, family history and genealogy, Family values, Finding treasures of the heart in books, flow of life, Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, forgiveness, Gifts, head and heart connection, head and heart connection, Heart, Heart and head connection in books, heart of an artist, history, ideas for books, Innovative marketing, inspiring through fiction novels, Integrating lifes purpose through art, Intuition, involvement in issues near and dear to heart, Lady Killers, life's purpose, Love, Love of Books, Mara Purl, Mara Purl, Mara Purl, Mara Purl Romance novels, Mara Purl using new marketing methods for Books, Marketing, Metaphors, Milford Haven, Milford-Haven Novels & Stories, mission and core purpose in life, Motivation and inspiration for Baby Boomer careers, musician-singer-songwriter, Mystery Writers, Mystery Writers, Novel series, Novels for Romance Junkies, Nurturing the soul, Of Baby Boomer Women, of lives through books, Personal Essays, physical and emotional process of creating art, plot and structure, Political history, Power of the universe, power of the universe, power of the universe, Power of Universe, Publishing, Re-Build your Life, relationships, Romance novel readers, Romance Novels by Mara Purl, Romance Novels by Mara Purl, Romance Novels for romance junkies, Romantic fiction, romantic novel storylines, Science, self-growth, Skill sets, Small Presses, Small Town Fiction, Soap Opera Fiction, sychronicity of life, synchronicity, synchronicity, Syncronicity between bloggers, Transformation, Uncategorized, Virtual Book Tours, What the Heart Knows, What the Heart Knows by Mara Purl, women and romance novels, Women and Romance Novels, Women authors, Women's Fiction, womens literature, Writing, writing romance novels
Tagged adventures to Milford Haven novels, art unlocking deep mysteries, audience at Mara Purl and Margaret Coel book event, author Mara Purl, characters in Mara Purls novels, characters in Milford Haven novels, characters in novels, crime in Mara Purls fiction novels, delayed ambitions, Father John O'Malley character in Margaret Coel books, fictional characters, giving selves to art, gold character, instinct and intuition, Key elements to a mystery novel, keys to art, Lady Killers, Life dilemnas in novels, listening to head, listening to heart, manuscripts from the heart, Mara Purl and Margaret Coel specialize in mystery writing, Mara Purl shares spotlight with Margaret Coel, Mara Purls fiction novels, Mara Purls womens fiction, Margaret Coel, Margaret Coels character Arapahoe lawyer Vicki Holden, Margaret Coels Wind River Mysteries, metaphors of mystery, mystery as literary device, obsessive nature of readers, Prologue of What the Heart Knows, readers involved with characters in books, refining novels and editorial, research into history place and human nature for novels, rough drafts of novels, scars of childhood in characters, The Milford-Haven Books, twarted dreams in novels, two protagonists in novels, What the Heart Knows, When Smart Characters do stupid things, Who Done it in Mara Purl's novels, women who specialize in mystery, women writers who specialize in mystery writing, women's fiction, womens fiction, working through issues in characters, writer Margaret Coel, writers that author Mara Purl admires, writing, www.marapurl.com
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Fiction: Tricks or Treats?
Perhaps cracking the cover on an unknown book is something like opening the door to strange children on Halloween. “Trick or Treat” they cry. We consider it mostly an idle threat, because we know if we’ve opened the door at all, we’re going to deliver a treat, and therefore not expect to be tricked. And perhaps this is analogous to shelling out our twenty-five dollars for a hardcover book: we expect to receive a treat and we don’t expect to be tricked.
But what’s the point of fiction? Is it to trick the reader into thinking that the characters they’re reading about and the circumstances in which they find themselves are real?… Read more
Posted in about issues of the heart, Art and Entertainment, Author Mara Purl on Blog Tour, authors and entertainment world, Bellekeep Books, Bellekeep Books by Mara Purl, Books, Business, careers, Connecting through books, Creativity, Domestic Violence, Escapism through romance novels, Finding treasures of the heart in books, Gifts, head and heart connection, head and heart connection, Heart, Heart and head connection in books, history, ideas for books, inspiring through fiction novels, Intuition, Logical Thinking, Love, Love of Books, Magical moments, Mara Purl, Mara Purl, Mara Purl Romance novels, Milford Haven, Milford-Haven Novels & Stories, Novels for Romance Junkies, Nurturing the soul, of lives through books, Opening up to New Worlds, physical and emotional process of creating art, plot and structure, Power of the universe, power of the universe, Power of Universe, Publishing, Re-Build your Life, relationships, Romance Novels by Mara Purl, Romance Novels by Mara Purl, Romance Novels for romance junkies, Romantic fiction, romantic novel storylines, self-growth, Small Town Fiction, Soap Opera Fiction, Transformation, Travel, Uncategorized, What the Heart Knows, What the Heart Knows by Mara Purl, women and romance novels, Women and Romance Novels, Women authors, Women's Fiction, womens literature, Writing, writing romance novels
Tagged author Mara Purl, books offering sugar coated versions of reality, changes of The Milford Haven Books, cracking covers on books. treats found in fiction, entertaining readers through fiction, Fiction, fiction that shows readers how novel life can be, fiction tricks readers into thnking characters are real, hardcover book by Mara Purl, intersecting plot lines in fiction stories, mara purl newsletter, novels that feed the soul, plot lines running across the universe, sense of possibility in novels, smart readers and stories, transformative fiction, tricks found in fiction stories, women's fiction, writing, writing tricks that keep readers coming back for more, writing tricks that pique readers interest, www.marapurl.com
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Serendipi-Tea
A few years ago, when I was first searching for the right kind of special event for readers of my Women’s Fiction novels, I chose Afternoon Tea as the perfect thing. “Tea” seemed to signify both elegance and comfort, a chance to connect with others while taking a break from hectic schedules. And though men sometimes attend, the event itself has a feminine quality, with great attention to detail and style.
The first person I approached with this idea was my mother. A brilliant hostess, she grasped the concept instantly and offered her own home for a series of three events that I named Hospitali-Teas.… Read more
Posted in about issues of the heart, Art and Entertainment, Author Mara Purl on Blog Tour, Bellekeep Books, Bellekeep Books by Mara Purl, Book Clubs, Book Marketing, Books, Business, California, careers, Community, Connecting through books, Creativity, Current Event, e-books by Mara Purl, Escapism through romance novels, Family values, Finding treasures of the heart in books, flow of life, Gifts, head and heart connection, head and heart connection, Heart, Heart and head connection in books, history, Innovative marketing, Innovative marketing, inspiring through fiction novels, Integrating lifes purpose through art, Intuition, involvement in issues near and dear to heart, Journaling, life's purpose, Love of Books, Magical moments, Mara Purl, Mara Purl Romance novels, Mara Purl using new marketing methods for Books, Marketing, Milford Haven, Milford-Haven Novels & Stories, mission and core purpose in life, Music, new methods of marketing books, Novel series, Novels for Romance Junkies, Nurturing the soul, of lives through books, Possibili-Teas in Colorado and New York, Publishing, Re-Build your Life, relationships, Romance novel readers, Romance Novels by Mara Purl, Romance Novels for romance junkies, Romantic fiction, romantic novel storylines, Santa Barbara, self-growth, Small Presses, Small Town Fiction, Soap Opera Fiction, sychronicity of life, synchronicity, Teas with author Mara Purl, Transformation, transformation through AHA moments, Travel, Uncategorized, What the Heart Knows, What the Heart Knows by Mara Purl, women and romance novels, Women and Romance Novels, Women authors, Women's Fiction, womens literature, Writing, writing romance novels
Tagged author Mara Purl, Barnes & Noble, books for Birthdays, careers as tea sommeliers, create occasions with tea, create space for tea and conversation, create space for womens fiction and discussion, Dianemarie and Doug Collins, Earl Grey tea, Fiction, good brithday gift What the Heart Knows by Mara Purl, Jeffrey Hattrick "The Tea Guy", Jeffrey's Tea, listening to her heart through tea and conversation, Mara Purl on scones and tea, Mara Purl's Creativi-Teas, Mara Purl's Generosi-Teas, Mara Purl's Possibil-Teas, Mara Purl's Socie-Tea, Mara Purl's Teas for readers, mother and daughter conversations, pianist Jeffrey at Ritz Carlton Tea Lobby, possibility, relationships, Ritz-Carlton and High Tea, Serendipi-Tea with author Mara Purl, Tea Lobby at Ritz Carlton, tea menus, team sommeliers, The Milford-Haven Books, transforming lives through books, Uni-Tea with Unity Shoppe non-profit, Unity Shoppe in Santa Barbara California, women's fiction, women's fiction novels, womens fiction novelist Mara Purl and Hospitali-Teas, www.marapurl.com
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Changing Hands
Don’t you love discovering a phrase that has embedded puns and multiple meanings? Gayle Shanks and Bob Sommer must’ve had fun when they chose this phrase as the name of their now-famous bookstore. The store itself has never changed hands, and remains in the marvelously creative and capable hands of the original owners. I had the pleasure of meeting these great folks last year at the Women Writing the West conference when they sat at my table for dinner.
My signing at their store last week was one of the highlights of my recent Phoenix-area book tour. A joint event with one of my favorite authors Donis Casey, our evening was built around my ongoing theme, “Head and Heart.”… Read more
Posted in about issues of the heart, Art and Entertainment, Author Mara Purl on Blog Tour, authors and entertainment world, Bellekeep Books by Mara Purl, Book Marketing, Books, Bookstores - Independent, Business, careers, Collaboration with other writers, Community, Connecting through books, Creativity, Current Event, current events, Fictitious town of Milford-Haven, Finding treasures of the heart in books, head and heart connection, head and heart connection, Heart, Heart and head connection in books, history, Innovative marketing, Integrating lifes purpose through art, Intuition, involvement in issues near and dear to heart, Journaling, life's purpose, Love of Books, Mara Purl, Mara Purl Romance novels, Mara Purl using new marketing methods for Books, Marketing, Metaphors, Milford Haven, Milford-Haven Novels & Stories, new methods of marketing books, of lives through books, Opening up to New Worlds, physical and emotional process of creating art, Power of the universe, power of the universe, Power of Universe, Publishing, Re-Build your Life, relationships, Romance novel readers, Romance Novels by Mara Purl, Romance Novels by Mara Purl, Romantic fiction, romantic novel storylines, Small Presses, Small Town Fiction, Soap Opera Fiction, sychronicity of life, synchronicity, Transformation, Travel, Uncategorized, What the Heart Knows, women and romance novels, Women and Romance Novels, Women authors, Women's Fiction, womens literature, Writing, writing romance novels
Tagged adjusting and aligning to synchroniciities in life, Advance Reader Copies of What the Heart Knows, America West, author Donis Casey, authors enrolling audience in insights into books, Barnes & Noble Bookstores, Betty Hunter, booksellers at independent bookstores, bookstore in Arizona Changing Hands, changes of The Milford Haven Books, Changing Hands, Changing Hands Bookstore, Donis Casey, education scholarships for young women throughh PEO, Fiction, fiction at indie bookstores, Gayle Shanks and Bob Sommer, good feelings of the heart, Google-like encylopedic knowledge in booksellers, heart, heat and heart themes in books, independent bookstores, indiebound bookstores, intuition, local PEO chapters, major independent bookstores, Mara Purl at Changing Hands Bookstore, mara purl newsletter, original owners of Changing Hands Bookstore Gayle Shanks and Bob Sommer, personal stories of Mara Purl, Phoenix book tour of Mara Purl, phrases with embedded puns and multiple meanings, psychological implications of hiking the backcountry in Tibert, relationships, sychronicity, synchronicities of life, targeting interests psychologically, U.S. Air Club, unfolding world of The Milford Haven Novels, What the Heart Knows on wish lists of books, wish lists of books, Women Writing the West, women's fiction novels, writing, writing with head and heart, www.marapurl.com
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