 Is it really December in Maine if the thermometer reading is north of 60 degrees? Amazing, but the snow is coming and coming soon. So is Hanukkah, Christmas, and New Year's. We hope you are well on your way to getting ready and will take some time to join family and friends at a holiday party or two. As the days of 2009 dwindle to a precious few, we recognize that we have certainly been blessed at Islandport this past year and look ahead with optimism and excitement to 2010 when we turn 10. We'll have lots of announcements, so stay tuned (following us on Facebook and visiting our blog is a good start!). In the meantime, I wish all the best for you and yours this holiday season and in the New Year.
Dean
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TALK TO US!
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Send us e-mailCall: 207-846-3344 Fax: 207-846-3955 Write: Islandport Press PO Box 10 Yarmouth ME 04096 Islandport Press is a family-owned, Maine-based publisher of books, CDs, and other products about Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. |
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HAPPY HOLIDAYS 
FROM OUR FAMILY
TO YOURS
All of us here at Islandport wish you and yours wonderful holidays and hope each and every day is shared with family and friends and filled to overflowing with the joy and spirit of the season.
- Amy, Carole, Melissa, Michelle & Dean
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A SIGNED BOOK MAKES A GREAT GIFT!
Islandport authors and illustrators will visit gift fairs, libraries, bookstores, and craft shows throughout Northern New England-from Calais, Maine, to St. Albans, Vermont-in December, so please stop by, pick up a great gift, and say "hello." You can check our Author Events calendar for all the details and hopefully find an event near you. Some highlights:  Dec 5: BATH, ME - Dahlov Ipcar ( Hardscrabble Harvest, The Cat at Night) will be at Lisa-Marie's Made in Maine from 1 to 3 p.m. Dec 6: DUXBURY, MA - Jane Freeberg (author of The Scallop Christmas, shown at right) will be at Westwinds Bookshop from 1 to 3 p.m. Dec 11: ST. ALBANS, VT - Leon Thompson ( Not Too Awful Bad: A Storyteller's Guide to Vermont) will be at Better Planet Books from 4 to 6 p.m. Dec 12: KEENE, NH - Astrid Sheckels (illustrator of The Scallop Christmas) will be at The Toadstool Bookshop from 2 to 4 p.m. Dec 13: BRUNSWICK, ME - Randy Spencer (author of Where Cool Waters Flow) will be at Gulf of Maine Bookshop at 3 p.m.
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PRAISE FOR COOL WATERS CONTINUES TO FLOW;
E-BOOK VERSION SET FOR RELEASE ON DEC. 11
 This gem of a book continues to delight readers from all across the country who fall in love with the back-country way of life that Master Maine Guide Randy Spencer describes so well. John Holyoke, writing in the Bangor Daily News, says "Spencer's prose is clean, quick and witty. He successfully transports readers from their living room easy chairs to the wilds of Grand Lake Stream ... the result is a stunning portrait of a truly special place, illuminated by the people who live for their yearly visits to those remote Maine woods. You may find a better Maine book than Where Cool Waters Flow. You may find a better outdoor book. You may. I haven't." Well said, John. The book's popularity, the evolving state of publishing, and all the hoopla about digital books has prompted us to test the waters (warm waters, we hope) of e-book publishing. We will release an e-book version of Where Cool Waters Flow for the Kindle, Amazon's electronic reader, on Dec. 11. You'll also be able to read it on your PC or Apple iPhone with the correct (free) software. The e-book will sell for $12.95 and include all the text of the traditional version, although it does not include some of the photographs. Check our Web site on Dec. 11 for a link to the Kindle page! It is not our plan to release e-book editions of all our books, but we are curious to see how the market develops. If you buy the e-book version, please send us a note and tell us what you think. And, if you have another Islandport title that you'd like to see as an e-book, or if you use a different e-book reader, send us an e-mail to let us know.
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TWICE IS NICE: TWO ORIGINAL NOVELS SET FOR 2010
Even though we are still working hard to promote our wonderful 2009 book releases, we will soon start looking ahead to our 2010 titles. We will make many announcements as the holiday decorations start coming down and winter truly grabs the region. Trust us, it will be ANOTHER great year for Islandport books. Here's a hint or two or three: think McDonald, Rule, and Ipcar-but more on all that later.
We can announce, however, that we will release TWO original novels in 2010, including Abbott's Reach, Ardeana Hamlin's long-awaited sequel to her popular and critically acclaimed Pink Chimneys. Abbott's Reach is set in the 1870s and will mainly follow the life of M, but gives fans a chance to visit again with Maude, Fanny, and Elizabeth.  We will also release the mystery Breaking Ground by William Andrews. Breaking Ground is a follow-up to Andrews' Stealing History and once again follows the adventures of Julie Williamson, the director of a small-town historical society in western Maine. Seems like a lot goes on in that small town!
Those are two of the great books on the way in 2010, and we are just getting warmed up. |
STAFF PICKS: OUR CHOICES FOR THE HOLIDAYS
What Islandport staffers recommend this season!
Dean Lunt, Publisher : The Best of Bert and I
If you are interested in learning where some of Maine's pop culture references originated, feeling nostalgic for old summer days at the camp, want to introduce young-uns to some classic humor, or just want to laugh this holiday season, check out our CD The Best of Bert and I. Marshall Dodge and Bob Bryan created the iconic duo more than 50 years and they remain the gold standard for dry Down East storytelling. Funny stuff.
 Michelle Lunt, Editor, Design and Production
Of all the Islandport titles, my favorites are Silas Crockett and
Mary Peters which, I think, should be read together. They give the reader a rich vision of the evolution of Maine's coast from a global seafaring state to a haven for "rusticators". The characters are strong and independent; they simply deal with whatever they must, good or bad, giving a great perspective on what is meant by "Yankee ingenuity."
Amy Canfied, Senior Editor:  Shoutin' into the Fog by Thomas Hanna
It's a heartwarming story about a resilient Maine boy who overcame many obstacles on the road to adulthood. In addition to being a moving memoir, it's also an illuminating look at small-town Maine in the first half of the 20th century.
Carole Fallon, Sales and Marketing: The Scallop Christmas by Jane Freeberg
The story hearkens back to a time when life was much less hectic and pleasures were found in simpler things. The message seems especially pertinent now when life passes at such a fast, technically-enhanced pace. I look forward to reading this book with my kids year after year, enjoying the beautiful illustrations and giving them the gift of slowing down and reflecting on the really important things.
Melissa Kim, Online Editor: The Cat at Night by Dahlov Ipcar 
The contrasting spreads, showing what the cat can see and what we can see, never fail to captivate me and 5-year-old son, in part because of the beautiful artwork and in part because the idea of being able to see at night is so appealing. It sparks the imagination and inspires ideas for art projects and storytelling. What more could you ask for in a children's book?
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LIGHT THE CANDLES, ISLANDPORT TURNS 10
It's hard to believe, but next year will mark the 10th anniversary of Islandport Press. After starting with just one title, Hauling by Hand: The Life and Times of a Maine Island, in Feburary 2000, we now have dozens of great titles, from fiction to non-fiction, from children's books to CDs and DVDs, and we've spread out across New England. We want to thank everyone for their support for us and for helping keep the spirit of the small, independent press alive. We will not let the milestone go unnoticed! In addition to the most ambitious book release schedule yet (hmm, do we say that every single year? Maybe that is why we are so busy!), we have lots of plans and announcements in the works. We will begin spreading the word after the New Year, so pay attention! One of the best ways to make sure you know our plans is to sign up for both our catalog and e-newsletter mailing lists and follow our blogs. And, if you have a friend (or two, or three) who you think would like to know what we are up to, please forward this e-newsletter to them. |
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