04/27/2001

"Wild Tulips" for Mother's Day

Never would I have guessed that part-time work as a columnist would lead me to write and publish a book, but indeed it has. My collection of family and schoolyard tales, called "Wild Tulips," recently hit the streets and screens (available on amazon.com). The tales are presented within a loosely woven gardening metaphor, as a bouquet of colorful personalities (the flowers) with a few weeds interspersed. Gentle humor, anecdotes from personal and professional experiences and vines of wisdom intertwine, to appeal to parents and educators alike.

Completing a book has demanded every ounce of my creativity, persistence and skill. Now that it's finished, and I have leaped over the hundreds of hurdles to actual publication, I welcome the marketing challenges that seem easy by comparison to the writing, editing, rewriting, new writing, more editing and finding-a-publisher process. It was an excruciating process, but definitely essential if I was ever to have a marketable product. One huge challenge was to maintain the essence of the book (and enhance it) despite occasional efforts from editors to usurp control of the text and exercise veto power over various sections. One of the editors wanted to make the book her own, I think, because she had never successfully completed one herself. After second-guessing me for weeks, we parted company and I hired someone else.

I especially enjoyed working with the graphic artist who designed the cover. She only read a few of the essays, but that was enough to give her several visual concepts to present to me. Knowing that an appealing cover would draw readers to take a look inside, I felt fortunate to stumble upon someone so imaginative and talented. The graphic artist also supervised the lay-out process. I decided do my own copy-editing, because I have noticed so many errors in these days of computer spell-checking. I suppose an error or two made its way into the final text of "Wild Tulips," but so far I haven't found any!

Another exhilarating but nerve-wracking part of publishing a book is sending preview copies to reviewers. I'm still waiting for my first slash-and-burn review. My colleagues tell me that every book worth its salt gets at least one hazing. So far, critics have been kind, offering comments like the following (and I swear I didn't pay them):

"Beth Bruno combines wit and wisdom in her superbly written Wild Tulips. Drawing from a background as school psychologist, wife and mother, her essays explore family life, personal insights and the joys and challenges of raising children in contemporary society. Wild Tulips is a veritable treasure house of useful and enlightening messages - a book readers will return to again and again." -- Jerry Labriola, M.D., pediatrician and author

"We all hold dear that one teacher, or maybe two; or that coach or guidance counselor who truly helped show us our way. We find that mentor again in the pages of Wild Tulips. Beth Bruno's essays offer us sensible and practical advice. Her anecdotes stay with us and ring ever so true. She is a pro as an educator and a seer as a parent. This book will remind us of how we found our way and how we can help the next generation do the same." -- James H. Smith, Executive Editor, Record-Journal, Meriden, CT

"I am loving Wild Tulips. I have been moved to tears twice already and am only on page sixty. Beth Bruno's experience is fascinating and helpful, especially to people like me who hope to be parents some day. Her writing is generous, human, evocative and heart-stirring. Every time I put the manuscript down to attend to other things, I look forward to picking it up again. -- Julie Bush, author, Dahlonega, GA

"Wild Tulips has beautiful sections, many of which brought tears to my eyes. The connections are clever between the flower names and content of the essays. I mean, 'Colt's Foot' when buying a teenager sneakers? That's priceless." -- William Rodarmor, Writer and Editor, Berkeley, CA

"Wild Tulips will appeal to parents, other family members and possibly teenagers who particularly like short anecdotes with messages or morals about experiences that are easy to identify with. Because each story is short and holds a reader's interest, it is a pleasant book to escape with, if only for a few minutes at a time. This book will make a wonderful gift to a friend or loved one." -- Roberta Buland, Editor and owner of Right Words, Unlimited, CT

If you would like "Wild Tulips" for Mother's Day, autographed copies are available directly from me (email: bbruno@snet.net) or you can order online from www.amazon.com

Happy Mother's Day, everyone!

Please send questions or comments to bbruno@snet.net.