Category: Blog

Launch of 26 Letters!

Posted on by charit51bg

26 Letters gifts for readers

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As an indie author, I wanted to create a company that not only expresses the joys of reading, but also celebrates the writers who pour their hearts and soul into the stories we read.

With 30 years of experience as a business owner in the sign industry, I decided to combine my business experience, graphic design skills, and passion for all things book related into one business. Thus, 26 Letters was born!

That every book you’ve ever read is just a unique combination of 26 Letters is such a cool idea that it became the name of the company.

Now, when I’m not writing books, I’m designing and producing fun book-related products that help others express thier inner bookworm!

Whether you’re a bookworm or a wordsmith, we’ve got the goods for you! Embrace your love for all things written with our 26 Letters literary goodies. Got a book lover in your life? Stumped on a gift? Check out 26 Letters to see the products we have for your favorite bibliophile!

26 Letters is a source for high quality literary themed gifts for your favorite bookworm or author!

Andrew Ford

 

 

Local Author Book Signing

Posted on by charit51bg

Signing books and talking about my stories at Bookish Modesto’s local author signing event!

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I recently had the honor of joining Bookish Modesto for their local author book signing! This was a great opportunity to meet other local authors and readers in our area. 

With a background in signage, creating the table cover and the tabletop retractable banner was also a lot of fun! I have plans to add signs for authors to my new website www.Shop26Letters.com so if you’re an author looking for book signing banners, table covers, or other signage be sure to look for the upcoming options!

I really enjoyed this book signing and hope to do more in the future!

 

Moon and Back Novel – Coming Soon!

Posted on by charit51bg

Start A New Path

Growing up on the side of a busy interstate, surrounded by Joshua trees and an extended family, my entertainment was the travelers passing through. I heard stories of faraway places — turquoise seas, snow-capped mountains,
and buildings so tall they scraped the clouds above.

I inhaled the information I gathered and exhaled it on anyone who would listen. Kids my age labeled me odd, but I didn’t know how to be any other way.

When Jesse Cruise and his mom passed through Covers Bend, they turned my entire path in life on end. A busted transmission changed the lives of a lonely girl with a mind full of random facts and a sad, angry boy carrying a world of grief on his shoulders.

I was the sun, and Jesse was the moon. Our hearts balanced each other, and together, we formed a whole. Over one summer, our teenage hearts latched onto one another. Over the years to come, we shared our lives through letters.

But what happens to a friendship tainted by a lie? And what happens when the person who acted as the sunshine in the friendship is now living in the shadows?

Just Keep Writing

Posted on by charit51bg

Let’s Rock!

When I think about some of my favorite authors that I’ve discovered over the years, I realize that most of them had at least 4 or 5 books already published when I came across one of their stories. Usually, once I find and devour one of their books, I move on to the rest on the list until I’ve read them all.

This makes me realize that although I have only three books out and one coming soon, it takes time to build up an audience. It takes endurance to stick it out until my own books can be discovered, and then hopefully, the readers who enjoy one book will read the rest.

So as a new indie author with a small following, I’ll keep writing. I’ll keep self-publishing. And I won’t worry too much about the sales numbers, because one day when I have a good stack of books published, I’ll spend my advertising dollars to draw attention to my books. And hopefully, if someone reads one, they’ll read them all, and I can become someone else’s favorite author.

 

Every Writer Starts Somewhere

Posted on by charit51bg

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Writing for industry magazines was my first professional writing gig, and I still do it regularly. Writing contemporary love stories is my passion, but getting paid to write for the industry I work full-time in is also a great way to pursue and further my writing career.

For over 15 years, I’ve been able to research and organize information for educational articles within the sign industry. Writing nonfiction involves a lot of information gathering and organizing, which has helped me as a nonfiction writer, too.

“Whether I’m writing non-fiction for the industry I work in, or fictional stories for my novels I enjoy the process and know that writing is my passion.”

Anne Coleman

Sign Industry Articles

 

Moon & Back

Posted on by charit51bg

“Give me 26 letters and I’ll take you on a journey…”  cj

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As an indie author with 2 teenage boys and a full time job, writing often takes a back seat to life.  But no matter what I’m doing I’m always thinking about my characters – wondering what they’re going to do next! 

 

Moon & Back has been a work in progress for awhile and Sara & Jesse’s journey is going to be an emotional, heartfelt one… I can’t wait for you to meet them!

 

My Writing Style

Posted on by charit51bg

Expect a love story when you read my books.  They’ll be heavy on character development and storyline with no sex or cursing.  I want the story to carry you through and keep you so engrossed that you can’t help but to keep flipping the pages!

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I recently read an article that talked about how important it is for authors to clarify their brand.  As a graphic designer, I deal with branding every day and know how important it is, but didn’t always consider how this applies to authors too.

Branding basically is how a business, or author, creates a name or symbol that sets them apart from other products.  It’s the colors, logo, style, and overall feel of the business.  In this case, the ‘business’ is the books an author writes.

This thought has stuck with me as I think it’s important to clarify the types of books I write.  I’ve researched the romance heading, which is very broad, vs a love story and I’ve posted about that before. 

My books fall under the love story heading because often something besides love is at stake and the plot doesn’t revolve around the romance, but the characters (and their flaws).

I like to write about a couple’s journey, which means my books will always be heavy on the storyline as the characters move through whatever trials are set in their path.  The journey is usually not easy, and there isn’t a guarantee that everything will be hunky-dory along the way, but my hope is that you’ll cheer for and cry with the characters as they grow and hope for their own happily-ever-after.

 

 

Coming in 2021

Posted on by charit51bg

Make A Statement

The idea for my current novel came to me on a drive along a busy, two-lane highway not far from my hometown. I imagined a young girl raised along this busy road in a traveler’s rest stop and how the travels and adventures of those who stop there would impact her dreams and future.

The book opens in 1987 as our young girl, Sara, meets a boy traveling with his mom. Over the course of the summer, Sara and Jesse change each other’s lives before Jesse ultimately travels on too.

Sara is the sunshine that Jesse needed in his life, brightening the darkness that surrounded him. Life continues, but the two never forget one another and the friendship they shared.

When that darkness finds Sara, will Jesse be able to able to save his first love?

Novel Coming Soon

 

New Cover for Letting Go

Posted on by charit51bg

The new cover for ‘Letting Go’ reflects the overall look that I designed for ‘Something Beautiful’

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When I wrote and released my first novel ‘Letting Go’ I hadn’t planned on it being part of a series, but the characters had another plan. The second book in the series ‘Something Beautiful’ is now available. A third book is in the early planning stages.

I felt like the original cover for ‘Letting Go’ didn’t quite fit with the second book and I wanted them to have a similar overall feel. Our handsome ‘Ryder’ from the original cover still graces Cyan’s camera on the back cover of the paperback edition.