Kim Jacobs

2010-01-23T11:59:00.001-08:00

What is a Turquoise Morning? Whatever you want it to be....

Some days my turquoise morning is a soft, early breeze spinning off of a watercolor sunrise. A breeze that smells slight of salt, a remembrance of a night spent at the ocean's edge. There are times it's a desert flower, whose pale blossom pops off the dry, sandy floor.

Most days it is the earthy aroma of cinnamon coffee wafting from the carafe on my kitchen counter, a crisp morning spent digging in the dirt, or a day spent reading or writing in my favorite chair.

In a word, a turquoise morning is bliss. A day started without stress. Calm. Serene. And owned by me.

Whether my turquoise morning exists in my head, or in reality, it is a pleasant place to be. It is also a nice metaphor for my re-focused, re-purposed life--to start each day in turquoise morning mode.

Welcome to my world. This corner of cyber-space is an attempt to collect the different facets of "me" and pull them together in one place. Maybe not so much for you, but for me, to keep all of my different personalities from skittering off into oblivion. Maybe to remind myself who I am. What I love. It's all a work in progress, and it may be interesting to see what shows up here. Even for me.

Welcome to the virtual scrapbook of my life. Welcome to my turquoise morning.

Kim Jacobs

2010-01-23T07:07:00.000-08:00

Kim Jacobs is the CEO of Turquoise Morning, LLC, a professional writing, training and education consulting small business. Kim has 30+ years experience working in the education field, in both public and non-profit worlds, and has published works of non-fiction and fiction for the past 20 years. You can read more about her work in her bio and resume and see her profile on LinkedIn.

Turquoise Morning is the result of her experiences, her love of books and writing, and supporting others so that they can enjoy the written word, too.

Please follow the links at the right side of this page to explore the different facets of Turquoise Morning, LLC.

Read, Write, Teach provides professional development for early childhood teachers, particularly in the area of language and literacy development.

The Career Writer Workshops provide professional development for writers and aspiring authors interested in pursuing or maintaining a full-time career in writing.

Maddie James, romance novelist, is a pen name for author Kim Jacobs. Kim also writes under other pen names.

Turquoise Morning Press is a small publishing house owned by Kim, which publishes quality digital and trade paperback novels, novellas and short stories.

To contact Kim, please email at kim@turquoisemorning.com

Turquoise Morning Press

2010-01-23T06:57:00.000-08:00

Turquoise Morning Press (TMP) is a very small publisher of select fiction and non-fiction works. TMP is currently working with approximately forty authors and is accepting submissions. See the Turquoise Morning Press web site for submission information.

Words for Hire

2009-08-26T07:01:00.000-07:00

I do words.

I'll do words for you, too.

Freelance writing and editing

Kim has experience in the following areas:

Report writing
Online course writing
Grant writing
Copy writing
Writing Web content
Research-based writing
Non-fiction book chapters
Article writing
Blogging
Editing - fiction and non-fiction
Writing fiction - short stories, novellas, novels
Publishing

Workshops and Speaking

Kim is available to conduct workshops and deliver conference presentations and/or keynote addresses on a variety of topics related to books, writing, and publishing.

Writing projects and speaking engagements can be customized to your needs.

Please contact Kim at kim@turquoisemorning.com

Writing Workshops

Some quotes from participants about Kim's workshops.

Kim was very well planned with her material.
Kim is an excellent presenter. Knowledgeable, personable and gentle.
Kim, you were wonderful! Your passion is evident in your facilitation.
Kim's information was well-planned and organized. She captured my attention to a lot of areas of interest!
[Kim is] very good at involving her audience...
Kim is succinct and so clear in her presentation.
Excellent job, Kim -- a true professional!

Some Workshops Kim has presented:

The Career Writer
You Sold the Book--Now What?
Writing the Romance Novel
Social Media Marketing
Crafting a Novel from Front to Back
Let's Get Started: Creative Writing 101
Sex and the Self-Editing Author
Ditch the Rules and Get Ahead
Quit Your Day Job -- Survival Techniques for Full-Time Writers (or How to Save Your Mortgage)
He Said What? Writing Dialogue
Creating an Internet Presence on the Cheap
Publishing Options--From Self-Publishing to New York

Wordshops can also be designed to meet your needs.
Contact Kim at kim@turquoisemorning.com

Bio and resume

2009-08-26T05:48:00.000-07:00

Kim Jacobs
Writer, Educator, Speaker/Trainer
Louisville,KY
www.turquoisemorning.com
kim@turquoisemorning.com

Bio

As an educator, Kim Jacobs held a variety of positions working with children and families, including twenty years as a classroom teacher and director of early childhood programs. For ten years, her work was focused in the non-profit world, with a national literacy organization, where she supported and developed programs to improve the literacy levels of children and adults—much of the time working in schools on American Indian reservations.

Kim is a published author with dozens of educational articles and works of non-fiction to her credit, including the elementary school, research-based program, All Your Parents = AYP, and a chapter on PACT Time in the Handbook of Family Literacy. To date, she has published thirty-plus works of novel and novella length fiction under several pen names.

A national trainer and speaker on literacy and education topics, Kim continues her passion for reading, literacy, writing and books as a private consultant and independent contractor, free-lance writer, and provider of professional development.

Resume

Education
University of Kentucky, Master of Science in Education, 1982
Morehead State University, Bachelor of Science in Education, 1979
Miami Trace High School, Washington, C.H., Ohio, 1975

Work Experience
2010 - present, CEO of Turquoise Morning, LLC, a professional writing, training and educational consulting small business
2000 - 2010, The National Center for Family Literacy, Louisville, Kentucky
- Project Director, training and technical assistance, product development
1996 - present, Self-employed
- Freelance writer, published author
1996-2000, Woodford County Public Schools, Versailles, Kentucky
- Director of early childhood programs
1979-1996, Scott County Public Schools, Georgetown, Kentucky
- Classroom teacher, director of early childhood program

Credentials
Certified Trainer for the National Center for Family Literacy
Credentialed Early Childhood Trainer, Kentucky

Areas of Expertise
Ability to write, speak and train in the following areas:

Education topics

Early Childhood Education
Child Development
Early Language and Literacy Development
Parent Involvement

Writing

Creative Writing
Non-fiction Writing
Writing the romance/erotica novel
Social Networking/Marketing
The Career Writer

Selected Trainings/Presentations

A complete list of trainings and presentations conducted can be provided upon request.

Published Works of Non-Fiction

A complete list of published non-fiction works can be provided upon request.

Published Works of Fiction

A Complete list of published fiction works can be provided upon request.

Fiction

2009-08-26T05:46:00.000-07:00

Kensington Books, writing as Kim Whalen and Maddie James

Thorndike Reprint, writing as Maddie James

Resplendence Publishing, writing as Maddie James

See also:
Books: Non-Fiction
Samples of Work

Non-fiction: Books, Training Manuals

2009-08-26T05:43:00.000-07:00

Some of my work with the National Center for Family Literacy:

Book Chapter, Handbook of Family Literacy: Parent and Child Together Time

Training Manuals

Teacher's Guides

Product Development with Kaplan Early Learning Company

See also:

Books: Fiction
Samples of Work

Samples of Work

2009-08-26T05:40:00.000-07:00

Samples of Work

Links to various writings by Kim Jacobs (aka Maddie James) posted online.

Early Childhood Articles

A Love of Learning Starts Early

Examiner.com
Reading Voyage

Parent Involvement Chapter

Parent and Child Together (PACT) Time in the Handbook of Family Literacy

Miscellaneous Non-Fiction

Haunted by the Outer Banks

Saying Goodbye to Farah Fawcett

Harlequin's 100,000 Book Challenge

A Life to Celebrate: Phyllis Whitney

Shoe Fetish

The Monte Carlo and The Food Network

Articles on Writing

Various articles on Examiner.com

A Writer is a Writer is a Writer?

Interviews

Various Author Interviews

See also:
Books: Fiction

Writing full time: Making it happen

2009-08-26T05:39:00.000-07:00

"Writing while holding down a forty-hour-a-week job is possible. Thousands have done it. But in time, exhaustion sets in, concentration wanders, creativity crumbles, and you're tempted to quit. Before you do, you must find a way to earn your living from your writing."

This is a quote from Robert McKee's STORY, sub-title Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting. I bought the book after attending the Romantic Times Booklovers Convention in April, 2008, and heard Randall Toye of Harlequin talk about their editors taking McKee's workshop. I figured it wouldn't hurt for me to work through the book, as well.

Turns out there are wonderful insights to story structure in the book and I'm, of course, still working my way through its 450-some pages. There are a few snippets of text, several turns of phrase in the book, however, that interested me almost as much as his take on story structure.

The above quote is one that jumped out at me and hit me full in the face.

When I turned 50, I made a goal for myself. That goal was to write full-time by the time I turn age 55. I felt then, and still feel, that having that sense of freedom to write and support myself with my writing, without the constraints of the day job, would be pure bliss. Honestly, and I'm not kidding myself here, I know this will be hard work. I know there will also be hurdles. And I fully understand that in this business there is no guaranteed paycheck -- no guaranteed contracts, print runs, sell-throughs, advances, royalties, etc... I understand the pitfalls and have taken them all into consideration. Still, this is my goal. And a particularly lofty one since I am my sole support. There is no one else to supplement income or provide insurance. And still, I strive to reach this goal.

McKee's statement made me stop and think. I'm not a newby at this writing thing. I seriously started working my way toward publication over 20 years ago. I started publishing non-fiction not long after. I published my first novel 12 years ago. Five more books followed. And then I quit. Why? Because of a new day job. Because of being a single parent with two teenagers and no time.

Because of life. Because I was exhausted.

I have vowed that no day job will now put me asunder. I will not give up my writing again, particularly since I've worked diligently the past few years to build back the career. I have a great start on my goal. I'm 2 years into it. And I will make it. Sooner, rather than later, is my hope.

McKee is right. Concentration is comprised, creativity flies out the door, and exhaustion just takes over your body. You can't write...or perhaps I should say, I fear I can't write and do it well. Can't write and be satisfied with what I do.

McKee makes it sound easy -- find a way to make it happen is basically what he says. Find a way. Easier said than done; however, it can happen. I will do it. As have others.

Perseverance is a beautiful thing.

Welcome to my world: I do words

2009-08-26T05:37:00.000-07:00

"Focus."

A writer friend once told me, (and I love her dearly...) "Kim...focus!" Oh, she might not have said it in quite in that way, or with such emphasis, but she kindly suggested that perhaps I focus my writing all in one area, or genre, instead of the random haphazardness that is often my writing repertoire.

She's right. Successful writers often do that. They become masters of their genres and their domains. They brand themselves in one way, or the other. Everybody knows who they are and what they do. Readers know what to expect out of them.

Sorry. I can't do that. Simply, can't! And I've decided that it's okay.

I like working with words, whether strung together in a non-fiction article, an erotic short story, or a full-blown novel. It's me and it's who I am. I'm just sort of haphazardly random that way.

Within these pages you'll find out about how I do words. This website is about me, Kim Jacobs, and all her iterations. There is Kim, of course, who writes a lot of non-fiction. Then there is Maddie, the hopeless (hopeful) romantic novelist and sometimes cookbook author. And given half a notion, there could be another personality or two erupt in the near or distant future. Who knows?

Oh. I nearly forgot about Suzie. Suzie is, well, not a pen name but a character. An important character. So important that sometimes she thinks she really exists and, well... it's a long story, that one, but you can find out more about Suzie at her website. There are days I am Suzie, as well.

I do focus, really. I give each one of my people my undivided attention--when it is their turn. Each of my personae has a brand and a different audience. It's all okay! I can focus on one audience at a time. I swear. I'm a super multi-tasker. I can do it.

So, I invite you to explore my work, this virtual portfolio, so to speak. Focused or unfocused, random and/or haphazard, organized and/or concise, I share my words with you. Welcome.

Kim

Non-fiction

2009-03-03T03:40:00.000-08:00

As a non-fiction author, Kim has published in newspapers, local and regional magazines, and newsletters. During her work with a national non-profit organization, she both wrote and edited numerous training manuals, designed and developed trainings, and wrote a chapter for the book, Handbook of Family Literacy.

Kim will release a cookbook, titled Family Stories, Family Recipes in 2011, and her second cookbook, Best of Legend's Landing Bed & Breakfast Cookbook, soon to follow.

A listing of all her published non-fiction works to date can be found in her Bio and Resume located in her online professional portfolio. Examples of her writing can be found in the writing samples section; a listing off some non-fiction work is also provided.

Works of Fiction

2009-02-23T17:12:00.000-08:00

As Maddie James, I've published in the romance genre since 1997. You may be interested in visiting my web site to find out more about my work as Maddie James.

Here are some of my currently available titles, which can be found at booksellers nationwide, both online and off. You can also find these titles listed at the Turquoise Morning Book Store.

As Mia Jae, I write erotic romance. My web site shares more about my work in this genre. *Note: This is an adult only site.

Click here for a more complete list of my fiction work.

Cookbook Project

2000-04-23T20:29:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone. I want to share a new project with you. I’ve contracted to publish a cookbook titled Family Stories, Family Recipes. Here is a blurb about the book.

Family Stories, Family Recipes is a unique book that combines a love of food, stories and family in one collection. Throughout time, families have brought a rich culture of stories and favorite foods to the table. Part cookbook, part family tradition, Family Stories, Family Recipes is a book to warm both your tummy and your heart.

The stories and recipes collected for this book will come from many sources. I look forward to gathering a diverse sampling and hope you will want to participate.

Why submit your recipe and story? Besides being part of a fantastic project, the author of each submission will receive a PDF eBook of the cookbook. In addition, each published entry will include your name and one identifier, such as your website address, or, Author of (your book), etc.

Finally, you are supporting literacy in families. Stories and recipes are passed down in families. So is literacy. The National Center for Family Literacy (NCFL), a national non-profit organization in Louisville, Kentucky, will receive a percentage of the royalties for this book. For more information about NCFL, please go to http://www.famlit.org

Interested in submitting your stories and recipes? Send an email to me at kim@turquoisemorning.com and we'll get you started.

Professional Development

2000-02-23T17:29:00.000-08:00

Read. Write. Teach.

Kim has been a professional development trainer and designer for the past 10 years, and has worked in education for over thirty. She is comfortable facilitating a meeting, leading a workshop, providing direct technical assistance on site, and mentoring one-on-one.

Whether providing workshops for teachers or writers, Kim brings a full range of experience.

To learn more about her professional writing network, please visit The Career Writer Network website.

For writing workshops, you can find more information on the workshops page.

Kim specializes in early childhood education workshops, particularly in the area of school readiness, preschool curriculum, quality preschool education, parent involvement, and langauge/literacy development. To learn more about her educational workshops, please visit Create.Explore.Learn.