Author Archives: Marjorie

by | April 21, 2025 · 3:56 pm

Being Curious

So much to discover…

Marjorie Turner Hollman helps authors self-publish their books. She is also a disability advocate, sharing information about Easy Walks (not too many roots or rocks, relatively level with firm footing, and something of interest along the way) in open space. Link to get in touch.

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You’ve likely heard it before: Follow your passion. It’s often framed as, “Follow your passion and good things will follow,” with the not-too-subtle implication that your passion will result in prosperity. I have always felt skeptical about this, since I’ve witnessed many frustrated folks who “followed their passion” only to discover that what they loved offered no particular value to anyone else.

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by | April 3, 2025 · 4:27 pm

Umpachene and Campbell Falls

Marjorie Turner Hollman helps authors self-publish their nonfiction books. She is also a disability advocate, sharing information about Easy Walks (not too many roots or rocks, relatively level with firm footing, and something of interest along the way) in open space. Link to all Marjorie’s books.

Umpachene Falls in springtime

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After an icy winter we were anxious to get outdoors and stretch our legs. Western Massachusetts was our destination. Finding some waterfalls was our goal. Umpachene Falls Park in New Marlborough, Massachusetts, was our first stop. This riverfront park includes a small grassy riverside space I’d describe as an Easy Walk, that is, not too many roots or rocks, relatively level with firm footing and something of interest along the way.

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by | March 31, 2025 · 2:57 pm

Losing (or finding) our marbles in Canaan, CT

Marjorie Turner Hollman helps authors self-publish their books. She is also a disability advocate, sharing information about Easy Walks (not too many roots or rocks, relatively level with firm footing, and something of interest along the way) in open space. Link to all Marjorie’s books.

Many of us have played with (glass) marbles when we were kids

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My biggest surprise on our outing to western Massachusetts was spotting a large, open marble quarry. Hoping to get a closer look, we took a few wrong turns along the way. After dipping into Connecticut we finally got close enough to view the edge of the excavating operation. Specialty Minerals Inc. in Canaan, Ct. runs the quarry, but you will not find photos of it on their website. A locked gate and massive machinery next to the road prevented us from getting any usable photos, but others have managed. Do an online search for “specialty minerals inc.” and you will find some great pictures by photographers of the white, chiseled hillside.

After leaving the quarry, we stopped in East Canaan, Ct. at a sign for the Beckley Iron Works. It is Connecticut’s only official state Industrial Monument.

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by | March 21, 2025 · 3:06 pm

Meltdowns and hissy fits

Looking for a light at the end of the tunnel

Want to get the scoop on self-publishing basics? Self-publishing 101

Marjorie Turner Hollman helps authors self-publish their books. She is also a disability advocate, sharing information about Easy Walks (not too many roots or rocks, relatively level with firm footing, and something of interest along the way) in open space. Link to all Marjorie’s books.

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Have you ever made a decision, then wondered why you ever thought it was a good idea? These days I help professionals who want to share in writing their skills and life lessons learned, then turn that writing into a self-published book. There was a time, however, when I needed all the help I could get.

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by | March 17, 2025 · 12:19 pm

No longer afraid

At the grand canyon of Yellowstone National Park. Some fears (like of heights!) are worth clinging to.

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Glancing through the glass window, she tucked an unruly lock of her dark, shoulder-length hair behind one ear. She leaned inside the office door, her dark eyes scanning the room; her knee-length skirt covered substantial hips.

“Marisol?” she asked, hoping my co-worker was nearby. My eyes darted down the piece of paper on my desk, hoping to fix on a useful phrase. “Marisol não está aqui,” I told her. Marisol isn’t here. I read with care from my “cheat sheet,” the unfamiliar syllables of Portuguese tumbling awkwardly off my tongue. The woman nodded, drew her head back and strode off.

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by | March 13, 2025 · 11:42 am

Giving and receiving

Marjorie Turner Hollman helps authors self-publish their books. She is also a disability advocate, sharing information about Easy Walks (not too many roots or rocks, relatively level with firm footing, and something of interest along the way) in open space. Link to all Marjorie’s books.

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It’s better to give than to receive, so they say. Maybe you’ve heard this around the holidays, when gift-giving is a big thing. For children, like “share your toys!”, the phrase is often heard as a scold. Perhaps you were resentful that someone else got something you wanted. You might have felt disappointed in a gift you received and made the mistake of letting others know.

As we grow older and have more agency, the inclination to give can take on different dynamics.

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by | March 7, 2025 · 2:00 pm

Zen dishes

Marjorie Turner Hollman helps authors self-publish their books. She is also a disability advocate, sharing information about Easy Walks (not too many roots or rocks, relatively level with firm footing, and something of interest along the way) in open space. Link to all Marjorie’s books.

Another successful exercise of Zen Dishes

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I returned to my home weakened, yet desperate to do anything. After surviving brain surgery that left my right side paralyzed, I was sent to a rehabilitation facility for two weeks. During my stay the staff had insisted we inmates (patients, that is) perform what they called “standing therapy.” We were encouraged, teased, and cajoled into standing for periods of fifteen minutes at a time. Most of my fellow inmates were stroke victims, almost all elderly, and they needed a lot of cajoling. I was much younger than the others, needed no cajoling, and resented the undisguised condescension in the therapists’ voices.

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by | March 6, 2025 · 11:56 am

A word about words

Mountain laurels in early summer

Marjorie Turner Hollman helps authors self-publish their books. She is also a disability advocate, sharing information about Easy Walks (not too many roots or rocks, relatively level with firm footing, and something of interest along the way) in open space. Link to all Marjorie’s books.

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Have you noticed when an author has used lots of different words? Hmmm, maybe you didn’t notice. Most likely it simply sounded interesting, and the writing felt like it moved along at a good pace. Maybe you noticed that the author noticed everything in their path. Say they are walking along a city street. They notice this, then draw your attention to the cracks in the sidewalk. Then they say, “Hey, I just noticed that the traffic is slowing down.”

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by | March 4, 2025 · 4:01 pm

Fort Phoenix, Fairhaven, MA

Marjorie Turner Hollman helps authors self-publish their books. She is also a disability advocate, sharing information about Easy Walks (not too many roots or rocks, relatively level with firm footing, and something of interest along the way) in open space. Link to all Marjorie’s books.

Overlooking Buzzards Bay, on the Hurricane barrier, with Fort Phoenix, Fairhaven, in the distance

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Where can you go in New England when the weather has handed you a week + of ice laden trails (and sidewalks, and parking lots, and paths to your compost)? For us, we chose to head to the shore, specifically Fairhaven, Massachusetts.

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by | March 3, 2025 · 11:48 am

Cutler Park, Needham, MA

Marjorie Turner Hollman helps authors self-publish their books. She is also a disability advocate, sharing information about Easy Walks (not too many roots or rocks, relatively level with firm footing, and something of interest along the way) in open space. Link to all Marjorie’s books.

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Sunset at Kendrick Pond, Cutler Park Reservation

We have visited Cutler Park in Needham multiple times with family that lives nearby, but I keep forgetting to grab photos. This trip, I made sure to slow down and pay closer attention. More walking, less talking. The reservation is easy to get to, has substantial parking, and offers some nice water views of Kendrick Pond.

Steel rails remain in the parking area next to the trail

A remnant of the railroad that used to travel here is visible in the parking area next to the trailhead.

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