MSI Press Blog

Author: Patricia Lorenz Book : 57 Steps to Paradise What possessed you to write a tell-all book about your past dates, husbands and interim boyfriends?      When I moved to Florida in 2004 I met many women who were divorced and widowed, mostly in their 50's, 60's, 70's and 80’s.  I myself was single at that time having spent the last 27 years of my life raising my four children as a single parent.  I was married, divorced and annulled twice before that.  In Florida I met a number of men and finally married one in my 60’s.  Because I had met, known and dated a number of men over the years I decided to write a book about my experiences to share with my friends and anyone who is looking for love and perhaps a second or third marriage in their mid-life and later.             What is your favorite story in the book?        My favorite story is the one titled “Mr. Underpants”.  In that story I go from dating or at least meeting over a d

Today's story Literary Titan Book Awards Gold Award Today's story behind the book tells the tale behind   Surviving Cancer, Healing People  by Sula.  From the author --  The book content started from a story that I (Elizabeth Mahlou, amanuensis for Sula, wrote for a Christmas issue of the well-known mag, Guideposts . That story became a local favorite. At the same time, the Mission was under state scrutiny for safety and needed retrofitting that cost much, more than was in Mission coffers. It seemed that a Sula story might bring some attention -- and financial support -- to the Mission (and it has). Told from the viewpoint and in the voice of Sula, the book shared the story of Sula and her struggle with cancer (a slightly different topic from the Guideposts story, but typical in the same spiritually supportive-to-readers way). Sula went on to "write" five more books, one in Spanish (about the Day of the Dead), chronicling her life along with the life of the Church. S

  (photo by Martin Klimek) Long overdue is this story about Sula, parish cat of Old Mission, who was featured in the Christmas issue of Guideposts Magazine and in the All Creatures spinoff magazine in 2017 -- she was the cover in both cases.  Since that first story, which you can read online HERE , asn well as view the beautiful photography by Martin Klimek (sample above -- and more pictures at the Guideposts online site), Sula has written six books about and in support of her parish, Old Mission San Juan Bautista. They have received wonderful reviews! You can read more posts by Sula and her books HERE .

  It being Caturday and all, I thought I would share a cute drawing of Sula, parish cat at Old Mission, that I saw in the Mission Gift Shop when I visited today. Sula is beloved by parishioners and visitors alike. People draw pictures of her; they photograph her, and of course they hold and pet her. Sula is known for her appearance in two Guideposts Magazines and for the six books she has written to raise money for the Mission's retrofit (it is located in California, atop the intersection of three earthquake fault). To read more on the web about Sula, including her Guideposts stories, click HERE . To see posts about Sula and her books, click HERE .

  Okay, so this post does not tell the story behind the book itself. Not really. But most book publications have a relationship between publisher and author that exists or is built prior to publication. Publication of a book does not typically occur as an automatic, computerized, solely criterai-related set of steps. Rather, there is an initial contact of some sort, and, in many cases, a longer-term relationship prior to a book's acceptance and publication. This author is a bit more private about her publication life (ironically so since this book puts her personal life front and foremost -- and with quite a bit of personal sharing -- and emotion, both bathetic and humorous), so I will share just enough to provide insights for other authors and wannabee published authors.  Patricia Lorenz, a well-published author, especial by Guideposts , had a little inside information about MSI Press because of her support to one of our former authors. So, when she approached MSI Press with her b

  Sula, well known across the Internet for the general sharing of her story by Guideposts , All Creatures , and others, is listed on every Sunday bulletin of Old Mission San Juan Bautista .  Sula has survived five bouts of cancer, written a book about it ( Surviving Cancer, Healing People: One Cat's Story ). When she entered remission after her fifth bout and concurrent with closure of the Mission gift shop, her home, because of covid regulations, Sula, now 14 years ago, went into retirement, living with a parish couple that has taken care of her whenever she needed to recuperate for years. Now, she comes to the church on Sundays to be with the parishioners and lend them support as she always has. Sula's first cancer is skin cancer. The first bout required clipping her ears. The second bout required removing her ears. She remains in remission from skin cancer. Sula's second cancer was carcinoma at the injection site of a vaccination (her hip). The first time required surgi

  Sula c 2005- August 24, 2022 Sula, parish cat at Old Mission San Juan Bautista, "wrote" six books for parishioners on religions topics. They were well received, and Sula made the news cycle now and again and was featured in national magazines and in online publications. Examples: All Creatures and Guideposts. Today, parishioners and visitors walked past her grave at the Mission and asked to know more about her. Today, the decision was made by the parish to create a 2024 calendar with her charming photos. It should be available for sale soon. The picture above was posted on her Face Book page today in memory of what she brought to the Mission. (photo by Stacey Gentry) For more info, pictures, and book excerpts related to Sula, click HERE .

  Yep, it's Caturday, and we want to share, somewhat anonymously for privacy reasons, a bit of the recent trials and tribulations of Sula, the parish cat at Old Mission who has written six books. Sula has both a big fan club -- you can even join it on her Face Book page HERE -- and quite some renown, thanks to both own publications and publications about here, which you can read about HERE (pick and choose the ones that might most tickle your fancy). To briefly encapsulate the history: 1. Sula arrived as a kitten, perhaps somewhere around age 1, at the Old Mission, which really is the only action in her little town. 2. After a few years spending much time outdoors in this sunny California town, Sula developed skin cancer on her ears. They were trimmed. The cancer came back. Her ears were removed. You can read her story about that experience in her book, Surviving Cancer, Healing People: One Cat's Story .  3. Elizabeth Mahlou related Sula's story to Guideposts Magazine , wh