Hieran Publishing: freelance writing, editing, desktop publishing, public relations

Welcome to

HOME OF:

Robin's Total Knee Replacement: Pretty much what it sounds like, this website was started a few days after my first TKR in 1998 and quickly became a hub for people who wanted to share their individual stories about the surgery and its aftermath. You can read my own story, see the famous photo of me smiling in the recovery room just a few minutes after waking up, and if you like, link through to On Our Feet-the Joint Replacement Forum on Delphi.

Robin's Total Hip Replacement: I launched this counterpart to my TKR site after having total hip replacement surgery in 2004.

D + 66: World War II through a single soldier's eyes: I set up this site to share some of my grandfather's fascinating, funny, and poignant WWII stories. His memoirs were published in 1999 as Cranking Up a Fine War: A Louisiana Soldier from Boot Camp to General's Aide . At 93, he is not only still alive but going strong, and he loves to talk to other people about his book.

D+66 Books: The tiny family company that sells my grandfather's WWII memoir, Cranking Up a Fine War: A Louisiana Soldier from Boot Camp to General's Aide . My Grand-D landed on Omaha Beach at D+66, or 66 days after D-Day.

How to Develop a Communications (PR) Plan: This tiny little site had an odd beginning as a repository for some sample communications plans contributed by members of the now-defunct PRSA COMET listserve. Over the years, I've added to it a bit and tweaked it a little, but it really seems useful to people just as it is.

Resources for Trade Association Personnel: I spent eight years as a communications professional for trade associations. Although I no longer update this site other than to take down broken links, what's there is still pretty useful.

The Assistant Director's Archive. Devoted to actor Mitch Pileggi and his character from The X-Files, Assistant Director Walter Skinner, this is the latest version of the first website I ever created. I sure had fun with it, even though thinking about the original version makes me laugh and cringe at the same time. Those were the days!

CLIENTS, FRIENDS, AND INTERESTING SITES TO VISIT

New: My second novel was published by Lerner Publishing/Graphic Universe in January! I'm so excited. It's a young adult graphic novel titled He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not . My book is No. 7 in an eight-book series with the overall theme of "My Boyfriend Is a Monster." The series is a lot of fun and is aimed at girls ages 12 to 14, maybe even a bit older. My particular book is based in the Central Texas Hill Country, where I lived for about 14 years and still miss. I really enjoyed being able to put in my book some of the elements I loved so much, plus some surprises for readers who might not have known things like wine grapes grow well in the blazing heat of Central Texas!

My first novel, a children's book in graphic novel format called The Quest for Dragon Mountain, was published in September 2010 by Graphic Universe. It remains available online through Amazon if you know a child between the ages of 9 and 12, especially a middle school-aged boy.

It was exciting to see my own name in a sneak preview of fall 2010 children's fiction by Publishers Weekly!

I've written science fiction stories and poetry for years, but I've recently become more active in trying to publish and market some of my work.

I joined the Science Fiction Poetry Association, a very active and interesting group.
Here's a sampling of my science fiction, fantasy and astronomy-themed poetry.
I'm a fan of Abyss & Apex, a magazine of speculative fiction and poetry. I was poetry editor for this 'zine for about two years.
I tried my hand as a contributing writer at a website called Suite101.com, focusing on arthritis and chronic pain, diabetes, disability and health insurance, as well as marketing and public relations.

A few of my charitable efforts and interests:

iGive is a great way to support a charity (without spending any extra money) while shopping online. I am currently supporting CAAWS, the Capital Area Animal Welfare Society, with the proceeds from my online shopping.
CAAWS puts on the annual Mystic Krewe of Mutts Mardi Gras Dog Parade in Baton Rouge. I volunteered with the parade krewe for about seven years, and I'm now a PR volunteer in general for CAAWS. It is such a worthy cause.
The Arthritis Foundation website has a wealth of information on arthritis types and treatments.
Modest Needs is an online charitable giving site that focuses on helping ordinary people with small everyday emergencies -- a late rent payment, an old car that needs repair, etc.

Additional interests:

The Public Relations Society of America is the professional society I joined in 1991, shortly after graduating from college. I've maintained my membership for all those years and never regretted it. Currently I'm membership chair for the Baton Rouge chapter.
I was Accredited in Public Relations in 1998 -- something I am insanely proud of. Although the Universal Accreditation Board's website is pretty blah, the information is important.
I'm also a member of the Public Relations Association of Louisiana, a.k.a. PRAL (Baton Rouge Chapter).
Through PRAL, I also hold a membership in the Southern Public Relations Federation, which named me a Senior Practitioner in 2008.
A friend and client is the wonderful woman who runs The Notary Public Association of Illinois.
Klio.Net belongs to a close friend.

ModestNeeds.Org - Small Change. A World Of Difference.

Questions or comments? E-mail me