Monthly Archives: July 2008

by Cary Allman PR Intern
July 31, 2008
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The Truth is Out There

In Author Spotlight, Lulu News —

One of my favorite responsibilities that go along with being a Lulu is exploring our site for new and intriguing titles.
Intriguing is exactly what came to mind when I stumbled across Alien Interview (http://www.lulu.com/content/2144178) while looking for books on Lulu. Maybe it had been all of the old X-Files episodes I’d been watching, but I had to learn more.
Notes from RoswellAlien Interview, edited by Lawrence R. Spencer, is a compilation of letters, interview transcripts, and personal notes from the late Matilda O’Donnell MacElroy. MacElroy was an Army Air Force nurse stationed at the Roswell Army Air Field in the late 1940s. In a letter sent to Spencer, MacElroy claimed that these documents were based on a series of interviews she had with an extraterrestrial.
Luckily for us, Lawrence Spencer was kind enough to shed a little light and answer some of my questions via email…

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by Lauren Parker Senior Communications Specialist
July 25, 2008
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It’s a Bird… It’s a Plane… It’s A Lulu Comic Creator!

In Lulu News —

With the frenzy around Batman’s Dark Knight, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man and Hellboy II: The Golden Army all gracing the big screen this summer, everyone seems to have comics on the brain, and I’m no exception.

Personally, I’m a fan of Wonder Woman, and am waiting with bated breath for Lynda Carter to don the Lasso of Truth, to pass her trusty bracelets on to her daughter, or well, any kind of Wonder Woman movie really. Unfortunately, there have been holdups in getting one released, so until then, Delilah Dirk is my new ‘shero’.

Who’s Delilah Dirk? She’s the funny, sly, sword-wielding heroine of Delilah Dirk and the Treasure of Constantinople by Tony Cliff. Set in the late 19th century in Constantinople, the story centers on an army captain of the Ottoman Empire who finds his job and life on the line after Delilah Dirk, his most important prisoner mollywops a guard and escapes to freedom. I’m not the only one who is hip to Delilah and her adventures – Tony and his comic heroine have been nominated for an Eisner Award in the category for Best Single Issue. We here at Lulu wish Tony the best of luck, and are crossing our fingers that he walks away with the prize during the ceremony this Friday.

If you are looking for your own ‘shero’ here are a few titles you should look into:
• A. Furuichi and S. Yoshinaga - Nemu Nemu
• Wapsi Square: 2001-2004 - Paul Taylor
• Girls With Slingshots Volume 1 (2nd Edition) - Danielle Corsetto

by Carol Housel Community Administrator
July 22, 2008
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Coming to Fruition: A Manifesto

In Author Spotlight, Howto, Lulu Blog, Walkthroughs — Tagged: , , , , ,

The Blog Team here at Lulu doesn’t usually have the opportunity to share such a story with our readers, but when Lisa Haneberg sent us her account of helping our elders become published authors we knew we had to share it. It is truly remarkable how much one person can make a difference in the lives of others, and I hope that Lisa’s story will inpsire others to follow in her path.

We here at the Lulu Blog team commend Lisa for taking the time to help Ruth, Mike, Carol, and Marwayne publish their books on Lulu.

The Four Authors

Coming to Fruition: A Manifesto
By Lisa Haneberg

Five months ago, Ruth, Mike, Carol, and Marwayne were senior writers, and tonight they became book authors, too. If I had not shown them my father’s book, my mother’s book, and one of my books—all done in the same way we planned to do theirs—they would not have believed the dream could come true for them. I assured them we could get past any barriers they might encounter with the technology. I told them we would recruit volunteers to help and I asked them to allow me to guide them through the process to create their own books. Although they did not understand how it would all happen, they placed their faith in me and the process that I had outlined for them. I promised them we would cap off our successful work together with a group reading event.

The reading at the West Seattle Senior Center ended two hours ago. It was scheduled for 4:00 pm so that the seniors in attendance would not have to drive home in the dark. Over 50 people came to hear the four new authors read and to celebrate their achievements. I was the proud emcee. As the authors sat up at the head table in the front of the room, their smiles and sparkly eyes beamed and told me that it was worth all the work. This day—this triumph—was a big deal for them and the audience responded warmly. It was a big deal for me, too, and I am sure I will remember this experience as one of my best of 2008.

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by Nick Popio Social Networking Team Lead
July 21, 2008
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Major News To Announce Down Under!

In Lulu News — Tagged: ,

You know, I promised myself I wouldn’t make any clichéd references to Australia, but I can’t help myself. When I was told that we were partnering with a printer in Australia, the old standbys (”G’day, mate” and “put another shrimp on the barbie”) immediately came to mind. I told myself I was better than that, that I could be creative and witty without resorting to tired clichés, but apparently I was wrong.

None of that is important though. What is important is that we are partnering with our sixth printer, and that it means a more faster and more efficient experience for our friends in Australia, Asia and surrounding countries. While these benefits may not affect you directly, take comfort in the fact that we’re constantly trying to improve our services and that means you’re likely to see more direct benefits soon, maybe even with our next release!

by Meagan Communications Specialist
July 15, 2008
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Ice Cream Dreamin’ at Lulu.com

In Events, Lulu Blog, Lulu News — Tagged: , , , , ,

Hey, Lulus! Did you know that July is National Ice Cream Month? Of course it is! Who doesn’t get excited about the thought of a big ol’ ice cream cone during these hot hot summer days? We at Lulu understand this, and want to do our part to ensure that you can locate and create content for all of your ice cream desires.

If summertime has you pulling the ice cream maker out of winter retirement but feeling anything but inspired by your standby vanilla recipe, check out these two books:

Of course, even if July is National Ice Cream Month, it’s still bathing suit season. For healthy and delicious recipes, there’s the The Dessert Diet. Following the same concepts as the Zone Diet and the South Beach Diet, this book has real desserts that are actually healthy!

If you think your homemade chocolate-caramel-coconut-macadamia-triple fudge fantasy or your strawberry-blueberry-blackberry-raspberry-very berry sorbet is the best thing ever, why not share it? Make your own book of ice cream recipes and sundae creations, low-fat, high-fat, all-dairy, non-dairy, whatever! Just be sure to include lots of drool-worthy pictures!

And if all of this happy ice cream fun is a little too sweet for you, check out Scream for Ice Cream for a fun summer scare. After reading it, you might want to think twice next time you hear the ice cream truck driving down your street!

by Dan London Director of Search Engine Marketing
July 9, 2008
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Lulu Author Interview: Georgina Spelvin

In Author Spotlight, Walkthroughs — Tagged: ,

In June, the star of one of the most famous adult films published a book through Lulu.com about how she became an erotic film star with the making of “The Devil in Miss Jones” in 1972. The book reveals her life for the next 30 years after the release of the film.

Her full biography can be found at her website: www.GeorginasWorld.com

Her Lulu Storefront can be found here.

She was kind enough to take the time to answer the following questions via email.

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by Jay Ballenger Chief Snack Officer
July 8, 2008
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The Lulu Demo

In Walkthroughs — Tagged: , ,

As a Lulu employee, I frequently find myself explaining to relatives, neighbors and new acquaintances exactly what it is that Lulu does. I usually say things like “We’re a company that enables you to print books on demand.” I tell people that we don’t read every book that’s submitted to our site because our Oompa-Loompas have an aversion to anything that doesn’t rhyme. If you want your book in the Library of Congress, then you can purchase an ISBN and fill out a participation application. It’s an easy way to make conversation, talking about your job.

But sometimes, people forget what they hear. Or they visit our site without talking to me first. That’s why we took it upon ourselves to create the Lulu Demo. It’s an animated, narrated description of how Lulu’s marketplace enables you to Create, Sell and Buy user-generated content. It also delves into our other services, and our strong user community. It’s like having me at your party, except that your snacks won’t disappear.

The Lulu demo screenshot

by Carol Housel Community Administrator
July 3, 2008
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Oh No! Guests Are On Their Way, And You NEED Recipes NOW!

In Author Spotlight, Howto — Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Ok, so you’ve waited til the last minute and decided to have guests over for an awesome Fourth of July BBQ. You sent the text messages, posted an announcement on your blog, emailed your home skillets and maybe even tweeted about. You have a bunch of confirmations, but no ideas on what to cook. Ack! Well, if that sounds like you, feel free to thank me at the end of this post for making your BBQ dreams come true. I have three TERRIFIC cookbooks to tell you about, and you don’t even need to wait for them to be shipped to your door. In fact, you can get them instantly through this mysterious network of tubes known as the INTERWEBS. Brilliant!

I must confess; I am the person at your BBQ who doesn’t eat meat. I know you are going to be nice to me until you realize you’ve invited a Veggie to “Rib fest 2008.” At that point you are going to run inside and begin panicking when you realize that even your baked beans have pork in them. But fear not! I say, embrace your vegetarian guests and enjoy delicious dishes with them!

Guide to Delicious: Masterminding this Vegan Cookout is the answer to your vegetarian BBQ woes. It has everything you will need to ensure that all your guests are satisfied and full. There are lots of great recipes, like vegan Apple Sage Sausages and Easy Spicy Tempeh Burgers. Even great drink recipes (mmmm Mint Juleps). This cookbook is chock full of great photos, too. These women make cooking actually look fun, which in my mind seems impossible. Gee, I wish these ladies were MY friends so they could invite me to THEIR cookouts!

Buy it now as a download for only $6 or if you want to wait two weeks, get the paperback for $16.

The next two cookbooks are omnivore approved! I asked my husband (affectionately referred to as Grillzilla) what he thought, and he LOVED these two books. Let me tell you why.

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