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J.R. Bale to Sign Books at 2022 New Providence Book Festival.

J.R. Bale will be signing books and speaking with readers at the New Providence Book Festival on Saturday, September 17th. In addition, the festival will have author talks behind the Salt Box Museum at 1350 Springfield Avenue in New Providence, NJ 07974.

10:00 AM – Children’s Story Hour

● Laura Kaighn, Rabbit’s Tale and Other Rites of Passage
● Angela LaCarrubba, Dancing with theTruth
● Lisa Jacovski, Lets talk!

11:00 AM – Michelle Cameron
“Historical Fiction – What’s Real and What’s Fiction?”

12:00 Noon – Elissa Matthews
“How to Tell a Great Story”

1:00 PM – The Journey to Becoming an Author
Authors Michael Daigle, Sarajane Giere and Kal Uddin will share their journeys to becoming an author in a panel discussion.

2:00 PM – Janice Berliner “Familial Implications of Genetic Disorders Examined Through the Lens of Fiction”

The following authors will be signing their books during the 9am-3pm event: J.R. Bale, D.M. Barr, Linda Barth, Janice Berliner, Michelle Cameron, Michael Stephen Daigle, Ann Frommer, Kristina Garlick, Sarajane Giere, Lisa Jacovsky, Laura Kaighn, Tom Kranz, Angela LaCarrubba, Elissa Matthews, Andrea Stein & Kal Uddin.

The New Providence Historical Society will be offering free tours of the historic Salt Box Museum, a 18th century farmhouse. Refreshments will also be available. Come on by!

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J.R. Bale to Speak at Randolph “Arts in the Park” 5/21/2022

J.R. Bale will speak on “Turning the Voices in My Head into Novels” at 1 PM at Satuday, May 21, 2022 at the Randolph, NJ “Arts in the Park” festival. The festival will take place on Saturday, 11am – 6pm at Veterans Community Park, 100 Calais Road, Randolph, NJ.

The festival will include other authors and speakers, music, crafts and food. J.R. will be signing books at Booth A9 when not speaking.

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J.R. Bale to Address National PLAN Alliance Conference

J.R. Bale will be speaking at the National PLAN Alliance Conference on April 7, 2022 at the Hyatt Hotel in Morristown, NJ. His topic is Out of Poverty: Teaching Financial Literacy to People with Disabilities.

Eighty percent of disabled people in America are unemployed, pushing them toward poverty. While many special needs individuals receive government benefits, they are “means tested,” limiting how much money they can earn or hold. Otherwise, they lose the security of their government benefits, thus reducing the motivation to earn more, thus encouraging their trajectory toward poverty. One step toward improving their lives is teaching them about finacial literacy and how to manage their own finances to the level their abilities will allow.

The PLAN Alliance consists of local organizations which aid people with disabilities with a variety of issues, including residence needs, guardianship and financial management.

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Second Issue of “Inner Monologue”

Well, it’s April. Glimpses of spring are teasing us. And it’s time for the second issue of Inner Monologue.

This month’s issue includes an essay, news about book events, an excerpt from a short story, Corporate Trust, puzzles, a recipe and a bit of humor.

The entire story, Corporate Trust, has been uploaded into the Private Study section of my website at jrbale.com/private-study. I hope you enjoy it. 

If you’d like to subscribe, go to www.jrbale.com/newsletter. You can unsubcribe at any time. So, what d you have to lose?

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Launching Newsletter: “Inner Monologue”

This month, I’m launching my new newsletter, entitled Inner Monologue. I invite you to subscribe.

So, what will be in this newsletter? I plan to provide essays, news about books, excerpts from past and future works, photography, puzzles, recipes and anything else that strikes my fancy. I hope each will serve to nourish the mind, body and spirit, yours and mine. Please enjoy. To sign-up for electronic delivery of this newsletter, go to www.jrbale.com/newsletter.

Anyone who signs up for the newsletter will also get access to the private area on my website, where I have special content for subscribers. So after you’ve subscribed and have received the password, you can go to www.jrbale.com/Private-Study and enter the password.

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Renewal in 2022!


Renewal is a conscious decision. The last two years have been grueling, no doubt. But as a new year comes in, I have resolved to bring more energy to my endeavors. In 2022, I expect to publish my next book. (Stay tuned for title and cover reveals.) I’ve already scheduled some in-person events. I’m also adding a newsletter.

Hope and energy will carry us all into the new year. Happy New Year!

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Fall Book Events Open Up

J.R. Bale will be appearing at several fall book events, along with other authors.

September 11, 2021 – Authors Grove
at Belvidere Heritage Day (Outdoor Event)
Main Square
Belvidere, NJ
www.BelvidereHeritage.com

September 18, 2021 – New Providence Book Festival
Saturday, 9am – 3pm
Salt Box Museum
1350 Springfield Avenue, New Providence, NJ
www.NewProvidenceBookFestival.com

October 2, 2021 – Collingswood Book Festival
Collingswood, NJ
www.collingswoodbookfestival.com

 

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Impatience Day

On our 244th Independence Day, Americans find themselves in a pot of boiling rage. Whether along racial or political lines, our country has not been more divided than since the Civil War. This rage, stoked by propaganda channels and social media, has been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic, an invisible and deeply frustrating enemy, where our only immediate weapons are masks and patience.

But Americans are not a patient people. Our impatience has helped us become a great nation. Impatience for freedom. Impatience to abolish slavery. Impatience to improve our standard of living. And the list of targets of our impatience goes on. But we have come to a point where our impatience is not as useful as it once was.

Over a century and a half ago, America suffered a bloody civil war. Even today we see the scars from that conflict, including arguments over Confederate statues. While contentious history makes great reading, the reality was not great living. That’s a lesson we must heed.

Americans have endured hardships before for the greater good. We fought Nazis, communists and fascists. Today, our primary enemy is less-well defined. Some say it’s a virus. But to be honest, it’s not. To quote the comic strip Pogo, “We have met the enemy, and the enemy is us.”

Our emotions raging in frustration, our desire to blame, and yes, our desire to hate, have not served us well. We must take a breath and remember what is important: our health, our family, our community and our country. The well-being of these are not served by conflict, but by cooperation and large, almost painful doses, of patience. Rage is easy. Patience is hard.

In the last few months, I have often thought of the British motto which adorned many signs during World War II: “Keep Calm and Carry On,” wise words from our mother country. This message of quiet persistence carries a strength stronger than rage, and more patriotic than mere flag waving. As citizens, we are the threads which hold our country together. While we may fray a little, we must not rip ourselves apart. That is my hope.

Happy Independence Day.

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Break Your Isolation with an Online Author Talk


Need an activity to reduce your isolation? Would your Book Club like an online author talk/reading? It would be a mentally healthy activity and help break up the social distancing.

I’d love to Zoom in and talk! Using Zoom is very easy. A webcam is nice, but not necessary. People can even join us via the telephone.

Let’s schedule an online event!