Butterfly Journey

Hello, Everybody!

As I was on the way home from running errands today, a song came on from the shuffle of my handpicked playlist. The song was "Butterfly" sung by Tracy Lawrence. 

"Butterfly" lyrics

"Butterfly" lyrics

Inspired by all things butterfly, I was reminded of the butterfly journey that I am a part of. I am in the middle of editing PBP's next publishing project. Right now the story is exactly that. It is a story. It is my job to turn it into a book. A book that many can enjoy and draw inspiration and encouragement from. The story is currently in caterpillar form and with editing, proofreading, formatting, designing, and marketing, it is becoming a butterfly in the book world.

Subscribe to this blog, The Purple Butterfly Purpose, and be the first to know about book updates straight from the publisher's desk...a.k.a my desk. ;)

Believe.

Caitlin A.

Toccoa Tuesday: Going Postal

Hello, Everybody!

I hope you all had a love-filled Valentine's weekend. Did your sweetie gift you (or if you gifted yourself) a Their Inheritance ebook? I'd love to know. ;) So, today is Wednesday, and I know that the Toccoa Tuesday series' post was not posted yesterday. There has been a lot of cool events going on around Toccoa and my part of the book world! I still want to share about a piece of Toccoa this week. Sharing a part of my town where Purple Butterfly Pages & Publications is planted, gives you a feel of my surroundings that show up in my work! My local post office is one which exudes small town hospitality to its customers.

It seems like going to the post office of any town is just one of those daily errands that is necessary, yet kind of annoying because mailing a package and mail or picking up packaging supplies can take a chunk out of your errand-running time. Toccoa is a small town with its population being an estimated 8, 275 (as of 2014 census). One particular establishment and its employees who are full of small town hospitality is the Toccoa Post Office. No matter how long or short the line of patrons gets, the postmasters patiently help each person. An United States Post Office can be a good place or bad place, depending on your mailbox's contents! There can be a large number of unhappy patrons who don't like the rising costs of the shipping industry. Toccoa's Post Office's front desks staff takes on every attitude with positivity and courteous helpfulness.

The Toccoa United States Post Office has been a part of Purple Butterfly Pages since I started shipping books a few years ago. I counted on the United States Postal Service to deliver the first book I sold to readers nation wide! The packaged books wouldn't have made it to the readers without the help of the USPO of Toccoa, Georgia. 

What is your local post office like?!

Believe.

Caitlin

Proprietor & Publisher

The Big Picture

Hello Everyone!

Boy, did October fly by or what? Hello, November! Northeast Georgia has had a wet, but colorful autumn so far. The crisp fall air makes me want to move my office outdoors. I find the autumn colors inspirational. The different hues on the autumn leaves draw me to the details of the landscape rather than just seeing the big picture. The big picture being that winter is soon approaching to leave the landscapes barren of bright colors; the air more bitter as the frost nips at the faces; and the holiday festivities to commence (can't wait for that part).

The Big Picture

The book world's big picture is much like the big picture of autumn. When publishing a book, the publisher can get carried away with the big picture and the goals and purpose of the book and away from the details of the project. This is why I am the publisher and not the author. <haha> I do see the big picture and goals that need to be reached to achieve the planned end result, yet fail to always see the details along the way. The recent season's changes challenged me to take my job day by day and to focus on every modest detail of my current publishing project.

New Blog Schedule

The kind of changes we make will decide what kind of results will be produced. As I continue to grow my experience as a publisher, the autumn season is a good time to make productive changes to my work. I've decided to blog on a more frequent schedule. The blog topics will still be about my experiences as a publisher and twenty-something entrepreneur. Follow along on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and of course here on Blogger!

Twitter: @PBPages or @GaPeach291
Facebook: Purple Butterfly Pages
Instagram: pbpublications
Blogger: The Purple Butterfly Purpose

Web: www.PurpleButterflyPages.com

Thanks for reading!

- Caitlin, Proprietor & Publisher 

It is Almost Thanksgiving!

Hello, everybody!

With the leaves at their peak colors of the newest season and the wind swirling them around,  I find myself wishing for more time to sit in my favorite chair, sip a warm brew from a mug, and read. Today, I am inspired to share a few words of gratitude with you.

In fact, as I walked out of the house this morning I was thrown into a state of Thanksgiving… the crisp mountain air was filled with the scent of a neighbor's wood burning stove. The autumn breeze was rustling the last of the crispy fading leaves. I felt that if I were to walk back into the house, I would find the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on the television providing a background for the day's festivities; half the family bustling in the kitchen preparing some sort of food for us to savor as we gather around a full table of loved ones; and the other half of the family split between actually watching the parade and catching up with each others' lives. Of course when you are twenty-three years-old and have nine siblings (two of which serve in the military), it is a rare holiday occasion to have the entire gang and all the cousins present on such days of celebration. However, I have no doubts that the house will be full of bustling, parade-watching, and talking with whichever family members can make it home this year!

"The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts. No Americans have been more impoverished than these who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving." ~H.U. Westermayer

I believe that today, we all are just like the Pilgrims and Indians in 1621 and the Americans in 1977, when President Washington declared a day of thanksgiving after multiple victories in the Revolutionary war. No matter what we have all been through this year; this week; and even today; we have something to be thankful for. Whatever or whomever is in front of you today, be thankful!
Lastly, be thankful for the hard times because they make the good times even better.

Excuse me, for the interruption of your day with gratitude, but I am certainly grateful for all of you who take time to connect and read The Purple Butterfly Purpose each month!

Be sure to like Purple Butterfly Pages on Facebook for a few Thanksgiving-related book excerpts from 'Their Inheritance'!

Happy Thanksgiving month to you all!

Caitlin Ayers, Publisher

Purple Butterfly Publications

1940s Flashback!

Hello Everyone!

Although October is almost over for this year, it is finally fall in my corner of the world. Pumpkin and cinnamon everything is everywhere it seems. However, I don't want to add to the pumpkin spice craze. Instead, I want to share about an event that takes place in my town during the first weekend of every October: Currahee Military Weekend. I was blessed to have taken part in the festivities celebrating the paratroopers who trained during WWII at Camp Toccoa, just a few miles from where I live now.

The annual Currahee Military Weekend took place October 3 - 5, 2014. The Vintage Hangar Dance took place on Friday evening at the Stephens County Airport. Purple Butterfly Publications' featured author, Stephanie Townsend Ayers, and I attended the 1940s themed hangar dance. Mrs. Ayers and I both dressed up in our best '40s attire for the evening. I even got a surprise delivery of flowers from a thoughtful friend to wear to the dance! I had an absolutely fantastic time participating in the Costume Contest during the evening where I finished as a semi-finalist. Great competition in the hangar! We all had a swell time of dancing (yes, I learned a few steps), fantastic live music, learning, and seeing new faces from all around the globe including from France and Texas! After the fun evening, I couldn't help but think of the brave men and women who were a part of our nation's defenses during World War II. The hangar dances must have meant so much to them.  

Featured author, Stephanie Townsend Ayers, and I ready for the Vintage Hangar Dance

Had a blast!

On Saturday evening, we returned to Camp Toccoa at Currahee for the Currahee Military Weekend Banquet. The guest speaker was Jim “Pee Wee’ Martin, 506th G. Company PIR.,
a Camp Toccoa veteran. Mr. Martin shared with us his jump into Normandy in 1944 and recently this year, 2014, during D-Day Events in Normandy. It was a special honor to hear Mr. Martin speak about his life experiences during and after the war. If you don't know who he is already,  please look him up and watch his experience in video. You won't regret it! After listening to Mr. Jim "Pee Wee" Martin speak, I got to help a local auctioneer, Christopher Ayers of Remember When Estate Auctions, with the live auction to raise money for the Currahee Military Museum and the veterans attending the Currahee Military Weekend. Haha! Happy to help look for bids! A memorable night indeed. 

Playing "Vanna White"

It is so important to remember and respect the sacrifices of America's history makers: our veterans and their families. I'd like to take a moment and encourage you all reading this blog to learn more about your local veterans. Learn from them. Also, learn about YOUR local history. You just might be surprised at what part your town has played in history making moments. Without the preservation of our history, Christian historical-fiction novels like Their Inheritance would not be written! 

Check out Currahee Military Museum for more information about the 2015 Currahee Military Weekend. I hope to see you there!

**Look for an early November blog with exciting first-ever holiday news from Purple Butterfly Publications!** 

Remember. Preserve. Read.

Caitlin Ayers, Publisher
Purple Butterfly Publications

2014: Adventures Part One

Hey everybody!

As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, a 2014 recap:

January and February were months of transitioning and growth for me. They were all about transitioning from splitting my time between college and business to utilizing all of my time into my business, Purple Butterfly Publications.  Time is a gift that is shared with others. I have learned that fact during my transitioning time. I found that I can not control everything, but I am firm in my belief that God is in full control of all things.  

“Nothing is secure but life, transition, the energizing spirit.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson

I am going to call March 2014 “Milestone March”. With a desire to be more involved in my community and to learn from other local business owners, I joined the Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber of Commerce as a business owner of Purple Butterfly Pages. Joining the Chamber of Commerce had been a professional goal of mine since 2010. Check mark: Goal reached! 

                                 above: Chamber of Commerce monthly networking lunch

In April, I was blessed to be able to be a sponsor of the Power House for Kids 3^rd Annual Race. The race raised funds and awareness for the child advocacy center which serves  families in Habersham, Rabun, and Stephens counties in northeast Georgia. Child abuse in your community affects you whether you know it or not. Please be informed on how you can help YOUR community in the fight against child abuse today. 

May was the actual race day. I had an absolute blast joining over 100 runners for the 5K run in support of the Power House for Kids! A race with perfect weather, a serene location, and an organized coordination, all led to bounding success! My personal goal was to FINISH the race no matter how long it took me. I finished in roughly thirty-seven minutes and without injury. Yeah! Next year, Purple Butterfly Pages will have a FULL TEAM participating in the 4^th annual Power House for Kids Race! 

June has found me counting the many blessings the year has brought me so far (including another birthday).  

hello 23!

I promise to not wait so long in the month to post July’s blog, but just in case…..
I hope you all have a very happy Independence Day on July 4!!! Celebrate the freedom to read whatever you want! 

above: my brothers committed to defending our freedoms.

Thanks for reading!

Caitlin Ayers, Publisher

Purple Butterfly Publications

www.PurpleButterflyPages.com

The Importance of My Chamber of Commerce

Hey everybody!

Purple Butterfly Pages reached an exciting milestone this week!

Back in 2010 at the beginning of my college journey, I was given an assignment by my small business class instructor to list and explain different ways to network from the view point of a business owner. This assignment was particularly inspiring to me as I had just begun my own small business! I began my list with a goal to join the local Chamber of Commerce. I detailed that as a grass-root sole proprietor business, I was not in a position to join the Chamber at the time. 

Becoming a member of one’s local Chamber of Commerce would provide any business with networking opportunities, offer support and resources for the business, and provide a network of support from other local business owners. Becoming a member of the Chamber of Commerce was especially important to me, even as an individual member prior to joining as a business owner. 

My connection to my local Chamber of Commerce began in 2007 when I had just turned sixteen-years-old. I was an intern at the Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber of Commerce while my uncle, being a British antique store owner in the historic downtown area, was a member. After my internship of almost one year, I finished high school with plans to attend college. I always knew I would go to college, but had not yet quite figured out my major. As I thought more and more about a major, I remembered the work and all the experiences that I had been exposed to at the Chamber of Commerce and knew that I wanted to pursue a degree in business. I signed up for classes majoring in Applied Business Technology. I went to work with my studies and a few months later an opportunity came before me. I took the risk and started my own business. 

Throughout my college experience, I held a student membership with the Chamber of Commerce. I did this to stay informed about and involved with my community and its businesses. After graduating college, with business growth at the forefront of my business plan, I knew I had to be more involved in my community and know the local business owners on a more professional level. This would also introduce my own business-that has now expanded- to my community on an entirely different level. 

So, on March 13, 2014, I joined the Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber of Commerce as a business owner!! 

Another goal on my list checked off!

Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber of Commerce President, Wendi Bailey (whom I have known since I was a teen), shared my excitement as I met with her and completed the paperwork. The tradition at the Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber of Commerce is to ding a silver bell every time a new member joins the Chamber. It was a very exciting and proud moment when that bell rang for me as my business, Purple Butterfly Pages, joined my local Chamber of Commerce!

I am thankful to Chamber President, Wendi Bailey (pictured here on the right) and Executive Assistant, Vicky King (not pictured) for the knowledge they have shared with me over the years. I feel blessed to know these two professional women!

Be involved.

You never know where it may lead!

Believe! 

Caitlin Ayers 

Owner, Purple Butterfly Pages

Facing the Odds

Hey all!

Over these past few weeks since my college graduation, I have been thinking a lot about my current job as owner of Purple Butterfly Pages and Purple Butterfly Publications.  By definition, entrepreneur  is  a person who organizes and operates a business or businesses, taking on greater than normal financial risks in order to do so.

The main reasons a person starts a business is to either sell or provide a service to the public, service or retail. As for me, I saw a need from book readers for new respectable books to purchase. A passion was stirred in me to provide the public with a novel or book that not only entertained a reader, but also encouraged and inspired the reader through its story as well. So, I found an avenue to do just that and a new entrepreneur was born!  I began working to organize a business where I could sell such products online as well as at special events, thus Purple Butterfly Pages  was created! 

Some people have described me as an optimistic realist. I interpret that to mean that I am optimistic about the things I do, but understand that everything does not always work out as I imagined or hoped. Here is where the risks-taking part of being an entrepreneur comes in. As a business owner, I need to take risks in order to gain more of what I want and need. If you don’t go after something you want, guess what…you won’t get it!  Take the risk!

“Entrepreneurship isn't for everyone, and not everyone is going to be an entrepreneur, but women who turn to business, turn to economics, because there are people depending on them, I think that their creativity, their resilience, their spirit, embody what's best about entrepreneurship.”

Gayle Tzemach Lemmon

Another reason I chose to be an entrepreneur- to do my part to help raise the economic stability of my city, my state, and my country. Maybe the United States of America does not have the best economic stability at the moment, but I believe it can and will get better if its citizens support our country’s businesses especially the small ones.

Believe.

Caitlin 

www.PurpleButterflyPages.com