RMA Publicity

Details: Published: 05 April 2020

Minnesota Man Leads Effort to Help the Homeless in this Time of Crisis

Homeless advocate Richard Bahr of Maple Grove, Minn., wants to shine a light on how important it is to help the homeless in this time of national crisis.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, he organized a small group of people he usually works with on packing sandwiches for the homeless to meet in the driveway of his home in Maple Grove, Minn., the evening of April 6 to help him pack 100 personal care kits which were distributed to the Twin City homeless community. The care kits included shampoo, conditioner, a washcloth, soap, tissue, deodorant, a toothbrush and toothpaste, a razor, socks, and a comb.

During the packing event, his group showed off how following social distancing and other recent safety guidelines, a few people or small groups of people can assemble, in a safe way, and still continue to care for our neighbors. Four media outlets covered the event: KARE TV, FOX 9 TV, CCX Media and the Press & News.

Looking for ways you too can help the homeless. Here are Bahr's suggestions:

* Give financially to local shelters or other organizations that support our local homeless community

* Call and ask if you can volunteer. Most don’t allow on site volunteers any longer, but several will take meal and food donations if you drop them off.

* Contact you legislator and urge for the support of legislation that will provide a COVID-19 relief package for the homeless and those in need of rental relief. You could urge them to open up more, large public spaces, such as sporting arenas, to reduce the density of those seeking shelter.

It’s not “if” but “when” COVID-19 strikes our homeless community, the impact could be devastating. And because the homeless, by the nature of their situation, are on the move a lot, we could unknowingly spread the virus among others, delaying a recovery for the general population.

Learn more about Richard's work to help the homeless at www.threshold2newlife.org.

Details: Published: 03 April 2020

What Color is My Hijab? Empowers Young Girls to Dream Big

A book inspired by the pressing question of a young Minnesota girl, who wanted to know why children who look like her aren't represented in children's literature, has just hit the market. In What Color is My Hijab? by Hudda Ibrahim of St. Cloud, women of all different professions, including doctors and teachers, artists and politicians are featured wearing their very colorful hijabs, and a variety of clothing. Ibrahim says the variety is intentional as it illustrates that like all Americans, Muslim women come from a variety of backgrounds, cultures, and abilities.

Ibrahim is intending for What Color is My Hijab to be the first in a series of children’s books that educate readers about the Muslim culture. Pick up your copy today directly from the distributor: Itascabooks.com.

Learn more about Hudda Ibrahim's work at Huddaibrahim.com.

Details: Published: 01 April 2020

RMA Publicity Participates in Free Virtual Workshop on April 2 Aimed at Helping Authors Navigate these Difficult Times

During my TV news career, I was involved in covering some of the most memorable news stories in recent history: The Oklahoma City Bombing in 1995, the crash of Valujet Flight 592 into the Florida Everglades in 1996, the 2000 United States Presidential Election recount in Florida, the Sept. 11 Attacks on America in 2001, and the epic life and death battle fought over Terri Schiavo in 2005. I vividly remember the craziness in the newsroom as new details crossed the wires, and we raced to get the information on the air.

With every one of those news stories, we knew there would be a definite cycle, and life would eventually return to normal. Sadly, that is not the case with the COVID-19 pandemic. There is no telling if it will go on for just the next couple of weeks or months, or for the foreseeable future. We may all need to get used to a new normal.

So what does that mean for the literary community? I shared my thoughts in a virtual Zoom Talk on literary publicity on April 2, 2020. My focus was on how to get the attention of the mainstream media to promote your book at a time when crisis dominates the news cycle. I was joined by Marissa Eigenbrood of Smith PR, who focused her talk on how to get attention through social media.

The talk was a recorded. I will share a link once one is available.

Details: Published: 23 February 2020

"Bold Sea Stories" by Marlin Bree Officially Goes on Sale April 2

The official launch date for Bold Sea Stories by Marlin Bree was Thurs., April 2, and sales are off to a good start thanks to the pre-publicity the book has received in the Duluth News Tribune, Lake Superior MagazIne, and a couple of boating magazines.

Bold Sea Stories tells 21 rousing true-life tales of notorious storms, shipwrecks and doomed crews fighting incredible challenges and undergoing transformative, inspirational beauty. Bree is the author of numerous nautical books including In the Teeth of the Northeaster, Wake of the Green Storm, Broken seas, and, with Gerry Spiess, wrote Alone Against the Atlantic. He is a former newsman with the Minneapolis Tribune and a past president of the Minnesota Press Club.

Learn more about Marlin Bree’s work at MarlinBree.com .