The stories and anecdotes of the
American Florists Exchange / Los Angeles Flower Market are rich and
plentiful. They touch every corner of the Market that has become the
commerce center for the floral trade in Los Angeles. They reflect the
growth of the flower industry in America, which all started with the
California flowers and imports traded at the American Florists Exchange
since 1917.
In
the book, Sending Flowers to America,
scheduled for release in Late 2008, many of these thousands of stories
and people and millions of flowers weave a colorful tapestry of life in
California and in the flower business.
The book takes a brief foray into the history of the region, introduces
the reader to the early flower farmers and showcases the events that
formed today's Flower Market. the book includes many historical photos
in both black-and-white and color.
Book Details: Sending Flowers to America
will be an oversized (9x12"), hardbound book
with 288 pages, containing many black-and-white and color
photos, printed and designed in full color. The embossed hard cover will carry a full color dust
jacket. The book will feature an index and bibliography. It will
be printed on archival, acid-free paper, certified as from a
renewable resource by the Forestry Stewardship Council. Reseller and book
trade info: ISBN 0-9798285-0-3 (13-digit ISBN:
978-0-9798285-0-8); retail price $44.95. Please
contact us for order
information or to send an advance order priced at $38.95. Standard
trade discounts
apply.
The
Production Team: The production company for
Sending Flowers to America (working title) is
Wordpix Solutions of
Buena Park, California.
* * *
Project
manager and principal author Peggi Ridgway is author of
the main chronological history, sidebar stories and many of the
family stories published in the upcoming Sending Flowers to
America.
Peggi has served as editor of The Bloomin' News, the
bi-monthly newsmagazine of the Los Angeles Flower Market, since 1999 and is an award-winning free lance writer of more than 500
feature articles and the author of several books. As the founder and general
manager of Wordpix Solutions and former editor with the
Continental Heritage Press publishing firm, she's written
hundreds of corporate histories and backgrounders and designed
and produced many books. Previously, she served as corporate
history editor for Continental Heritage Press in Tulsa,
Oklahoma, where she helped produce the hardbound collector
edition pictorial history books, The San Antonio Story, Tulsa Spirit, Tulsa
75, The Saint Louis Portrait and Des Moines: Capital
City; several annual pictorial book-style calendars; and
The Tulsa Magazine.
* * *
Jan
Works of Works' Words, a marketing communications and publishing
support service in business since 1986, is author of most of the family
and company stories featured in the Profiles section of the
book, Sending Flowers to America.
Jan is an accomplished writer
for both business-to-business and consumer audiences, and has written
editorial text, marketing collateral, public relations and advertising
copy for clients in a variety of industries. She is also an experienced
corporate journalist, having written feature stories, historical
backgrounders and employee newsletters for companies such as Canon, Aerojet and Ikon Office Solutions. She has written for The Bloomin’
News. Jan is also an experienced self-publisher, as editor and
co-publisher (with her husband) of four books on sport skydiving, as
well as a newsletter with international distribution. She has also
edited and produced books on a Chinese medicinal mushroom and an
historical biography of a Montana homesteader.
* * *
The official photographer for much of the current
photography of the Market featured in Sending Flowers to
America is award-winning photographer Julie
Diebolt-Price, president of JDP Photography, Tustin,
California. An educator, community leader, mentor and passionate
traveler, Julie's flair for excellence and her cutting-edge
techniques earn her rave reviews for her work. She's earned
industry awards at both the national and regional levels.
Get email updates: The Los
Angeles Flower Market's bi-monthly newsletter,
The
Bloomin' News, will publish updates through its email distribution
system. Click here to subscribe.
In
the book, Sending Flowers to America,
scheduled for release in Late 2008, many of these thousands of stories
and people and millions of flowers weave a colorful tapestry of life in
California and in the flower business.
The book takes a brief foray into the history of the region, introduces
the reader to the early flower farmers and showcases the events that
formed today's Flower Market. the book includes many historical photos
in both black-and-white and color. 
