Monday, March 20, 2017

Book Release!



I had been a stay-at-home mom since I married.
I dabbled in sewing, quilting, crafting, couponing/refunding---and raised three boys, which I consider my greatest accomplishment.

Ten years ago, with my husband getting close to retirement, I started writing. I had been working on a picture book about picking berries. I thought it wasn't half bad. I found out about a writing group that met once a month in Ripley. I called one of the members and started attending the meetings. I got up my nerve to read it in front of the group. They were very nice, but I found out I didn't know much about writing.

Thankfully, I am a pretty quick learner.

A year later, I got a story published in an anthology. Then shortly thereafter, I started writing a children's column in a monthly regional magazine.

Along with writing PBs, I got brave and wrote two MG manuscripts. They have been sent out many times and received many rejections.

My second MG, Duck and Cover, took first place in the 2015 WV Writer's annual spring writing contest! Woo hoo! I had placed many times in the annual contest, but this was my first 1st Place!

I did a little more research on publishers. I found one that only published first-time authors and only published MG and YA.
They were not a vanity publisher. I didn't have to pay anything.
I took the chance and sent Duck and Cover to them.

They accepted it! It was officially put up on Amazon the end of February. It is available in paperback, kindle, and Nook on Barnes and Noble.

What is my advice? Never give up. Keep working on your manuscript until you get it the best you can get it --- and send it out.
And keep sending it out until you find someone who likes it as much as you do.

My book is going to be featured in the next few weeks on a couple of writer's blogs.

Today (Monday)it will be on the GROG Blog. Click over and check out the interview. Comment and you will be in a drawing for a free copy of my book.


4 comments:

  1. Congratulations! Good for you for sticking with your dream and continuing to learn and grow. Getting rejections is tough, but I try to remember that reading is subjective and that pushes me to keep trying. So happy for you that you found the right home for your book and it is published and out in the world. Yeah! :)
    ~Jess

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    1. Hi, Jess. Thank you for your kind words and thanks for going over and checking out the GROG Blog. Good luck in the drawing.

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  2. Congratulations!
    I went over and read GROG, good for you.
    I am out of touch with my writing.
    I have placed a few times in the past, but not recently in local contests.
    I'd like to pursue it a bit more at some point.
    Family things have kept me from it the last couple of years. My grammar is terrible, ouch!
    Hope all your dreams come true!

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    1. Hi, Annie. Hang in there and keep writing. And thanks, for your nice comment.

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Thank you for your comments. I love comments!