Fog Lifting and Ready to Roll!

This past weekend I went back to New England for Mom's memorial service. It was sad, of course, but it was also wonderful. I feel so much better now that we have done it. I was, however, exhausted from a very long day getting there, being anxious beforehand, tired when it was done, and then another long travel day to get home. No matter what you do, there is no quick and easy way to get from one side of this country to the other.

The service was Saturday morning, and then Saturday evening we went in the complete opposite direction. My sister's college roommate was having her 50th birthday party, so we all went. The friend is from a BIG Irish family, so it was raucous and crazy and funny and wild. She is one of seven kids, including two priests - one an Anglican priest and one a gay Episcopal Bishop. Throw in about a hundred cousins, a keroke machine, and Uncle Frank with the beautiful voice, and you've got yourself a party. We sang all the old Irish songs (even though I'm English!) and some George M. Cohan thrown in for good measure. It was just what the doctor ordered and we covered life from both directions that day - first honoring the deceased and then celebrating the living.

In the midst of all this, my agent told me that she felt she was striking out with my book. The latest publisher told her "It's well-done, but it's not for us." She said she hasn't heard from everyone, but she knew that I was moving in the direction of self-publishing, and felt that the fact that she hadn't heard indicated that they likely weren't interested. Whether they are or they aren't, I realized that I am ready to bring my book into the world, and so I am going to do it myself. I will be using Amazon.com's Createspace, which my friend, successful three-time author, Arthur Wooten, is using. He is blazing all the trails for me and is a wonderful mentor.

Since my book is set at Christmas time, I want to roll it out in the fall. So, I begin this week. I hope that you will come along with me on this adventure, and I will be asking for all the help I can get when it comes to marketing and promotion. I plan to roll out locally here in Santa Fe and also back east in my hometown, my sister's town and other places where I have friends to open doors and smooth the path for me.

I am gathering a list of book stores and libraries and even Christmas stores. If you have ideas for me, please send them - I don't care how long my list gets! I will do what I can this year, and then do it again next year.

I am so pleased to have made such supportive friends here on blogger. It's not always about writing, sometimes it's just about life, and I love that balance. Thank you all for being there!