AUTHOR'S BLOG
6/27/08: It was a nice surprise to make it onto the front page of the Avon Grove Sun last week! Staff reporter Rachel Pilgren interviewed me for the Sun and printed a terrific article about my Reader View award. Here is a link to an online version of the article: Avon Grove Sun article.
6/6/08: Time is relative on the internet! Here is the article from the Sunday, June 8th Philadelphia Inquirer -- on Friday night! Of course, I'm not a student, nor do I play one in the classroom, but the Student Spotlight is where you'll find me! (The paper version of the newspaper changed the heading to "Educator Spotlight." Now, that seems more correct! It's a decent photo, but I can't pass for a high school student!)
And, coming fast on the heels of the May newsletter is the June edition of the IAG newsletter, The Declaration of Independents. In this issue, Lloyd Lofthouse shares the lesser known side of the Tibet-China conflict, and Trudy Schuett shares her experiences designing a website for a non-profit organization. Stuart Mirsky reviews a Viking saga, and Aidan Lucid describes his "voyage into the unknown" when he decided to independently publish his own poetry.
6/4/08: I'd like to thank the Skyline Book Group for inviting me as a guest for their June meeting. I enjoyed the company and the conversation, and I am very happy that they enjoyed reading High Spirits! Special thanks to Donna Elmore for recommending my book to her club!
I recently completed my first review for PODBRAM, which you can see on that website, and I also wrote a review for the same book on my own website, which you can see on my Reviews page. I look forward to more books arriving soon!
Also, the May issue of the IAG newsletter is as interesting as ever! Mary Simonsen contributed an article on the 60th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift, and Al Past ties some ancient mysteries together to create the concept behind his book, Distant Cousin. There are book reviews for Jack Shakely's book The Confederate War Bonnet and a book called Ever Your Servant, which is a comedy about a vampire in retail sales. You can find this issue (and all the other issues) of the IAG newsletter on the Declaration of Independents page.
Finally, I look forward to this Sunday's issue of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Please check out the Education section of the Chester County insert for an article expected to appear! I'll share more after I see it!
5/21/08: A lot can happen in the course of a year. Last May, I was holding the first copies of High Spirits in my hands -- and wondering what to do with them! I was truly a newbie in this whole independent publishing biz, and I made a lot of rookie mistakes. I wasted a large number of books by sending them out to review sites which were never going to read my book, and I was even naive enough to sign a few. That resulted in one fellow offering a signed copy of High Spirits for sale on BarnesandNoble.com for $83. (No, he didn't review it first, and no, he hasn't sold it yet!)
I've learned a lot since then. I know what sites I should have tried, and I know what contests I should have entered. Most of my new, expert knowledge comes by association with the members of The Independent Authors Guild. I have met -- mostly online but a few by phone or in person -- the most amazing group of people from across the country and the world.
One of those people recently invited me to join the team of reviewers on his own book review site. Floyd Orr, the host of the site formerly called iUniverse Book Reviews and now called POD Book Reviews and More (PODBRAM), is well known in the independent publishing community for his high standards and honest reviews. And he never sells the review copies afterwards! Flooded by books and requests, he decided to recruit a small team of reviewers to help him, and I am pleased to join IAG members Dr. Al Past and Celia Hayes, among others, on the PODBRAM team.
You can find this site here. PODBRAM includes a large number of book reviews, as well as Floyd Orr's reflections on various events in the world of independent publishing. As for the new name, I think POD Book Reviews and More is a bit more awkward than iUniverse Book Reviews, but I can pronounce PODBRAM, whereas I couldn't pronounce iUBR! Regardless, the name change was necessary because the site, which used to accept only iUniverse books, now accepts submissions from most POD publishers. I am expecting my first book for a PODBRAM review in the mail soon -- a poetry book published by Virtual Bookworm -- and I hope I make a decent showing in my initial contribution!
5/18/08: This month's Spotlight theme is Life in the Modern World. I have featured non-fiction books, poetry, and contemporary fiction. Stop by to check out some new and talented independent authors!
I have seen a few Kindle sales of High Spirits lately. Does anyone out there own a Kindle? I have to admit, I'm curious ... and a little covetous. As much as I love real, solid books, it would be wonderful to take a Kindle on vacation and have access to any book I want, instantly! (It also sounds a little hard on the pocket book! Trust Amazon to make it even easier to buy books on impulse!)
5/7/08: Well, copies of High Spirits will soon be on their way to Estonia, South Korea, and Russia for the reviewing pleasure of some overseas publishers. Keep your fingers crossed for me! Thanks to the Bologna Children's Book Fair, these publishers have inquired about the foreign rights to the book.
I'm a little late getting the April issue of the IAG newsletter posted, but it is definitely worth checking out all the same. In this issue, you will read about the Texan War for Independence and the story of the Goliad -- the presidio which didn't get as much press as the Alamo, but still had its role to play in Texan history. Also, Charles Lundsford reveals the truth about deciphering Morse Code, and Melissa Strangway shares the inspiration for her ghost stories.
4/27/08: High Spirits went traveling without me again this month, visiting both the Bologna Children's Book Fair in Italy and the London Book Fair in England. (Believe me, I do appreciate the irony of my book enjoying the sights of Bologna and London while I taught fractions and verb tenses in West Grove!) ForeWord Magazine, whose small-publisher collective sponsored my book, reports an above average interest in young adult and teen books with "dark and edgy" themes and characters with a less-than-straight moral compass. Here, the Fox sisters fit right in, and accordingly I received inquiries about my book from publishers in far-away places such as South Korea and Estonia. I have to say, ForeWord Magazine identified this trend several months ago in their article "The Hero Stands Accused", and I am grateful that they took High Spirits along for the ride on the swell of this new fad. Harry Potter clones and fantasy in general is on the down-swing, they say, but paranormal books are on the rise. That's certainly as good an excuse as any to check out my Spotlight page, which currently features paranormal books. And be sure to check out the photograph below, which shows High Spirits on the shelf at the Bologna Children's Book Fair. Doesn't seem fair, does it? The book can't even enjoy an authentic Italian meal while in town ...
4/21/08: Last week I was honored to be the guest author at two book clubs. Last Monday, Maria Kriznuski invited me to her lovely home for the monthly meeting of her book club. We enjoyed a very interesting evening of discussion on the paranormal, and several members had experiences to share which were eerily unexplainable! I admit I was a little envious, having never had even the slightest paranormal experience, but we all agreed that it helps to be in a receptive frame of mind, so that pretty much lets me out, since I am always pre-occupied by something. That very day, I failed to notice that a prominent tree had been cut down from my front lawn -- walked right past the empty spot without a second glance! My husband will be the first to agree that I can be ridiculously unobservant at times. No wonder , then, that paranormal phenomena give me the pass-by!
Then, on Wednesday, Pat Kelly put on a fabulous dinner party at her historic West Chester home for the Kennett Area Newcomers Book Club. Over some scrumptious appetizers and savory lasagna, we discussed the historic characters behind High Spirits, and our various interpretations of character and motive. I also learned that the previous month, the K.A.N. Book Club had hosted Joseph Gangemi, author of Inamorata, the book which literally inspired me to write High Spirits! I was also quite tickled to hear that one member's grandson (a student of Unionville Middle School) had read my book and discovered that many of the vocabulary words he had been assigned to study for his upcoming standardized test appeared in my book. If other schools want to use High Spirits as assigned reading for test prep -- I've got great lesson plans located right here on this website!
I have also changed the Spotlight page this month to focus on The Paranormal! Please check it out! And you can still find the Westerns archived at the bottom of the page.
4/11/08: I am pleased to announce another excellent review, this time at Front Street Reviews, a distinguished and well-organized site I have just discovered. The review is written by Mary Simonsen, who is herself an author of an historical fiction novel titled Pemberely Remembered. Read this new review of High Spirits, as well as reviews of many other books at FrontStreet.com.
In the last month, there has been a bit of a hooplah in the world of independent publishing. Apparently back in March, Amazon -- the giant of online bookstores -- delivered an ultimatum to all publishers using the new POD (Print-On-Demand) technology: Switch to Amazon's in-house printing company or Amazon won't sell your books anymore. And when one of the POD publishers -- Publish America -- not only refused to leave the high quality service of their own printer, Lightning Source, but also publicized the ultimatum, Amazon promptly disabled all the buy buttons on all Publish America books. You can no longer buy a book published by that company on Amazon.
Now, anyone who knows me personally will know just how upset I was. I love Amazon! I do almost all my Christmas shopping at Amazon -- I'd much rather shop there than get in my car and drive to any real, physical store. (Except possibly The Learning Station, the teacher store in Newark, Delaware.) I hate to think of my favorite online retailer succumbing to this sort of corporate greed and ... well, extortion.
What was the outcome of this showdown between Amazon and the POD publishers? Well, I don't think the dust has settled yet, and the whispers of lawsuits and anti-trust regulations have been echoing on blogs and websites all over the internet. But in the meantime, my own publisher, iUniverse, apparently cut a deal with Amazon. Despite iUniverse's long-standing relationship with ultra-printer Lightning Source, they will now be allowing Amazon's in-house printer to print all Amazon-sold copies of their books. I'm not sure whether to be relieved ... or ashamed. In fact, my book is now discounted on Amazon, which it never has been before, and the price was reduced by 10% the last time I checked. But still, it was a shameful display of greed by Amazon, and I don't like what they did to the Publish America books. As usual, it's the powerless independent publishers and authors who lose. The big name giants, cranking out their 356th "best-seller" (with the same plot and characters as the other 355) remain unaccosted.
For shame, Amazon. You used to be "the equalizer."
Don't forget to check out my Spotlight page, where I highlight some interesting independent books each month. The Westerns are still enjoying the stage right now, but in a week I will be taking a look at "The Paranormal." In following months, I plan to spotlight "Contemporary Life", "Long Lost Cultures", "War", "Science Fiction", "Romance", and more.
3/22/08: I have added a new feature to my website -- a spotlight feature on IAG books related by genre or theme. This month's spotlight is on Westerns. Now, don't jump to conclusions about these books. Western novels aren't just about cowboys and Indians anymore! Not to mention, many IAG novels were published independently because they just don't fit the mold. One of the authors featured this month told me that she was turned down by one major publisher because "we don't do Westerns" and passed over by a publisher of Westerns because "it wasn't Western enough." IAG books tend to be cross-over genre books that break out of the formulaic pattern of mainstream publishing. The books highlighted this month include true stories of the authors' ancestors, overlooked historical events which helped to shape our nation, and real-life experiences of people living their dream of adventure in the vistas of the Western United States.
Please check out my Spotlight On ... page this month for a look at modern Westerns.
And stop back next month for an exploration of the Paranormal!
3/19/08: Good news, everyone! High Spirits was awarded First Place in the Teen Fiction category of the Reader Views 2007 Literary Awards! I am very excited!
I've also received a good review from Floyd Orr of iUniverse Book Reviews. And he's tough! I've had a few reviews by now, but this one made me sweat! Luckily, he liked the book. You can read his review of High Spirits and others at his website.
I've been reading a lot of independently published books lately, and I have to say that I have been enjoying them a lot more than the mainstream fiction books that have been coming out of traditional publishing houses. Of the "traditionally" published books I have read in the past 3 months, I set aside two of them unfinished, and the third was a big disappointment, especially in its climactic chapters. It seems as if "formulaic" is the catch-word of the mainstream publishing industry, and "originality" can only be found outside the norm!
I already have a page on this website which lists independently published books, but I plan on starting a new feature to spotlight books that share a genre or a theme and changing the focus about once a month. Look for a new "Spotlight On ..." page soon.
3/14/08: Wow, it's been a long time since I blogged! Well, not really, but I have been blogging with my students on my new classroom blog, rather than here, and we've been discussing 5th grade literature, our current economic unit (Classroom City), read alouds, and communicating with my sister's fifth grade class in Kansas. It has actually been delightful to chat informally with my students about books and movies -- something that doesn't happen as much in the current testing environment of the public schools. For more on that subject, see my editorial in the March IAG newsletter.
Some good news for High Spirits recently -- I've made it into the Semi-Finalist list for the Reader Views 2007 Literary Awards in the Teen Fiction category! Keep your fingers crossed for me! I think I have some stiff competition in this category, but if I win I'll let you know! (And if I don't, I probably won't mention it again. :)
I want to thank the Penn Delco School District for having me and Donna Nordmark Aviles as guests at their Read Across America event last week. We had a great time visiting Sun Valley High School and participating in their evening event. Thanks especially to Principal Shawn Dutkiewicz for inviting us! I wish I'd had my camera so I could have taken a picture of him in his Tigger suit!
Another interesting event last week: I came home and found in my mailbox, a UPenn alumni magazine with a cover article featuring Elisha Kent Kane: Penn's Famous, Then Forgotten Explorer. I had to blink a couple times, but there it was. MY Elisha, coming back from the deep dark depths of obscurity! (I admit, I feel sort of proprietory toward Elisha Kane and Maggie Fox. I spent so much time writing about them and imagining their thoughts and feelings; it's almost as if they are personal friends. And not only are Dr. Kane and I both graduates of UPenn, but we share the same birthday as well!) The Gazette's article, Explorer in a Hurry, is a wonderful exposition of Kane's life, career, and impact on American society. I highly recommend reading it. Interestingly enough, there is also a book on Kane, Love and Ice, coming out in April of this year. I'm glad to see the renewed interest in this fascinating historical figure ... and, ahem, I hope it spurs book sales of High Spirits ...
My daughter, Gabbey, is doing her part! For a recent classroom assignment on explorers, Gabbey chose to research Elisha Kent Kane and present her information in the form of a seance! Gabbey's teacher reports that her classmates were the quietest she's ever seen them as they watched Gabbey hold a "seance" using a Ouija board to present her facts about Dr. Kane. I'm sure it was one of the most unusual methods to present a research report Avon Grove Intermediate School has seen!
2/6/08: I have just returned from a fabulous ski vacation in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania (near Scranton, for fans of The Office), and after three days back in the classroom, I have almost got my students back in line.
I am pleased to report that High Spirits received a fine review in the February edition of the Historical Novels Review Online. You might also want to check out the review for The Confession of Piers Gaveston, a novel by fellow IAG member Brandy Purdy.
I also had the opportunity to participate in Janet Elaine Smith's radio show What's Happening on Internet Voices Radio last night. I admit to being a little nervous beforehand, but it turned out to be a lot of fun! Janet invited four members of the Independent Authors Guild to talk about the organization, and I was joined by Celia Hayes, author of To Truckee's Trail, Christine Blake, author of Woman Redeemed, and Arlington Nuetzel, author of 2027, New Madrid, Missouri. We had a great deal of fun, because although we have met online, this was the first time that the five of us, including Janet, had talked to each other. As Janet said, it was fun to know what these people sounded like, instead of just what they typed like! You can listen to our conversation and learn more about IAG by opening the audiofile for February 5, Independent Authors Guild on the Internet Voices Radio website.
Finally, you might like to check out the February issue of The Declaration of Independents for a discussion of digital publishing by Julie Ann Shapiro, a reminiscence of a kindly war veteran from Barry Yelton, a lesson on the benefits of acquiring a royal fan by Mary Simonsen, and a review of two historical novels.
1/13/08: The Independent Authors Guild continues to build its network of "indie" authors working together for the benefit of all. Recently, a member suggested that we could donate copies of our books to a good cause, namely the "lending library" of the Brooke Army Medical Center in Texas, where a large portion of casualties from the war in Iraq are being treated. We quickly accumulated more books than the hospital's lending shelf could hold, so the overflow is going to the neighboring Fisher Houses, where families of patients stay during the treatment and rehabilitation of their loved ones. Two members of IAG who live near the hospital in San Antonio, Celia Hayes and Mary Simonsen, will be delivering the donated books on February 1.
IAG has also just published its third newsletter -- not too shabby for an organization that only sprang into existence in November! This month's newsletter includes an article on the history and popularity of the American banjo, an overview of an upcoming PBS series on Jane Austen, and a review of Jack Dixon's book The Pict.
1/12/08: Happy New Year to everyone! I started off 2008 with a visit to a local book club in the Traditions housing community of West Grove. I greatly enjoyed their hospitality at the beautiful Traditions Club House, and as always I loved talking about High Spirits and the true historical figures behind the story.
In addition, I received a positive review from IAG member Celia Hayes, aka Sgt. Mom, on the Blogger News Network. Read it here.
While participating in an Amazon Customer Discussion earlier this week, I encountered a group of young readers working on a project to promote reading among their fellow teens. As part of this project (titled The Super Awesome Project!! -- the exclamation points are mandatory), the students were looking to interview authors of books for teens. Well, I volunteered. The leader of the group then explained that to increase interest in the Super Awesome Project!!, she wanted the authors to get themselves interviewed by one of their characters, rather than ask the questions herself. I assured her that it would not be too difficult for me to drag Kate Fox back from the dead for an interview -- and that is what I did.
The Fox-Salerni Interview is posted here for your reading entertainment.
12/28/07: I hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday! I missed this one during all the activity, but apparently I got a Christmas present of another good review in the Flamingnet Book Blog on 12/24.
I have also begun work on my next book, another work of historical fiction set in the nineteenth century, this time about a group of psychic investigators. Some of the characters will be loosely based on the real founders of The Psychical Research Society and many of the spiritualists they investigate will be based on famous mediums such as Eusapia Palladino and Leonora Piper. The fictional main character, however, will be a young girl who comes to live with the founders of the society under mysterious circumstances and is not what she at first appears to be. I’m on the lookout for a catchy title. Any ideas?
12/10/07: I am pleased to announce a bit of good news for one of my peers in IAG, the Independent Authors Guild. Jack Dixon, author of The Pict, published by iUniverse, has learned that his book received an Honorable Mention at the 2007 London Book Festival. Hurrah for Jack, a resident of Delaware County, PA!
I don't have anything quite as triumphant to report, although High Spirits is currently a nominee for the 2007 Cybils YA Fiction Award and recently received a positive review on the blog site of one of the judges. You can read it here at Becky's Book Reviews.
11/15/07: I'm a bit behind in my posts these days, thanks to the paying day-job, and I have lots of news to share! First of all, the November issue of ForeWord Magazine has included a mention of High Spirits in their article "The Hero Stands Accused." You can read an excerpt from that article here on my website.
Second, High Spirits traveled to Germany last month (without me!) to participate in the Frankfurt Book Fair, one of the most important book events in the world! This opportunity came about because Bob entered my book into the ForeWord Magazine Collective. While taking in the sights of Frankfurt, Maggie and Elisha received some attention from foreign publishers. Nothing has come of it yet, and I hate to count my chickens before they are clucking, but if there is any further news you will hear it here first! (See High Spirits in the photo below: to the left of the woman, third row from the top. You're just going to have to trust me that the photo was taken in Germany!)
And finally, the Independent Authors Guild has produced its first newsletter, which includes an article written by me. Our goal is to share the newsletter at all IAG member author events, to showcase the writing talent of our group and demonstrate that "Indie" publishing produces quality work. You can read the November newsletter and future editions here.
11/9/07: With a little bit of awe-struck wonder, I would like to introduce to you the Independent Authors Guild, an organization that sprung fully formed (like Athena from the head of Zeus) from that innocent little Amazon discussion I started back in July. Wow! After nearly 1800 posts on the Amazon forum, the most frequent participants moved the discussion to a Yahoo group, where we quickly got to work on creating an organization that would provide support and advocacy to authors who publish independently. We have a newsletter -- we have a website -- please check us out! I'm on the board! Our purpose is to assist writers and educate readers. In a world where a cookbook can climb to the top of the best-seller list simply because it was written by Jerry Seinfeld's wife, lovers of good books NEED the Independent Authors Guild!
11/4/07: October was a busy month -- lots of interest in seances! This past week, I enjoyed a wonderful discussion with Rick Barber of 850 KOA in Colorado on my book and the origin of seances. Listen to my interview with Rick Barber:
Check out some of Rick's other guests, including actor/director/author Robby Benson on After Midnight with Rick Barber.
10/29/07: Listen to my interview with Toronto radio personality Richard Syrett!
Check out his other fascinating guests on the Richard Syrett Show website.
10/22/07: This past weekend, my family spent the weekend in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. On Saturday, we took the children to the Harry Houdini Museum in Scranton. It was a very unusual museum, located in a normal looking house right on Main Avenue. Packed from floor to ceiling with Houdini memorabilia and managed by two magicians, Dick Brooks and Dorothy Dietrich, this offbeat museum provided a fabulous afternoon's entertainment. Mr. Brooks led the tour of the Houdini collection, sharing numerous interesting anecdotes. I loved the assertive way he made certain that all kids present had a front row view -- firmly directing adults to step back if they didn't have enough manners to make way for the children! He and Ms. Dietrich then put on a wonderful magic show, with Ms. Dietrich transforming ducks into poodles only 10 feet away from the audience. The little theatre only holds about two dozen people, so it was a very cozy and personal atmosphere. Every child was invited on stage at one point to participate. My 10 year-old daughter Gabrielle was levitated on stage, with Ms. Dietrich passing a hoop over and around her! (Gabbey can't explain what happened!) If you are vacationing in the Pocono/Scranton area, I highly recommend the Harry Houdini Museum as one of your stops. Because it's such a small place, call ahead for reservations!
In addition, every Saturday evening, Ms. Dietrich and Mr. Brooks put away their magician's wands and become paranormalists for an evening of spookier entertainment. The Psychic Theatre is located right in the Houdini Museum. Visitors will get a tour of the (supposedly) haunted premises, witness demonstrations of mind-reading and telekinesis, and participate in a seance! My husband and I plan to go in December with another couple. I will be sure to let you if we survive!
10/16/07: October is THE month for seance talk -- especially if it's on a radio station in Canada! Ever since an ad for my book appeared in Radio TV Interview Report, I have been getting offers for radio interviews -- mostly in Canada! I didn't know our Northern Friends were so interested in the topic! I will have to investigate this further.
I have an interview scheduled for tonight at midnight with Richard Syrett of CFRB in Toronto. That would have been my very first radio interview -- if I hadn't answered the phone late this afternoon while I was making dinner. I found myself talking to Bill Paul of Straight Talk, for 106.9 of London, Ontario. Bill wanted to know if I was available for an interview ... in 5 minutes ... Drop those salad fixings and grab your notes! I did the interview on the spur of the moment AND survived! That interview was taped and will air this Sunday afternoon. Tonight's midnight interview will be live -- but I am a little calmer after having already done one!
But that's not all folks! I have another interview scheduled for Friday night with Rob McConnell of the X-Zone out of Ontario, Canada! I'll be doing that interview while in the Poconos, since I already had a family trip planned for that weekend. And I'm still trying to work out a possible time to talk to Peter Anthony Holder of CJAP out of Montreal -- although he wants to talk at 1 am, so that makes it a bit trickier for a school teacher!
Some of these interviews will be available online after the broadcast. Check back here for links once they become available. Nobody told me I'd have to talk to people after I wrote my book -- but my husband Bob claims that once you get me started on 19th century spiritualism, you can't shut me up! Maybe I'll even come to enjoy radio interviews! (Next stop, Oprah???)
10/13/07: Speaking of people I met online, you should check out author Michael Stusser -- he interviews famous dead people, such as Abraham Lincoln, Amelia Earhart, and Genghis Khan. Yes, it's spooky, historical, and hysterical -- sometimes even educational! Visit The Dead Guy Interviewer on his MySpace page to learn more about his book and hear some of his amazing conversations with the dead!
10/11/07: When I tentatively started a "customer discussion" on Amazon back in July, I never dreamed that I would meet so many other independently-published authors! The list on the Discover New Authors page may give you some idea about all the talented new authors whose acquaintance I have made thanks to that discussion board. One of the recent new participants is Laurie Notch, who in her spare time (ha, ha) publishes an e-zine called Adventures for the Average Woman. This e-zine, which can also be ordered in old-fashioned paper, highlights women authors and women's stories. Check out the October edition for some imaginative and adventurous reading!
10/10/07: Thanks to everyone who joined me last night at the West Grove Library to hear about seance hoaxes, phony mediums, and the trials and tribulations of self-publishing ! Special thanks to Carol Vinciguerra for inviting me!
10/6/07: To everyone who came out to Books and Beyond today, thanks for making it such a fun event! I know several people got a jump on their Christmas shopping! And isn't it a great store with friendly staff?!
10/02/07: I hope to see lots of you at my very first book signing event this Saturday, October 6 between 10am and 3pm at the independent Hockessin book store, Books and Beyond!
Also, on Tuesday, October 9 from 6:00 to 7:30, I will be speaking at the West Grove Library on the topic of hoaxes and seances. I will also have books available at that time.
And more exciting news -- I have been booked as a guest on a Toronto radio show to speak about the origins of seances! This will be my first radio show ever! The show will air on Tuesday, October 16 at midnight! Yeah, I know, midnight. But never fear, you will be able to listen in at a decent hour through the website of the host, Richard Syrett. I will post a link after the show.
9/20/07: Last night I was a guest of the Thunder Hill Book Club, a group of book lovers who have been meeting monthly for 11 years! That's pretty impressive! The book club read High Spirits for this month's meeting, and they invited me to join them in discussing the book. Well, as a teacher, I am always up for "a literature circle!"
I really enjoyed talking with the group and hearing their thoughts, comments, and questions about High Spirits. I brought along some of my reference material -- including photographs of the real historical people -- and a copy of Elisha Kent Kane's real book, Arctic Explorations, the one he was composing in my novel. I went home feeling high -- and that had nothing to do with the wine that was served! There's nothing an author likes better than knowing she entertained an audience and gave them something to ponder.
Don't forget about my upcoming "author events!" Donna Nordmark Aviles and I will be signing books in Hockessin, Saturday October 6, at the Books and Beyond Cafe -- in the Shoppes of Hockessin on Rte. 41. Then, on Tuesday, October 9, I will be giving a talk at the West Grove Library on The History of Spiritualism as a Social Movement. I hope to see you there!
9/3/07: I have a book signing engagement at Books and Beyond, in Hockessin, Delaware, on Saturday, October 6 from 10 to 3. Also there will be Donna Nordmark Aviles, author of Fly, Little Bird, Fly and Beyond the Orphan Train and Doreen Meredith, author of Octavia (and teacher at Pike Creek Christian School). Hope to see you there!
8/24/07: I have been asked to speak at the West Grove Library in October on the historical basis of my book! I will be delighted to address the history of spiritualism in America and how it was used as a way for women to speak their mind about social issues in a time when women's opinions were not highly valued. (For example, when a woman advocated the abolition of slavery, no one listened. But when a female medium spoke in the voice of "the ghost of Benjamin Franklin" and advocated the abolition of slavery, people took notice!)
The event is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, October 9 from 6:30 to 7:30 pm. When it becomes official, I will post it again. Am I excited -- or terrified? Both, of course.
My book continues to be stocked at the Concord Pike Barnes and Noble! Thank you to all the people who have purchased it there! Remember: if you don't see it on the shelf, please ask at the desk. Your interest keeps me in stock!
8/10/07: Just got another professional review back for the book, and it made my day! You can read it on Amazon, or here, at Teens Read Too's Hall of Fame for August 07. I also got word in the last couple days that one of the independently-published authors I met online, Donna Nordmark Aviles from Hockessin, Delaware, has signed a contract for a movie script option on her books! So, just because you choose an alternate path to publication doesn't mean you can't be successful! Check out Donna's books (based on her grandfather's true experiences on the Orphan Train) on the Discover New Authors page of this website.
8/8/07: Barnes and Noble sold out their copies of my book and had to order more. Thanks, all you buyers! Supposedly they have the book in stock again. If you visit the store, look for it in the children's section. It should be in the teen section, but they keep putting it in the wrong place. Still, as my husband points out, they keep selling it there, so perhaps it's not a bad spot. I could do worse than the shelf below JK Rowling.
7/30/07: Since my last post, I have discovered that the appearance of High Spirits in the Concord Pike B & N was due to popular demand and completely unrelated to my publisher's efforts -- so thanks, all you popular people who went to the store and ordered it! Your requests caused them to order some copies for the store!
My "Official" stocking dates due to iUniverse awarding me Publisher's Choice begin tomorrow -- July 31. I am guaranteed eight weeks in the store starting tomorrow. Barnes and Noble will be closely scrutinizing sales during that eight week period to see if the book is worth stocking for longer or in other stores!
If you visit the store and see my book -- please email me! I want to know how many -- and where they are! And if you don't see my book during the next eight weeks, PLEASE ask at the desk. If it sells out, and people keep asking about it, that's gotta be good! I am hoping for "spirited" sales if the book is prominently displayed ...
7/24/07: Tonight I visited Barnes and Noble on the Concord Pike and got to see High Spirits on an actual shelf in a real store! (Thanks, Pam Howard, for telling me it was there!) Clearly, the publisher dropped the ball about notifying me when the book was due to be stocked ... But, no matter, it's there now! And lucky me! Salerni is not too far away from Rowling, (alphabetically at least), and High Spirits can be found on the shelf below Harry Potter! Not a bad placement at all!
7/19/07: High Spirits is now available at the Chester County Book and Music Company on Paoli Pike.
7/17/07: My review from Kirkus Discoveries arrived today, and it is better than I could have hoped for! I am thrilled! Check it out on the "Praise" page of this website. An excerpt from this review will appear on my Amazon and B&N listings ... eventually.
7/16/07: High Spirits is now stocked on the shelves of Books and Beyond, a bookstore on Rte 41 in Hockessin, Delaware. I owe Donna Nordmark Aviles thanks for encouraging me to visit the store and offer my books for sale on consignment. I met Donna online at Amazon, and her books are also for sale at that store. The owner of Books and Beyond, Patricia Richardson, was very friendly and told me she has actually already sold some copies of my book as a special order for customers. That made my day! I am still waiting to hear about the stocking dates for the Barnes and Noble store. I had hoped that it would be on the shelves in time for the big Harry Potter rush, but I guess that's not going to happen.
7/10/07: I have been spending the last week chatting by "post" to other authors of independently-published books. There are quite a number of us out there, in all genres of literature, and the number is growing. Many authors turned to independent publishing because they had tried and failed to get their manuscripts accepted with a publisher or an agent -- simply because they were unknown. The quality of the writing aside, many agents and publishers will only deal with people who are already published. Yes, that's a Catch 22. Other authors, like myself, circumvented the traditional process because of previous disappointing experiences or copious research on the alternatives. The technology of Publish On Demand books (POD books) is allowing new people to break into the field. And once a book is published, it can stand on its own merit, right?
Well, not quite. First of all, people have to know about it in order to read it and judge it. And sadly, POD books are not well-publicized. Usually, it is up to the author to do all the publicity. There are some book review organizations which accept POD books, but the biggest ones do not. Amazon will list POD books, but they are not likely to be recommended or featured in Amazon suggestions. Unless a person searches for the author's specific name and title, POD books will never be viewed by buyers. If you search on Amazon for the Fox Sisters, High Spirits will not appear in the first 120 books listed. (I got depressed and gave up looking after 120.)
It's a frustrating predicament. Some of the authors I have "met" in forums devoted to independent publishing have decided to help each other out. On my site, you will now find a page titled "Discover New Authors." These are the little guys -- the newcomers. Check it out and see if there is a book on there just perfect for your reading list!