I had an idea for a book and after finishing my manuscript, I started looking for a publisher. I found several publishers that were willing to publish my book, all I had to do was give them a fee. I believed in myself, but what do I know? One thing I did know was that I wasn’t going to allow someone to publish my book that did not believe in me. If they believed in my work, they would do the book without a fee. I ended up publishing my first two books independently through Amazon and am proud of them. For someone that has no experience they turned out to be quite good, but I had a lot to learn.
When my grandson was young, I had an idea for children’s book, as you are sometimes inclined to do. I let life take precedence and it was after retirement when I finished that book. I read the story to a writer’s group that I belong to and they encouraged me to show the manuscript to a small but growing publisher in Northwest Arkansas. I finally found someone who believed in me but they were interested in a series and wanted a total of five books, scary stuff for a budding author. Upon considering the project, I decided that maybe it wouldn’t be so hard however.
The first story was about a squirrel and his Blue Jay friend. What kind of life lessons do you teach your children growing up? “Eric Finds a Friend” is about friendship and how the “Wise Old Owl” series began. Next came a book on bullying, something a lot of children face. Not long after submitting all five manuscripts I had a contract with Oghma Creative Media. The process of publishing takes a while and it’s hard to be patient. Eric won’t be introduced until October of 2020 and I can hardly wait to hold that first book in my hands.
I am now in the process of doing rewrites on the manuscript for my first romantic suspense, “Run For Your Life!” The one thing that I didn’t like about the book, was that when it appeared in print, it seemed a little small. I have decided that I am a better writer now and there are some things that I would like to expand upon. I hope that when I submit the revised manuscript, Oghma will decide to offer me a contract for my romantic suspense. With their encouragement, I know I can be a better author!
Don’t give up! Dreams do come true!
Happy reading,
Linda
Well it is hard to get any further out in left field than I did last month. As an Indy published author, I have always dreamed of finding a publisher. Remember that old saying, “be careful what you wish for”? In the fall of 2018 I signed a contract with a publisher in Northwest Arkansas and have turned in the five manuscripts for a series of children’s books to be titled “The Wise Old Owl Series.” The company put me in touch with a fantastic lady and together we edited the five manuscripts, but now comes the hard part! I have never been blessed with a lot of patience and waiting for an illustrator has been one of the hardest things you can imagine. My daughter, who is the head of my cheering section, says use this time to write! Sound advice but all I can think of is how is Eric, the star of my first book “Eric Finds A Friend” going to look? Is he going to resemble the squirrel who plays in my back yard? Is the illustrator going to recognize my bluebird, Nic Nic, as the grouchy little trouble maker with a heart of gold that I see? Are they going to come to life like Bambi and Thumper of Walt Disney fame? It does no good to tell myself to be patient and it is hard to write about “Spanish Gold ” when squirrels and bluebirds are racing around in my head. Part of being a writer means we can be dramatic, so stay tuned for the trials and tribulations of Linda and look for Eric and Nic Nic coming soon!
I have noticed that with self-publishing it’s easier than ever to get a book published. There are several sites who will work with you to print the book, as well as setup and sell your work in the e-book format, but the author is expected to do their own marketing. Needless to say, it’s harder to get it in front of the public. In my section of Arkansas and Oklahoma there are a growing number of self-published authors, of which I am one. Seeing a need for local representation, I recently contacted the editor of the regional newspaper to propose a column featuring our area’s authors and was excited as well as a bit shocked when he approved my idea. Beginning the 18th of July, I will be doing a twice monthly column entitled “The Book Nook” for the 
There is nothing like spring; the sun shining on the new green leaves, the flowers poking their head through the dirt, it somehow makes the world look fresher and brighter. I opened the patio doors and walked outside to enjoy the day, but as I turned to go inside something darted in ahead of me: the first fly of the year. This guy was large and the fact that he had been hibernating recently didn’t seem to be slowing him down one bit. When I said he was big, I mean he was huge, like the size of a WWII bomber. I grabbed the spray and chased him around the house, wondering which of us was going to have a heart attack first. Finally, he darted into the bathroom and I slammed the door on him before heading to the laundry room where the fly-swat was hanging in a small broom closet.
I have always felt that if you live on this earth long enough and keep an open mind, you will learn a lot about yourself and the world around you. Then, God sent me E. ( Now if you don’t believe in God, this is the first and the last time I will mention him so you are free to continue reading.) E. came into my life from another state and she has me examining my thoughts and values. She teases me about liking feel-good books! This I am guilty of; one of my favorite authors is Debbie Macomber and we all know from the Hallmark Channel how many of her books have been made into feel good movies.
