Please join us in celebrating Carole Marie Shelton’s launch of her debut novel, Cosmic Chaos. There will be refreshments, live music and a drawing for a free copy of Cosmic Chaos.
Joley Cadence will be featuring her original ink illustrations from within the pages of Cosmic Chaos.
Paperback copies of Cosmic Chaos will be available for purchase at special sale prices. Carole Marie and Joley Cadence will be happy to autograph books!
Where: 6495 Joseph St SE, Salem OR
When: Sunday, January 17th, 2pm to 4pm
Itinerary:
2pm – Refreshments served, live music and photo ops with Carole Marie and Joley Cadence
2:30 – Carole Marie will briefly share about her book
3:00 – An excerpt reading of Cosmic Chaos
3:50 – Drawing for a free copy of Cosmic Chaos (presence not required to win.)
Tim Chattman interviewed me on CCTV for his show, “Hope and Healing”, to discuss my debut novel, Cosmic Chaos. The film crew and show host set me at ease, making for a lovely first-time experience being on television.
Today is the official launch date for Cosmic Chaos! It is now available in paperback and e-book versions through these online retailers: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, Kobo and iTunes
For the past several months, I’ve been working through the various phases of turning my Cosmic Chaos manuscript into a book. There have been rounds of edits, writing back cover copy, acknowledgements, dedication, creating a timeline and so much more. My publisher, Ashberry Lane, is committed to creating quality products and I’ve been very impressed with their professionalism and attention to detail.
The last round of edits are complete and Cosmic Chaos will be headed to the printers soon!
Ashberry Lane Publishing has offered me a contract for my Middle Grade novel, Cosmic Chaos! This is a dream come true for me and I am still in awe that within a few short months I will have a book in print. The book is set to launch this September. I will be providing updates, so keep a watch out for new posts!
I took Lynne Klippel’s ghostwriting course and… passed my final exam! I am now a Certified Business Ghostwriter and hopeful this will expand my writing opportunities in the future. (A ghostwriter is someone who writes for another person, yet the writing is credited to that other person, not the author. Many professional speakers and famous individuals will hire a ghostwriter to write their books for them.) Lynne Klippel is the founder of Business Building Books and offers much to writers – you are welcome to visit her site and see what she has available. http://businessbuildingbooks.com/
I adore my writing critique group. We’ve been together for ten years. Each year we go on a lovely writing retreat to Netarts, along the coast of Oregon. We bring our laptops, set up our cozy writing spaces, fill our mugs with lattes and tea… and write! During our breaks, we discuss our stories, plot lines, character development and provide some critiquing for each other. Our friendship continues to grow over the years and many happy memories have been made.
Not every critique group has an annual writing retreat. However, an effective group will meet consistently on a monthly or weekly basis. If you desire to join a critique group, I recommend attending a writing conference. Ask other writers who live in your area and write in the same genre if you can join their group, or would be willing to form a new group with you.
Other writers can provide fresh perspective and insight into your story and writing. Just be certain you are ready to hear the negative along with the positive. After all, a critique group is there to help you grow as a writer and sometimes those growing pains hurt. You can also learn about the craft of writing, simply from critiquing the writing of others as you determine what works and what doesn’t.
Critique groups are worth the time and effort. And you never know what kindred spirits you’ll find to support, motivate and encourage you!
You’ve invested an enormous amount of time on your writing. And you are ready for the next exciting step – to present your manuscript to agents and publishers. But just hold off a little longer and take one more step to ensure your work is ready – send it to a professional editor. Why? Here are the top five reasons:
1. Avoid the embarrassment. You’ve invested an enormous amount of time and effort into your manuscript – you are so close to it you will not see every typo, grammatical error and inconsistency.
2. Bring out the very best in your writing. An editor will point out what doesn’t work. What you visualize in your head does not always make it into the text of the chapter. If there is an issue with the plot, structure or narrative flow, the editor will find it. They will also catch repetitive words, misused phrases, incomplete sentences and formatting errors.
3. Look like a professional. With the help of an editor, you will put out a polished, savvy work that is more likely to gain the attention of literary agents and publishers.
4. Build trust in your readers. Make your book the very best product available, which will have your readers wanting more.
5. It is an investment that will pay off later. When the editor points out your most common mistakes, you’ll be aware of those issues with the next manuscript and be able to correct them yourself, therefore, strengthening your writing and growing in your craft.
Taking that extra step to utilize the services of an editor will result in a book you can be proud of. I recommend Suzanne of The Transformational Editor. You are welcome to visit her website to download a FREE e-book with real-life examples of ‘before and after’ professionally edited manuscript excerpts so you can see the difference: www.transformationaleditor.com
