Happy Monday! Happy May!

I’m a little remiss on my poetry but today I want to present the winning poems of April’s Poetry Contest. Congratulations to them again and I hope you enjoy reading these as much as we judges enjoyed reading them

1st Place 
INSPIRED INSANITY by Coralie Rowe

Inspiration does come
And it also does go
What inspires me to write
I really don’t know

Sometimes it is
The whisper of a word
Other times it is a thought
That’s really quite absurd

I dream of oceans
Being kissed by the moon
I envision creepy specters
That would make you swoon

I paint visions in my mind
Using words as my art
Some are dark and spooky
While others are from my heart

Just little random words
I write as they come to me
A joyous culmination
Of inspiration and insanity
***

2nd Place
Words Expressed by David Jacks

I don’t always find my words
too easily expressed.
So if I were to speak them,
sometimes they are suppressed.

But if pen touches paper,
such worlds I can create.
It then frees me from my own,
as if lifting a weight.

Cut the strings that hold me down.
Please tie me up no more.
Let loose feelings once secret
and open wide the door.

I can’t do this on my own.
Writing helps me to find,
all the things that were once sealed
somewhere deep in my mind.

For all the thoughts left behind,
I must pour out my soul.
Forever searching for them,
just to make myself whole.
***

3rd Place
A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS by James Matthews Byers

The subtle sound of soothing calm-
A bumblebee in flight;
Anointed treasure in my palm-
Considerate delight;
Amazement on a newborn’s face-
Transitions, foot to mouth;
Impressions of a living space-
The springtime in the South;
Combustion of a beating heart-
Removed from single life;
Conditioning a humble start-
A husband and a wife;
Perplexing rhythm of a song-
Commanding vocal cord;
The distance, short or ever long-
The pen, a mighty sword;
Forever in a lover’s eyes-
The sigh of falling fast;
Chameleons in their disguise-
The colors floating past;
Commencement of a wild parade-
An alter full of hope;
The jester and his vast charade-
The hangman and his rope;
Surrender to the burning fire-
Intrinsic is the fuse;
And so these many things inspire-
Combined, they are my Muse …
***

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Thank you to everyone who participated but a huge Congratulations to the winners! And a big thank you to the judges as well to the authors who contributed their work for prizes!

Speaking of poetry and awards, my poetry book, THE BOOK OF NOW, just won it’s second award! First I won a Silver Award for Poetry in the 2017 eLit Book Awards and now I’m the winner of —- drum roll —————-

2017 Independent Press Award Distinguished Favorite, Book Cover Non-Fiction

I must say I had an idea for my book cover and I knew how I wanted it to look. BUT I am NOT a designer and I am pleased that Marisa-rose Shor of Cover Me Darling created the most fabulous book cover for me. She translated my wishes perfectly and designed a beautiful custom cover (from scratch, no stock pictures photographs). Thank you, Marisa! I share this award with you.

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NOW– NEW BOOK COVER REVEAL!! I’m so excited! My newest book is about to be released. Now I can share the book cover with you (also designed by Marisa-rose Shor) and with model Haleyy Loan. I’m delighted to present the new book, THE GYPSY THORN.

Isn’t it awesome?? Stay tuned because the release will be this month. And you will want to get your copy. This is a prequel novel that sets up the Evening Bower series. The first book is projected for October 2017. That’s right. THIS YEAR.

So, read my Midnight Assassin – A Tale of Lust and Revenge and follow that one up with The Gypsy Thorn. Then you will be ready for the first in the new series.

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Thank you everyone for your continued support of my books and for checking in here. Please feel free to leave comments (I moderate them but they go up the same day in most cases). And also continue to send me questions via my contact sheet or on my Facebook Author Page. I love hearing from you and I will answer your questions on my next live chat, this month.

Yours Between the Lines,
Sherry

Three years ago, I was a guest at a function with a friend of mine and as I was introduced around, one lady said, “Hello, and what are you?”

I smiled, shook her hand, chuckled a bit and replied, “Um, human?” 

She did not seem amused at my response though her companion (a male), did chuckle. She cast him a sideways “look” and pressed on. “No dear, I mean what is your job?”

“Ah!” I nodded. “Well, I’m a retired US Air Force veteran and a…”

Before I could finish, she interrupted with a tone of irritation behind her tight smile.

“Yes, I heard that already,” she frowned and sounded very exasperated. I stared to become uncomfortable. “I mean what job do you do NOW?” She was leaning into my space for emphasis (I think).

“I am a writer.” I said, flatly.  “Actually, I’m an author.”

She stared at me and said, “I heard about your hobby, dear. But don’t you have a real job?”

And then snarky me smirked, leaned in very close, and whispered, “I’m actually a midnight sex goddess but I don’t like to brag.”

“You aren’t very funny.” She huffed and her companion laughed out loud as she jerked him away.

“Obviously.” I laughed and went to get a coffee refill.

This conversation serves to highlight something I think most writers experience. Unless you have a full-time job as a journalist, creative writing professor, professional blogger, ghostwriter, magazine editor or some sort of profession where you draw a regular paycheck for your written words, you have met the enemy who thinks you have a frivolous hobby as a “writer” and basically you are a waste of space.

Worse, if you are a self-published, Indie author, you most likely have met the demons who believe you are a narcissistic, egocentric hobbyist.

Among writers, editors and other creative people, the world of the Indie Author no longer draws the skepticism, cynicism, and mockery of years past. However, there remains a large population of the traditionally published, the yearning-to-be-published, the I-only-read-NY Times-best sellers readers, and a whole generation of writers over 50 who think self-publishing means vanity press. You know, pay the publisher on proviso that you buy 500 books (or more). Or someone will ask, how can anyone possibly be seen as serious if you don’t have an agent and a Simon and Schuster, Random House or Harper imprint contract?

The times they are a-changin’ but maybe not as fast at the “real world” level as magazines and literary books might want you to believe.

There still exists this idea that if you are a “real” author, then you are a James Patterson, Patricia Cromwell, or JK Rowlings making serious money and doing nothing else. Or, what is really believed is that you are a struggling author, barely surviving. Anything else assumes that your writing is a hobby, something to be done in the dark, late at night, when your “real” work has ended (little do they know this is truer than they realize). Worse, you are some late night hack, posting to fly-by-night websites who serve no purpose but to annoy and clutter the already overpopulated web landscape.

The truth is that the Indie Author is becoming as mainstream as the traditionally published author. And most of the long-term Indie Authors (the ones who are serious and working at a book or two a year), make more in royalties than the new traditionalists (unless you wrote Harry Potter, The Historian or Fifty Shades of Grey). Still, the stereotype continues that assumes Indie’s are lacking in talent or know-how to achieve traditional publishing, when the truth is that traditional book publishers are fading in the shadow of the Indie author. Writers and those who work with writers know this.

The Indie Author is a trailblazer, a risk taker, a storyteller, a historian, a reporter, a teacher, a parent, and a child. Inside every author all these characters exist, live and breathe and are merely waiting to be born. The Indie Author knows that to deny this need is to deny oneself true self. The author knows no sex or race or religion or creed other than the Indie Manifesto – “To write the best there is, to share, to write again.”

The problem is that the average guy on the street, or woman in the party, does NOT know this. The word is not out to the everyday person. The average “Joe” is still operating on stereotypes and the battle to overcome stigmas continues. Few understand that being a writer, to become an Indie Author, is the work of the heart, and usually fills the same need as breathing.

Sadly, those who do not write DO NOT GET IT. The only way to convince the uninitiated and uninformed is to write the best damn book you can and sell it to them.  We’ll win them over one well-crafted book at a time, one story at a time, one best-seller, one award-winner, one neighborhood tale, one fan fiction, one biography….one extraordinary effort at a time. It may take time. Be patient. Rome was burnt in a day but it took centuries to build the legendary city.

Be prepared. The truth is NOT out there. The Indie Author is not a fully accepted member of society. Outside of the bigger cities, people are unlikely to understand your self-serving, narcissistic, self-actualizing, vanity book. Press on anyway.

I’d like to put in one little proviso. Once upon a time, I was warned, “You can’t confuse what you do with who you are.” In other words, you are not your “job” and your job isn’t you.  A caution not to define ourselves to our work so that we don’t become our jobs and forget that we are so many other things beyond our work. However, writers often do define themselves with their work. I am a writer. A writer writes. I write. Therefore I am a writer. But again, we are so much more too – wives, sisters, mothers, doctors, priests, lawyers, librarians…see what I mean? So I will remind you not to confuse who you are with being a writer. But let writing become a part of who you are. You write. You are a writer. And hopefully, you will be an Indie Author.

Meanwhile, the lady who tried to put me down for being a non-functioning member of society with a writing hobby? She’s since purchased my book and I heard her tell another woman, “Oh yes, I know her. She’s an award-winning author. You haven’t read her poetry? Do you live under a rock? It’s been out over a year….”

There you have it. One book at a time. One person at a time. Write well. Sell yourself. Sell the concept and success of the Indie Author and convert the enemy at the gates!

(I must add a true confession – I may be an Indie Author but I’m a bit of a reading snob. I haven’t read that many Indie Author books and remain in the mainstream book boat. But I’m improving, discovering many bestselling, NYT Indie Authors, something that there simply weren’t many of three years ago. I’m evolving)

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And now for poetry month — And in recognition of April being Children Abuse Prevention Month – here is my offering in poetry. Remember that poetry tells a story, faster and tighter than any short story or novel. Poets seek to succinctly and tightly present the truth as impactfully as possible. That’s why they are special writers. They view moments through the micro lens and present the macro issues. I tried with this one in my poetry book, THE BOOK OF NOW.

 

When speaking to writers’ groups or other authors, I always end up in debates about sharing our work.

• “I don’t want others to know what I’m working on.”
• “No one needs to see this drivel before it’s ready.”
• “I don’t want my ideas stolen.”

Do any of these comments sound familiar?

Writers, seriously, let go of the fear and embrace the concept of sharing. The word means “to give a portion of something to others” and “to use, occupy, or enjoy jointly with others.” In our case as writers, we give, use and enjoy. Or, we should. Why?

First, let me debunk a myth about if you share your work before it’s copywritten, it will be stolen and you’ll be out of luck. Really? Are you that good? If so, why are you worried? Get that superior thing to your agent and publisher right now! What’s that? You don’t have either one? Then listen up. There is nothing left to write that’s original. Like music, everything’s been done. Your job is to find a way to make what’s been done, unique. You change characters, change settings, change time periods, change the ending, etc. All the plots have been done, it’s what YOU do with your idea that makes your story yours. No one can tell your tale like you, even if they try to do it before you. They can’t write what you write, the way you write it. So, relax and share.

Now, why share?

• First, sharing your work build confidence in your abilities. I was very insecure when I started writing and it took all my bravery to offer my work to someone. What if they hated it? What if it turned out I couldn’t write? Sharing builds confidence in self. No matter what is said, you will learn to trust in your ability with time. The confidence you find in feedback and in connections will prove to be invaluable.
• Next, sharing toughens you. Building on the first reason, writers have to develop confidence but along the way, the criticism toughens the emotional skin and allows the writer to actually learn from mistakes. Hearing what you’ve done wrong is hard but continuing to do it wrong because you’ve never been told is worse!
• Following with the criticism, sharing gives you invaluable feedback. How well is your work received? Do your readers like your characters? Is your genre hitting the mark or falling flat? Is this something others would buy? This kind of feedback is critical to your future success.
• Sharing can also be inspiring. As you offer your work, others will offer to you. You see what they write and how. You read new ways to approach subjects and maybe are inspired by exciting new characters. Perhaps you discover a new genre or a new approach to an old one. Maybe the quality of someone’s writing sparks your muse. Those discoveries don’t happen without sharing.
• Finally, sharing means entering competitions. Start small if you feel insecure. Local or regional contests. Then branch out as your writing improves. Collect feedback from teachers and judges. Learn to revise and compete again.

One last point of sharing that experienced writers and authors know is the value of the beta reader. You must use beta readers if you want to be published. Beta readers are people who look over your manuscript and are those extra eyes reading for content mistakes, plot holes, grammar and punctuation misses, oddities (like missed hyphens and oxford commas), and overall appeal. Beta readers tell you what works and doesn’t and why. They are critical to a book’s success. And if you don’t share, they can’t care and you don’t win.

I’ve been writing and sharing for a long time and I still get shivers when I hand writing to someone else for a critique or a cold read. Nerves mean you care about your work and it matters what is said. That’s good.

Remember that nervous feeling when someone asks you to read something they have written. Be understanding and thorough because they are depending on you, just as you have on others.

Sharing is caring, folks, about your work and the responses to it. That kind of caring will only make for wonderful improvements. For writers and authors that’s money in the bank. For readers, that’s great books! And that’s win/win for everyone. So be not afraid. Share!

Thanks for stopping by,
Yours Between the Lines,
Sherry

PS Next time, sneak peek into the new novella!

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****The following items will always appear to keep you posted on activities.*****

WIP (Works in Progress):

– Writer’s Workbook – Learning to Write Everyday – Beginners Volume  (expected July 2017)
– first novel in the Evening Bower series, about vampires and other supernatural creatures (Nov 2017)
– prequel novella to the Bower series (May 2017)
– four-part fairy story (part one complete) (Christmas 2017)

On the Desk: (next reading): nothing yet

Off the Desk (book just finished): A Conjuring of Light by VE Schwab

Coming Soon: More tips while writing that novel/Interviews/Odd Thoughts/Book Review