When I started this book journey I
had already written many short stories from my teen years. I had been
told by family and friends for years; "you need to put that in a
book!" Well I ignored it because they are bias. In my twenties
I did want to write a book theorizing certain events that could have happened
in the formation of our galaxy. Being an armchair "scientist" I
had a few thoughts on the matter. Even taught a class on my ideas at a
University leisure classes to which the audience was mostly real scientists and
grad students coming to have a laugh. However they left telling me that I
had some very good points. I decided then to write them in a book but had
no means or know how to make it happen. I was also discouraged by my then
father in law that said; "who would buy a book from you."
So I continued to write my fictional
short stories mostly for myself and friends. In 2003 I found a website
for writers and they had a friendly contest wanting horror/dramatic stories.
I actually had one written that I submitted, raw and unedited. Out
of the thousands of entries, I won fourth place. I began to believe that
maybe I did have something to contribute. However unemployment and other
life issues happened till I found a new good job in 2005. Shortly after I
had an idea for a novel about a woman, who was a rape victim from her
teenage years and become a powerful lady.
She was confronted by a would be rapist Tim and Vickie decides to
revenge herself in dark comedic ways for years.
I gave it the name Vic/Tim for Vickie and Tim and started to write my
short dark comedy piece. However the
story took a life of its own and turned dramatic. It ended much different than I planned
originally. I looked at it and said to
myself that this was too big for a short story.
Not knowing how to write a novel, I shelved the story for eight
years. Then in 2013 it came to me how to
write this novel. After three drafts and
two years of writing, I had it. It
needed professional editing but I did not have the resources for it. So on its merit I submitted the manuscript to
over 500 literary agents and was turned down by the same number. My friend Nicole who helped in editing is a
marketing vice president and heavily believed that my Vic/Tim novel would make
a great TV show. So she went to
evangelize it to who she could. She did
get some celebrities and movie producers to look at and even one producer
mentored me. As much of an ego boost
that is, I still needed to get the book published and selling. I submitted my manuscript to second tier publishers
that did not require an agent. Did not
hear anything for months so I self-published it on Amazon. Shortly later Tate Publishing contacted me
wanting the book. I signed with them and
off we go. It was exciting and they got
it out there. I also expanded the book to
a series after people asking more about the Vickie character. So the
books Vickie and Valkyrie were written and published. Then Tate fell into financial issues and
those turned into criminal legal issues for them. I saw the writing on the wall and that they
were moving to Ingram as their printer having lost all their printing equipment
to repossession. So I started my own
Ingram account and put in a transfer title form. The VP of sales for Tate contacted me wanting
to know why I was leaving. I explained
that they are now printing with Ingram and will make the books returnable and
when the bill comes in ninety days, if they do not pay it, they are done. So the VP cut me loose and gave me all the
files relating to my book which I owned everything per our contract. Ninety days later, Tate was out of business
owing Ingram and others as predicted.
So I am back to self-publishing
again but I miss the life of having a publisher. Currently I am working on the next book in
the Vickie series called Violet. Vic/Tim
has moved to #4 in the book series timeline and will have some after it. Also finishing an all age appropriate book
from a short story I wrote a very long time ago my friends loved. Have many plans for many books and many short
stories to carry into full novels. We
will see how my see how my book writing career goes and if I ever do get a
publisher.
