It’s time to fess up. If you’re like me, a struggling author, nothing is more painful than admitting you’ve goofed. Not that I’m perfect, but boy, when I make a mistake…I really do it up. Let me explain. Authors are fairly knowledgeable about the importance of promotion. In the publishing world, you must first write a great book. Then, you need to package it properly. Make sure it’s edited, proofed, and has a cover that speaks to your audience. And if you’re an author like me who spent nearly 5 years writing the book, well, you certainly have put enough blood, sweat, and tears into the material. Then comes launch day. And what do you do? Very little. Why? Because you’re too darn shy. You don’t want to impose on others. Or attract attention. And just when you should be pushing to make sure the book is seen, you hide away, hoping the book catches fire on its own. But that isn’t how things work in the publishing world. You can always try to appeal to your higher power for help…but at the end of the day…the author is ultimately responsible. And that’s where I come in.
But How Did I Go Wrong?
In the past, when I’ve launched a new book (and I’ve done 4), I’d be out there at book clubs, setting up speaking engagements, clarifying the next launch steps with my street team, and sharing the backstory of the novel’s creation. Smart. But this time around, well, it was such a challenge for me to get the book to press that I ignored all that necessary prework. Instead, I tinkered with the cover, struggled with the back page design, and worried about the timing of the launch. Too early in the year, and I’d miss the opportunity to enter certain award contests. Too late, and the novel would be lost in the summer beach read frenzy. And I wasn’t quite sure that Friends for A Season fit the beach format. After all, you can’t put on your cover an 83-year-old woman in a bikini lying by the pool when you’re telling a serious story. That wouldn’t have worked. Not that there aren’t plenty of 83-year-olds who could rock the swimwear. But it isn’t the story I was telling. It might be novel…but it wouldn’t be my novel.
So, Where Did the Inspiration for the Novel Come From?
When I started writing Friends for A Season, I was keenly interested in retirement communities. Not that I was ready to relocate to one, but I thought as I entered my sixties, it might be a good idea to have a backup plan just in case. I have no children and not much family, so I thought it would be important to learn about the retirement communities with health care options as I aged. It seemed like a good idea at the time, and perhaps, might be my last stop (god willing) on the aging train. But to my surprise, wherever I went to visit, I felt much too young (I’ve never felt much too young in my life) for all that communal living, the shared dining room, permanent handrails, and red emergency pull cords everywhere. Plus, these retirement communities that allow aging in place are unbelievably expensive. That’s right. Getting old in America is even more costly than all of the mortgages that you’ve ever taken out in your life. I was shocked. And then. I met someone special.
Who’d You Meet…You Hound Dog? Oh No. It’s Nothing Like That!
In addition to being an author, I’m a volunteer with Duet, a Phoenix-based non-profit that provides services to seniors. Over the years, I’ve driven seniors to their doctor appointments, waited with them, filled out forms on their behalf, and sometimes, even held their hands as we made our way through busy parking lots. I’ve gone grocery shopping with the blind, taken them to the store, described the content on the shelves, read labels; everything you’d expect someone to do for those who are visually impaired. I won’t lie. It was hard work. And there were times when I wondered what the heck I was doing. Not everyone was grateful. Some people were downright miserable. But I wasn’t there for a good time. Or to be loved. I was there to make myself useful. And then finally, mercifully, after years of volunteering, I was assigned to an 83-year-old homebound senior who was sharp as a tack and a lovely person. I’ve worked with her for 5 years. Every week, I do her grocery shopping, and then we visit. What a blessing for me.
The Elements of the Novel
If you’ve read Friends for A Season, you might recognize the seeds of the story. At least, how I came up with Helena. Now to Zak. When I was 21, I went totally deaf. I was in my first year of graduate school, and just like Zak, I had a tumor in my right ear (I’m deaf in my left ear since childhood). So, I certainly can understand how a character might react to that experience. After surgery, my hearing was restored. But I’ve always been aware that I could lose my hearing again. And guess what? As I was writing the novel, that’s exactly what happened. Even as I was typing away, I was once again going deaf. Talk about creative inspiration. The rest, well, that’s now immortalized in fiction.
I Need Your Help
Now, you know a bit about the backstory. You also know that I’ve been remiss in promoting the novel. That’s right. I’ve failed to get out in front of the book as I should have. So, I need your help. If you haven’t yet purchased a copy of Friends for A Season, I’m offering the first 4 Chapters as a teaser to get you interested. Just click here, and grab your free 4 Chapters. And if you’ve already read the novel, I’m asking that you please rate the novel on Amazon. It’s the only way to move the novel along the Amazon bookshelf, providing social proof that the novel is worth purchasing for potential buyers. Rating the novel is easy to do:
1. Find the book on Amazon by clicking here: https://www.amazon.com/Friends-Season-Because-Wisdom-Ageless/dp/099760428X
2. Click on the Gold Stars (under my name, adjacent to the cover)
3. Click on “See Customer Reviews.”
4. Scan down to “Write A Customer Review.”
5. At minimum, please assign it a star rating. And if you’d like, feel free to write a word or two.
Finally, if you have a Goodreads account, I’d welcome a review there as well.
Thank You
I truly appreciate your help. And if you happen to mention the novel to friends and family, I promise not to complain. And remember, I’m always available to attend book clubs and discuss the novel. In fact, I’d very much appreciate it. Thank you again, and have a terrific June!
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