Laura Dennis

ONE OF THE PLEASURES of being semi-Internet savvy (code for Internet Junkie) is the relationships that form. Although many of you are logistically too far away to get to know face to face, the computer screen can and does bring us together. Don't you love this about technology? 

One of the really cool people I've had the pleasure of "meeting" online, is Laura Dennis. She is a fellow memoirist who lives far, far away in Belgrade, Serbia. A few months ago I reviewed her book, Adopted Reality. You can read it here. 

Recently, Laura read my memoir, Reaching and posted a review on Amazon. She also sent me a series of questions focusing on the odd relationship I had with my mother. You can read them and the answers by clicking here. 

Thank you Laura for your friendship and for sharing your insights and encouragement. It's an honor to be acquainted with you. 

Love to you all...

The Dream Is A Reality!

MARK THIS DATE, May 13, 2013, the day it becomes official. After seven years, my dreams of being a published author are a reality--today! 

I'm sort of in a bit of a hazy, excited fog right now. I suppose I'm a lot like any author. I want readers. I want feedback. I want reviewers. I want validation. I, I, I... me, me, me... 

I've done all this "talking" 78,000 words worth. I've said it, written it and now it's there for consumption. SCARY! 

So here are the deets: 

Reaching is a sobering, real-life tale of trauma, brainwashing, and recovery

narrated by a gutsy and resilient heroine.

A turbulent childhood, complete with father's violent temper and mother's senseless apathy, her parents' divorce, and relocation with her mother and siblings to Hawaii, where she experiences racism and the violence of a stepfather who considers Grace and her siblings an intrusion into his life, sets the stage for this incredible real-life tale of abuse, brainwashing, and ~ ultimately ~ the long journey to recovery.

At nineteen, Peterson marries her high school sweetheart and experiences love for the first time. Seeking a remedy from what she perceives as spiritual oppression, she enlists the help of Brock, a charismatic exorcist and cult expert. Shocked by his findings, she tumbles into a world of esoteric rituals, Luciferian doctrines and New World Order conspiracies.

Set in Hawaii and Oregon, this gripping narrative illustrates how children adapt to a hostile environment and stumble into adulthood while misreading their untreated traumas. And by searching for answers, can become prey to unscrupulous charlatans who heap more damage onto an already wounded soul.

To purchase Reaching, click on the tab above titled, "Buy My Book." And please let me know what you think. I'd like to have a dialog about the topics I write about.

Now, I'm going to get up and do the happy dance.

Questions, Questions...

I'M CONFUSED. It's not a bad thing necessarily. It just is and I'm used to it now. I'm often confused. But for your health and well-being, I'll narrow my confusions down to just two for now. 

First, I'm seeing the term, "Indie" flung around a lot these days. It seems that it means different things to different people. (Or maybe it's me.) So, is an "Indie Author" someone who has published a book with an independent publishing company or someone who has "self-published"? Or both? I'm not sure. If you know, please enlighten me. 

The second quandary is much bigger and has global impact, evidenced by the daily emails I'm getting from Shelf Awareness and others. It deals with the Amazon online book selling method versus the brick and mortar traditional bookstore selling method. My questions: 

• Which, method is better for our economy? 
• Is there room in this country or world for both? 
• It seems every day I hear about another bookstore closing. People are blaming Amazon for cornering the market. Are people losing jobs or are the jobs just shifting? 
• Which method of book purchasing do you prefer?    

The ramifications aren't just felt by the consumer. Many authors are choosing to self-publish because they've found traditional publishers aren't biting. And there are authors who are quite vocal about their preference for self-publishing and the full control they have over marketing and royalties this method allows. 

From Pinterest

But many bookstores won't carry books by self-published authors. This leaves these authors relying on Amazon  and other online bookstores for sales, which grows Amazon and ends up hurting the bookstores.  

So whose fault is it? The bookstores? Amazon? The publishers? Sikes. I'm dizzy! 

And then there is the whole e-publishing model. Kindle sales went through the roof over the holidays. As more people shift to e-readers, the bookstores suffer. 

Gazing in your crystal ball, what do you see? It seems that a giant hand has flung the whole industry into the air and it hasn't quite come back to earth. When it does, will there be a harmonious collaboration or will there continue to be an us vs. them mentality?

After writing this post, I was alerted to this post by Poets & Writers, further illustrating the ongoing quandary or as some say, "war." 

In closing, I thought I'd lighten the mood a bit by offering this link. The 20 Most Beautiful Bookstores In the World. As a passionate gardener, my favorites were, Cafebreria in Mexico City and Bart's Books in Ojai, California. Which is your favorite?  

As Always,