Being Thankful

I have many reasons to be thankful in this season of thanksgiving, and some of them relate to publishing, so I’ll share those on Pam’s Pages.

First up would have to be my loyal readers. When Trinity on Tylos was released, a some folks drove quite a few miles to hear me make a fifteen minute talk about the new book, bought a copy, and went home to read it. Within a week, I had a couple of notes from readers in hand. One commented on the way I handled the ethical dilemmas in the book, demonstrating her perceptive reading of the novel. Another posted a brief blurb about the book and put the cover image on his own website. One of my cousins mentioned how much she enjoyed the book as we stood in line at the family reunion this fall. Another Georgia author, Terry Kay, once said in a speech that what editors and critics say isn’t so important, but that authors should, instead, listen to what readers say, and that is what writing is all about— sharing the stories with readers.

Second, although I agree with Mr. Kay, I am thankful for the reviewers who have been so positive about Trinity on Tylos. Jean, at Fallen Angels Reviews, awarded it the coveted Five Angel/Recommended Read, and that was based on an ARC that had far more errors than it should have had. Debbie at CK2sKwipsandKritiques gave it a rating of four and a half out of five, and wrote a particularly insightful review. When I speak, I usually quote from her review. Anita at the Romance Studio gave it four out of five hearts, which is quite positive from a site that primarily reviews romance. While there are some romantic elements in the book, it is basically sci fi. Without those reviews, I would find promotional matters far more difficult.

Third, I really do appreciate the local people who have shown an interest in my writing. Angela McKinney has stocked both books in her gift shop, and she hosted a booksigning when Trinity was released. Katy Hair also invited me to join in a booksigning event at her store, Tut’s Books. Amy Carlan, branch manager of my local library, has twice sponsored booksignings for me. Living Jackson publishers Roxane Rose and Priscilla Daves have given me generous coverage as a local author as well, including the wonderful “Truckload of Authors” article in their latest issue.

Finally, I am grateful to Debi Womack, publisher, and Gina Schneider, my editor at Whiskey Creek Press, because they seemed to believe in this somewhat off-beat yarn about duty, love, space ships and babies. Without their assistance, I wouldn’t be able to hold a copy of Trinity on Tylos in my hands.

While being a novelist is a challenge, I do have quite a lot for which I am thankful.