Sheila's Guests and Reviews

Tomorrow I'm hosting a guest post from the author of Gray Widow's Walk. He ponders whether his real-world/different world (maybe even strange world) novel is science fiction, horror, romance, or a blend of more; but best of all, he ponders the strangeness of humanity which always wants to put things in boxes, label them and make them safe. When something's truly strange, when it doesn't fit in the box, then we get scared. And so it's hard to get a cross-genre novel published, the author claims. It's hard to advertise a story that can't just be labeled on put on the shelf. It's got to be hard to ask the library to shelve something inherently unplaceable. And... Well, really, we authors don't want our books on shelves so much as in readers' hands. And in this strange strange world, sometimes it's reading about something stranger that makes us see our fears as the follies they are. Just because someone looks differently, acts contrary to pop...

The books are here. The dog doesn't care. But I do. Thank you Cape Arago Press! It's so cool to see these in print. And, Galilee's Gift will be coming to print soon as well! http://www.amazon.com/Bethlehems-Five-Minute-Bible-Series-Volume/dp/1494861690/ http://www.amazon.com/Nazareth-Neighbors-Five-Minute-Stories-Series/dp/149745719X/ http://www.amazon.com/Galilees-Gift-Five-Minute-Testament-Stories-ebook/dp/B00JWYO3IU/

I've got the first of my proofs and I'm slowly proof-reading. The stories are going okay but I'm not too sure of my title now, so I'm writing to ask if any of my internet friends can help. Book 1, already on sale, is Genesis People , a set of 3-minute read-aloud stories and 30-second prayers based on characters in Genesis. Boos 2, coming soon, is Exodus Tales - you've guessed it - a set of 3-minute read-aloud stories and 30-second prayers based on events in Genesis. Book 3 - I'm still writing this one - is Joshua's Journeys , a set of 3-minute read-aloud stories and 30-second prayers based on the conquest of the Promised Land (mostly Deuteronomy, Joshua etc.) Book N (not sure what N is), is currently titled Psalms and Parables , a set of 4-minute stories and 30-second prayers based on the book of Psalms. 4-minute stories? I wrote these ones first, back when children's sermons in church were allowed to be five minutes long. Then they reduced them to four...

I got a check in the mail the other day. A very special check: It came from a Christian Retreat Center bookstore that had actually sold some of my books! I ran round the room. I opened and closed the envelope and opened it again. And I gazed in awe at the numbers, the calculations, the percentage I got paid, then just kept looking at the words. I got paid! Yes, that's really what the letter said. They really did sell some of my books and pay me! So tomorrow I'm taking a box with me to a church bookstore in town, hoping perhaps they might take some on consignment too - hoping even more for more buyers. And I'm checking on Lulu and wondering... Maybe one day...