I have been writing novels for almost two decades. Yes, you read that right. I've been seriously writing since I was about fifteen. I'm starting at fifteen because before that I wrote as well, but never really considered shopping around my Tale of the Bunny story I wrote in first grade. I started writing and collecting stories around high school wondering if I could ever possibly have the hope of getting them published.
You'd think I would have gone on to a quietly exciting life of writing in college, completing the Great American Novel by graduation and signing a lucrative contract with a giant publishing house. Alas, that never happened. I was going to do something a lot more predictable ...
Be an actress. Or an actor, whatever they are calling them these days. That didn't work out so I decided to become an artist.
OF COURSE. Wouldn't you? Well fortunately for me, art did work out for me and I am still working in an art-related industry and making money to boot. I guess I can be proud of the fact that I at least used my degree that I finally ended up receiving after much blood sweat and tears.
However, through those college years and beyond, I still honed my writing skills, wrote down ideas or characters that inspired me and finished a few manuscripts as well. I shopped my stories around for about five years and just when things were looking up for me I had a bad experience. I had taken some time away since that experience. I still wrote but mostly for enjoyment and not in the pursuit of being published.
Then all my friends started reading eBooks. Then I started reading eBooks. Then I had an idea. What if I went ahead and published one of my books as an eBook? I immediately went back to work on one of my manuscripts (which was edited by a wonderful professional and voracious reader). I've edited it many times. I still lie awake sometimes and wonder what mistakes there are in the book.
Oh well. It's out there people! It's a fun little book. Here is the summary write up:
Alan’s life seemed perfect on the outside even to the sixth-grader himself. He had a loving mother, two best friends, and a brand new school building. That meant no more beat up desks, ancient gum on chairs, and classrooms that smelled like feet. However, something about Alan’s new substitute homeroom teacher is unusual. Even though he’s new to the school, Mr. Winter seems to know everyone’s name. He receives mysterious mail on a regular basis from a far away country. He even talks about Alan’s dad as if he knew him well.
Alan’s dad has been dead for years.
Determined to be an investigative reporter like his dad had once been, Alan is focused on finding out about this Ethan Winter. The deeper he dives the more outrageous and unbelievable the clues become. The Mysterious Disappearance of Ethan Winter is a coming of age story that follows Alan and his friends as they deal with a new school, new challenges, a bully or two, and a mystery so consuming, that Alan even risks his life to find the answers he’s looking for.
It's cool everyone! Please pass it along to anyone you think may enjoy this book.
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