Whose Story is it Anyway?

As I write this, most of the country is buried in snow and ice. Here in Florida, we are looking at temps in the 20s. But the sun is shining and I don’t have to scrape mounds of snow off my car to go to the store. It’s a good time to focus on introducing ILLEGITIMATE to the reading world, and I’ve hired a part-time assistant to do what I don’t do well. Juels is also a good friend and a joy to be around, so I feel doubly lucky.

So many options are available to market online. And, all day I have to scour through a deluge of scam (Yes, but is it? Or an opportunity?) in my emails and messages. For a price, “people” with names like Precious Emmanuel Michelle and Dammie Victory rave about the book and tell me they can get it out there to great success. Dammie even offered Netflix as bait. Honestly, it’s overwhelming. And many are so obviously AI written😊. What’s real and what’s not?

Today’s publishing world is very different from even five years ago. And ten years ago, when I first decided to turn back to writing after being in the business world for thirty years, I had no clue as to the rapid changes that will occur. AI is opening up—has opened up—a whole new era. In my opinion, it’s not going to be any fun. Maybe if I was younger… but we won’t go there. For now, my attitude needs to change because my book baby needs me to push it out there and let it make a difference where it will.

Every book, every story that ever insisted on being written holds meaning for someone. Maybe even many someones! The first step after writing the story the best it can be, is to send it out into the world so that those someones can find it. Many authors have mentioned this phenomenon, this relentless voice in their heads that turns into a story that clearly demands to be told. I love books that introduce me to something brand new. A good example is the recent tome by Dan Brown, The Secret of Secrets deals with noetic science. I had not heard of this before. I loved the book and plan to read it again.

From Google: Noetic science (or noetic sciences) is a multidisciplinary field that investigates the relationship between human consciousness and the physical world, blending objective scientific tools with subjective inner experience. It explores phenomena like intention, mind-matter interaction, and intuitive “direct knowing” to understand how consciousness shapes reality. 

Find out more: https://noetic.org/about/noetic-sciences/

Dan Brown writes a thriller based within a backdrop of noetics, and voila, we have a fascinating bestseller. Of course, it is still a novel with a riveting plot line, but when I finished, I felt a great sense of enrichment; something I could relate to. But that isn’t true for everyone because we are all so different in how and where we find meaning in life. All readers have distinct likes and dislikes in genres, in book flavors, if you will.

The challenge is to get my book seen, to be considered. In-person events are great, but limited. In our digital world there are so many marketing options, but with no guarantees that they will work. The amount of my brain power needed to make good decisions is overwhelming; but I don’t have a choice except to keep on trying. This is the phase in which the story that demanded to be told (yes, a physical and mental insistence, fits right in with noetics😊) has been birthed and must make its own mark in the world. I need to make sure it has all the right opportunities; like any mother I can only do my best.

So Juels and I will stay busy. If you, or someone you know, has an interest in historical narratives, especially WWII family secrets, or an interest in genealogy, family history and reconciliation, self-discovery and emotional growth, now is a great time to get a FREE digital copy through: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/a8myawb875 . Give a review on Goodreads or Amazon, or on my FB author page. Let me know and I will make sure you get a signed print copy.

I am planning to have a launch party on March 10^th. If you are local here in Central Florida please stop in. The location will be disclosed soon. On March 14^th and 15^th, Juels and I will be set up at the Leesburg Literary Festival, and on the 22^nd at the East Lake Historical Festival in Sorrento. On March 31^st we will be up in the Villages, at the All Booked Up bookstore located at 271 Colony Blvd. I also have been fortunate enough to be featured in two publications; I’ll provide the links as the dates get closer. More festivals and signings are upcoming.

Thank you for reading. I truly appreciate your support. And if you have been hearing insistent words in your head, give them a good listen. They may not stop until you write them down.

Photo by Greg Rakozy on Unsplash