Sheila’s Comments (group member since Oct 21, 2011)

Sheila’s comments from the Q&A with Sheila Dalton group.

Sandra, I just discovered that The Girl in the Box is listed on Google ebooks for 7.99 in Canada. I'm not sure about the U.K., but it's worth checking.
Here's the link for the Canadian site:
http://books.google.ca/ebooks?id=tq4i...

Sandra "Jeanz" wrote: "I don't know why its the case I have spoken and become friends with another author Cheri Schmidt and she has the same problem and if I am honest the price is a large factor too when buying a book. ..."

Of course, price is a factor when buying books. It is for me, too. And, personally, I wonder whether anyone in the U.K. will take a chance on an author they don't know at that huge price. It's a shame, because I would love to have U.K. readers.
My book, as you know, is 382 pages long, so it's a "fat" book! It's also a trade paperback, which means it's slightly larger than the usual pb. But still, it costs too much.
I'd advise people in England to wait for the ebook edition, but I don't know when it will be available, or how much it will cost.

I'm still shocked by how much it costs in England!!

Sandra "Jeanz" wrote: "I still loved it! Definitely recommend it as a MUST read!"

That's really wonderful, Sandra. It means a lot when someone likes your book. It kind of knocks me out, in fact!

Hi, Sandra
First of all, thanks for reviewing the book on your blog. People can go here to see it:
http://jeanzbookreadnreview.blogspot....

And, yes and no, in answer to your question! Big help, huh?
The actual story is a product of my imagination, but it was based on many true events. For instance, I went to Guatemala during the Civil War. My friend and I traveled on second-class buses which were stopped, and Mayan men were taken away, never to return. We heard from locals of the churches "converted" to jails.
I did know a psychoanalyst with a big heart, but he was much older than Jerry, and never rescued anyone from Guatemala. I've known bad analysts, too, but none so bad as Michael.
And I've read many accounts of feral children, and also of cases of children like Inez, who are damaged in some way, and kept under lock and key by their parents in third world countries, mostly because of lack of mental health care.
But Inez and what she did, and what became of her - it's all fiction.

Tirzah wrote: "Hey Sheila,

I finally made it. :) With your first book, how did you know you finally had a project worth putting your name on?

At first with a project, I'm excited about it. Then I work o..."

Hey, Tirzah! How's my favourite, brilliant trailer-maker?
I think what I would do if I were in a similar situation, is not start a new project, but put the old one up on a writing critique site and get feedback from others.
But you may already have done that?
In which case, I'd revise according to the criticism I got, THEN put it away for a while - maybe a month or two. Then take it out again. You may be surprised to find you like it, or, failing that, you may see more clearly where you think it needs to be "fixed".
I never know for sure when a project is ready to be seen in the sense of sending it out to publishers. But I found TNBW helpful that way. People liked what I wrote, plus gave good criticism. I used the criticism, then I went over it a few more times because I'm a perfectionist and, maybe like you, I find it hard to let go of something, to say that it's done.
But eventually I did get to the point where I thought I couldn't do anything more, even if it wasn't perfect and, bolstered by positive feedback from friends who had read it and from two writing sites (Yes, I had it critiqued on two separate sites), I decided to take the plunge and send it out.
So that's not really an answer; but writing is like that. Nothing is set in concrete. There are no real rules. It's a process that is different for everyone.
But it sounds like perhaps you have a problem with your initial concept or idea, rather than your writing style, or the structure of what you've written - that you come back to it and don't like the original concept? If that's the case, can you give me a specific example? I might be able to comment more helpfully then.

... so be my guest!

Jeanne wrote: "I'd have to put my vote in for mystery with a hint of thriller. But for me it was the mystery of the story that kept me turning the pages."

Thanks, Jeanne. Guess I'll have to tally up the votes, soon. But somehow I don't think it's going to help, because everyone thinks differently! Interesting to read what people have had to say, though. At least I know why I'm confused!

Susan wrote: "The women in my family have no shame. We all laugh a lot. Do you know Jeni, Sheila? Jeni Decker on TNBW? She's one of my daughters and the only human in my book."

Do I know Jeni? I love Jeni! But I have to ask - why is Jeni, of all people, the only human in your books? She always seemed kind of like an alien to me. You can even tell her I said so.

Susan wrote: "Not hard work since all the characters live in my head and my heart. I used a family member to develop each of the main characters. I just gave them fangs and new hot bodies. And since I know them ..."

Omigod. I almost feel sorry for your family! ;)

Susan wrote: "The Grateful Undead is Urban Fantasy, Sheila; vamps, shape shifters, a fairy, a troll, a demon or two and a whole lot of humor."

Is it fun to write about vampires and trolls, et al? It sounds like fun. But I'll bet it's mostly hard work, as it is for most writers ...

Susan wrote: "Right Sheila and Michelle? I haven't read the book yet but "psychologically thrilling mystery" - I'm in. I'd be sure to slap that little tidbit of info up on Amazon."

Good pointer, Susan. I just might do that. Once Amazon lets me add things. It won't right now. Because the book has been delayed so many times, I suspect they think it's never going to come out.
Well, on Nov. 7, I hope to prove them wrong.
Your books are paranormal, Susan, is that right? Mostly vampire?

Michelle wrote: "It is possible for me to amend my thoughts to call your book a literary psychologically thrilling mystery? And am I ever glad I'm not the one who has to decide where to shelve this masterpiece! I l..."

It would certainly help sales, Michelle, especially if they included a table at the front of the store. Every writer's dream.

Linda wrote: "I guess my novel That Summer in Franklin is literary but like yours Sheila, it's also plot driven. When I was first sending out three chapters and an outline, several agents I sent it to thought it..."

As you know, Linda, I really liked your novel. I think its beautifully and subtly written. And if that makes it literary,so be it. It also was quite gripping. Even though I'd read it in ms. form, when I got my "real" copy I read it right through again, and never once felt bored.
I tend to write about big, dramatic happenings. I don't share your and Carol Shields' gift of elevating the everyday.

Linda wrote: "The Girl in the Box is primarily a literary novel in that it has strongly developed characterization that pushes the reader toward the climax. The murder, right at the beginning, is solved at the o..."

Would you call That Summer in Franklin, literary, Linda? I think I would. But is that what you call Karen Connolly's The Lizard Cage, for instance? I keep thinking there should be a term like "good novel" or something, or "excellent novel" that's less sort of elitist sounding. My friend Paula used a good term once, but unfortunately, I can't remember it.
It's like this - would you call Dickens' work "literary"? Not necessarily. But it's quality literature.
It can get very confusing. Sometimes I think the term literary can mean self-indulgent or boring, even!
Your book is a good read as well as being excellently written. Maybe "quality literature" is a better description than "literary".
Does it matter? Only when people try to slap a label on a writer's work which, unfortunately, they often do.

Suki wrote: "I got the PDF from Naj. When Carlyle gets home, we'll see if it loads on the Kindle.

Thanks!!"

Let me know!

Susan wrote: "Sheila wrote: "Hi, everyone
I'm a writer based in Ontario, Canada. I was born in England, and came to Canada with my family when I was six. Like most writers, I've been writing since I was small. I..."

Hi, Susan
Just ask me any questions you like. I don't have any new threads planned right now.
Thanks for joining.
(Yeah, I'll bet I thought "beatnik" was a profession, too.)

Michelle wrote: "I know editors and agents might prefer books that peg easily into one specific genre, but I love books like yours, Sheila, that include the best of several of my favorite genres. Maybe we could cre..."

Hi, Michelle. That is precisely the problem - marketing it. It also makes me nervous when people say that readers expecting a mystery will be disappointed. But I, too, love cross-genre material, books that can't be pigeon-holed.
How do others feel about it?

Ann wrote: "I would say your agent tagged it right. It does have elements of a mystery in it. But I think i'ts your beautiful writing style that pegged it as literary. Reading your work is almost like reading ..."

Boy, do I feel good. Seriously, style and word choice are really important to me, and I always want someone to say I did them well. Now they have. And a few reviewers have too.
But if you call something "literary" it scares off people who want a good read. And I tried to make it a good read, too.
By the way, I don't have an agent. It was an editor and a publisher who said those things.

Ann wrote: "Definitely thriller. Most of my books have that 'ticking time bomb' thing going on that is the hallmark of thrillers. Mysteries are just that- they leave clues as to who did it and why. Often in a ..."

Thanks, Ann. Your books are great. (Look them up, people, you won't regret it.)
I guess the reason Girl is at least part mystery, is that several readers have told me that I did plant seeds in their minds that made them doubt who the actual killer was, and hints about what might have happened. But I mostly agree with you.
Right now.
Can you tell I don't really know how to categorize it myself?