Women's Fiction authors discussion

Hello Everyone,

I'm so glad I found this group. I'm a first-time novelist/single mom/realtor/contractor looking for a group who can feel my pain. I'm getting ready to self-publish my first book, The Bum Magnet. It'll be released October 6th. I'm looking forward to communing with everyone here.

I'm just joining too. Welcome.

K.L. wrote: "Hello Everyone,

I'm so glad I found this group. I'm a first-time novelist/single mom/realtor/contractor looking for a group who can feel my pain. I'm getting ready to self-publish my first book..."

Hi K.L.,
It's fun finding more writing realtors. There are a few of us that I'm aware of. We may need to start our own thread.

I also wanted to introduce myself. I'm an L.A. based author & I just became a part of this group last week Looking forward to joining the community!

Hi everyone and welcome! I'm a new member to this group too. I'm a writer and an artist from Upstate New York, I'm married to a real sweetheart of a man (who I refer to as "my Fred"), we have a college-aged son, five cats and a dog named Max and we all live together in a big old farmhouse on top of a windswept hill. I self-published my little ghost story, "Dusty Waters" recently, and along with my Fred, we started our own publishing company Field Stone Press, and we're networking here on Good Reads, doing giveaways of our books and trying to connect with readers...so far so good, although we're muddling along, we're generating interest! It's been fun meeting readers and other writers these last few weeks since I started my promotion of my novel here...it's been a lot of fun (and a little bit addicting!) I'm looking forward to lively discussion about writing and publishing!

Hey K.L.,
Fancy meeting you here! ;)

-Jenn

Deception PastFranki deMerle Hi! My first novel, just published, is about reincarnation and past life identity theft. The main character grows up in Alabama during the civil rights movement/Viet Nam era/early manned spaceflight, but then so did I. I'm now in the Pacific Northwet. Nice to meet everyone.

Laura wrote: "Hi everyone and welcome! I'm a new member to this group too. I'm a writer and an artist from Upstate New York, I'm married to a real sweetheart of a man (who I refer to as "my Fred"), we have a col..."

Started your own publishing company! That's gutsy. I like it. I have a friend, Jefferson Davis, who writes ghost stories by location. Ghosts of Portland, OR, ghosts of whatever state, etc. Upstate NY is beautiful. What kind of art? I'm a musician on the side, but I was once married to a sculptor.

Nancy wrote: "K.L. wrote: "Hello Everyone,

I'm so glad I found this group. I'm a first-time novelist/single mom/realtor/contractor looking for a group who can feel my pain. I'm getting ready to self-publish my..."

I find the actual publishing experience to be like a roller coaster ride, but it's definitely worth it (of course I like roller coasters). You go, girl.

K.L. wrote: "Hello Everyone,

I'm so glad I found this group. I'm a first-time novelist/single mom/realtor/contractor looking for a group who can feel my pain. I'm getting ready to self-publish my first book..."

Cool title. What kind of book is it?

Hi,

I am glad to have found this group. I am a mom and writer from Chicago. I recently released my debut novel, " A Whisper to a Scream," on Amazon.com in the Kindle Store.

I am looking forward to many great conversations.

Hi everyone,

My name is Tracy Ames. I write interracial erotic romance. My debut novel was "Seduce Me" and its sequel which was release last month is entitled "Make Her Want It". Both of which are bestsellers. Yay!

Can't wait to dive in with the group. Glad to have found you.

Cheers!

Howdy

I am also a recently published author. My novella, Confessions of a Liberal Lover, just became available as an e-book at Red Rose Publishing. It's listed under mainstream fiction as chick-lit, but I think the term that is being used now is "light women's fiction."

Those who have read it say it's laugh out loud funny. As you can probably tell from the title it is also sexy with just a dash of politics thrown in.

An excerpt is available at my website http://emmuller.com. If anyone gets around to reading it I would appreciate hearing what you think.

Happy writing (and reading) to all.

Regards
Eileen

Publishing with Red Rose and the title made me think it was a sexy historical, EM. It reads like a memoir. It was interesting and I guess what life is like for a girl in today's world with a older sister who doesn't allow her to shine. Good story. I like your website too. It's very pretty. Laurel

Thanks for the kind words. You're right that most of the books in the Red Rose catalogue are mainstream romance or erotic, but Confessions is more in the chick-lit tradition which frequently chronicals a woman's journey through life. It's really not about all of the men (and woman) in Maud's life, it's about how willing she is to change herself into whatever she thinks they want her to be--until she finally grows up.

It was a lot of fun writing it, but now I'm back to my Maud Muller personna and working on a mystery about a serial killer.

congrats everyone on your accomplishments - i'm another LA (just starting out) writer... loving the idea of belonging to a writer's group. so if anyone knows of any more (outside of goodreads, too), feel free to share!

Hi all - I am also glad I found this group! my first novel SHERRY & NARCOTICS is coming out in April and I'm terrified!

(it's somewhat of a roman a clef, based on a disastrous affair I had w/ a well-known writer in England. yikes!! It should be an interesting ride.)

you can see the trailer for it etc here at goodreads or my site:
www.ninamariegardner.com

anyway. thrilled to find a forum for discussion/support/shared ideas & experiences.
all my best,
nina

Congratulations, Nina-Marie. Be sure you start promoting right away. There are lots of online resources to check out.

Best of luck,
Judith MarshallHusbands May Come and Go but Friends are Forever: A Novel

Thanks Judith! (btw, your novel looks fantastic!) what other online resources do you recommend? Happy New Year! :-)n

Congratulations Nina-Marie. Be sure you start promoting right away. Get people jazzed about your book. There are lots of free online resources.

Best of luck,
Judith MarshallHusbands May Come and Go but Friends are Forever: A Novel

Hi, Nina-Marie.

You have the best hook of all -- which well-known writer? You should be able to entice people just with that.

Best of luck to you,
Karen

P.S. I'm dying to know...

If you contact me through my website, I'll give you a list.

Regards,
Judith
www.judithmarshall.net

Hello everybody,
I published my first novel last year, Village of Sycamore. It was nominated on Goodreads Choice Awards 2010, in three categories- debut author, cover art and humour. I was particularly excited about the cover art nomination, because my husband's painting is on the cover. I'm very happy to have found this group!
I'm having my first Q&A Maria Rihte group Jan-Feb. Wish me luck!
maria

Hi, Maria.

Nice to meet you. Congratulations on your goodreads nominations --impressive.

Good luck with your Q and A.

Karen

Hello everyone,
As an author of two non-fiction, published books, I had the audacity to write a novel for YA, in particular young women and women of every age. I found writing for a younger audience very challenging. After writing BEING CONSCIOUSNESS BLISS: A Seeker's Guide I did some market research and found that YA books of a spiritual, but non-religious nature, for women and teens were scarce. It occurred to me that there must be young people with a taste for more than entertainment and are tired of vampires, sci-fi and fantasy. My novel addresses a void - a hunger for knowledge and wisdom that many religions do not provide. As a passionate student of the Perennial Philosophy, also know as Wisdom Tradition, I was able to weave a teaching in the form of a wise woman who teaches the heroine on seven days of her winter break into a fast-paced contemporary novel. No matter what your age, women will enjoy this story and want to share it with their daughters.Winter Break: A Luminous Journey into Wisdom and Love

Hi Astrid, Congratulations on your novel. I'm interested to know if there is a genre for YA that includes "women of every age." Did you find this in your research?

Regards,
Judith Marshall
Author of "Husbands May Come and Go but Friends are Forever"
www.judithmarshall.net

I don't think there is a genre for YA that includes "women of every age." I made that up after Mom's Choice Award decided to put WINTER BREAK into the general fiction category where "older" teens would find it.

Ah, I get it. I know agents are sticky about authors knowing their genres, so I wondered if something new had cropped up.

I love your title "Husbands May come and Go but Friends are Forever". Can you say what inspired you to write it?

Although the book is fiction, it's based on my life experiences. I've been blessed with the friendship of a group of women I first met in high school. We've supported each other through dramatic divorces, terrible teenagers and maddening menopause. I wanted to write a story that would be a tribute to enduring female friendship. You can check out the reviews on Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Husbands-May-Co...

E.M. wrote: "Howdy

I am also a recently published author. My novella, Confessions of a Liberal Lover, just became available as an e-book at Red Rose Publishing. It's listed under mainstream fiction as chick-..."

Wow, our books could be in a boxed set, along with Judith's Husbands My come and Go ... Forever. I was told by a manager at Chapters that there is no category "chick lit" anymore, but in another store (Yonge and Eglinton's Chapters/Indigo in Toronto) there is a Chick-Lit table. I find when people use the word to describe a book, it's not a compliment. Hmmn.

Myna Wallin
Confessions of a Reluctant Cougar (Tightrope Books, 2010)
http://www.mynawallin.com

Judith wrote: "If you contact me through my website, I'll give you a list.

Regards,
Judith
www.judithmarshall.net"

I'm just curious, Judith, how you got your GR nomination. Did you have to get a number of people online to vote for you? My publisher told me to submit my book, but I didn't attempt it, and am kicking myself I didn't try for it now.

There are so few book prizes for "lighter" books. All the big prizes seem to go to the heavyweights. I did apply for the Leacock Prize for humour, it seemed my best bet. But they rarely give it to female authors, either. Have the rest of you submitted your books for various prizes?

Myna Wallin
Confessions of a Reluctant Cougar (Tightrope Books, 2010)
http://www.mynawallin.com

Still learning my way around the site, and very happy to see supporting women here.

hello!

i am so glad i found this group! i am a first time historical fiction novelist. my first book, Exit the Actress: A Novel just came out. hello!

Hello all! I, too, am happy to be supporting women.

Welcome, Priya. I just learned of your novel (catchy title) and am fascinated, too, with great women of history. Ordered your book and will eagerly gobble it up. Lovely that you're at UE.

Hope I can be of assistance to anyone in this group.

Valerie Brooks
Gobsmacked: Confessions of a Working Writer
http://gobsmackedwriter.blogspot.com/

Added "Exit the Actress" to my wish list. Congratulations on all your great reviews, Priya!

Judith Marshall
Author of "Husbands May Come and Go but Friends Are Forever," recently optioned for the big screen.

Hello Everyone,
My name is Dorina and I'm very glad to find you. I am a new author, i recently published my first Romanse Suspense on Kindle ebooks, The Girl Of Dracula by Dorina Stanciu.

Great to meet you, Dorina, and the best of luck with your novel. I'm a debut author myself, so know how exciting it is!

Hello to all of the new members. Nice to have you here. Good luck on all of your novels.


Karen
A Whisper To A Scream

Hi Everyone, I also have a novel coming out soon (August 2011). Called Releasing Gillian's Wolves, it's about a political wife who has to decide what to do about her husband's affair with an intern.

For more see: http://www.batsintheboathouse.com/

It's wonderful to find a group like this where women support other women.

I'm totally laughing because I saw my name "K.L." and was wondering who the other K.L. was...not realizing that I started this thread eons ago. LOL

It's funny to see how far I've come. My novel,The Bum Magnet ot picked up by Simon & Schuster and will be published in just 11 days. And I just released my YA novel, Worst Impressions-A Novel, which I published independently. Wow...what a difference a couple of years make. I hope everyone is well. Best wishes to all the authors. I swing by and check out your work.

Congratulations, KL. The last two years have made a difference for you. Best of luck with your books and writing. Laurel
http://aussieauthorsatwork.blogspot.com

Best of luck with the release, Karla! You must be so excited!

That's wonderful! Congratulations!

Thanks so much! Yep. Pretty excited. :)

Wonderful, K.L. Best of luck with it.



Karen
A Whisper To A Scream

Hello everyone:

I, too, am about to self-publish my first novel, Downward Dog, Upward Fog. I was thrilled to learn last week that ForeWord magazine is going to be reviewing it in their May Debut Fiction issue--fingers crossed that it's a good review!

Astrid, I'm intrigued by your YA novel. Mine is women's fiction, not YA, but also for people interested in spirituality. Like you, I was struck by how few novels there are in this genre, especially since Christian women's fiction (and even Jewish women's fiction) is such a big seller. I am hopeful that my book will strike a chord in women who want to read fun fiction and also feel uplifted and see themselves in my spiritually-seeking protagonist.

Nice to "meet" everyone!

Meryl Davids Landau
author of the spiritual women's novel, Downward Dog, Upward Fog, available in May.
Read excerpts at DownwardDogUpwardFog.com

Hi Meryl,
If the storyline is an uplifting one, you should look at entering your novel into the Living Now Book Awards. You might be too late for this year. But it is something to keep in mind for next year.

Sincerely,
David

Hi David! Thanks for the info. I'm new to the book awards scene, so could you tell me more about this award, and where I can find info on it?

Thanks!

Meryl Davids Landau
author of the spiritual women's novel, Downward Dog, Upward Fog, available in May.
Read excerpts at DownwardDogUpwardFog.com

They have a website LivingNowAwards.com. The same man also holds the IPPY awards - where self-published authors can enter. You can simply google "IPPY Awards" and you should get to the website.