Writing a book, for me, took 18 years.
And many versions:
Along the Edges:
A Naturalist’s Journey with Illness
(2003)
Janet
(2008)
Favorite Saint
(2012)
Pine Cones and a Fork:
Traveling the Hard Road of Hope
(2012)
Paddling the Edges
(2014)
Finding Balance even in the Waves
(2014)
Under the Surface:
The Transformative Power of Friendship
(2014)
Under the Surface:
The Transformative Power of Friendship and Nature
(2019)
Buoyant:
What Held Us Up When Our Bodies Let Us Down
(2021)
To see it now, a published book -- is a dream come true. Something I wished for
but wondered if would ever happen.
Doubts plagued me.
When thinking about going up to my desk, I'd let excuses divert me:
Dishes needed washing; the garden, weeding. Migrating birds needed to be photographed. Recycling needed to go to the dump.
Any excuse.
Nagging thoughts lingered:
Did I have something worthy to say? And if I did, was I a good enough writer?
Then a funny thing would happen.
I'd sit down to write.
Hours would fly by. I'd miss lunchtime. Wouldn't move from my chair.
With each version above, I found bits to keep, lots to toss, new directions.
Critiques from writing friends and early readers kept me editing.
I do love to edit!
Searching for a better word, a fresh metaphor, a sweet connection. Tightening a sentence. Removing sections that didn't serve the story. The quest kept me mesmerized.
Years of sending it out to agents and presses left me discouraged as rejections rolled in. Finding the right publishing home seemed out of reach.
Then I learned about New Bay Books, run by Sandra Olivetta Martin, whose newspaper, The Bay Weekly, I began writing for in 2005. She accepted the manuscript in February 2021, and we edited in earnest.
I barely slept.
Early mornings, 1:30 a.m., 3:00 a.m., I'd wake and begin thinking about better ways to write a paragraph. I'd head to the computer and edit until daybreak. Eat breakfast. Keep editing. Sandra and I both worked diligently, as did Suzanne Sheldon, the designer, who was open to my every nitpicky suggestion. The result? I love this book.
And the reward?
This:
And this:
Over 100 people preordered the book, and orders keep rolling in. I am so very grateful to all who have bought the book, and for the lovely responses I have begun to receive from readers.
You fill my heart.
You can order Buoyant at your local bookstore, or
from New Bay Books (USA only); Amazon, or Barnes & Noble.
If you would like a bookplate with the sweet Common Yellowthroat printed by Jonathan,
I can personalize it to you or someone else. Just let me know!
Want to help promote the book?
(Besides telling all your friends and book clubs)
Write a review -- on Amazon. On Goodreads.
This is hugely important as this is how people discover books.
Thank you!
A writer needs readers, and I am so thrilled you are mine.
Dotty
Note: I would love to hear from you! Please use the purple section below for comments.
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