Kendra Is Here!

So here's the deal--

K My Name Is Kendra has been released! Once I came to the conclusion that I would not be able to afford the cover and the distribution I want any time soon, there really was no reason to hold up releasing the book. So I went ahead and did a quickie thing on lulu.com and now you can purchase this edition of the book exclusively from there. The plan is to sell, sell, sell directly to fans...create a buzz...and eventually re-release the book with a new cover (and an ISBN) in the near future.

So for now, the book won't be in stores or libraries. You'll only be able to find it here. Doesn't matter. The story is solid and I know you'll enjoy the read. And...wait for it...I'm already working on the sequel! After you read the final page, you'll see there's the potential for so much more story to be told. I'm excited.

Okay, gotta go. Take care of you.

Pssst....Donnie Simpson....

I had a dream a couple weeks ago. I usually never remember my dreams, but this one has stuck in my head since the night I had it.

I dreamed that radio personality extraordinaire Donnie Simpson finally received in-hand one of my many faxes asking for his help, went to my website, read excerpts of K My Name Is Kendra and The Brownstone (I can't wait to release that book next year!) and was so impressed with my work that he called me immediately to offer his assistance in getting the $1600 I need to publish. What I don't remember is whether the Donnie Simpson Show wrote the check as part of Donnie's Morning Wish on WPGC, or whether he used his voice and influence to raise the money from his listeners and/or colleagues. I just remember that it was him (he?) that helped me. And that I was eternally grateful and thanked him in my acceptance speech (for an award I can't remember the name of).

So...Donnie Simpson, I'm calling out to you. I don't know if you'll ever get the message, but I'm calling out nonetheless. I am a part of your listening community, right next door in Northern Virginia, and I need your help! So call me at (202) 559-7853. I've left a message just for you!

Raising Money to Self-Publish

I recently posted an online fundraiser to try and raise money for the self-publishing of K My Name Is Kendra. It failed miserably, and I'll tell you why: I was embarrassed to reveal to people that I don't have the money to self-publish. Like I'm the only one going through hard times in this economy!

So do I simply give up and put my manuscript away in a desk drawer to gather dust because I'm afraid--too proud even--to ask for help? What would you do?

I'll tell you what I did. I re-read my book again just to make sure in my own head that this project is worth pursuing.

I fell in love with the story all over again.

And so I'm posting another fundraiser even as we speak, and I'll post the link in the sidebar in hopes that anyone who visits this blog will make a small donation towards the expense of publishing. One hundred sixty-five people, $10 each...that's all I need. Think I can do it?

About This Blog: Part II

I couldn't fit it all in the sidebar, so I'll add a few more words here about the purpose of this blog.

In addition to posting in real-time about the publishing journey of K My Name Is Kendra, I will also be adding further insight into the various characters that appear in the story. There's just so much depth to them that I couldn't capture all of it on paper without weighing the story down. It is, after all, a young adult novel, and I don't want to lose my readers along the way. But I'm just so passionate about some of these characters, and in some cases there's so much more to be said about them and why they are the way they are. Why they do the things they do; say the things they say.

So once the book has been published, I'll begin posting such items. In the meantime, I'll be writing about all the behind-the-scenes frustrations involved in trying to get this book to print. Hopefully, I won't come off as whiney, but...you know what? Everyone is allowed to whine a bit every now and then. Life isn't fair sometimes, plain and simple. This is my blog and I'll whine if I want to. So there! LOL.