Memoir, Poetry Book and Two Children’s Picture Books Ready For Publishing–Fingers, Toes and Eyes Crossed

I am in the process of sending four manuscripts (yes four now) to agents and some publishers. This is my list of current manuscripts:

1. My memoir–SHAME ATE MY SOUL: RISING ABOVE THE STIGMA OF MENTAL ILLNESS, SUICIDE ATTEMPTS AND ADDICTION. While reading like a fiction novel, it is captivating, heartbreaking, inspiring, and above all – necessary and allows the reader to enter in beyond the windows and into the soul of a person who has lived with mental illness for over twenty-six years.
2. My poetry book–MY MOSAIC OF LIFE: A POETRY COLLECTION OF MENTAL HEALTH, RECOVERY AND HOPE. This collection of poems travels through my journey of feelings and thoughts before and after my suicide attempt and through the triumph of recovery. This collection of poems is beneficial to help people understand what it is like inside a person’s mind who is living with severe mental illness–reaching the deep dark depths of despair towards the edges of death–thoughts of suicide. This book elicits a wide spectrum of emotion from sorrow, loneliness and depression to happiness, joy, love and the power of recovery, healing and God’s love.
3. Children’s picture book–THE FLIES DID NOT FLEE, a fun-loving rhyming story for ages 4-8 and everyone else reading along. When Trulie Sue Candoo, a lovable, quirky old woman finds “hundreds of pesky flies bugging her eyes” she tries to get rid of the flies using ineffective strategies that will make a child giggle? “I’ve flattened so many flies with my fly swatter–even tried to get rid of some by throwing hot water.” What silly antics will she try next? This story rhymes its way through Trulie’s attempts to remove the flies from her house until she moves out. Finally, the flies leave but when she returns, she finds a new visitor. This ending will leave the reader wanting more–requiring a sequel and series of books with Trulie Sue Candoo. The simple message of the story is perseverance–keep trying and never give up.
4. Children’s picture book–LOST BALLOONS, a fun-loving rhyming story for ages 2-6 conveys messages of hope, love and joy with an underlying hook of accepting loss, separation and even death with a simplistic approach. After Hanna is saddened by the loss of her balloon, her mommy comforts her while exploring the endless possibilities of what her balloon might be doing and where it could go. “With clouds it can play hide and seek. The stars might even get a peek.” This story rhymes its way to the discovery of the unknown and how what we don’t know might be more magnificent than we ever imagined. BALLOONS TO THE MOON can be read for the pure enjoyment of reading or used as a conversation starter to develop or enhance discussions about separation, loss and death using the balloon as a metaphor for the death of a loved one or a pet–helping a young child alleviate some of the fear, confusion and sorrow associated with death.

Maybe I will leave samples of some of my picture books, so you can get an idea of what they are like. Plus, it would be awesome to get some feed back from you, as well.

As most of you know I completed writing my memoir (for the second time) at the end of November 2018 as part of Nanowrimo. I completed proofreading and editing my memoir using the program Autocrit at the end of December 2018 to the middle of January 2019.

I spent January researching a lot about how to publish a manuscript using the traditional route (not self-publishing). I spent many days perfecting my Query letter, synopsis, detailed chapter outline and writing a curriculum vitae (CV) and then began finding agents and some publishers that accept unsolicited manuscripts (no agents).

This has been an educational experience and a lot of work. I began sending my manuscrpts out at the end of January and have sent my memoir manuscript to about 40 agents and have gotten back about 8 rejection letters so far. Some agencies do not write you if they are not interested in your book proposal but say to give them about 3-4 months, so I am giving some agents a little more time before I say it has been rejected by them.

I sent my poetry book to a contest and only a couple agents so far and have sent my picture book THE FLIES DID NOT FLEE to only about five publshers. Many children’s book publishers will accept book propsals without agents. I am working on sending LOST BALLOONS to publishers and will do so very shortly–next.

I have always been a creative and artistic person. I used to draw and paint but have not done so lately as the arthritis in my hands is getting painful and making it difficult to draw with the detail I used. I may one day paint again. I have used my creativity and artistic talent to help me cope over the years–my own art therapy. Now I am using words to paint and illustrate the world.

When my children were young and I was surviving and coping with my severe mental ilness symptoms I wrote and illustrated children”s books for them. I recently looked at them again and decided to take my favorites and improve them, edit them and send them off to publishers as well.  I decided my artwork is outdated so I am not sending the illustrations–only my words.

---

I am also being crazy busy looking for a new place to live and always looking for a new part-time job that suits me better. I currently work about 24 hours a week at an assisted living facility for seniors. I love helping people but this job is more physical than I like–I am getting older and never ever wanted to work as a housekeeper. I love helping the residents and letting my love shine through to them the best I can but I do not enjoy preparing the entire meal, washing dishes, doing deep cleans and laundry for nineteen residents. It is a lot–too much for my old bones and joints. Anyway, I will keep looking but will stay there until I find something better as I need the money to supplement my SSDI.

I just wanted to catch you up on how and why I have been away from my blog so much.

Thank you for reading.

If you feel like it, please pray that an agent/publisher will be interested in my book or books soon. It is hard to wait, but I am trying my best to patient and never give up on this.

I hope you are all doing well.

Much love and hugs,

Sue

---

Spring Has Sprung! Hurray!

Happy Spring!

Copyright © 2019 | myloudwhispersofhope.com | All Rights Reserved

 

 

Advertisement