I'M BEGINNING TO FEEL FAMOUS.

     I have a funny feeling creeping over me...sort of like "Goose Bumps"...but better.

     In the process of marketing my book,  "MARCEL'S GIFT"I have been invited to be interviewed on our local TV channel WSET, have been accepted to speak at the local chapter of Pen Women and my work is being reviewed by a local service organization for a possible speaking engagement.

      I had better start making cue-cards.

IS JAMES WAITING FOR ME?

    
     With only two weeks to go, I've been rushing around getting everything together for the Greater Lehigh Valley Writers' Conf. I'll be attending in Allentown, Pa.


     James Scott Bell is the keynote speaker and if any of you know him and/or his work, this should be a dynamite conference. My friend, Charmaine Davis, who tweets with him, told him I was eagerly waiting to see and hear him. I wonder if I should put a sign around my neck, "Here I am James."


     I'm also looking forward to my assigned meeting with one of the litrary agents from Donald Maass' Agency. I'll be "pitching" my lastest novel to her and hoping for the best.

MY THANKS TO YOU ALL!

   

       I want to give my most special and sincere thanks to those of you who have purchased my debut 
novel, MARCEL'S GIFT from Amazon.com.

      Writing this love story was an enjoyable process...it was the galley editing, and line-by-line editing that was the challenge. You can not imagine how many times I used the word "was." By the time I edited them out and/or changed the sentences I was "was-sy."

       Now, it is time to market my work.  So I am aking you all to spread the word about Marcel's Gift to your friends, relatives etc. Please tell them it can be downloaded to Kindle, ipad, iphone, pc, Mac, and Blackberry.

       I will appreciate your comments, and if I l may ask you, "Please leave a review" on Amazon.com.

        Thank you again.--Marie

" MARCEL'S GIFT " HAS ARRIVED !

I am happy to report that my debut novel, "Marcel's Gift"  is now available as an eBook through Amazon.com.


Price  $2.99


DOWNLOAD NOW to your ereader, Kindle, iphone, ipad.

1 WEEK... AND COUNTING. BLAST-OFF TIME FOR " MARCEL'S GIFT."

One week to go till BLAST OFF! 

"MARCEL'S GIFT" IS ON THE LAUNCH-PAD AND EVERYTHING IS A-OK.

LAUNCH DATE; FEB. 15, 2012.-- Price: $2.99

DOWNLOAD TO: Kindle, ipad, iphone, PC--(You know the drill).

THE VALUE OF WRITERS' CONFERENCES

  It's that time of year to start thinking about writers' conferences and of what value they serve to help you make a decision. I'd like to share my experiences with you.

   The very first conference I attended was sponsored by the Greater Lehigh Valley Writers in Allentown, Pa. last March. The keynote speaker was the well-known  N.Y.C. agent, Donald Maass, who was so inspiring that I felt the urge to leave the conference and head back to Lynchburg, Va and start writing, but I didn't, of course. Prior to the conference, I had signed up for a one-on-one with an agent and just by luck of the draw, I was paired with the publisher of Echelon Press, who immediately upon hearaing my "pitch" requested my whole manuscript of "Marcel's Gift". She wanted no query, no synopsis. She accepted me as a client and my debut novel will  be released in ebook form the middle of February 2012.

   The second success I had at conferences was at the Hampton Roads Writers conference last Sept.  Once again I pre-registered for a one-on-one with an agent, who after hearing my "pitch" asked to seek  more of my work- in- progress novel, "Lady Mirielle's Flight". She made some suggestions, which I tried to incorporated into my storyline but they just weren't working, but it did give me some ideas for expanding my story.
 
   Now I have some wonderful options:   I can offer it to my first publisher, Echelon Press, who I loved working with, or to the agent from the HRW conference or put it out there simultaneously?

   My point is, you can try contacting agents with queries, as I have, but I  had much more success in face-to-face meetings at conferences.Try it you'll like it.

    So far, I am considering the following conferences for 2012:
          The Roanoke Regional Writing conf.at Hollins Univ. (end of Jan.).
           The Greater Lehigh Valley Writers' conference (March).
           The Hampton Roads Writers' conference (Sept).
   

Hurry Up and Wait...Waiting for Marcel's Gift, that is...

We've waited for Godot,
Waited to Exhale,
Waited for the Good Ship Lollipop,
and now we're waiting for MARCEL'S GIFT.

 I've finished correcting the galleys...mostly eliminating the word "WAS" over a thousand times. Yes, I said thousand, folks. You do the math...275 pages with was appearing at least 5 times per page. I've got it down to 265 times, but now I'm was-zy.

Thank goodness the Holidays are coming; I should be pre-occupied with shopping, wrapping, baking and watching "The Miracle on 34th Street" for the umpteenth time that the February release date won't seem so far away.

Soon as my publisher puts it on Amazon for pre-release orders, I'll send out the alert.

COMING SOON! "MARCEL'S GIFT"

          Yes," MARCEL'S GIFT," my debut novel, will be available soon at eBook retail venues. Projected date is February 2012. Lots of things to do before its release date: editing, proofreading, cover design, auhor photo, marketing plan etc. etc. My super efficient publisher has already designed the cover and it is an eye catcher. I love it.
           I'll keep you up to date as things progress.

IN THE SHADOW OF VAN GOGH

          Did I ever tell you I once stood next to Vincent van Gogh when I visited France? At least I think I did. Maybe not. Perhaps it was just his ghost. Nevertheless, I found the image so compelling I had to include it in my novel, "MARCEL'S GIFT.".
         
            While sightseeing in the sunny town of Arles in the south of France (where van Gogh painted and spent much of his miserable life) I came to a clearing between a stand of chestnut trees where an arthritic, old artist-- bent over his canvas and easel--painted the colorful, foral valley beyond.
        
          He wore a light blue shirt under a dark blue or black ( I couldn't tell which) moth ravaged jacket. His navy blue pants were paint spattered and he wore a tattered straw hat that had several broken straws poking through the edge of its rim leaving jagged shadow-lines on his face.
         
          When he saw me approaching, he smiled an almost toothless, yellowed, tobacco stained smile, but the vibrancy of his clear, grey-blue eyes diverted my attention from the one thing that betrayed his age--his weather beaten, leathery face. I imagined he must have been a seaman in his earlier years. Who knows?
        
         I held up my camera and with charade motions indicated I wanted to take a photo. He stood to pose next to his oil painting. To please him I snapped one picture. Then, I motioned with my hand for him to sit and continue his painting. I took more photos when he was fully absorbed in his work and checked the images in my digital camera.
       
        I could have sworn I was looking at the artist, Vincent van Gogh. However, three things were missing: van Gogh's red hair, his mutilated ear, and one of his unfinished masterpieces on the old artist's easel. 
 Au revoir, mon ami.

TIME TO CELEBRATE

     On Friday 9/9/11, I found an email from a publisher that indicated they were forwarding a contract to me for the publication of my first novel, "Marcel's Gift." It will be published as an ebook so all you Nook, Kindle and iPad owners will have access to it as soon as Amazon.com gets it from the publishing house. (Estimate 30 days). Details will follow.
      As a writer, I'm usually not at a loss for words, but ask me, Am I "Happy?" of course; Do I feel I'm in a "Surreal" world?  indeed; "Thankful?"--you bet!