My debut novel, Wheels to Liberty, is a Women’s Fiction novel that includes an iron will by the protagonist to take control of her life. It also touches on the scare of polio. “Iron Will,” a title to a video clip and blog post this month by Bill Gates in his essay about the historical invention of the Iron Lung, offers a historical perspective included in the time scope of my fictional story with a dose of factual history. The fear of a new vaccine and fear of not having a cure are as relevant today as those issues were back in the 1940s and 1950s. Please join my mailing list to learn of updates on my book’s path to publishing, it’s release, and if so inclined, click on this link to learn about the iron lung which helped children and adults breathe when a virus claimed their bodies. #WheelsToLiberty #empowering-women-to-take-the-wheel. https://www.gatesnotes.com/Health/An-important-moment-in-the-fight-against-polio
Blog Essays
A Historical Novel to Address a Timely Issue
When I read about shootings by ex-boyfriends, ex-husbands, or current spouses, it breaks my heart to know people can’t escape the violence even with restraining orders in place. The characters in my novel are intended to bring this issue to the forefront, showing the challenges that make leaving an abuser complicated. However, society, close friends and family can help those in the crosshairs, by asking, “Do you feel safe at home?” The answer can motivate even strangers to offer a safe place to hide, before permanent change can happen.
My novel, Wheels to Liberty, showcases a Chicago homemaker Carol who dedicates herself to her daughter Ellie’s recovery so that she’ll learn to walk again. While husband Joe is in the Navy, Carol befriends handsome Sam, a Chicago newsman who is covering the polio epidemic. Joe returns from WWII with a violent streak, thwarting Carol’s efforts to empower Ellie to overcome struggles while Joe’s favored son Tom competes for his parents’ attention. When Joe’s threats and restrictions impede Ellie’s future independence, Carol must make a choice, knowing that accepting help from Sam or her siblings endangers them all.
I will keep historical fiction fans informed when it is released in 2022. Please join my mailing list for updates.
There is Always Time for Professional Editing, but Especially Now.
It’s a good time to slow down and be sure a professional has edited that final draft of your book. There is no rush to market. Having a better product will help authors sell more, particularly when live, in-person book launches are more accessible and safe for crowds again in the future.
Statistics show that about 98 percent of the books that publishers released in 2020 sold fewer than 5,000 copies. At virtual book events, a Texas store has sold as few as half a dozen books, or at best, sell 150 copies — but that same author, in person, might sell 1,000. Some publishers in 2020 have started paying stores to put on virtual events, usually between $200 and $500, which is about comparable to what they would earn if they sold 20 to 50 books, according to a recent NY Times article.
I’m taking on more editing clients now, hopeful that the 2022 book releases will be in person with 10 city tours at independent book shops as compared to online book launches happening in 2020-2021.
If you have a final draft, contact me for an estimate. I’d be happy to help you make use of the pause in marketing to ensure your manuscript is in the best shape it can be before you market it to a publisher or self-publish.
On Handling Multiple Losses and Change
In Minnesota, the weather in January was above average and I was optimistic that the new year would be above average, too. It started out to be just that. My family took advantage of the lack of wind chill to go outdoors snowshoeing, x-country skiing, or hiking when there was too little snow, but plenty of thick ice for anglers rigging tip-ups on the frozen lakes. Once a week I’d meet friends at regional parks for adventure, enjoying smiles and chatter. Jan. 20 marked the inauguration of a new US President. This year started out uplifting.
Then February blew in icy change, and I went from a happy-go-lucky demeanor to stunned, grief-stricken, and frozen in my tracks.
[Read more…] about On Handling Multiple Losses and ChangeWhen Friends Cancel
In times of loneliness, which can hit intermittently, we all need something to look forward to as the mood booster for the hour, the day, the week. Plans fall through, but when a plan you worked hard to make happen is cancelled, when the rug is pulled from under you, how do you respond? I was crushed. I cried. Then I reached out while vulnerable, found that making a quiche was a comfort, and taking a chance on a new experience with the addition of a dog pleasantly surprised me. I’m not a “dog person.” Here’s my essay, “When Friends Cancel, Eat Quiche,” published in WINK magazine, Writers in the Know, Issue 15. The digital copy is free to download. See page 8, Issue 15.
Why my novel matters
Jacket flap book blurb / Wheels to Liberty plot: When Carol secretly learns to drive against her husband’s wishes to help her disabled daughter, she sets in motion dire circumstances that tests both her and her daughter’s courage and perseverance. Handsome Sam, a news reporter covering WWII and the polio epidemic wants to help but involving him will put all of them at risk of Joe’s wrath, knowing he will hunt them down.
Readers will love this storytelling while their curiosity will be satisfied knowing more about the history of the polio virus as it draws parallels to today’s issues, with intimate partner violence still an issue globally. Fears and cheers are in order when readers watch Ellie learn to walk again and gain employment without discrimination. Tears of frustration then joy come about when readers cheer for Carol to beat the odds and get out of the way of her controlling husband. Romance lovers will fall for Sam for his gentleman qualities people will recognize in a healthy relationship. These two young women are their own heroes as they discover their unique strengths and learn to set each other free.
Wheels to Liberty is an inspiring story with a cause for advocacy on several fronts: women’s global rights to drive, the necessity to protect women from domestic violence, and the continued need to remove barriers preventing persons living with a disability to fully take part in society. Consider my novel a mash up between Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio, (Albert Whitman & Co., 2006) meets the romantic longings in Collen Hoover’s It Ends With Us, (Atria Books, 2016). I finished writing the novel during Fall 2020, and plan to release it in 2022 if not sooner.