SeLF: I'm getting nervous. So far, I've not heard from the doctor who will do my foot surgery. I understand why...not enough family doctors or specialists, like the orthopedic surgeon mentioned above. Also, I've been dealing with IBS. As of now, I've not experienced any nasty episodes for almost a week. I'm hoping it will stay that way.

Anyway, I had intended to start working on Chapter 12 of Weapon, the sequel to Thaumaturge. However, with the aforementioned problems, I have not been able to really focus on the characters. BUT, I'm hoping that I'll be able to focus on developing a few chapters and then getting them posted to Fan Story.

I've missed Fan Story!!


SeLF: When I do get out of hospital and back to my suite, I will probably spend a lot of time sitting in this chair in front of my computer and monitor. My hope is to get some decent writing done since I can't go jogging!
SeLF
    mrsmajor: Take care, Feel better and Get better! -


SeLF: I'm SO glad to have my computer back. It went bonkers a while back, and I ended up starting from scratch to get Windows 7 back up and running without any of my files. There were other annoying problems which showed up, but a professional computer tech spent two and a half hours with me yesterday to get everything straightened out. Thank you, Cristal, of Cristal Clear Services for your patience and help.
SeLF


SeLF: On Friday, August 23rd, I found a real treat in my snail mail. It was my first, (and maybe my last), royalty cheque for "Thaumaturge". It's not a big one, but it's still a freaking royalty cheque! So, I made a copy to put on the wall next to my computer table to offer inspiration or validation on the tough days.

It left me feeling kind of giddy. Nice, though; I received payment from a publisher for something I wrote. It's confirmation.

Maybe I can do this!
    nor84: I know how you feel. I photocopied my check from Reader's Digest when they paid me for a short piece published a few years back in one of their magazines. -
    Patti R.: That is fantastic, Sharon! Congratulations! -
    SeLF: Thanks, nor84 and Patti R. for your comments. -
    SeLF: Thaumaturge, by S.L. Fummerton (c'est moie)is available at www.amazon.ca for Canadians and www.amazon.com for Americans. -


SeLF: I've been packing my belongings for the move next weekend and doing a lot of laundry and ironing. So, when I wearily sank into my computer chair today to check my e-mails, I was pleasantly surprised, delighted, actually, to find that Lindsey Huckabee, an author representative at Infinity Publishing, had posted my author interview for "Thaumaturge" early this morning. Be still my heart! If you would like to check it out, the interview can be found at: blog.infinitypublishing.com.
    Patti R.: You must be over the moon, S. Good luck with your move, I'm thinking of you. As soon as I have a quiet few minutes I intend to read your interview. So cool! -
    SeLF: Thank you, Patti R., for your supportive words. Regarding the interview on IP's blog, I was pleasantly surprised, again, and touched, by the lovely comment left by E.H. White Jr. -


SeLF: The book launch for "Thaumaturge" was held here at the house on Sunday, April 28th. It was great fun. I did two readings: the prologue: Living in Limbo, and then a bit from Chapter One: Transmogrification Begins. I didn't want to read sections where there were different characters, talking about other characters, because my (captive) audience wouldn't know who they were. So, the readings went very well. We had appies and libations, and everyone had a great time. And, I even sold some books!!!
    Patti R.: Wow! That is such great news, S. I want a copy, signed! I'll PM you for an address.
    -


SeLF: Well, "Thaumaturge" is now available in print from Infinity Publishing. I had to read the message twice from an author rep who told me she had just placed a new listing announcement on their Facebook page about it. I am awaiting truck delivery by UPS for the comp books and the additional fifteen I ordered. Once I have them, there will be a modest book launching tea/coffe/wine&chesse party here at the house. There are some people who want to buy the book. I know. I was flabbergasted, too!
    Aaron James: Best wishes for your launch and happy selling! -
    Patti R.: This is fantastic, S.!!
    I wish I could be there - at your house party! Wow, congratulations.
    Patti -
    SeLF: Thank you Aaron James and Patti R. for your best wishes. Patti, it would be such a treat if you were here for the yet-to-be-scheduled get-together.

    Of course, there's always the possibility that "Thaumaturge" will prove to be a bomb. But, if only a few people like it, I will be one very happy camper.
    SeLF/Sharon
    -
    Patti R.: Overall, Sharon, are you happy with your experience with the publisher?
    -
    SeLF: So far, so good. I know when I was gnashing my teeth and tearing my hair over the self-editing process (it took nine book proofs to eliminate the SPAG errors), my author representative was as steady as Gibraltar. She said it was better to find the errors before printing instead of after. BTW, any SPAG that one might find is my fault, not the publisher's. I've discussed the whole adventure of self-editing on my blogger blog with Google. The blog is titled "Ruminations" and the address is writerwannabe@blogspot.com. I also have some posts at a blog with WordPress, which is better suited for those with greater tech knowledge than I have, for sure. Just go to sfummerton.com for that one.
    I hope to have my book order arrive by UPS during this week, or next. But, because it's coming cross continent by truck from Pennsylvanis to B.C., it could take even longer because of all the snow storms that keep hammering the eastern half of North America.
    I'm dying to see how it looks! ;o) -
    SeLF: On Tuesday, April 2nd, I received the box with my book order. I was pleased, but subdued as well. It was kind of surreal to hold the novel in my hands after all this time, beginning in 2004. It was my membership on this site that really got me going. I took out a year's membership, and it took me a year to post the book, chapter by chapter. I finished the Epilogue with a few days to spare. ;-)

    So, I owe a BIG THANKS to FanStory, and an even bigger one to FanStory members who took the time to stop by, read, and in some cases, write reviews. I'm amazed that people are still stopping by to read "Thaumaturge". Thank you.

    In case anyone is interested, "Thaumaturge" can be found on AmazonBooks.com. Look on the left side of the page, scroll down, and you'll find a tiny photo of the cover page. If you click on it, you'll get a larger view with some descriptions of the book.
    Also, you can go to: wwwfacebook.com/pages/Infinity-Publishing and their page will come up. There is a blurb there about "Thaumaturge" and how to order directly from them at:
    www.bbotw.com (This abbreviation stands for Buy Books On The Web). Just FYI. -


SeLF: At the risk of sounding redundant, I want to thank the members of FanStory who still drop by to read what I've posted. Maybe it's a couple of chapters from "Weapon", the sequel to "Thaumaturge" which I hope to get back to as soon as "Thaumaturge" is officially published and available for purchase. That idea alone makes me a wee bit giddy just to think about it.

I'm still surprised, but pleased and grateful, by the FanStory members who read chapters from "Thaumaturge". The book version will be slightly different from the one on FanStory. No big, whopping changes, just ones I hope make the novel better written, as in less clumsy sentence structure and more conciseness and clarity.

You learn as you go, right? I vacillate between believing my story is a good one, and believing my shortcomings as a newbie-writer will have close readers rolling their eyes and gnashing their (style)teeth in frustration. :o(

I've already posted a message about the importance of having detached/distant editors of all descriptions go over one's work. Being a member of FanStory has helped me improve as a writer. Really, it has. I now see style errors I would have been oblivious to a couple of years ago.

Let's hear it for the FanStory members who took the time to name/highlight the shortcomings of our writings.

With immense gratitude,
Self
    Patti R.: Hi you!
    I rarely come to this page, and tonight I did - and here you are! Still playing that ol' waiting game, hey? Do you have snow yet? I here it's pouring in Vancouver today, which (you guessed it!) means it is blowing outa the west like a Banshee here! We have snow, but the chinook wind will have it drifted, then melted by tomorrow night...the kids are hoping the drifts will prevent the school bus from getting here in the a.m.!! It's happened at least once every year...
    I'm waiting along with you, Sharon!
    Can't wait to buy my copy (signed I hope!) when they are hot off the press!
    Patti R. -
    SeLF: Hello! It started snowing here a couple of hours ago. It's the cold that bothers me -- that's common for people with fibro. Damp cold like they experience in Vancouver is murder for us fi-mys. It settles into the bone marrow and feels as though one's internal organs are turning into a slushy!

    Yes, I'm waiting for the second proof to scan for errors, correct them on the proof corrections sheet, send it back, along with the signed proof approval form. The tech folk fix the errors, and the book gets printed, for real. A week ago Saturday, I found a sturdy brown envelope on my chair in the living room. It was from the self-publishing company, and contained my novel. It was a book proof, so there were still typos and spacing errors in it, but it was great to see the cover and the notes on the back cover, not to mention the ISBN number on the back of the inside Title page along with "copyright 2012 S.L. Fummerton". I was a little dizzy when I saw that. Either that, or I was having a vertigo episode, LOL.

    Don't your children get tomorrow off as a statuatory holiday for Remembrance Day?

    I faithfully read your posts when the notifications arrive in my message box.

    I'm so pleased you dropped me a line.

    All of you take care and stay bright.
    Sharon
    -


SeLF: Well, I've filled out the corrections form for my book proof. Now, I send it back to the publisher, the tech folk make the corrections, then send me another book proof to be scanned for any other errors. I want to send this form on its way by Monday at the latest.

It's both exciting and nerve-wracking, this self publishing thing. it's probably just as nerve wracking for writer's who have contracts with a traditional publisher.

I want to say here that I do have two big regrets.
1. Due to lack of funds, I was not able to utilize the self-publishing offers for editing. It is SO important. I know and understand that. I just didn't have the financial resources.
2. For the same reasons as mentioned above, I did not have the resources to commission an artist to create the book cover I really wanted for "Thaumaturge".

So, why am I doing it this way? Time, and lack of funds. I don't know how much time I have left to me here on terra firma. Nor do I see my financial situation improving dramatically anytime soon.

Let me go on the record now for admitting/knowing that having a great editor is SO important. He/she can make your good book into a great, well-written one because of their hard-earned writing knowledge and skills.

I hope to get back to posting more chapters for "Weapon" after "Thaumaturge" is in print.


Salus et vita to all.
SeLF
    SeLF: It seems that the self-publishing company received the forms for corrections for my novel today, in spite of the "nor' easter" hammering the east coast of the U.S.

    What happens now is that the formatting/tech crew go through the novel again, send me another book proof so that I may make note of any stupid/silly punctuation and grammer errors still present so I can correct them, and then I send the corrections back to them, which they correct, and then they print the book, for real!

    Yikes! No pressure there! ;o)

    "Thaumaturge" might actually be in print before Christmas! Woo-Hoo!

    Now, if only I could figure out the problem of making "comments" an easy effort on my blog! LOL.

    This has been a BIG learning experience. Even if my novel turns out to be a total dud, I will have learned a great deal about the writing and publishing process.

    Believe me, when anyone tells you that writing is difficult/hard work, PLEASE, believe them, 'cuz it's true!

    Malcolm Gladwell wrote in chapter two of "The Outliers" that it requires 10,000 hours of effort/practise in ANY discipline to become skilled at it.

    There are a good many people who think that writing is just about throwing words at the page, and you end up with a masterpiece. DUH!! So NOT the case!

    I enthusiastically recommend "The Outliers" if you'd like a really interesting, informative, and enlightening read!!

    Sharon -