After more than a decade of working bit-by-bit on a novel manuscript that just refused to finish itself, I’m thrilled to announce that my dream of being a published author is finally coming true: at the end of November, “Shades of Teale” will be published in Canada by Manor House Publishing and I couldn’t be happier. American release will follow next spring.
The novel tells the story of one woman’s journey through marriage to divorce and it does so in a style Manor House CEO Michael Davie has characterized as a cross between “Bridget Jones’s Diary” and “The Devil Wears Prada.” The main character, Teale Covey, is a nice young woman pretty much like the rest of us; she faces issues that strike at the core of the most difficult aspects of being a woman and I tell about her experiences with sensitivity and a generous splash of irony.
Early readers have flattered me with the conviction that I am telling my own story here and I love the attention. But, no, I am not my heroine, her husband, David Masterson, is not like any man who has ever shared my toothpaste and my own root family was and is dramatically different from the one whence sprang Teale Covey. The story is fiction and I hope it provides readers with an enjoyable read.
I will have copies available through the new website I’m setting up to promote Teale’s story but I’m told it will also be available on amazon.com and through Chapters online. As a first-time author I can’t guarantee my novel will be available in bookstores in Nanaimo or Fort Lauderdale, but if sales are strong enough, I’m hoping distribution will expand. Feel free to ask your book store about it!
If you’d like to help me promote my novel, please let me know! You can contribute by:
1. Connecting me with notable North American women who might be willing to review the novel and allow me to use their comments to promote it online and in print.
2. Suggesting the names of independent bookstores that might be interested in carrying the book. Stores focused on women’s issues, for example, might be a particularly good fit.
3. Providing me with opportunities to give readings and book signings for your club, organization or business.
4. Offering speaking engagements where I can talk about the novel, meet your friends, colleagues and fellow group members, and sell and sign copies of my book.
5. Following my character, @TealeCovey, on Twitter (she has her own account now!)
I will have news of my website as soon as it’s launched and will keep you posted through my blog of developments as they occur. In the meantime, please feel free to leave a comment here or email me at susan@crossmancommunications.com with your thoughts, ideas and, especially, encouraging words! I appreciate every one!
