Sunday, August 15, 2010

Hi! from SherryT

Hi! My name is Sherry Thompson, and I am one of the newest members of YAAYNHO. Don’t you just love our acronym? It kind of encapsulates the two defining experiences of most of us here: 1. “Yaay! I’ve been published! and 2. Nho! Why is no one reading my book?
About myself:
I’ve been making up stories since I was in elementary school but I never wrote any of them down until 1979 when I was 33 years old. I wrote the first draft of “Seabird” in longhand. As soon as the draft was complete, I told my family that I had committed book-writing and took them all out to dinner, at which we celebrated the start of my new career. Yeah. Right. What did we know in those days.
In January 2008, almost 29 years later, Gryphonwood Press published the umpteenth revision of “Seabird”, a fantasy for older young adults. ( http://tinyurl.com/35xu8d ) The book introduces the planet of Narenta, which bears some resemblance to medieval Europe. However Narenta has three “peoples” and some fairly bizarre plants and animals. Magic exists in two forms—Alphesaic enchantment or “good” magic and sorcery or “bad” magic.
In times of crisis, young people are brought from their own planets to assist the Narentans with skills and talents that many of them do not know they possess. Recently, these young people have been found on Earth. Cara Marshall is the Outworlder in “Seabird”, and she is definitely not pleased at what’s happened to her, especially since she is in the middle of her summer vacation at the beach.
Back in 1980, while looking for a publisher, I began writing the sequel to “Seabird”, titled “Earthbow”, and followed that with additional material for the series. Gryphonwood published “Earthbow Vol.1” ( http://amzn.to/cTsAxM ) in March, and “Earthbow Vol.2” is due out in about a month. (I’m currently awaiting the proof.) Cara’s younger brother, Xander, is the Outworlder in “Earthbow”.
Dave Wood, my publisher, wants to know what I’m working on next so I guess that means he intends to publish it. ;)
So I have a publisher, and the first books have gotten some great reviews! Yaay! According to the sales stats, I just don’t have a reading public. Nho! As most of us know, that’s what happens when a small press chooses to publish our books. Small start-up presses just don’t have the money or the personnel to help publicize their books. In fact, increasingly, all publishers expect their non-A-list authors to shoulder that burden, pretty much unassisted. For me, publicizing is largely trying to maintain an online presence, sneaking my books into a couple of local book stores, and attending the occasional East Coast SF/Fantasy convention. Next up, by the way, will be PhilCon in November.
Right now, I am sorting through the humungous manuscript that I began writing as soon as the first draft of “Earthbow” was finished. Originally titled “The Gryphon and the Basilisk”, it too takes place on Narenta and will involve an Earth teen (Luisa) as the Outworlder sent for in the face of a terrible crisis. “G&B” is fated to become one of those fantasy trilogy thingies. Maybe even a tetralogy! I refer to it sometimes as “The Behemoth, or the book that intends to eat Delaware”.
I hope someone buys a copy of it some day.
SherryT KhivasMommy AT gmail DOT com

14 comments:

  1. I had to laugh when I read your breakdown of our acronym. It's so true! Nho!

    I look forward to reading your work!

    Kathi

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  2. Hi SherryT. I enjoyed learning about you and your books. Great breakdown of the acronym.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I agree with the acronym too!

    Also I can so relate with the whole getting great reviews but no one can find the book. Just the other day my stepfather went into a bookstore and asked the manager, "So where is Kim's book around here?" LOL.

    I've sold on consignment through this one little Indie bookstore during SCBWI conferences but always felt kind of like I was begging for that priviledge. Still some books did sell!

    My biggest dream is to be able to see my books in a bookstore and have a tiny taste of the PR some of the other authors get. Is that too much to ask for?

    Great post by the way!

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  4. Small success can lead to big success, right? Great post and your books sound really interesting!

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  5. Hi Sherry. I love your sense of humor. You made my day. Congratulations on your books. I hope they become best sellers.

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  6. Hey, Sherry! Congratulations on becoming a member of this blogging team. I'll make an announcement on the Written Remains blog and send folks your way. I like your sense of humor, too. Great post!

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  7. Hi, Sherry!

    I'll be honest--I'm here to plug. Sherry's books, that is. I've read both Seabird and Earthbow Volume 1, and *loved* them. Sherry can really write!

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  8. I just want to offer everyone a belated thanks for their warm welcome, best wishes, and compliments on my sense of humor. (!)

    Just telling it like it is, guys! Kat, thanks for the plug. You'll be getting something in the mail.


    Kim, funny about your stepfather! I've run into that from friends who aren't writers,
    "Uh, well, if you're interested, you can order it through Amazon..."
    "Thanks, but I never do online. It's in Borders, right?"
    "Er, ... no. Well, maybe as a special order..."
    (friend's eyes glazing over)


    Sherry Thompson

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  9. My review of Sherry's excellent story is entitled:

    Seabird Flies!!

    Cara-The-Feisty Rules In Debut Of Narentan Fantasy Series

    It can be found at
    http://vantiltool.blogspot.com/2010/06/review-of-sherry-thompsons-seabird.html

    I had more fun writing this review than any other reviews I have written. By The Way, Cara-The-Feisty is the title I gave her; Sherry does not use it.

    Sincerely,
    Forrest Schultz

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  10. Forrest! I'm glad you found your way here. Thanks for the plug!

    Sherry Thompson

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  11. Hi Sherry! Welcome to the world of nearly famous authors!! And serial exclamatists!

    Have you seen a mostly-bald, fantasy author from Florida anywhere? Rumor has it that there were a couple of books in process, with deep characters, snappy dialog and lots of suspense and intrigue - all set in a strange, new world.

    Any-hoo, if you see him, tell him to get busy will you? I can't wait to read those darn things.

    By the way, if anyone needs a good book to read, start with Seabird...it is the bomb.com

    X

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  12. Hi, Xanthorpe! Love all of the exclamation points!

    I'm not sure that "obscure" and "never heard of" equate with "nearly famous"; although I'm sure everyone here hopes that you're right.

    Haven't seen much of this guy. I agree that he should get busy and get himself pubbed by an indie press so that he can join this group. We need a professional exclamatist in our midst!

    Sherry Thompson

    ReplyDelete
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