Welcome to the Published Authors Network

[Shelagh Watkins]

Welcome to the forum! Please introduce yourself and say a little bit about yourself.

[Shelagh Watkins]

Hi Joe,

Welcome to the forum! Bestselling, successful authors are very much appreciated here!

~Shelagh

[Abe Firestone March]

Hello Joe,
good to see you here. My hometown is York.

[David Robinson]

Hi everybody

I’m David Robinson, from Manchester , NW England.

A former trucker, former adult education teacher, now a dogsbody for a local company, my 3rd novel, The Haunting of Melmerby Manor, has just been published by Virtual Tales. (The first two disappeared without trace 6 years ago, and so did the publisher.)

With the moors a few hundred yards to the east and the city centre 11 miles to the west, I live in a wonderful part of the world with my wife and a crazy West Highland White called Max (known locally as Mad Max because he, like me, is completely crackers.)

I’m a diehard Manchester United supporter, and I’ve been a writer for as long as I can remember (which is an awful long time). I turn out mainly fiction, but some 3rd age, cynically humorous non-fiction, and my biggest fan is my 13-year old granddaughter.

I’m a complete novice when it comes to marketing, and I’m really grateful to Shelagh for aiming me in this direction.

A pleasure to meet you all, and I'm looking forward to learning as I go along.

[Shelagh Watkins]

Hi David,

Welcome to the forum! It's good to see another Lancastrian. Being an Everton fan, I'll have to forgive you for supporting Man. United. Good luck with the latest book!

~Shelagh

[jeanette mccarthy]

Hello. I'm Jeanette. I live in a little village in Leicestershire and work part-time with a local solicitor. I have three border collies (that's them in the picture) or should I say they have me!

I've just self-published my novel "Abandoned", and working hard to get it out there. I'm looking forward to meeting you all.

:)

[Shelagh Watkins]

Hi Jeanette,

Welcome to the forum! You will find lots of friendly folk here and helpful advice about marketing and promoting your book.

[Wayne Sharrocks]

Greetings & salutations!

Just a few words by way of an introduction...

I was born in Camden, London but am now residing in Diss, Norfolk.

After leaving college I embarked on a career within the 'Animal Welfare' sector (RSPCA, Battersea Dogs Home, DEFRA), before returning to my first love of writing.

I currently juggle work at the Suffolk Owl Sanctuary with trying to establish a full-time literary
career.

In 2005 I managed to secure a three-book deal with Pegasus Publishers (Cambridge).
All are dark psychological thrillers (think Val McDermid/Bret Easton Ellis with Gothic
sensibilities!)
My debut novel 'Redemption' was released 23/01/06 (thankfully to positive reviews) with the
sequel 'Dominion' following 08/10/07.
The third (but hopefully not final) contracted novel is currently a work in progress...

My interests are somewhat wide and varied, but include travel, art/design, film, theatre, Egyptology, Atlantis, reading & rock music...

Look forward to conversing with you all in and around the various forums...

www.myspace.com/waynesharrocks

[Shelagh Watkins]

Hi Wayne,

Welcome to the forum! Congratulations on the three-book deal! I hope it leads to many more books!

~Shelagh

[Celia Hayes]

Floyd Orr told the members of the Independent Authors' Guild (www.independentauthorsguild.com) about this network - we're a circle which started as an amazon.com discussion group for writers of historical novels which were independently published, or by small presses.
I have one novel out presently, and a long trilogy about the German settlements in the Texas Hill Country, which is coming out in December, 2008 - which offers operatic levels of practically everything. (true love, war, intrigue, revenge... and cows. Lots of cows)

I live in Texas now... but I grew up in California, and lived for a while in Greece and Spain. I worked in a couple of corporations as an admin/office manager/executive secretary and wrote on the side. About three years ago, I decided I would rather be a writer who did a little office-managing/admin on the side.

And promptly discovered that it's not the writing that is so hard... it's the marketing!

Celia Hayes
author "To Truckee's Trail"
www.celiahayes.com

[Shelagh Watkins]

Hi Celia,

Welcome to the forum! On my behalf, please thank Floyd for the recommendation. I'll check out the website and add a link to the main page.

Good luck with your books -- you are right about the marketing!

~Shelagh

[MCScott]

Hi,
I live in Tennessee with two parents, seven siblings (all younger, thankfully), and a dog. Writing books is all I've wanted to do ever since I was ten. My first book came out in May, and I'm busy writing several others while trying to market the first. Marketing is a learning experience, to say the very least about my short and slight aquaintance with it, but I'm looking forward to the advice of many other authors.

www.freewebs.com/madisonscott

[Shelagh Watkins]

Hi Madison,

Welcome to the forum! I hope you find lots of help and advice here. Good luck with your book!

~Shelagh