Kindle Nation newsletter applauds my publisher, Dream of Things

Kindle Nation Bargain Book Alert: Four Best-Selling Memoirs for 99 Cents Each – Plus Three Bonus Books!

August 15, 2013

By Kindle Nation

Publisher Mike O’Mary

Dream of Things is an indie publisher with a reputation for finding and publishing high-quality memoirs. Each of the memoirs offered today for 99 cents has 50+ reader reviews and ratings of 4+ stars.
“We focus on memoirs and creative nonfiction,” says publisher Mike O’Mary. “Our goal is to provide readers with distinctive voices, meaningful books.” So far, it looks like Dream of Things is succeeding. Check out this great line-up of memoirs – all at ONLY 99 CENTS August 15-17.

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Everything I Never Wanted to Be by Dina Kucera (159 Reviews, 4.6 Stars): “How come people who have experienced such trauma write so well? So raw and funny that it almost makes me want to have horrible things happen to me so my writing will improve.” Joel Stein, Time Magazine columnist

Leaving the Hall Light On by Madeline Sharples (149 Reviews, 4.4 Stars): A mother’s story of living with her son’s bipolar disorder and surviving his suicide. “A moving read of tragedy, trying to prevent it, and coping with life after.” Midwest Book Review

Betty’s Child by Don Dempsey (115 Reviews, 4.7 Stars): In the tradition of Frank McCourt and Angela’s Ashes, the true story of one boy’s ordeals with poverty, violence, religion, and physical and mental abuse as he attempts to come of age with only his street smarts and sense of humor to guide him. “Heartrending and humorous.” Kirkus Reviews

Swimming with Maya by Eleanor Vincent (49 Reviews, 4.4 Stars): Demonstrates the remarkable process of healing after the traumatic death of a loved one. “Vincent’s poignant decision to donate Maya’s organs will resonate with even hard-boiled readers.” Booklist

Bonus books: Dream of Things also publishes anthologies of creative nonfiction – collections of essays that are “short and deep” says O’Mary, with more depth than the typical Chicken Soup story, but shorter and more digestible than Best American Essays. Download these thoughtful and thought-provoking collections for only 99 cents!

Daughters of Absence  (25 Reviews, 4.4 Stars): A collection of twelve essays written by daughters of Holocaust survivors. “A powerful, life-affirming read and a strongly recommended addition to Holocaust studies reading lists and reference collections.” Midwest Book Review

Be There Now  (24 Reviews, 4.8 Stars): Travel stories from around the world. “More of an experience than reportage; I was truly THERE instead of HERE.” Marginalia

Saying Goodbye (29 Reviews, 4.7 Stars): True stories about saying goodbye to the people, places and things in our lives. “Tender perspectives helping readers with their own goodbyes.” Midwest Book Review

Want More? Free and Bargain Quality eBooks delivered straight to your email everyday – Subscribe now http://www.bookgorilla.com/kcc

My writing life in 2012

Writing became a way to live with my son Paul’s bipolar disorder and to survive his suicide as a result. However, I never dreamed it would become my way of life. I still cannot get through the day without writing something. However, in the last few years it has become more than a balm to ease the pain. It has become a joy and a way to meet and interact with some very wonderful writing friends. 

Like writing, I can never have enough Buddhas
(Richard Stock photo)

With that in mind, I thought I write down a few of the highlights of my writing life from 2012, starting with my first publisher’s decision to go out of business. At first I was indeed devastated and then so angry. She closed down with four days warning and cut off our websites even before that. But the devastation and anger were very short lived. I reached out to a few writing friends – especially Keith Alan Hamilton – and got some suggestions about where to query. However, my dear friend and mentor Mark Shelmerdine came through for me yet again. He suggested Mike O’Mary of Dream of Things and within two weeks after I contacted Mike, we had a publishing deal. And I couldn’t be happier with this connection. He produced paperback and eBook editions, began a huge marketing campaign, and scheduled a group of readings and a radio show in Chicago in September. That gave me the opportunity to meet Dina Kucera, another author on the Dream of Things list. Her book Everything I Never Wanted to Be is a sad and funny and heartwarming tour de force.

I also joined a few other Facebook writing groups besides the couple of poetry groups I have been in for the last few years. The National Association of Memoir Writers, Gutsy Indie Publishers, Write Your Life Story, Writing Wranglers, Rabble Writers, to name a few.  Also through Mike’s suggestion that I join Help a Reporter Out (HARO), I got a monthly “paying” writing gig on a site called Aging Bodies and connected with Meryl Hertstein who created Bounce Back Women and is planning an anthology of women who faced adversity and their bounce back stories. Other writing organizations I got involved in this year are Storylane, Story Circle, and She Writes. Too much for sure, but I’m never without some place to submit my words. Speaking of, I also participate in Robert Lee Brewer’s poem a day challenges in April and November and write to his weekly prompts.

Besides I continue to write for Naturally Savvy, PsychAlive, and Open to Hope, Red Room, and my own blog, plus my regular tweets and posts on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Pinterest. I wonder what more is in store for me in 2013. The writing opportunities are indeed endless.

I’ve also increased my speaking and signing engagements this year – speaking about my book, writing to heal, and writing tips in general – on NAMW, Google+ hangouts, at a couple of Great Los Angeles Writers Society-sponsored writer’s conferences, and a wonderful evening at my synagogue on a panel about surviving tragedies – plus participating in the GLAWS booth actually selling and signing at the LA Times Festival of Books and the West Hollywood Book Fair.

And still there is always work to do. This writing life is way more than just sitting down to write. It is so easy to see my time gobbled up with marketing activities.

Probably why I keep putting my historical novel back on the shelf. That is not to say that I’ve made no progress. I’ve gotten to over 90,000 words this year. Actually I’m not looking to write many more words but to flesh out what I have – why I’ve signed on to take a workshop in revising my novel in February at UCLA extension – one of my first formal writing activities in the new year.

It’s so easy to be a lonely writer, so going to GLAWS meetings and interacting on hangouts and roundtables, and taking classes is always a way to learn and network. And through these kinds of activities I’ve made some wonderful writing friends this year who have generously hosted me and my book during my three-month blog tour and wrote guests posts on my blog Choices. I cannot thank them enough. Makes me feel I’m not so alone – that we all have the same questions, misgivings, and thoughts about our writing. Now I know whom my go-to people are for sharing and give and take. As with everything else it takes a village to be a successful writer. I look forward to more interactions in the new year.

Thank you again, my writing friends. I appreciate and love you so much.

Book tour report

The first event was a National Association of Memoir Writers roundtable with Linda Joy Meyers on the subject of:

Keeping Your Book Alive Part I and II: Advice for authors who Need a New Publisher; Low-cost/no-cost Marketing Ideas 

I sat with Mike O’Mary, owner and publisher at, while we talked about what to do if your publisher goes out of business and what it's like to "start over" with a new publisher. And as you probably know already the loss of my original publisher was a blessing in disguise. Mike and I met for the first time just before we went on the air, and he is the dream of Dream of Things.

During the roundtable, Mike and I also talked about what it takes to promote your memoir in today's marketplace, including a variety of low-cost and no-cost ideas that any author can use to promote his/her book. Here’s the link to this roundtable. Mike has a wealth of information about ways to promote your book.

Mike orchestrated the next four book tour events for his other memoir author, Dina Kucera, (Everything I Never Wanted To Be), and me.

We each read last Saturday night at the Chicago Writer’s Association’s Essay Fiesta (part of the weekend's Chicago Writers Conference) in a banquet room at the Rock Bottom Restaurant and Brewery in downtown Chicago. It was first time meeting Dina as well, and it was love at first site. There were six other non-fiction authors reading at this event.

The next three events were on Sunday, starting at seven in the morning with a WGN radio chat on the Sunday Papers with Rick Kogan. We had no idea in advance about what he’d ask, so Mike, Dina, and I just talked with Rick like we’ve known each other forever. And, having just listened to the show, I think it turned out pretty well. Plus, Rick kept plugging our books throughout. How bad could that be?

We all went to breakfast afterward and then Dina and her husband, John, and my husband, Bob, and I took an hour-long architectural cruise on the Chicago River. The architecture is wonderful – the tour guide not so much. I felt like he was doing an hour-long non-stop performance piece. He even played harmonica for us at the end. Plus it was very hot.

Sears Tower in the back

Sunday afternoon we spoke to a group at the Open Books Bookstore – also in downtown Chicago. I’m originally from Chicago and this venue is not very far from where my dad had his textile business. Since only Dina and I appeared we had time to read twenty minutes or so each.

And the last event, Sunday night, was held in a western Chicago suburb, Batavia – forty minutes from downtown at the impressive Water Street Art Studios. In all the years I lived in the Chicago area, I had never heard of Batavia. We were part of a group of five who read poems and nonfiction. A video of a theatrical piece closed the event. Waterline Writers holds these events on the third Sunday of every month. 

Mike best describes how each of these readings went for me:

“I have seen Madeline Sharples read from her memoir and talk about her son's suicide at multiple events. Afterwards, people always come up to Madeline to tell her "My son killed himself too" or "My husband committed suicide," etc. Sometimes the people can't even talk. They are in tears, and they just want to hold Madeline's hand for a minute or ask for a hug. Clearly, there are a lot of people who have experienced the suicide of a loved one. And clearly, they don't have many opportunities to share their grief. That's why they are quick to embrace Madeline when they hear her story. They connect, and they always thank her for sharing her story.”

Not only is Mike a super publisher and book marketer, he is an eloquent writer. I thank him immensely for arranging this tour and great opportunity to share my memoir, Leaving the Hall Light On with others.

Suicide Prevention Day - Monday, September 10

In honor of Suicide Prevention Day, my publisher Mike O'Mary of Dream of Things is offering free Kindle copies of my memoir, Leaving the Hall Light On: A Mother's Memoir of Living with Her Son's Suicide and Surviving His Suicide. Here's what he says:

Hello Friends!

I have a couple of updates for you...

First of all, next Monday, September 10, is Worldwide Suicide Prevention Day, and on September 8, 9 & 10, Amazon will be giving away free copies of the Kindle edition of Madeline Sharples’ Leaving the Hall Light On. 

Madeline’s memoir is an informative and inspiring
story about the circumstances surrounding her son’s suicide, and about how she and her family have been affected. Here’s what Fran Edstrom of the American Association of Suicidology had to say:

"Sharples tells it like it is, baring her soul to the reader. In doing so, she allows the reader to address and ponder the usually unspoken side of coping with mental illness and suicide. I recommend this book
to suicide survivors and to mental health professionals. Sharples is much more honest about what it is like to survive suicide than most patients and clients allow themselves to be.”

Also, for those of you in the Chicago area, I want to invite you to meet Madeline and Dina Kucera, author of Everything I Never Wanted to Everything I Never Wanted To Be, when they come to Chicago on September 16 to be guests on WGN’s “The Sunday Papers” with Rick Kogan. That afternoon, they will be at Open Books in the River North area of Chicago, and that evening they will be at Waterline Writers in Batavia. The Waterline Writers event will also feature Robin Metz (winner of the Rainer Maria Rilke International Poetry Award), Adrienne Novy and Frank Rutledge in a reading/discussion titled “Loss and Profit: Writing from Personal Tragedy.”

Both events are free and open to the public. For more information, click on the following links:

 Sun Sept 16, 2 pm: Open Books, Chicago, IL - info on Facebook
<http://www.facebook.com/#!/events/108587342626541/>
 or Eventbrite <http://newmemoirs.eventbrite.com/>

 Sun Sept 16, 7 pm: Waterline Writers, Batavia, IL - info on Facebook
<http://www.facebook.com/#!/events/259069697529406/>
 or at WaterlineWriters.org <http://www.waterlinewriters.org/>

If you are NOT in the Chicago area, you can see video of the Waterline Writers event at WaterlineWriters.org a few days after the event.

Thanks!

Mike O’Mary

Thanks so much, Mike, for all that you do.