CONTESTS AND WAITING

Before I share my exciting news, a little background.

Like all writers, we write our stories and send them off. Often we hear from someone right away; sometimes not. We tuck our story in a dusty filing cabinet of the mind and wait. One day months and months later, an email arrives…your story is accepted! And so it went for me.

In Spring 2014, I entered a writing contest sponsored by Women’s Memoirs. The story I chose to write didn’t fit into any of the contest categories, so I submitted under a “wild card” category. My submission told the story of how my parents met, a favorite of mine.

Months went by. I heard nothing. More months went by and in Spring 2015 I received an email from Matilda Butler, one of the forces behind Women’s Memoirs. My story had been accepted! It would be part of an anthology.

HERE’S THE EXCITING NEWS

Now my story and the wonderful stories by my sister co-winners have been published in a two-volume anthology series entitled TALES OF OUR LIVES (Fork in the Road and Reflection Pond). My story is One Pack of Cigarettes and is in Tales of Our Lives: Fork in the Road.

Beginning today, January 8 at 8 am (PST), each volume will be just $.99 for the first 53 hours. (That’s a 76% discount.) Prices will go up by $1 each 53 hours until they reach the retail price of $3.99. (Amazon only allows these discounts in the US and the UK unfortunately. But even if you can’t get the special pricing, the full list price is quite low–$3.99 in the US.)

I’d love for you to read the 81 stories in the two volumes–mine and those of other authors as well. I also wanted you to know about the great initial pricing. Below are links to the books. I’ve listed the US links first (amazon.com), the UK links second (amazon.co.uk), and the Canadian links third (amazon.ca).

US:
Tales of Our Lives: Fork in the Road
http://amzn.to/20VYNJq

Tales of Our Lives: Reflection Pond
http://amzn.to/1MQGKdk

UK:
Tales of Our Lives: Fork in the Road (UK)
http://amzn.to/1Jt3gh5

Tales of Our Lives: Reflection Pond (UK)
http://amzn.to/1Pezv07

CA:
Tales of Our Lives: Fork in the Road (Canada)
http://amzn.to/1SyPM5q

Tales of Our Lives: Reflection Pond (Canada)
http://amzn.to/1mEVE0s

UNIQUE FEATURES

There are two unique aspects of these anthologies. In addition to the narratives of these women’s life stories, the editor has included the introduction to her new writing methodology (Writing Alchemy.) If you’re thinking of writing about your life or the lives of others in your family, then you’ll want to read that chapter.

Second, the editor begins each section with a series of prompts that will help you to think about your own life stories–stories you may want to share with your family. These two writing tools help make these volumes even more than a good read. You get 81 powerful stories and 98 prompts.

ADVANCE REVIEWS

TALES OF OUR LIVES IS A RICH COLLECTION OF INSPIRING STORIES THAT ACT AS WINDOWS INTO REAL WOMEN’S LIVES AND SHARED EXPERIENCES. LIKE BEADS ON A STRING, THESE SHORT BUT POWERFUL MEMOIRS LEAD US THROUGH LIFE’S STAGES AND TURNING POINTS, FROM COMING OF AGE THROUGH RELATIONSHIPS, FROM MARRIAGE AND CHILDREN THROUGH ILLNESS, LOSS, AND DIFFICULT DECISIONS. IF YOU EVER HAD ANY DOUBTS ABOUT THE INNATE ABILITY OF ORDINARY TO OVERCOME LIFE’S CHALLENGES AND THRIVE, THIS COLLECTION OF STORIES WILL LAY THOSE DOUBTS TO REST AND INSPIRE YOU TO SHARE YOUR OWN STORIES WITH OTHERS. ~AMBER LEA STARFIRE, AUTHOR OF NOT THE MOTHER I REMEMBER: A MEMOIR

TALES OF OUR LIVES OFFERS AN IMPORTANT LOOK AT LIFE THROUGH ITS KALEIDOSCOPE OF PERSONAL PERSPECTIVES. GIRLS WRITE ABOUT STANDOUT EXPERIENCES OF CHILDHOOD AND WOMEN WRITE ABOUT TURNING POINTS THROUGHOUT THEIR LIVES, ENGAGING AND TEACHING US ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS AND WHAT’S POSSIBLE. ~SUZANNE SHERMAN, AUTHOR 100 YEARS IN THE LIFE OF AN AMERICAN GIRL: TRUE STORIES 1910-2010 (WWW.100YEARSINTHELIFE.COM)

A SMALL REQUEST AND MY THANKS

After you’ve read the stories, all the women would appreciate your leaving a short review on Amazon.

Thanks for taking the time to read and for your ongoing support and encouragement in my writing life,

Sherrey

~~ Contributor | One Pack of Cigarettes appearing in
Tales of Our Lives anthology series (January 8, 2016)

PS We’re trying to get our Amazon ranking as high as possible. It would be great if you’d consider letting your friends and contacts know about these ebooks. The stories will inspire, intrigue, and captivate. These “peeks” into the lives of others are a great to reflect on our own lives.

PPS I just received word that Tales of Our Lives is already an award-winning anthology at the New England Book Festival, Honorable Mention.

PPPS The FTC requires me to disclose that I am an Amazon Affiliate.