I got my proof from Create Space

I give credit when credit is due. Create Space did a fabulous job! I gave my proof to one of good friends to read, and so far so good. Two hundred pages read and one hundred to go, so I'm hoping that she'll give me two thumbs up tomorrow.

So now that the book is written, what's next? I made a book trailer. I'm finishing up on my website. I need to read up on marketing because I don't have a clue. I honestly believe my book, if put in proper hands, will do very well. It's timely. It's the L Word meets Waiting to Exhale. What happens when you're the victim of domestic dispute and you leave your man and move in with your best friend who happens to be a lesbian? The answer... all hell breaks lose, and the drama unfolds.

I really enjoyed writing my book and I love my characters. There's Annette, the black, broke as hell mother of a six-year-old, trying to make it. There's Monica, her bad-ass best friend, who's white and a lesbian. There's Gabriella, Monica's Spanish ex-girlfriend, who's a lawyer and ends up befriending Annette. Annette's father is a racist, homophobe who says what he means and means what he says. Montel is Annette's ex-boyfriend, who'd rather put Annette through hell than to have her leave him. Anthony is Annette's son, the glue that keeps her together. And then there are the girls: Rosa, Lisa and Angie. The story is tight and the characters are down to earth.

So, again, the trick will be marketing... the topic is timely but taboo. It's not Brokeback Mountain (though, Brokeback Mountain did very well); still, there's a "lesbian theme". Speaking of, as I was on Linkedin, I had a conversation about really going for it... writing topics that people may not feel comfortable writing... taboo topics. I was telling a writer to just go for it. He said, "Wouldn't you be afraid of losing your job or your friends?" or something like that. My response was something like, you can't be afraid to write what's in your heart or you're robbing yourself... you only live once and you could always use a pen. I suppose I was trying to pep myself up. I truly care about what people think, and there are going to be some haters hating. But what do I do? Shy away and put my pretty little book on the shelf? No. I can see this novel selling well around the world. Got to have a dream right? Might as well dream big.

All this to say, I need some help. I'm not shy. Well, I'm am, but you don't know that. :-) Seriously. Any help, would be so much appreciated.

~ Jennifer