Carole Bellacera’s March 2012 Newsletter
Are you serious? It’s March again already??? Man, March comes around faster every year. You know what March means to me? Not the appearance of the first crocus, (which, by the way, appeared here in Virginia in February) not St. Patrick’s Day…no, for me, March means…another birthday!!! (When did birthdays change from something to celebrate to…oh, shit, I’m another year older?) I will be starting my last year of my 50th decade. Now, that’s a horrifying thought! I still clearly remember my 30th birthday and how traumatic that was. It seems impossible that was 29 years ago. Needless to say, I’m not all that excited about another birthday, but what can you do? Like death and taxes, they come whether you want them to or not.
But one good thing about March…no, two goods things—1) We’re visiting Leah, Zac and our grandsons in Destin, Florida for a week. In fact, we’ll be there on my birthday, March 11th…so if I have to have a birthday, at least I get to spend it with Luke and ZZ. And 2) My new novel, LILY OF THE SPRINGS, will be out in print and e-book. You can read the prologue right now at this link:
http://www.carolebellacera.com/books/LillyOfTheSprings.aspx
And here’s the link to the book trailer:
http://animoto.com/play/5oDSGDGlrZCdBgGX5hkuxg
So…I guess March is going to be a good month, after all. And I forgot all about how much fun I’m having rehearsing for the big American Legion show at the end of the month. Who knew it would be so much fun playing Marilyn, Karen Carpenter and Nancy Sinatra? Yes, the costume changes are a little stressful, but I’m honored to be asked to play three very different stars. Here’s a link to a photo of me as Marilyn. (Okay…what Marilyn might’ve looked like if she’d lived to 50-something.)
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1049116991#!/photo.php?fbid=3065058899326&set=a.1552516086701.77089.1049116991&type=1&theater
Thanks to all of you who entered my Valentine’s Day Blog Hop contest. The three winners were: Mary Hay from Nashville, MI, Anne Muller from Evanston, IL and Gail Hurt from Junction City, KY. And a special congratulations goes to Mary Hay who was one of the two big winners at the Book Lovin’ Babes website—she won a diamond pendant for entering my contest. And congratulations, also, Sara Wilson from Hampton, VA, the winner of my March website contest. She chose a copy of TANGO’S EDGE and also received one of my jewelry pieces from Beautiful Evening Beads. Be sure and stop by my website this month to enter my contest. You might be my next winner! http://www.carolebellacera.com/contact/contest.aspx
I hope all of you have a wonderful March!
Blessings,
Carole
Showing posts with label authors. Show all posts
Showing posts with label authors. Show all posts
Monday, March 19, 2012
Friday, September 2, 2011
Carole Bellacera's September Newsletter
Greetings, Readers.
Can you believe how fast summer went by? Yeah, I know...it's still warm outside and we're still doing summer-like things--swimming, cooking out, going to the beach...etc. But let's face it, the days are much shorter now. I realized that last night when Frank got home from tennis late, and I was setting the table for dinner out on our screened porch--the censor motion light came on. And my heart sank.
I'M NOT READY FOR WINTER! Or autumn, for that matter. Boy, have I changed. Back a few years ago when I was still an avid skier, I always looked forward to the cool, crisp weather of fall because I knew in a matter of months, we'd be heading up to Vermont for our annual ski trip. But then my sister, Kathy, had to go and break her leg--on the last run of the last day of vacation, and Frank and I haven't been skiing since. Seeing what Kathy went through in her recuperation put the fear of God in me. A broken leg may not sound like much, but believe me, when you're a woman of a certain age (or a man, for that matter) it's a big deal. Thus, Frank and I (mainly because of me) have given up skiing, opting to take a cruise every couple of years rather than the annual ski trip. I guess that means we're officially old.
So, no, I don't look forward to autumn and winter anymore. It's just another reminder to me that another summer has come and gone, and who knows how many more will be in my future? I know how that sounds. Geez, the woman must be depressed! But no, I'm really not. Really!!! I take full enjoyment out of every day, and I'm grateful for all my blessings--and I have a lot of blessings. I just guess at this point in my life, I'm more conscious of the passage of time, and isn't that normal?
Anyway, I'm looking forward to our annual Myrtle Beach vacation next week, and praying (with all my might) that Hurricane Katia will not be a threat. (The grandsons are joining us, and if I don't get my baby fix, I don't know what I'll do.)
Speaking of hurricanes and earthquakes, can you believe last week? I was standing in the kitchen, unloading the dishwasher when the earthquake happened. Everything started to shake, and my initial thought was that our practically new clothes washer had gone off-balanced again. But it didn't take me long to realize we were actually having an earthquake. I was in a smaller one in Hawaii years ago, but it was nothing like this. I wouldn't say I was scared, but it sure was disconcerting. And then Hurricane Irene--we didn't get much of an effect here in Northern Virginia, but it sure made an impact east of us. And those poor people in Vermont really got hammered! I think one hurricane per season is quite enough, don't you? (Please, Katia, stay away from land!!!)
Hey, guess what? I have exciting news! TANGO'S EDGE, my romantic suspense novel about an American ice dancer helping a Russian ice dancer to defect, will be available in PRINT very soon. Stay tuned for more about that...
Be sure and stop by my website and enter my monthly drawing for a copy of one of my books and a unique jewelry piece from Beautiful Evening Beads. www.CaroleBellacera.com
And have a great September!!!
Blessings,
Carole
Can you believe how fast summer went by? Yeah, I know...it's still warm outside and we're still doing summer-like things--swimming, cooking out, going to the beach...etc. But let's face it, the days are much shorter now. I realized that last night when Frank got home from tennis late, and I was setting the table for dinner out on our screened porch--the censor motion light came on. And my heart sank.
I'M NOT READY FOR WINTER! Or autumn, for that matter. Boy, have I changed. Back a few years ago when I was still an avid skier, I always looked forward to the cool, crisp weather of fall because I knew in a matter of months, we'd be heading up to Vermont for our annual ski trip. But then my sister, Kathy, had to go and break her leg--on the last run of the last day of vacation, and Frank and I haven't been skiing since. Seeing what Kathy went through in her recuperation put the fear of God in me. A broken leg may not sound like much, but believe me, when you're a woman of a certain age (or a man, for that matter) it's a big deal. Thus, Frank and I (mainly because of me) have given up skiing, opting to take a cruise every couple of years rather than the annual ski trip. I guess that means we're officially old.
So, no, I don't look forward to autumn and winter anymore. It's just another reminder to me that another summer has come and gone, and who knows how many more will be in my future? I know how that sounds. Geez, the woman must be depressed! But no, I'm really not. Really!!! I take full enjoyment out of every day, and I'm grateful for all my blessings--and I have a lot of blessings. I just guess at this point in my life, I'm more conscious of the passage of time, and isn't that normal?
Anyway, I'm looking forward to our annual Myrtle Beach vacation next week, and praying (with all my might) that Hurricane Katia will not be a threat. (The grandsons are joining us, and if I don't get my baby fix, I don't know what I'll do.)
Speaking of hurricanes and earthquakes, can you believe last week? I was standing in the kitchen, unloading the dishwasher when the earthquake happened. Everything started to shake, and my initial thought was that our practically new clothes washer had gone off-balanced again. But it didn't take me long to realize we were actually having an earthquake. I was in a smaller one in Hawaii years ago, but it was nothing like this. I wouldn't say I was scared, but it sure was disconcerting. And then Hurricane Irene--we didn't get much of an effect here in Northern Virginia, but it sure made an impact east of us. And those poor people in Vermont really got hammered! I think one hurricane per season is quite enough, don't you? (Please, Katia, stay away from land!!!)
Hey, guess what? I have exciting news! TANGO'S EDGE, my romantic suspense novel about an American ice dancer helping a Russian ice dancer to defect, will be available in PRINT very soon. Stay tuned for more about that...
Be sure and stop by my website and enter my monthly drawing for a copy of one of my books and a unique jewelry piece from Beautiful Evening Beads. www.CaroleBellacera.com
And have a great September!!!
Blessings,
Carole
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Carole Bellacera's June Newsletter
June 2011 Newsletter
Dear Friends & Fans:
Greetings from the Bluegrass State of Kentucky!!! I’m here visiting my beautiful Avon representative sister, Kathy. www.youravon.com/kathyfoley. We’ve been having so much fun, and I’ve been spending way too much money (a lot of it on Kathy’s Avon products—she’s a great saleswoman!)
On my second night here, Kathy hosted a fantastic cocktail party for me with her friends and clients. We had lots of good food and wine, (yes, wine…even though we’re in a dry county here) and she had my books on display for new readers (which was pretty much everyone…except for Linda.) I met some really nice ladies, all of whom are talented in their own right (you know who I’m talking about—Linda, Brenda, Donna, Dorothy, June, Pam.) What a blast!
This whole week has been a blast. You know how I like “junkin,” right? I know I’ve mentioned that. Well, Kathy does, too. And just in case you don’t know what I mean, we like to go to consignment shops, thrift shops, junk stores (and there are a lot of them around here) and just see what we can find. Well, we found some treasures this week, let me tell you! But more importantly, we had some experiences that we’ll laugh about for years. Case in point—we were in Goodwill, me, Kathy and Linda, and I had a wardrobe malfunction. It actually started before we left the house. I put on this blouse that had a cut which made it impossible to hide my bra straps, so Kathy offered to let me borrow her strapless Victoria’s Secret bandeaux. I accepted. My first mistake. I had my suspicions about this thing from the beginning. So, we’re in Goodwill, and I’m moving around, checking out shorts and Capri’s (good news! I’d lost 5 pounds in the past month, and gone down a size.) Unfortunately, I wasn’t the only thing moving around. That damn bra kept…slipping, and the girls were…well, popping out. (How on earth these nubile young women wear these as outerwear, I’ll never understand!) Finally, I’d had enough. I was standing at the back of the store, and in a moment of complete insanity, I reached under my top, pulled that offending thing down to my waist, over my skirt and let it fall to my ankles. Only then did I look up (as Kathy and Linda, a few aisles over, we’re convulsed in laughter) and see this man down at the end of the aisle, his eyes agog, his mouth hanging open in complete astonishment. I quickly stepped out of the bandeaux, and only then did I realize what it must’ve looked like. Let’s just say that I was, no doubt, the subject of conversation at somebody’s dinner table that night.
Anyway, shopping wasn’t the only thing we did this week. We did a lot of eating—as much fattening stuff as we could possibly stuff into our mouths—and drinking of the nectar of the gods. (We are not good for each other, but we sure have fun.)
Last night we drove to Kathy’s friend’s house out in the country—way out in the country. Donna owns this beautiful farm of 12 acres, pasture and woodlands, with a beautiful creek running behind her house. We met her goats (up close and personal) and her horses, dogs and cats. As soon as I get home, I’m going to put a video on Facebook of Donna’s goats. They are so cool! Did I ever tell you how much I love goats?
Anyway, the week is drawing to a close. I’m leaving for home tomorrow. Oh, and I have some other exciting news! A few weeks ago, I auditioned at my local mall for a singing competition, and I’m one of 20 finalists (out of 100) and will be competing in the finale on June 26th. The grand prize is a $1,000 mall gift card. I’ve decided to sing Michael Buble’s “Feeling Good,” the song I sang at the church variety show a couple of years ago. Wish me luck!
Thanks to those of you who’ve purchased one of my Kindle books. The sales are good, and I’m thrilled. If you haven’t checked them out yet, here’s the link:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=carole+bellacera&x=11&y=21
Hope all of you have a wonderful June. Don’t forget to stop by my website and enter my monthly contest. www.carolebellacera.com.
Blessings,
Carole
Dear Friends & Fans:
Greetings from the Bluegrass State of Kentucky!!! I’m here visiting my beautiful Avon representative sister, Kathy. www.youravon.com/kathyfoley. We’ve been having so much fun, and I’ve been spending way too much money (a lot of it on Kathy’s Avon products—she’s a great saleswoman!)
On my second night here, Kathy hosted a fantastic cocktail party for me with her friends and clients. We had lots of good food and wine, (yes, wine…even though we’re in a dry county here) and she had my books on display for new readers (which was pretty much everyone…except for Linda.) I met some really nice ladies, all of whom are talented in their own right (you know who I’m talking about—Linda, Brenda, Donna, Dorothy, June, Pam.) What a blast!
This whole week has been a blast. You know how I like “junkin,” right? I know I’ve mentioned that. Well, Kathy does, too. And just in case you don’t know what I mean, we like to go to consignment shops, thrift shops, junk stores (and there are a lot of them around here) and just see what we can find. Well, we found some treasures this week, let me tell you! But more importantly, we had some experiences that we’ll laugh about for years. Case in point—we were in Goodwill, me, Kathy and Linda, and I had a wardrobe malfunction. It actually started before we left the house. I put on this blouse that had a cut which made it impossible to hide my bra straps, so Kathy offered to let me borrow her strapless Victoria’s Secret bandeaux. I accepted. My first mistake. I had my suspicions about this thing from the beginning. So, we’re in Goodwill, and I’m moving around, checking out shorts and Capri’s (good news! I’d lost 5 pounds in the past month, and gone down a size.) Unfortunately, I wasn’t the only thing moving around. That damn bra kept…slipping, and the girls were…well, popping out. (How on earth these nubile young women wear these as outerwear, I’ll never understand!) Finally, I’d had enough. I was standing at the back of the store, and in a moment of complete insanity, I reached under my top, pulled that offending thing down to my waist, over my skirt and let it fall to my ankles. Only then did I look up (as Kathy and Linda, a few aisles over, we’re convulsed in laughter) and see this man down at the end of the aisle, his eyes agog, his mouth hanging open in complete astonishment. I quickly stepped out of the bandeaux, and only then did I realize what it must’ve looked like. Let’s just say that I was, no doubt, the subject of conversation at somebody’s dinner table that night.
Anyway, shopping wasn’t the only thing we did this week. We did a lot of eating—as much fattening stuff as we could possibly stuff into our mouths—and drinking of the nectar of the gods. (We are not good for each other, but we sure have fun.)
Last night we drove to Kathy’s friend’s house out in the country—way out in the country. Donna owns this beautiful farm of 12 acres, pasture and woodlands, with a beautiful creek running behind her house. We met her goats (up close and personal) and her horses, dogs and cats. As soon as I get home, I’m going to put a video on Facebook of Donna’s goats. They are so cool! Did I ever tell you how much I love goats?
Anyway, the week is drawing to a close. I’m leaving for home tomorrow. Oh, and I have some other exciting news! A few weeks ago, I auditioned at my local mall for a singing competition, and I’m one of 20 finalists (out of 100) and will be competing in the finale on June 26th. The grand prize is a $1,000 mall gift card. I’ve decided to sing Michael Buble’s “Feeling Good,” the song I sang at the church variety show a couple of years ago. Wish me luck!
Thanks to those of you who’ve purchased one of my Kindle books. The sales are good, and I’m thrilled. If you haven’t checked them out yet, here’s the link:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=carole+bellacera&x=11&y=21
Hope all of you have a wonderful June. Don’t forget to stop by my website and enter my monthly contest. www.carolebellacera.com.
Blessings,
Carole
Friday, May 6, 2011
Carole Bellacera's May Newsletter
Hello, Readers.
I hope you're enjoying the beautiful spring weather (unless you're one of my fans in Australia, and in that case, the beautiful autumn weather.) :) I hope you're not suffering from allergies like I am. This has been a rough spring for me. I swear, I can't remember what it's like to breathe through my nose. I hope to do it again someday.
Other than not being able to breathe, April was a great month. We went down to Charleston to spend Easter with Leah and Zac--and our two darling grandsons, Luke and Zealand (ZZ for short.) I've come to realize that there's nothing more beautiful in the world than the sound of Luke saying, "I love you, Grandma." (He's two, and since Christmas, has started to speak in full sentences. And he's quite the chatterbox.) ZZ , at 17 months, is my laid-back, always smiling little sweetheart. A real cuddle-bunny. :) As you can see, I'm slightly enamored of my two little guys. I wish I could figure out how to insert photos into this newsletter, because I'd love to share some with you (besides the one on my main page.) But I can give you a link where you can see some recent videos. http://www.youtube.com/user/CaroleBellacera#p/u/2/Tg9NkWrxUkE
I hope you all have been enjoying my chapters of TANGO'S EDGE. I just posted Chapter 5 this morning. INCENSE & PEPPERMINTS is progressing well. I'm starting on Chapter 11 today. I've been getting positive feedback on the book from some colleages, and by the time I finished writing Chapter 10, I had tears in my eyes. And that's a good thing. If I can generate emotion in myself when I write, then I'm bound to generate it in my readers.
I'm still shopping LILY OF THE SPRINGS around--looking for an agent and/or a publisher. I have two agents reading it, but I've pretty much given up on the first one because she's had the manuscript since October, and I haven't heard a thing. Besides, I'd rather go with the second agent because she's in New York. Anyway...bottom line--I'm not quite ready to go the self-publishing route yet. I think I'll know when it's time.
Well, that's about it for this month. Have to get back to work on INCENSE & PEPPERMINTS. Don't forget to go to my website and enter my monthly contest to win a copy of one of my books and a custom-made necklace set from Beautiful Evening Beads. You can check out my a sampling of my jewelry pieces at http://www.etsy.com/shop/Beautifuleveningbead. I have my first craft fair tomorrow at the Culpeper Street Festival. Wish me luck! :)
Have a great May!
Carole
I hope you're enjoying the beautiful spring weather (unless you're one of my fans in Australia, and in that case, the beautiful autumn weather.) :) I hope you're not suffering from allergies like I am. This has been a rough spring for me. I swear, I can't remember what it's like to breathe through my nose. I hope to do it again someday.
Other than not being able to breathe, April was a great month. We went down to Charleston to spend Easter with Leah and Zac--and our two darling grandsons, Luke and Zealand (ZZ for short.) I've come to realize that there's nothing more beautiful in the world than the sound of Luke saying, "I love you, Grandma." (He's two, and since Christmas, has started to speak in full sentences. And he's quite the chatterbox.) ZZ , at 17 months, is my laid-back, always smiling little sweetheart. A real cuddle-bunny. :) As you can see, I'm slightly enamored of my two little guys. I wish I could figure out how to insert photos into this newsletter, because I'd love to share some with you (besides the one on my main page.) But I can give you a link where you can see some recent videos. http://www.youtube.com/user/CaroleBellacera#p/u/2/Tg9NkWrxUkE
I hope you all have been enjoying my chapters of TANGO'S EDGE. I just posted Chapter 5 this morning. INCENSE & PEPPERMINTS is progressing well. I'm starting on Chapter 11 today. I've been getting positive feedback on the book from some colleages, and by the time I finished writing Chapter 10, I had tears in my eyes. And that's a good thing. If I can generate emotion in myself when I write, then I'm bound to generate it in my readers.
I'm still shopping LILY OF THE SPRINGS around--looking for an agent and/or a publisher. I have two agents reading it, but I've pretty much given up on the first one because she's had the manuscript since October, and I haven't heard a thing. Besides, I'd rather go with the second agent because she's in New York. Anyway...bottom line--I'm not quite ready to go the self-publishing route yet. I think I'll know when it's time.
Well, that's about it for this month. Have to get back to work on INCENSE & PEPPERMINTS. Don't forget to go to my website and enter my monthly contest to win a copy of one of my books and a custom-made necklace set from Beautiful Evening Beads. You can check out my a sampling of my jewelry pieces at http://www.etsy.com/shop/Beautifuleveningbead. I have my first craft fair tomorrow at the Culpeper Street Festival. Wish me luck! :)
Have a great May!
Carole
Friday, March 4, 2011
Carole Bellacera's March 2011 Newsletter
A Late—Very Late—New Year’s Resolution
Dear Friends and Fans,
Okay, so I’m late in coming up with a New Year’s Resolution—considering I’m writing this on March 4th. But I’ve always been a proponent of “better late than never.” And my New Year’s Resolution is—to keep in touch with y’all better.
Yes, I have a million excuses—things like my paying job of instructing, the writing of my new novel (into the 8th chapter. Yay!) and of course, the hubby and grandkids. But I’m not going to bore you with all that. I’m just going to try to do better.
So, you may be asking yourself, “why now?” What happened to make Bellacera decide to honor us with a newsletter? No…I don’t have a new book coming out to promote…yet. But two things happened this week that made me realize that I wasn’t holding up my end of the bargain—the one between author and fans. You signed up to get a monthly newsletter from me, and I’ve let you down by not providing one. Bottom line—it wasn’t just all those excuses I mentioned above; it was the fact that I feel like I have nothing of interest to say to you. After all, I haven’t come out with a new book since 2006 (God! Hard to believe it was that long ago!) and although I’ve been working my butt off, trying to find an agent for my most recently completed novel, LILY OF THE SPRINGS, it just hasn’t happened for me yet. So, I guess I just figured you wouldn’t be interested in hearing about how a “has-been” author is trying to get a fresh start in the publishing business. But it finally occurred to me–why not? Many of you are aspiring authors, and if you’re frustrated and dealing with rejection like me, maybe you won’t feel so alone. As we all know, writers often feel isolated, and when you’re hearing nothing but “No, no, NO!!!!”…well, pretty soon you start believing that all those people who say no are right—that you aren’t good enough!
I’m getting off-track here. Back to why I decided to write this newsletter. I received an e-mail the other day from an old friend I knew in Crete. We’re talking way back in 1974. He said that he’d read on my website that I’d be visiting San Diego soon, and would I like to get together? At first, I was confused. I hadn’t been to San Diego since 2008, and had no plans to go. And then I was embarrassed to learn that it, apparently, had been that long since I’d updated my “news” on my website. That’s just downright embarrassing. And I have no excuse!
A second thing happened a couple of days later. I got an e-mail from the organizer of a local book club who’d chosen my novel, UNDERSTUDY, for their February pick. That’s a miracle in itself—after all, the book came out in 2003, so I was surprised anyone even remembered it, much less would choose it for their book club. They invited me to attend the meeting to discuss it—and I had a great time! Just getting together with readers who so obviously enjoyed my book reminded me how much I’d missed this kind of interaction with my fans.
Several years ago, I stepped back from the publishing business because I was burned out, frustrated and disillusioned, but most of all, I wanted to recapture the joy I felt in just writing. Writing without worrying about the opinion of an editor or an agent—or even a reviewer (and I’ve been very, very lucky with reviewers.) I wanted to write for just me—to remember why I began writing all those years ago—for the sheer pleasure of creating a fictional world filled with characters that came to life—and who will be alive as long as one single book exists somewhere on this planet.
And that, my friends, is exactly what I did when I wrote LILY OF THE SPRINGS (formerly titled SHEPHERD MOON and KENTUCKY WOMAN.) I will never give up on getting this novel published—no matter how many times an agent refuses to look at it, no matter how many times a publisher rejects it. If I have to, I will self-publish it, and that’s something I vowed early in my writing career that I’d never, ever do. But to get this book read, if that’s what it takes, I’ll do it. But I’m not close to that yet. I’m querying four more agents, and then I will start on publishers—starting at the top, and making my way down to small press. It may take some time, but I guarantee you, someday you will be reading LILY OF THE SPRINGS.
You see, it doesn’t matter to me if I make any money or not from my writing. Seriously, it doesn’t. Don’t get me wrong—it would be great to actually make an income from my writing, but my real desire is to simply be read. I want to share my work with the world. And now, with the internet, we writers can do exactly that.
So, that’s why next Friday, on my birthday, March 11th, I’m starting a new blog serializing my e-novel, TANGO’S EDGE. This is a romantic suspense novel which came out by Cerridwen Press in ____. The sales were hardly illustrious, and finally, I bought back my rights. I love this book, and I think you will, too. (A short synopsis follows this newsletter.) So, instead of allowing it to languish in my computer, I’m going to share it with you. Every Friday, I’ll post a new chapter for your reading pleasure.
Thanks so much for your patience. I hope you’ll give me another chance to share my work, and my life with you, dear friends.
God Bless—and I’ll be back in touch next month.
Carole Bellacera
Tango’s Edge—Coming March 11th, 2011
The Winter Olympics - Salt Lake City, Utah
“Will you help me to defect?”
It’s the desperate question from Russian ice dancer, Mikhail Kozlof to his American counterpart, Kerry Niles, which ignites a treacherous cross-country trip, political intrigue―and an attraction that neither can deny.
After a night of passion in a picture postcard winter resort, lust turns to love―and a return to reality. The American government is closing in, and soon, Mikhail will be whisked away from Kerry.
Once sequestered in a safe house outside Washington DC, Mikhail is face with an impossible situation―he must deny his love for Kerry to protect her from harm’s way.
Dear Friends and Fans,
Okay, so I’m late in coming up with a New Year’s Resolution—considering I’m writing this on March 4th. But I’ve always been a proponent of “better late than never.” And my New Year’s Resolution is—to keep in touch with y’all better.
Yes, I have a million excuses—things like my paying job of instructing, the writing of my new novel (into the 8th chapter. Yay!) and of course, the hubby and grandkids. But I’m not going to bore you with all that. I’m just going to try to do better.
So, you may be asking yourself, “why now?” What happened to make Bellacera decide to honor us with a newsletter? No…I don’t have a new book coming out to promote…yet. But two things happened this week that made me realize that I wasn’t holding up my end of the bargain—the one between author and fans. You signed up to get a monthly newsletter from me, and I’ve let you down by not providing one. Bottom line—it wasn’t just all those excuses I mentioned above; it was the fact that I feel like I have nothing of interest to say to you. After all, I haven’t come out with a new book since 2006 (God! Hard to believe it was that long ago!) and although I’ve been working my butt off, trying to find an agent for my most recently completed novel, LILY OF THE SPRINGS, it just hasn’t happened for me yet. So, I guess I just figured you wouldn’t be interested in hearing about how a “has-been” author is trying to get a fresh start in the publishing business. But it finally occurred to me–why not? Many of you are aspiring authors, and if you’re frustrated and dealing with rejection like me, maybe you won’t feel so alone. As we all know, writers often feel isolated, and when you’re hearing nothing but “No, no, NO!!!!”…well, pretty soon you start believing that all those people who say no are right—that you aren’t good enough!
I’m getting off-track here. Back to why I decided to write this newsletter. I received an e-mail the other day from an old friend I knew in Crete. We’re talking way back in 1974. He said that he’d read on my website that I’d be visiting San Diego soon, and would I like to get together? At first, I was confused. I hadn’t been to San Diego since 2008, and had no plans to go. And then I was embarrassed to learn that it, apparently, had been that long since I’d updated my “news” on my website. That’s just downright embarrassing. And I have no excuse!
A second thing happened a couple of days later. I got an e-mail from the organizer of a local book club who’d chosen my novel, UNDERSTUDY, for their February pick. That’s a miracle in itself—after all, the book came out in 2003, so I was surprised anyone even remembered it, much less would choose it for their book club. They invited me to attend the meeting to discuss it—and I had a great time! Just getting together with readers who so obviously enjoyed my book reminded me how much I’d missed this kind of interaction with my fans.
Several years ago, I stepped back from the publishing business because I was burned out, frustrated and disillusioned, but most of all, I wanted to recapture the joy I felt in just writing. Writing without worrying about the opinion of an editor or an agent—or even a reviewer (and I’ve been very, very lucky with reviewers.) I wanted to write for just me—to remember why I began writing all those years ago—for the sheer pleasure of creating a fictional world filled with characters that came to life—and who will be alive as long as one single book exists somewhere on this planet.
And that, my friends, is exactly what I did when I wrote LILY OF THE SPRINGS (formerly titled SHEPHERD MOON and KENTUCKY WOMAN.) I will never give up on getting this novel published—no matter how many times an agent refuses to look at it, no matter how many times a publisher rejects it. If I have to, I will self-publish it, and that’s something I vowed early in my writing career that I’d never, ever do. But to get this book read, if that’s what it takes, I’ll do it. But I’m not close to that yet. I’m querying four more agents, and then I will start on publishers—starting at the top, and making my way down to small press. It may take some time, but I guarantee you, someday you will be reading LILY OF THE SPRINGS.
You see, it doesn’t matter to me if I make any money or not from my writing. Seriously, it doesn’t. Don’t get me wrong—it would be great to actually make an income from my writing, but my real desire is to simply be read. I want to share my work with the world. And now, with the internet, we writers can do exactly that.
So, that’s why next Friday, on my birthday, March 11th, I’m starting a new blog serializing my e-novel, TANGO’S EDGE. This is a romantic suspense novel which came out by Cerridwen Press in ____. The sales were hardly illustrious, and finally, I bought back my rights. I love this book, and I think you will, too. (A short synopsis follows this newsletter.) So, instead of allowing it to languish in my computer, I’m going to share it with you. Every Friday, I’ll post a new chapter for your reading pleasure.
Thanks so much for your patience. I hope you’ll give me another chance to share my work, and my life with you, dear friends.
God Bless—and I’ll be back in touch next month.
Carole Bellacera
Tango’s Edge—Coming March 11th, 2011
The Winter Olympics - Salt Lake City, Utah
“Will you help me to defect?”
It’s the desperate question from Russian ice dancer, Mikhail Kozlof to his American counterpart, Kerry Niles, which ignites a treacherous cross-country trip, political intrigue―and an attraction that neither can deny.
After a night of passion in a picture postcard winter resort, lust turns to love―and a return to reality. The American government is closing in, and soon, Mikhail will be whisked away from Kerry.
Once sequestered in a safe house outside Washington DC, Mikhail is face with an impossible situation―he must deny his love for Kerry to protect her from harm’s way.
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