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| I have a question that may sound strange, but a former boyfriend brought it to my attention that due to my ribbons won from contests here on WDC, that I should refer to myself (on my book covers and promotional materials, “Award-winning author, A.H. Shelton - or does that sound too pretentious? I mean, you guys ARE my peers, and what better judge of my abilities than y’all? |
| Hi guys! It's been a good while since I've been around - I'm not sure if anyone here besides SM even remembers who I am, lol! I've published a few books, been spending time with my granddaughter, and as of August of 2019, I've been battling Ovarian Cancer. I had surgery in late August, have had 5 chemo treatments so far - one to go, woot, woot!! My last treatment will be January 13th, and I will ring the bell! Praying that'll be it, that I'll be cancer-free, but I'll have to wait 4 weeks for a CT scan to be sure. There's a high chance of recurrence, but my faith tells me not to fear, that God's got this! Was stopping in to renew my membership, so I thought I'd pop in and say Hi! I've really missed you guys, and I think I'm gonna start spending more time around here! Happy New Year!! April |
| Hey guys, I'm looking for some fans of Paranormal Romance, to do Amazon reviews for my novels, "Surrogate," and "For Keeps: A Surrogate Novel," which are free downloads on Amazon for the next 3 days. Although they've gotten 5-star reviews, I'd love to see more of them. I really think you will enjoy these books, which readers tell me, and reviewers have stated, "I couldn't put it down!" "Read the whole thing in a day/2 days!" etc. It would be so wonderful to have my friends here at WDC to read my novels, and I'd love to hear what you think!  We all are encouraged to, and do, write reviews here on WDC, so I'm hoping to get a few reviews on Amazon as well! Thanks SO much, in advance!!  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077XK1G65/ref=series_rw_dp_sw |
| Hey guys, just wanted to share my great news. I've completed my series of novels - The Surrogate Trilogy! The first book, Surrogate, tells of two best friends who have been together since fifth grade. Ana Elise Torres, sweet, sassy and fun, fully believes in true love, while cynical, sarcastic and feisty Jaiden Knight doesn't think she needs a man in her life. When Ana meets Xavier Ramirez, she is instantly smitten, but Jaiden isn't so sure she likes this tall, dark, handsome stranger. Tragedy strikes, leaving the two friends torn apart, yet closer than they could ever imagine. Friendships are tested, family ties are broken, and a shocking paranormal ending will leave you speechless! (Book 2) For Keeps - A Surrogate Novel, follows Elise Ramirez as she settles into college life. She meets a charming young man, Camden Bellencourt, and before long they find themselves falling in love. But Elise, being a Ramirez woman, is endowed with a certain "gift" that's been passed down for generations. When danger draws near, her "friends" try to warn her, but she doesn't take heed. Soon she finds that you can never have too many friends, and that these friends will never, ever leave her side. (Book 3) Sentinel - A Surrogate Novel, tells the tale of Jaiden's father, Robert Knight, and the path of darkness he has chosen to follow. A look into his past reveals much more than Jaiden ever wanted to know about the deviant man who raised her, and she and daughter Elise, along with some very interesting friends, plan to make certain that Knight never has the chance to make good on his wicked plans to maim and murder, especially since finding out that they themselves are on top of his list. Never underestimate the power of a dead man scorned. You can find these titles by visiting: http://www.ahsheltonauthor.com http://www.barnesandnoble.com or http://www.booksamillion.com |
Hey guys, just a quick question - I found the "Tell a Friend" feature, but how do you post a link to your profile into social media, such as Facebook so your friends can access your port??  |
| To all the new members of WDC: This is the place you come to to make your dreams of being a published writer come true! Had I never joined this site, I wouldn't have even considered that it was actually possible to achieve this. Upon joining, I was primarily a poet, and felt that this was my forte'. I then began entering contests, whose writing prompts forced me to think outside of my comfort zone, and really start using my imagination - not just my emotions. I had written a couple of short stories in the past, and didn't feel I was good enough in this area to ever share them with others. So, I decided to enter said contests, and timidly began submitting entries. Guess what? I won some of those contests! This is such a confidence booster, you have no idea. Once I realized that I could actually write shorts, I entered a few items in a contest called "The Dialogue 500," which is where you write a story, using ONLY dialogue, and it must be exactly 500 words. Guess what? I won one of those. I also got a lot of great reviews on my ability to write believable dialogue. This got me writing more, longer short stories. But I never, ever thought I could write a novel - this was just not feasible to me. Other people were book authors; that would never be me - I'm not good enough. Guess what? I have a self-published novel out right now, and it is a hometown hit! I've been told, "This is one of my favorite books!" "I read it in TWO days! Couldn't put it down!" and my favorite, "I read half of your book, then bought the latest Nicholas Sparks novel. I wound up putting his book down, because I couldn't stop thinking about the characters in yours, so I finished it first!" How's THAT for a confidence booster?? It's been requested by a local library, and I'm working on another one as we speak. My point is, if I can do it, so can you! Get out there and explore WDC! Make new friends, join in the activities, and most definitely check out the contests, use the writing prompts, and enter your work...because, GUESS WHAT? Your stories are just as good or perhaps better than anyone else's, and you CAN win - but you have to escape your comfort zone, shake off that self-doubt, and show them the best that you've got...because your best is what readers are out there waiting for - you just don't know it yet! Best of luck in all that you do...and, KEEP WRITING!! |
Word Warrior beating cancer!!  , this is a excellent post, and not just for newbies, but for anyone. Very motivating! |
| Thanks, Dee ! Writing.com is my inspiration for almost everything I've ever written. It is the end-all, be-all of writing resources, and everyone here will be a better writer because this site exists. Not to mention all of the amazing people you will meet here, and the friendships you'll make! Some of my dearest friends were met here, and their love and support is something that I'll cherish always! |
New postcards I order for marketing the books just arrived! I couldn't be more pleased with how they turned out!  ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** |
| Congrats to all of the new Preferred Authors! You guys have the potential to do ANYTHING you set your minds to! |
| So I've written and published my first novel, Surrogate, a paranormal romance. My very first book signing was two weeks ago at the local library, and I sold all fifty copies that I brought along - in two hours! Seems I've become a local hit, with the radio station in the largest town over from us discussing me and my book, not once but twice in one week! My second book signing is scheduled for April 7th at a frozen yogurt shop here in town, (it's a very popular hangout) and will be on the same night that a school function is being held there. I thought this to be pretty smart planning on my part - the more people already there means those who don't already know about it, can discover my book. All in all, this first book is going amazingly well, and I'm already well into the second novel, a mystery/suspense, entitled Chef's Secret, which I'm adapting from a short story I've written here on WDC. Just wanted to update my friends on what's been going on with me...hope all is well and wonderful with everyone here on WDC! ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Sometimes, the end is only the beginning... Ana Torres and Jaiden Knight didn't think they could ever be closer - they were so wrong. Ana has had a storybook childhood, while Jaiden's was one that nightmares are made of. But together, becoming adults seems a whole lot easier.Young, beautiful, and smart with great careers, they seem to have it all. That's until Xavier Ramirez comes into their lives. While Ana falls hard and fast, Jaiden isn't so sure she likes this tall, dark stranger. Soon tragedy strikes - friendships are tested, families are divided, and Karma teaches some hard lessons. In the end, Jaiden and Ana will be closer than any two friends could ever be. Surrogate is about deep, abiding friendships and bitter family betrayal, with a paranormal twist at the end. |
| In celebration of the print version of Surrogate being released, the e-book is now on sale for $2.99! https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01N6YVM8N?ref_=dbs_s_w_srch_l_p1_0&storeType=ebo... |
Just wanted to announce that my new novel, Surrogate, will be published soon, hopefully by the end of February! I'm so excited, as I have been writing since I was sixteen, and am finally fulfilling my dream!  I'm offering Chapters One - Nine as a sample: "Invalid Item" "Invalid Item" |
| Question - Has anyone else ever physically mourned the death of their own character? I wrote a death/aftermath scene of a beloved character from my book on Saturday, and began feeling sick that same night. I've felt lethargic, nauseated and no appetite whatsoever, and have spent the last two days in bed. I also haven't felt like writing during this time. I've tried, but am not happy with the results. I thought I was coming down with something, but this morning after re-reading this particular scene, I feel just very tired and sad. It occurs to me that this is mourning. I've become so emotionally attached to this character that it hurts to let her go. I suppose she's like my own child - I mean, I created her, and yes, I loved her. Has anyone else ever gone through this? |
I know it's a worn out tactic, but you could always bring the character back another time. Or write another novel just about that character. They can't be dead if they live on in another story surely? I know it's weird but hey, mourning over a non existent person?  Yes, I've done the same thing about one of mine, and even a little emotional about it. (And shouldn't I be a tough manly man?  ) |
| I've heard of professional/published writers feeling this way. I forget who, but some famous writer killed off a character and spent the rest of the night roaming the streets crying. It happens and I think is a good sign that you're on the right track! As for me, I've never killed a character in anything long enough for me to get that invested. Perhaps I'm just a chicken. lol |
| Just discovered a site that will be extremely helpful to any writer - ever wonder if you're using a word/phrase properly? Now you can find out at a glance! http://public.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/errors.html#errors |
| Or you could just use wiktionary. Use the link below or add the word you want to check to the link first. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ |
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Take care, my friend, and have a safe and Merry Christmas!! 
I don't think it's pretentious. The question is whether or not you think your target audience and core following would interpret the awards as raising your stature in terms of writing, or if it made no difference to them, or if they'd consider WdC to be too insular to count as 'official' awards and skip over your work (I disagree with them, but it is something you need to consider).
Think of it this way: Some readers will only consider Pulitzer and other top-level awards to be worth their time. Others are perfectly happy to pick books from the Goodreads Books of the Year votes (which are essentially "People's Choice" awards).
There are people who sell well and use their Instagram following as a basis for recognition.
How you frame your awards/successes, and what level/number of awards you think is reasonable to appeal to your audience is what you need to consider. As long as you're not presenting the awards as something they are not, you're prepared to explain/frame the value of them, and if you think it's advantageous to put them somewhere in your materials/bio, do it. If not, don't.