Engaging with Readers
Author and certified book coach Sharon Skinner published her latest book, so we sat down with her to hear about and celebrate her experience.
Which publishing route was taken for this project?
Traditional publishing.
What are you most looking forward to in the publication process?
Engaging with the book’s target readers.
What are you most proud of in terms of this book’s journey?
I really had fun with these characters and feel that I nailed the voice in this book. I hope my readers agree.
Was there ever a moment of doubt about the book?
Because this book is a mash-up of elements from Peter Pan (J.M. Barrie) and Oliver Twist (Charles Dickens), I struggled to escape the source work in a way that would allow this story to breathe and contain enough source reflective aspects without adhering too closely to the originals. At one point, I had to completely throw out the last third of the book. That is when I discovered the true value of using the Inside/Outline with a semi-completed manuscript.
What did you do to celebrate the publication of your book?
I did a little happy dance and scheduled a nice dinner out at my favorite local Greek restaurant.
What’s next for the book?
Getting it into the hands of readers. I still have a stack of presales to sign before they go out. This book will also be available at my upcoming author appearance events, including the Bay Area Book Festival, May 7-8, 2022 and the Mesa Book Festival, December 10, 2022.
What is your favorite passage from the book?
“What about a ‘Once upon a time’ story?”
Gage opened one eye to look at her and see if she was teasing him. “Bit old for that, amn’t I?”
“I don’t know. Someone once told me we’re never too old for a good old-fashioned tale. Especially one that brings a bit of adventure in.”
“Get plenty of adventure running from old Cutter,” Gage mumbled.
“Fine,” Wynd huffed. “It’s no shine off my apple if you’d rather not.”
Gage sat up at her hurt tone. “Go on, then,” he said. “Tell me an adventure, but leave out any romancy.”
Wynd rolled her eyes. “No romance in my stories. What kind of frilly girl do you take me for?” She spread her arms wide.
“Sorry. Sorry.” Gage was beginning to wonder if their truce was worth it. Seemed like he spent all his time trying to be nice to her and she hated every bit of it. “Just, spill it, then.”
“Spill it? Hmmmph. You don’t spill a good story.” She leaned forward as if passing him a huge secret.
“You share it out. Like slices of warm pumpkin pie on a holiday.” She licked her lips and Gage’s mouth watered.
Wynd shifted to sit cross legged. The hems of her threadbare pants barely reached to her thin ankles, but the cold suddenly didn’t seem to bother her as she settled in and began a tale of brave and kindly people, who wore paint on their faces and feathers in their hair and whose most favored daughter, the Princess Dawn Light, was kidnapped by a ship full of fierce pirates.
The story drew Gage in. With his eyes half closed, he could almost see the images dance before him like the moving pictures in the penny halls.
“And then,” Wynd said, “when all seemed lost, the princess looked up to see a brave young man standing on the ship’s rail crowing like a rooster and calling out to the evil pirate captain. ‘Ahoy, ya black-hearted scupper. I challenge you to an honorable duel.’”
Gage opened his eyes. “Pirates hain’t honorable.”
“Shhhh.” Wynd glared at him. “I’m just getting to the best part.” She lowered her voice back into her storyteller tone. “The princess looked up at the handsome young man and saw how intense his eyes
were and—”
Gage sat up. “Whoa, you said there weren’t romancy bits in it.”
Wynd blushed, but shook her head. “It’s not a romance,” she said. “The princess was just going to ask him what his name was. Um, and how he got onto the ship. That’s all.”
“Oh. Well, then, keep going.” Gage leaned back against the barrels.
“Anyway,” Wynd continued, with somewhat less enthusiasm, “the princess pointed over to the weapons rack and held up her empty hands to the boy. A look passed between them and, right away, he understood exactly what she wanted even without any words.
What are the next steps in your career?
Write forward! I am working on finishing my next book, an anthology of short fiction aimed at adult readers. And I have another Young Adult novel in process It's called Dating and Demons and is a sequel to my book Collars and Curses.
Why would you recommend a book coach to get to this point in the writing journey?
I recommend book coaching for writers at all stages of their writing and publishing journeys. A writer can save themselves a lot of time by working with a book coach who has years of experience and industry knowledge to share. Clients who work with me save a lot of time and heartache because they level up their craft and publishing industry knowledge in a compressed amount of time.
Thank you for sharing your success with us, Sharon!
You can find Sharon’s book, Lostuns Found, on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and elsewhere.
You can learn more about Sharon Skinner on her author website, her book coaching website, and by following her on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
