In my last post, I mentioned that I’d be sharing the book trailer my oldest daughter made for THE FAMILY WAY. We had a blast working on it together, long distance. It was challenging but fun. I hope you enjoy watching it as much as we enjoyed making it.
All posts tagged Nimbus Publishing
The Family Way Book Trailer
Posted by Laura Best on April 15, 2021
https://lauraabest.wordpress.com/2021/04/15/the-family-way-book-trailer/
Special Delivery
Have I said how much I love my publisher? It is true. Here is just a small example as to why.Awhile back, my awesome publisher sent out a special delivery package to my granddaughter who is in another province and won’t be able to make it to Nova Scotia for Christmas this year. It will be the first time in ten years that we won’t get to see her.
The outside packaging was a little beat up when it arrived in the mailbox, but the wrapped item inside made the trip quite nicely.
So many times, it is the small things that end up meaning so very much. This special delivery went above and beyond. Thank you Kate, and everyone at Nimbus Publishing!
So, what’s inside you might ask? I can’t answer that before Christmas, wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise, you know. You’ll have to check back in with me after Christmas to find out. But in the meanwhile you’re welcome to guess.
Hoping you all have a happy and safe holiday.
Posted by Laura Best on December 22, 2020
https://lauraabest.wordpress.com/2020/12/22/special-delivery/
Interview with Melanie Mosher
It is my pleasure to welcome Melanie Mosher to my blog to talk about her middle grade novel, Beginner’s Guide to Goodbye. Not only is the book available in print and ebook, but it is now available in audio. Pretty exciting! Melanie grew up in Amherst, Nova Scotia, and won an essay contest in grade two, sparking her imagination and beginning a lifelong love of stories. Fire Pie Trout received honorable mention in the Atlantic Writing Competition and later became her first published picture book. Melanie now lives in Gaetz Brook and continues to make up stories to share with her granddaughter, Emma.
Can you tell us a bit about your writing journey and when you first
knew that you were a writer?
I’ve been fascinated with the idea of writing for as long as I can remember. In grade two I won an essay writing contest and that gave me the encouragement to continue. I grew up in a house filled with books, so making up stories of my own seemed like the obvious thing to do. I remember imagining someone holding one of my books and reading it before they went to sleep.
Tell us about your book. What is A Beginner’s Guide to Goodbye about?
This is a story of loss. Ten-year-old Laney has lost her younger sister in a tragic accident and the reader witnesses her grieving. Laney feels guilty about her part in her sister’s death and cannot talk about it. The reader also sees the rest of her family struggle, each in their own way. There are other characters who have experienced different types of loss.
Laney’s family spends the summer at their cottage on the Northumberland Strait, and here they begin to heal. The story is also one of friendship, hope, and resilience. It’s not all sad. There are bonfires with marshmallows and ghost stories, walks on the beach to find shells and sea glass, hide ‘n’ seek games to play, and plenty of kool-aid and watermelon.
Why was it important that you write this book?
In 1976, my younger sister was killed in an accident and my family was devastated. My parents, so engulfed in their own grief, were unsure of how to help my siblings and I cope. We fumbled through and life went on.
Today, things have improved. There are grief counsellors in schools and an awareness that people may need help in navigating their emotions.
I wrote this story to offer comfort to a young reader who has suffered a loss or to encourage empathy for those who are near. And to show that talking is always better than not talking.
You mentioned in the acknowledgements that your book went through many drafts and started out as a short story in 1998. What kept you going back to the story and were there times when you felt like giving
up?
I put the story aside many times, but it always lured me back. This happens with my writing. I can write a draft and put it away thinking it’s not good enough. Over time, the idea comes back to me and I pull the story out and reread it. If the idea still appeals to me, I proceed with the next draft.
The original version of A Beginner’s Guide to Goodbye, entitled The Diving Stand, was about 1200 words. It explored Laney’s fear of jumping off the platform into the deep water, a tangible fear with a possible physical solution—jumping. As time passed, I realized Laney had another fear, one that was less tangible and harder to deal with, the loss of her sister and discussing her guilt with her mother.
Do you have any words of encouragement for other writers out there
who have yet to see publication?
Tenacity!
Like any skill, writing is a craft that improves over time. Send your work out, but don’t be discouraged by rejection. Every writer gets rejected and it stings. Be willing to brush yourself off and try again. Either by reworking the same story, or creating a new one, or both. Believe it is possible!
Are you working on anything at the moment? If so, can you share it with us?
I usually have more than one thing on the go at a time. When one project isn’t working or needs to rest, I change to the next one. As long as I’m writing in some capacity, I feel like I’m moving forward.
I’m working on an early chapter book about a young boy who loves school but finds himself suspended after a bad decision that was made for a good reason. I’ve never written a male protagonist before, but this character arrived in my brain and had a story to tell.
I also have another picture book in the works, three freelance articles for magazines, and an adult non-fiction book that explores my journey with depression.
As you can see, they vary greatly. For me, it seems to help my creativity if I shift between genres and projects.
Thank you, Melanie for sharing a bit about your writing world with us. Congratulations of the publication of another book! I wish you all the best.
What’s it about: Every summer, Laney’s family visits their cottage on Tidnish Beach. Summertime on Nova Scotia’s north shore is slow and sweet: there are long days in the water until fingers turn pruney, bottomless glasses of cherry Kool-Aid, and bonfires with the other families summering along the shore. But this year the baking heat and bright red sand provide cold comfort. This year Laney’s little sister, Jenny, is gone.
Ten-year-old Laney grapples with the loss. She carries immense, secret guilt that she can only work out by writing letters to her sister. Laney’s mother won’t even say Jenny’s name, so writing quickly becomes Laney’s coping mechanism, to the detriment of her social skills. She avoids the other kids until she makes a new friend—one who doesn’t look at her with pity.
It’s a tough lesson for a preteen, but Laney must learn to acknowledge her grief in order to overcome it. When a situation arises and Laney needs to help her new friend, she finally understands that even though she will miss Jenny forever, she can find happiness again. A tender meditation on life and loss through the lens of a childhood summer, A Beginner’s Guide to Goodbye will fill readers with warmth and spark important conversations.
Melanie’s book is available in print, as an ebook and in audio.
You can find out more about Melanie through the Nimbus Publishing website HERE.
Melanie’s book is available through Nimbus Publishing.
And don’t forget your local book seller!
Posted by Laura Best on October 9, 2020
https://lauraabest.wordpress.com/2020/10/09/interview-with-melanie-mosher/
My Take Away
We had beautiful weather for the big book launch and sale outside Open Book Coffee yesterday. Simply gorgeous. Except for a book signing at LaHave River Books last weekend, this was my first public event for my newly published book. Dang pandemic. But it’s good to see that some of these events are beginning to happen.
I finally got to do my first public reading of GOOD MOTHERS DON’T. Look at that beautiful blue sky.
I signed some books with the help of managing editor Whitney Moran. (Sorry Hubby cut your head off, Whitney. He’s not the best photographer but he does come to all my events!) Someone told me they purposely came to the event to get a signed copy of GOOD MOTHERS DON’T. That was music to this author’s ears. I’ve said it before and I’ll continue to say it: I’m so grateful for the support I’ve received over the years.
I also came home with some great books I’m looking forward to reading. If you didn’t make the sale you missed out on some great bargains.
Finally, here’s my take away from the book launch and sale. I’m taking it as a sign of good things to come!
I hope your Saturday was as fun as mine. Thanks for reading!
Posted by Laura Best on September 13, 2020
https://lauraabest.wordpress.com/2020/09/13/my-take-away/
Update on the Good Mothers Don’t Update
With all that’s been going on in the world, with the pandemic and all, it seems our lives are constantly being updated. We hear one thing and then suddenly that has changed. It’s no wonder. Fighting an invisible enemy, one we have never come up against before, makes it that much more challenging. We are all trying to do the best we can.
In an earlier post I mentioned that my novel, GOOD MOTHERS DON’T was scheduled for release on April 30th. But there’s been a change of plans…Sorry, I know how most of you dislike change. I’ve received a new book update and I wanted to let you all know that the release date has now been pushed ahead to June 1st. While I know this might be disappointing to some of you, I feel that under the circumstances, with the pandemic still shaking up our lives, it’s for the best.
That means you’ll have several more weeks to wait but I hope you will consider the wait worthwhile.
In the meantime, in case you missed it, there’s a lovely article on the book, written by Allison Lawlor, HERE that appeared in the Chronicle Herald.
I will try to keep you in the loop if anything new comes along or if there are further changes to this.
I should also mention that my Cammie prequel, originally scheduled for publication this fall, has been pushed ahead to Spring 2021. I can also confirm that the title is THE FAMILY WAY. I’m really excited for this book as we finally, finally learn who Cammie’s mother is. There are also a few surprises along the way, things even I didn’t initially know when I started writing the book.
That’s it for now: stay home, stay safe, stay well, stay reading..
Posted by Laura Best on April 25, 2020
https://lauraabest.wordpress.com/2020/04/25/update-on-the-good-mothers-dont-update/
Good Mothers Don’t–Cover Reveal
I’m excited to be able to show you all the cover to my first novel for adults. And guess what? It finally has a title, which is a good thing, too, because now I know what to call it! ( If you read an earlier blog post, you likely know that for a time the novel had been nameless. But no more.)
Good Mothers Don’t will be released on April 30th 2020 by Nimbus Publishing & Vagrant Press, which still seems like a long ways away, but I promise you, it’ll come quicker than you think.
If you’d like to read a quick blurb to get an idea of what the book is about, just click on the link HERE and it will take you to the Nimbus site. I’m not sure when it will be available for pre-order (people have been asking) but as soon as I have that information, I’ll pass it along.
Posted by Laura Best on November 23, 2019
https://lauraabest.wordpress.com/2019/11/23/good-mothers-dont-cover-reveal/