Happy to inform everyone that the book is now available on Kindle as well as through Amazon books.  The title is The Path of the Child and I am happy to say that I have had several readers comment that they really enjoyed the read.   That is the best words to hear when you have published something from the heart.

The Path of the Child is available here in both versions.

To be able to announce the publication is a dream come true for me. Thank you for your interest and let me know what you think about the story.

The Path of the Child has been released on Kindle.  The much-anticipated arrival happened  July 7, 2012, on a Sunday morning.  The print version is only a few days away.  This experience has been very emotional and has taken me on quite a spin on the learning curve.  I seem to have been dangling with my hands over my head and my feet off the ground due to the height of this learning curve. I am happy that I can report I have completed the first phase of the publication and am seeing the light at the end of the tunnel for the second phase.

The story of Melanie Easton is a simple one but one that deserves to be told.  I look forward to reviews on this first book.  I welcome any comments on the story.
I would like to thank all the people that helped me get this publication off the ground.  Angie, Denise, Averil and Janette.  Thank you for your parts of this puzzle.  I couldn't have done it without you.

Meet Jim Creek

Jim Creek opened Tribal Pizza back in nineteen ninety and had always kept a full crew of high school juniors and seniors on the payroll.  One of the pizza delivery drivers that he had working for him this year was Robert Reynolds.  Robert had been what Jim would call a steady employee. He rarely called in and he usually made it into the shop right before his five o'clock shift was to start.  When Robert walked in with a school mate he did not know that he was going to be drawn into the life of this shy and quiet girl.

Once he was introduced to Melanie Easton and spent a little time talking with her, he knew that she was a special young lady. Jim prided himself on knowing the make up of a person after just a few minutes with them, and he knew that this girl was one of the good ones.  He found her to be honest and forthright in their simple conversations and took an immediate like to her. He always said that his Italian blood would boil if a dishonest person came into his shop.

If called upon, he felt that he would defend and protect this girl like he would one of his own children.  In fact when the short Italian man looked at her he felt that she could be one of the most innocent and honest people he had ever met.  He hoped he had not read her wrong when things took an unexpected turn a short time after that first meeting.

Meet Melanie Easton

Melanie Easton is the main character in the soon to be released book "The Path of the Child".  Melanie has struggled through life alone and cut off from anyone that would make her feel loved.

Attending school is the only social outlet that she has been allowed and as the only place she can go to get out of the apartment that she shares with her mother, Katherine.  Up until now it was also the one place she wanted to be.

Although socially awkward, she has a deep drive to make something of her life.  This drive is a powerful motivator for her to learn all that she can through both school and her own personal reading and research to find out who she is and where she came from.

Not content to  be stunted in her mental growth, she strives to move past the neglectful parent and make something important of her life.

Learn more about Melanie's path to self awareness when The Path of the Child is released in the next few weeks.

A Teaser From the Second Book

The second book " The Most Peculiar Halloween" contains a time travelling teenager.  I am including a teaser from this unpublished book for your enjoyment.  Comments and feedback are welcome :)  

(1954)

With Mildred focused on the adult conversation and looking so tired, Gemma went straight to her own room and climbed on the bed. She pulled out the am radio that was stored under the lip of her bedside table and started listening to the music that was playing from the local rock and roll station. She listened to the words of Earth Angel and she felt herself getting sad for the singer. She continued listening and the disc jockey played Sha-boom and she laughed at the falsetto of the singer in the band the Chords. Gemma attempted to sing along with the words, but they made no sense to her so she just la la la’d instead of singing the actual words.  She knew the tune from somewhere, so she happily faked the words. Maybe there was something to this old music and maybe they did have good taste in music after all. When the next song came on she hopped off the bed and danced around the room singing along with Elvis Presley while her hips twisted to the left and the right.

Well, that’s all right now Mama 

That’s all right with you

That’s all right now Mama

Just any way you do

That’s all right

That’s all right

That’s alright now mama

Just any way you do

Yes this music was perfect for dancing the twist. Gemma struggled to breathe while both singing the chorus and twisting on the braided rug in front of her bed.  Gym class with the dance classes had been teaching her how to twist on one toe while shaking her hips and she twisted all over her bedroom.  She wasn’t sure if the twist had even been invented, but that didn’t stop her from twisting like a mad woman all across the floor.  After the chorus, she allowed Elvis to sing solo while she just twisted her hips to the unknown words.  Once the chorus came around, she was ready to sing along with him as she danced.

Meet Robert Reynolds

Robert Reynolds is a seventeen year old boy that attends the same school as Melanie Easton.  Most people just call him Rob, he doesn't tell anyone but his mom called him Robbie when he was little.  His mom passed away suddenly when Rob was just seven years old.

Rob is one of those kids that is proud to say he has a great relationship with his dad. Together they have made the best of a difficult situation and even though his dad dates on occasion he has never remarried.  Robert has a delivery driver job at Tribal Pizza,  his dad says that as long as his grades remain good he can keep the job up until time to start college.

Robert has passed Melanie walking to and from school as long as he can remember and one morning he decided that he would like to ask her to ride.  He knew her from school and knew that she had never missed a day. She was one of the only students that had made it through the tenth grade with no absences.  She had never invited people into her little world of reading and silence, he admits that her wall has made him want to get to know her even more. He likes to say that he sees her as a challenge.  Rob is very active in the science clubs at school and is looking forward to starting college.  He plans to study medicine at The University of Alabama in Birmingham School of Medicine.  Since his moms passing he has wanted to be a doctor to prevent other children from losing a parents in the same manner.

Meet Katherine Easton

Katherine Easton was only seventeen when she found out she was expecting a baby.  Still mourning the loss of her mother she had no one she felt she could turn to.  Alone with this great burden, she ran away and moved herself into a women's shelter to wait out the arrival of this child.

Once the child was born, she realized she had no connection to her. No bonds had been formed while carrying her for the last nine months.  All she knew was that this was her child and she was going to keep her.  She realized that there were programs that paid her and bought her groceries as long as she provided a home and food for the baby.

Katherine put in her seventeen years as the child's mother and made sure that Social Services were not called again due to neglect.  The time was getting close for the child to move out and make her own way.  To be honest Katherine couldn't wait for that time.  Her drinking has escalated and her staying out all night with men that came into the restaurant where she worked were her main priorities now. Melanie was as always a fleeting thought when someone mentioned their daughter or Social Services.

Copyright is in Place

The copyright for the novel "The Path of the Child" has been issued.  Today is a day of finalization of the details. With the copyright in place and the cover art being worked on, my dream is getting closer each day.  The path that I am on is an exciting path and I love having you join me as we blaze this trail together. .

Sojourner Mc Connell’s Registered & Protected Novel

1. Copyright:All Rights Reserved
2. Registered:Wed Feb 01 18:08:49 UTC 2012
3. Fingerprint:Show digital fingerprint
4. Title:The Path of the Child
5. Description:The Path of the Child and it is the story of seventeen year old Melanie. Melanie is a girl that has been alone most of her life. Accustomed to her solitude, she is surprised when a boy from school named Robert offers her a ride. After being befriended by this schoolmate, she discovers that there are reasons for her strange home life and she and Robert set about to discover the secrets of her life and family.
6. MCN:CAT2T-2Y2J2-E546J
   (What's this?)

Time Travel is not for the Faint of Heart

When writing a time travel book, be prepared to research, research and do more research.  Then when you think you have it all ready, prepare to find yourself having to check just a few more facts.  Which in fact involves even more research.  So when you think you know enough about the turn of last century, be ready to admit there are some things that didn't spring to mind.

This last day of writing has been so intense.  Worthwhile but very intense.  When you read the book, I think you will know what I was writing about on these most intense days.  Mildred has been put through the wringer today and I hope to bring her to a more pleasant place next chapter.

I hope you find Mildred as unforgettable as I do.
Thank you for coming down this path with me.
Sojourner

Wagon's ho!

Today was one of the days where the words flowed quickly.  The wagon was loaded and the family began the trip west.  The noises from the back of the wagon were as timeless as a sunrise.  The path to Amy's sister's house was littered with crying children, arguing teens and frustrated adults.

This is the hardest section to write. I am saddened by this portion of Mildred's story.  All I can repeat is that it is for the greater good.

The path that we were on today was one of pain and bonding.  It seems, at least for Mildred Miller that without one there is not the other.

Thanks for joining me on this journey.

Sojourner

Weekend Researching While Everyone Else Naps

While most everyone sleeps I begin down the path to turn of last century research. I want the book to be authentic and not be filled with little inaccuracies. I am seeking out dates for Polio vaccine discovery and automobile production in the 1900s.  With the story-line worked out in my mind, I want to make sure that the ages are correct as to when certain events happened.  With a certain path inked out for this family, I want to make sure that the era Mildred wants to portray is accurate.  Mildred is a strong character and has made sure that things are written her way.  There are other strong characters in this second book, but they are willing to let me decide how best to tell their story.  Gemma came to me in the night so I had a good grasp on her, but Mildred made sure I told her story in her way. You might notice when the book comes out that her story-line is a little different than Gemma's.
So now that everyone is awake and active, there is no more writing for me tonight.  So thanks again for coming down this path with me and reading along throughout the process.

Have a great weekend.
Sojourner

This Weekend is a Time for Research

Heading out for the weekend and while I am away, I will have my trusty laptop surfing Google and all things cars.  I am working on a plot line that calls for reliable and accurate information on the types of travel families used in the early 1900's.

This second book has plenty of detail work for me to sink my research teeth into.  I love when a path takes me into the past.  To me there is nothing better than going through old journals, diaries and pictures to find a story.  Mildred will be either a passenger on a wagon or in a car with her family as they prepare to relocate.  Will her family be able to afford a family t-model or will they have the old team take them just as their ancestors arrived before them.  I will know after this weekend.  Perhaps I will share the answer, or maybe I will leave it for when  you read the book.
Thanks for traveling down this path with me.

Formatting and Conversion Training Today

This morning the path opened up and before me was a list of read me files. Learning how to format this book in a Kindle friendly form is challenging. I am fortunate that I have a geek squad living in the same house as me so that I can rely on them to explain these terms.

Taking a break from the format talk and PDF details, I turned to the second book which is a little different from the first book. Keeping two books active at the same time sometimes can be a little confusing.

It seems one of my second book characters decided to name their child a name I do not like. I have been wrestling with a name change and the character is pretty adamant that she likes her daughters name. As of right now the name stays the same. I may have more to say to this character about choosing a name that I do not like later. For now, I will let it stay. At least it is a pretty short name. Sometimes these long names befuddle me.

The Path of the Child has its own ISBN now and things are progressing as we move toward publication.

Thanks for dropping in and seeing how it is going.

 Right now it is time for me to go back to writing on the second book for a bit before tackling the PDF files again. Geek squad hurry home. I have questions.

Welcome to the Path of the Writer

This is the blog that will mark the progress of becoming a published author.  This path is small and narrow, like the veins on a leaf. 

The publication of my first book titled The Path of the Child, is less than one month away.  This book has been writing its self for almost a year.  Just as any path there will be vines and roots that may threaten to trip me or tickle me as I venture down.  I will try to include all the dear readers that want to travel with me into the great unknown known as publishing on E-books.

To give a little information on my first novel, The title is The Path of the Child and it is the story of seventeen year old Melanie.  Melanie is a girl that has been alone most of her life. Accustomed to her solitude, she is surprised when a boy from school named Robert offers her a ride. After being befriended by this schoolmate, she discovers that there are reasons for her strange home life and she and Robert set about to discover the secrets of her life and family.   

I hope you will join me in this journey and become as excited about Mealnie Easton as I am.