Name:

Hometown: Dexter, NY

Book Title: Written in the Stars

Genre: Fictional Romance

Dorrance Publishing (DP): Describe your book in 10 words or less.

Lorie O’Brien (LO): A story about love and loss.

DP: What made you want to write your book?

LO: I have always dreamed of being a writer. As I got older, I would come up with characters and ideas and write things in a journal. In September 2018, a dear friend of mine passed away unexpectedly at the age of 47. His passing made me realize how short life was and that I needed to make my dream come true.

DP: How long did it take you to write your book?

LO: It took about six months to write the book. If I had been able to write full-time I would’ve been able to finish it sooner.

DP: How do you choose the names of your characters?

LO: A few of the names of the characters in Written in the Stars are actually the names of several people I went to high school with.

DP: What do you do when you have writer’s block?

LO: I am an avid runner. I love it because it helps me to leave everything behind and clear my mind. It’s great for writer’s block. I’ve gotten some of my best ideas worked out while running.

DP: What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?

I think my favorite part was Part 2 with some of the twists that were thrown into the story. The ending was fun to write as well.

DP: If you were stuck on an island and had to have one person from each category with you, who would they be and why:

a. One character from your book:

LO: I would definitely pick Mac. Although he wasn’t one of the main characters from the book, to me he was the sweetest and most caring of them all.

b. One fictional character:

LO: Honestly, probably Marley from Marley and Me because I love dogs more than people!

c. One famous person (living or dead):

LO: I would probably want to spend my time on an island with Matthew McConaughey because I love the sound of his voice and his accent.

DP: Besides writing, what are your other interests?

LO: I’m an avid runner, and I just ran my first half marathon in September 2019.

DP: Do you keep a journal?

LO: Sometimes I do, but mostly I’m so busy on the road with my job that I just send myself voice emails throughout the day when I have things I need to remember.

DP: How did you celebrate the publishing of your book?

LO: My husband and I went out to dinner with our two daughters.

DP: If your book was made into a movie, who would play the main characters?

Mac… Adam Gregory
Lindsey… Analeigh Tipton
Dylan… Luke Benward
Michael… James Maslow
Melissa… Eleanor Tomlinson

DP: What did you enjoy most about working with Dorrance Publishing?

LO: Dorrance gave me the freedom to pretty much make the book what I wanted it to be without much tweaking on their end.

DP: Five favorite books of all time?

1. Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Piccoult
2. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
3. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
4. Every Fifteen Minutes by Lisa Scottoline
5. The Pact by Jodi Piccoult

DP: One sentence of advice for other writers:

The best advice I could give is to be patient and let the story come at its own pace, don’t force it.

Are you ready to publish your book? Contact us today!

The post Author Spotlight: Lorie O’Brien appeared first on Dorrance Publishing Company.

Hometown: Akron, Ohio

Book: The Dutchess of Woodbridge

Genre: Children’s Fiction

Dorrance Publishing (DP): Describe your book in 10 words or less. 

PH: Story about a kitten that has found a new home.

DP: What made you want to write your book? 

PH: I wanted a story for my grandchildren to read.

DP: How long did it take you to write your book?

PH: It took about one year to write it. Editing and publishing took longer.

DP: How do you choose the names of your characters?

PH: It was based on true life events and characters.

DP: What do you do when you have writer’s block?

PH: I take time off to think until I can get back into it.

DP: What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?

PH: My favorite part of my book was getting to illustrate it myself. I enjoyed drawing the pictures.

DP: If you were stuck on an island and had to have one person from each category with you, who would they be and why? 

PH: One character from my book:  Rachel

PH: One fictional character:  Mickey Mouse because he’s fun and happy.

DP: One famous person: Jesus

DP: Besides writing, what are your other interests? 

PH: Painting, specifically painting with acrylics and a mop.

DP: Do you keep a journal? 

PH: Yes.

DP: How did you celebrate the publishing of your book?

PH: I haven’t yet. I plan to go to a steakhouse for dinner with family and friends.

DP: If your book was made into a movie, who would play the main characters? 

PH: It would probably have to be an animated movie considering the main character is a kitten.

DP: What did you enjoy most about working with Dorrance Publishing?

PH: Friendly staff/conversations over the phone since I personally do not have a computer and have all correspondence myself over the phone.

DP: Five favorite books of all time?

PH: The Bible, Gods Glory, Sun Stand Still, How to Make the Right Decision Every Time

DP: One sentence of advice for other writers?

PH: Don’t give up, no matter how
long it takes.

Are you ready to publish your book? Contact us today!

The post Author Spotlight: Paulette Harvey appeared first on Dorrance Publishing Company.

Hometown: Leavenworth, KS

Book: More Than One Way Home

Genre: Memoir

1. Describe your book in 10 words or less.  Overcoming depression and obesity to redeem my career and life.
2. What made you want to write More Than One Way Home? Writing the book was a combination of therapy, discovery, and hope coupled with writing with my students.
3. How long did it take you to write your book? Seven years
4. How do you choose the names of your characters? Damien was chosen as representative of what was going on in my mind when I would have depressive episodes. Peyton Marlow was chosen for the girl I had a crush on in high school in the chapter “Spring 1965.” I didn’t want the real classmate to be embarrassed.
5. What do you do when you have writer’s block? Several things. I follow the mantra to “write first with your heart, revise with your brain.” That way I don’t get the frozen mindset about writing something perfectly the first time. Other times I take a day or two off just to reflect and relax; I rarely have problems with block.
6. What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?  The Prologue gave me the chance to fully reflect and understand the prominence of my Grandmother in my life. It captured what Barbara Kingsolver said of Adah in The Poisonwood Bible, that “the power is in the balance; we are our injuries as much as we are our successes.”
7. If you were stuck on an island and had to have one person from each category with you, who would they be and why? 
   1. One character from your book: My wife, Connie. She has made me a better person than I deserve to be.
   2. One fictional character from any other book: Starbuck from Melville’s Moby Dick because I admire his resilience and integrity.
   3. One famous person: John Kennedy because I admire his ability to inform, inspire, and elevate people.
8. Besides writing, what are your other interests? I am a passionate teacher, a loving grandfather, an inveterate reader, an enthusiastic supporter of the arts, a loyal Kansas Jayhawk, and a steadfast walker/hiker.
9. Do you keep a journal? Yes, and I carry it with me everywhere. You never know when an inspiration will strike.
10. How did you celebrate the publishing of More Than One Way Home? After the tears, a dinner with my wife at our favorite restaurant and having breakfast with my students.
11. If your book was made into a movie, who would play the main characters? Sam Elliott would play me (I’ve been told we sound alike) and Meryl Streep would play my wife.
12. What did you enjoy most about working with Dorrance Publishing? Always helpful, always available, and always supportive.
13. Five favorite books of all time?  Kayak Morning by Roger Rosenblatt, A Thousand Mornings by Mary Oliver, Beach Music by Pat Conroy, Moby Dick by Herman Melville (it is why I became a teacher), and Hamlet by William Shakespeare (I still learn something from it every time I teach it).
14. One sentence of advice for other writers? Know your WHY.

The post Author Spotlight: Jeffrey Baxter appeared first on Dorrance Publishing Company.

The story lacked one key element: conflict. 

You may spend a great deal of time helping your reader visualize your setting. You may give a character description that leaves your reader convinced they’ve met the person you’re describing. You may even write a story with a theme you feel is not only relevant to today’s political landscape but will also withstand the test of time.  No matter how much detail you provide, however, if there is no conflict in your story, you haven’t written anything worth reading.

As a writer, you should fully understand the three different types of conflict and how to apply them to your manuscript. Every story should have at least one. Great stories have all three.

Conflict: Character versus Character

This is the most common type of conflict you’ll find in a story. Think good guy versus bad guy. Protagonist versus antagonist. Batman versus The Joker.  One character is preventing another character from achieving his goals.  Most stories have this element. But the key to writing it well is remembering that SOMETHING needs to happen between these two characters. How is their relationship tested?

Conflict: Character versus The Outside World

In this type of conflict, your surroundings are preventing your character from meeting his goals. Imagine a father-to-be finding out his wife went into labor.  As he runs to his car, he sees it being hitched to a tow truck. It’s being impounded because of unpaid parking tickets. Or imagine logging in to your checking account on Saturday afternoon  only to find that someone hacked your account and you have a negative balance. You have no cash on you, no groceries in the house, and there’s nothing the bank can do until Monday. In both of these examples, something beyond the character’s control (well, maybe the unpaid parking tickets could have been prevented…) prevent him from meeting his goal.

Conflict: Character versus Self

Although this may be the most difficult type of conflict to write,  it is also the most rewarding. This internal conflict usually involves an emotional decision that the character is grappling with making.  Perhaps your main character is an advocate for animal rights but is also lead counsel for a company that was just discovered to have been dumping oil in the ocean. Maybe your character has fallen in love with her husband’s brother.  In character versus self, readers have a chance to truly learn the inner thoughts and struggles of a character.  The character most likely learns a life lesson and may lead the reader to some serious introspection of their own life.

No matter what kind of conflict you have in your story, make sure you spend time developing it. Give your characters goals…and let them fail. Make them defend their opinions.  Give them clear motivations.  Your readers want an engaging story and the only way to give them that is with a little conflict.

The post Where’s the conflict? appeared first on Dorrance Publishing Company.

Surprisingly, more than you would think!

While we know that there’s a negative connotation that surrounds the idea of tax season, we want to help you see it in a new light.

This year we want to open your eyes to the fact that tax season could form the foundation of building your book publishing dreams.

How?

Let’s take a quick look.

If you’re expecting a refund check in the mail this year, those extra funds could potentially be applied to your efforts of becoming a published author.

Now, taking the steps that are necessary to put your dream-building wheels in motion can be intimidating. But, being that we’re a full-service personal publishing company, when you work with Dorrance, you can be confident that you’re in good hands from start to finish.

After all, authors have trusted us to publish their books for nearly 100 years! If you feel like you’re ready to become a published author, we encourage you to submit your manuscript today and start your journey of leaving your mark and creating a legacy.

Copyright Dorrance Publishing, 2018

The post Tax Season & Book Publishing appeared first on Dorrance Publishing Company.