Hometown: Metairie, LA

Book: Simone.

Genre: Fiction

DP: Describe your book in 10 words or less. 

SP: Juicy and a great read.

DP: What made you want to write your book? 

SP: Well, I always wanted to write a book, I just needed to take the time to do it. I didn’t know where the words were going to come from, but I knew I wanted to make my mark on life somehow. I was also going through a divorce and needed something to take my mind off what was going on at the time.

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

SP: It took about six months to write my book.

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

SP: Most of the time it just comes to me! I think to myself, “How would this name fit this particular character?” and then the selection just pops up in my head. Sometimes I would search online to look up a name if I can’t make a proper decision.

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

SP: When I have writer’s block, I get away from my workspace–no matter the time–and I walk around my neighborhood. I find that walking opens my mind and allows me to get my gears going again.

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

SP: My favorite part to write was the telling of how Simone’s parents met back in the 70s. It was my favorite part to write our of the book because I am sort of fascinated by the culture of the 70s.

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? 

SP: One character from your book:  My main character, Simone. We have a lot in common, so time would fly by just with us blabbing away about our lives, making jokes while surviving on the island. 

One fictional character: Nola Darling from Spike Lee’s She’s Gotta Have It. It is a series on Netflix that tells the life of this independent artist. She reminds me of myself in my younger years and I believe we’d mesh well, with discussions of life, men and art.

One famous person: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I would love to pick his brain on what he thinks of society as a whole and if he thinks we have truly progressed when it comes to equality and tolerance.

DP: Besides writing, what are your other interests?  

SP: My other interests are shopping, dining out, walking, listening to music and I am an amateur at playing guitar.

DP: Do you keep a journal? 

SP: No. I do not keep a journal because every time I started one in the past, I never kept up with it.

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

SP: I smoked a cigar.

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

SP: If I had the pleasure of my book being made into a movie, I would have model Mame Adjei as Simone, Ryan Gosling as Michael and Wilson Cruz as Adon.

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

SP: I enjoyed how they kept in touch with me over the tiniest detail and were considerate and professional at the same time.

DP: Five favorite books of all time?

SP: Little Black Girl Lost Books 1-5 by Keith Lee Johnson

DP: One sentence of advice for other writers? 

SP: Never stop writing no matter how long it takes to finish your book–I guarantee someone will love it!

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

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The post Author Spotlight: Shalonda Phox 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.

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.

Dorrance author Robert S. Farnsworth put his passion to paper in this 724-page paperback book that highlights the importance of the Western railroad system. Farnsworth’s career in the railroad industry spurred his curiosity in how the history of the Western railroads shaped the future. With his interest piqued, he channeled this inspiration into his work.

The pages of this book are filled with fascinating details aimed to educate readers on the intricacies that went into not only the creation but the overwhelming growth of the Rock Island System that took place during the “Empire Years.”

A fun fact that you might not have known about, but one that Farnsworth brings to light, is that the railroad’s premium passenger train service inspired the popular song, The Rock Island Line is a Mighty Fine Line!

As writers, we all understand that we find motivation from various sources. Whether it’s to make a dream a reality or to leave a legacy, we all have our own unique sources of motivation.

For Farnsworth, his motivation was to bring to light the captivating history of the railroad industry. In his own words, “I wrote this book not from just the viewpoint of a rail fan, hundreds of whom have diligently photographically documented the railroad’s passage through time. But (also) from the viewpoint of a former employee, and from the insights gained from a broad education in both the university and in the experience of a practiced transportation planner. I hope that the reader will learn from the stories told here that the workers tried valiantly to do their jobs, that the line’s managers were forced to play with the hand that was dealt to them from a less than full deck, and that investors expected to get a reasonable return on the often gigantic sums paid into the corporation.”

Farnsworth eloquently and intricately weaves a narrative through the pages of The Grand Western Railroad Game that he hopes will help his readers understand on a deeper level the railroads and the conditions in which the workers survived, if not prospered.

Copyright Dorrance Publishing, 2018

The post Dorrance Book Spotlight: The Grand Western Railroad Game appeared first on Dorrance Publishing Company.

The story follows Jack Butler, an inexperienced “cherry” lieutenant on a mission into a dangerous territory with enemy fighters on the move. During this mission, Staff Sergeant Butler tries to, against all odds, finish the assignment, but his reckless actions put the lives of his men at risk.

As the enemy begins to close in on Butler and his platoon, they all selflessly risk their lives, exhibiting the highest-caliber of bravery in order to accomplish their task.

While their actions were the epitome of valor, many veterans of this type of conflict now face a life filled with painful memories. Nightmare is an honest depiction of these struggles from the point of view of a soldier who lived through these experiences. Ford’s hope when writing Nightmare was to offer insight and an in-depth look into the lives of the men who sacrificed so much for their country.

If you want to better understand these Veterans’ experiences, put your boots on the ground and grab your own copy of Nightmare, here.

Copyright Dorrance Publishing, 2017

The post Dorrance Book Spotlight: Nightmare appeared first on Dorrance Publishing Company.

In this world, time has no meaning. While characters live for centuries, betrayals, grudges, and love can – and do! – lessen over time. In Tyes’ story, rock star vampire Haido and sneaky demon Sabrina must break from the constraints of their past in the quest for freedom and the legendary sword.

Throughout the story, Haido’s main focus is to evade his creator, San, and avoid being held captive and forced to live as his love slave again. However, Haido can’t navigate this journey on his own, and he turns to his circle of humans for assistance. Haido even does the unthinkable to escape San—he unwillingly joins forces with Sabrina, who herself is escaping from an ex-lover. With a common thread holding them together, they work in tandem to fight their battles.

Will they discover the secret of Haido’s sword? Will they escape their enemies and find freedom?

The only way to find out is to get your hands on a copy of Haido and see how the story unfolds.

Luckily for you, we’re running a Halloween book sale that you don’t want to miss. Take advantage of our Halloween Sale by using coupon code Lucky13 at checkout to get 13% off Haido and other select books.

Copyright Dorrance Publishing, 2017

The post Dorrance Book Spotlight: Haido appeared first on Dorrance Publishing Company.