Tag: Publishing

Birth Announcement!

She’s here!

I’ve known she was coming since last October. The C-section date has been scheduled since June. You’ve seen the sonogram. Now “Polly’s List” is officially born. Thank you to all her aunts, uncles, close friends, my fellow Roses, and my birth coaches. I so appreciate all your encouragement and support.

I’ve said before but it bears repeating–my fellow authors with the Wild Rose Press are simply outstanding and uber-supportive. Yesterday, I was hosted by another Rose, Anastasia Abboud on her blog, “A Little Romance”. In addition to an interview, there is a lovely review of my book. A five star review. My third one so far (not that I’m counting.) The link to my guest appearance is below. And I’ll post it in a new section on Guest Appearances.

https://www.anastasiaabboud.com/a-little-romance/welcome-author-kim-janine-ligon

In the coming weeks I have appearances also scheduled as listed:

Thursday August 18th Vicky Burkholder’s Sparkling Book Reviews 5stars from her

Tuesday August 23rd Rebecca Grace’s blog

Wednesday August 24th D.V. Stone’s Around the Fire blog

Tuesday August 30th Tena Stetler’s blog

I’ll add the links to my guest appearances page as they become available. These blog visits are opportunities for me to gain new followers from interested readers of other authors. (It’s the work part of being an author; to make sure my first book baby isn’t an only child!). It’s also an opportunity for you to learn about new authors. And maybe follow them.

Thank you for your love and support on this journey. I know every “mom” probably believes this, but she’s beautiful. I hope you’ll think so too! Happy reading! Enjoy!

Dashes and Fragments and Splices, Oh My!

I wrote the book
And read and edited
Then did it umpteen times
Until I couldn't read
Even one word more.
Then off through cyberspace 
To my editor it went
And oh, what I learned then.

Commas are necessary
For any list serial
Of puppies, cats, and parakeets.
But when they go rogue
And try to splice together
Two completely unrelated clauses
Then you must banish them from your page
So a noble period can step in
And save your wayward paragraph.

A dash isn't merely a high flying line.
An en-dash is short to 
Make hyphenated words.
But an em-dash is long
And should be used most judiciously. 
Only when you're trying
To create a little drama or
Explain something extra special. 
I'm not C.S. Lewis 
Who used them liberally
Or J.R.R. Tolkien who
Eschewed them as one should.
Now if I think I need that 
Longer dash
I'll back up and ponder longer
To remember colons
And semi-colons
Need love ❤ too!

While people don't always
Speak in complete sentences,
Authors almost always do.
Can you parse the one you wrote
And find the noun and verb?
Or is it just some random words
Rioting across the page?

And who knew
I can be passive?
In sentences,
It isn't good.
So step up!
Grab the action 
By the verbs
And just do it!
Without reference 
To any specific 
Foot covering names
Or company trademarks.
No one wants to be sued,
Least of all me!

Contrary to Emerson's opinion,
Consistency is no hobgoblin
But absolutely critical
When you're deciding
One word
Or two
Or perhaps 
A hyphenated merger.
Make a choice
And stick with it
All the way 
To the end's Happy Ever After.

It's most important
To know when your story 
Requires no added words
When the hero steps no farther
Down the primrose path
You simply stop
And say nothing further. 

And never, never, never
Change the formatting.
Save often and double check
To be sure no evil header 
Sneaks in to cause
Your editor great dismay.

I hope this little verse correctly shows the things I’ve learned (I just turned in my second pass of editing) and that my wonderfully patient editor’s job will be much easier on my NEXT BOOK!

Enjoy!

The Wild Ride

The ride I’ve been on the last six weeks or so has provided its share of ups and downs. Some of the dips and rises have been minor and others beyond huge. Everything from a seasonal return of McRibs to our pizza place of twenty years losing their lease at the end of the year. From celebrating another year on this planet to concern about dear friends struggling with vaccine mandate and work/life balance choices and others with personal and family health issues. Even the weather was undecided from gorgeous blue sky fall days when long sleeves felt good even basking in the sun to dreary, damp, I can’t get warm, where is the sunshine days.

In the midst of it all – I lost a friend who also was the mother of a dear friend. She’d had a ride of ninety-five years, but that didn’t make the loss any easier to take. She was a very talented and prolific artist. I was fortunate that over the years she gifted me some of the beautiful paintings she had created. I can sit back and look around the room I write, spin, and weave in and see reminders of her on the walls and tucked away on the shelves of the bookcases. I’m thankful she shared a small part of her life with me. I hope her family’s pain (and my own) at losing her is soon replaced with the joy of remembering her.  

And after that sad free fall down – the ride rocketed up just as precipitously. As most of you know, I’ve been writing and putting my manuscripts out there for the past – almost – six years. I’ve gotten rejection letters, no responses, aborted contract negotiations, thanks but no thanks, and other negative answers to my publishing queries.

 Until now.

I have a signed contract with a traditional independent publisher. I have an incredible editor. I’m writing back cover book blurbs, tag lines and my bio. With my sweet husband, we designed our vision of the “ideal” book cover. There are dedications and acknowledgements drafted. All this while my editor is working with me busily editing my first novel for another review.

To say that I am excited would be a gross understatement. But I am also humbled and filled with gratitude to get to this place – to have this bittersweet turn of events transforming my dream into tangible reality. I’m not sure it will completely sink in until I can hold “Polly’s List” by Kim Janine Ligon in my hands.

Thank you for following my adventure. For all the encouraging words when I most needed to hear them. You have no idea how important they were in making me persist. And persistence is needed to get published. I so appreciate your support and your frequent gentle queries about how my journey to your bookshelf is going.

Please check out The Wild Rose Press – my publisher. I don’t have a publication date yet, but it’s early in the process. You know, I’ll tell you as soon as I know. “Polly’s List” is in the suspenseful, rated-G romance category or as my husband said “A good mystery spoiled by romance.”

I’m sure this wild ride will continue to have ups and downs – but as the plaque Angela gave me on my retirement says : The Joy of the Journey is in the Ride. To which I can only say AMEN!