I Have Arrived!

My first book – a reality

Before I begin, it’s announcement time. Again! Cue the trumpets! Just released on 10/13/25 by Grendel Press – Haunted in Paradise – a supernatural thriller that will tingle your spine. Get your copy now here.

Sharon Coady came to Gulfside, Florida, seeking peace. The sun, the sand, the promise of a new life—living with her psychic gift. But paradise has its shadows. The ghost of her ex-husband refuses to rest, his presence unsettling the fragile calm. At the same time, a predator lurks in the shadows, stalking her every move. As supernatural dread collides with very real danger, Sharon must wield her psychic strength. Because in Gulfside, even paradise can turn deadly—and if she can't fight back, she may lose everything.

While you’re ordering, don’t forget The One-in-the-Noose, here, and Death in the Cards, here. This spooky duo pairs well with Haunted in Paradise. Order them all together.  It'll make us both happy!

Now, back to business…

This segment of my publishing story provides the details of how, when, and why I published my very first book, Uncovering Norman, Proving the Former Life of a Ghost which you can purchase here from the publisher (much better for me) or here from Amazon (who pays only a few pennies in royalties and keeps the rest).

First, a disclaimer: This post is not a recommendation or a referral. The claims I  make are related to my own experience with a hybrid publisher in 2016. There is no guarantee that anyone using this same publisher or a similar one will experience the same or similar results. I accept no responsibility for anyone else’s outcome. Okay, that’s over with. Now…

I submitted my manuscript file for Uncovering Norman on May 4, 2018, with all the questionnaires and info sheets. It was in the hands of the interior designers.

There were also choices to make for how I wanted my cover to look. I decide to use one of my own photographs for the front cover – one that I’d taken of a physical image that Norman sent me. There were certain requirements for a personal photograph, rather than one from a stock image company like Getty Images. I had to make sure the image was saved as either .jpg or .tif and was a minimum 300 dpi resolution at the correct size.

I submitted the photo for the front cover the same day, May 4. My “About the Author” and back of the book blurb had already been sent to my PSA (Publishing Services Associate).

Next up… wait. According to the Step-by-Step Guide, it would take about a month for me to receive the interior and cover proofs. So, I was quite surprised when I got the emails with both proofs four days later on May 8.

My turn – to read through the interior proof and find any errors or formatting issues that I wanted corrected or changed, and to review all parts of the cover to make sure it was the way I wanted it to look. For this, I had to become my most meticulous, tedious self. The editing in my publishing package included one set of changes to the initial proof. Any changes after that would cost an additional fee. I set to it, determined to only need one run through.

Balboa Press sent me another guide with FAQ about how to review the proofs, what to look for, how to identify the changes and make the corrections, and the potential fees if future amendments were necessary. Six days later I was done. I was thorough and meticulous. After all, this was my first book. My introduction to the world. I wanted it perfect.

Besides the FAQ guide, I got another email from Balboa with an offer. If I could complete my proof review by May 18, they would reward me with five free copies of my book. That was a no-brainer!

I reviewed the interior proof three times, for both text and design elements and came up with a list of thirty-three changes I wanted made. I checked the cover proofs just as thoroughly, and came up with two changes. I emailed these back on May 16.

They accepted my changes and updated the manuscript and cover, and I accepted the final proofs. We were ready to go!

I don’t know if I mentioned this in previous posts, but I had made arrangements with Balboa to pay the package price, just under $1000, in three installments. The next email from PSA informed me that the book wouldn’t go to print until I paid the last installment. There was some lead time before it was due, since the book was processed ahead of their suggested timeframes. But, if I paid the last installment ahead of schedule, they would give me another five books for free. Done!

On May 21, I received notice that my advance proof copy has shipped. WoW! On May 27, I realized the dream I’d been holding on to since I was kid. It was beautiful. As perfect as I had imagined. The advance copy arrived. I had a real live copy of my book! I can’t begin to describe all the emotions that whizzed inside me. I was proud, and happy, and excited, and awe-struck.

I did it, and it was all thanks to Norman, my friend the ghost.

What’s Next?

Ah, those billboards…