An author loves to get notes from readers. I've gotten quite a few since my book was released in May 2011, for which I am very grateful. I was so taken by the one I recently received that I have to share it with you here: I just finished Leaving the Hall Light On this morning. I wrote my review on here and Amazon. As a published author I know how fulfilling it is to receive feedback from readers. I write you this message today because I would request that you read my review. I am a writer, nurse, mother, and wife who suffers with Bipolar 1 disorder. I would like for you to know that I felt Paul's soul in the core of my bones. I know intimately the feeling of quietly walking down the hallway as to not disturb my loved ones, locking the bathroom door, and making the decision to end my life. As I sit here this afternoon writing this message I struggle to stay out of the bathroom today. I began reading the book through the eyes of someone who suffers from mental illness, but finished … [Read more...]
A successful bookstore reading and discussion
My friend, Eleanor Vincent came down this weekend to fulfill our commitment to do a reading and discussion at my local independent pages: a bookstore. She arrived on Saturday afternoon, and after much stalling we got to work planning the event Sunday morning after breakfast. We quickly decided to alternate two or three readings with short chats related to them, and then open the discussion to the audience. We chose on our reading portions I chose two and Eleanor chose three and then we practiced and timed the whole piece, including our remarks. I also created an agenda so we could each have one at the ready as we sat in front of the attendees later in the afternoon. I had already purchased a few bottles of wine and sparkling water and some veggies and dip to serve. Mike O'Mary shipped us books to sell. Eleanor's went directly to Pages. Mine came to my home. With all that we declared ourselves ready mainly because we are very knowledgeable about our books' messages and the … [Read more...]
Writing Life Stories
We were out to dinner with our friends Patti and Pat the other night and Patti shared with me that she's taking a writing class at her church. I've never known that Patti had an interest in writing, so I was fascinated to know that this is a class in lifestory writing a topic that's been very much on my mind lately. I also discussed it with a friend who works at the Jewish Home for the Aging in Los Angeles, suggesting they offer a class for the folks who live there. As people age, we mustn't lose their stories. We must find a way to record and save their stories for future generations. I would love to teach the class should the Jewish Home decide to offer it. Writing life stories has become all the rage. We're in the so-called Memoir Revolution with volumes written about how to write your life story or memoir and how to produce it into a book. One in particular is Sharon M. Lippincott's The Heart and Craft of Lifestory Writing: How to Transform Memoires into Meaningful Stories. I've … [Read more...]
Kindle giveaway – ends tonight
My publisher, Mike O'Mary of Dream of Things put Leaving the Hall Light On back in the Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) Select program. He has also decided to give the Kindle version away for two days yesterday and today, hopefully to kick start sales again. As of today the second morning it looks like the giveaway is going well though I won't know the actual count of books downloaded for free until tomorrow morning. Other book sales are going on too.It looks like I sold a few paperbacksin the last couple of days, and surprise, surprise, a hardback sold through my Amazon seller's account yesterday as well. Go there is you want a signed first edition. Of course the question still is: does a giveaway promote more sales once the giveaway is over? The last giveaways my publisher held did. According the webinar I heard yesterday by Howard VanEs through SheWrites on the subject of Cashing in with Kindle Books, a book giveaway should show up positively in the ranks for a few days … [Read more...]
Why I added photos, poems and quotes in my memoir
One of the first reviewers of my memoir, Leaving the Hall Light On, said, ¦.The poetry and photographs add an extra dimension that is missing from most memoirs like this since as a reader you get much closer to the reality of what is being described on the page¦. (Mark Shelmerdine, CEO, Jeffers Press). Another reviewer said my book is poetically visceral. Those statements helped validate any misgivings I had in adding other creative works into my manuscript. I really hadn't thought of putting photos in my book until my publisher suggested it. And of course I was delighted. At first she suggested photos interspersed within the chapters, but my book didn't lend itself to that. So I picked out photos in groups: of my son Paul the main subject of the book, of him and his brother, family photos, views of my office, garden, and one of the memorials to Paul a bench dedicated to him on the greenbelt outside our home. At the time I had no idea what an impact these photos would have … [Read more...]
Magical thinking revisited
I wrote the following piece for the Bereaved Parents Newsletter, lovingly produced by Peggy Sweeney of The Sweeney Alliance and her Journeys Through Grief blog. And I'm thrilled to share that it's listed on the newsletter's Top Ten for 2012. The Sweeney Alliance is a nationally recognized company that provides help to families and professionals coping with grief and stress. Since 1990, they have developed and facilitated specialized programs that teach children and adults how to reinvest in life and living following a life-altering event such as the death of someone loved, divorce, violence, neglect or disability. Here's how to contact Peggy. Peggy Sweeney, Founder and President The Sweeney Alliance 1601 Quinlan Creek Drive Kerrville, TX 78028 Phone: (830) 377-7389 E-Mail: peggy@sweeneyalliance.org Here's my article: Magical thinking is an ancient idea that if a person hopes for something enough or performs the right actions, an event can be averted or turned around. … [Read more...]
Why I journal
I just spent an hour with my friend and fellow journal writer, @DawnHerring chatting about journaling #JournalChat. Dawn hosts these Twitter chats every Thursday at two o'clock Pacific time. I hadn't participated for the last few weeks, so it was good to be back today. The topic was Take Action. Before I get into that here's a bit about my journaling history. When I was in grade school I had one of those little leather (or faux leather) bound diaries that had a tiny key. Mine was a 5-year diary so I wrote down in teeny script my daily events. I think my parents must have thrown it out when they sold our house and moved to California because I never saw it again after I went away to college. I journaled in fits and starts over the next forty years or so. I kept a journal when we lived in the South Pacific during the seventies, and some of those journal entries became a magazine article about our island adventures. However, I began journaling regularly when my son Paul was … [Read more...]
Still writing to heal
I've written about writing to heal, I've talked about it in front of groups, and I must say, I'm still doing it. I journal, I write pieces for other websites and here about writing to heal from our tragedies, and I'm still reaping its benefits. I suggest, even if you've never written a word in your life, start journaling. You don't have to show what you write to anyone, so you're free to write down anything you want any way you want. And then you may be surprised. You may want to go public with your writing. Sharing our stories can be very healing to others. Writing has been part of my life since I was in grade school. However, when my son was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and after his suicide I needed to write down my feelings daily. Writing in my journal became an obsession and a balm. It gave me a way to organize my fears, pain, and thoughts. I had used journaling during an earlier stressful period of my life to rant. So I felt that writing would help me again during what … [Read more...]
I love Cheryl Stahle’s journaling suggestions
I also met Cheryl Stahle while we were co-panelists on a Google+ hangout about writing life stories. I'm so glad that you'll also get to know about Cheryl and her book, Slices of Life: the Art and Craft of Memoir Writing. I hope you'll also resonate with her journaling suggestions as I do. Journaling Towards Healing by Cheryl Stahle Grief. Unmentionable. A taboo topic. If we don't acknowledge the presence of grief maybe it will disappear. But often it doesn't. Ted Schwartz, the surviving member of Ted & Lee (now Ted & Co www.tedandcompany.com) has recently published his memoir addressing grief at the loss of his business partner, creative muse, fellow actor and best friend entitled Laughter is a Sacred Space. Ted has transformed his memoir into a one-man stage show that immortalizes the legacy Lee left through his suicide while leaving Ted to reinvent himself. Ted is currently touring the United States bringing his memoir to life through a genre outside of a print book. … [Read more...]
Mike O’Mary’s thoughts about book promotion
I couldn't leave my wonderful Dream of Things publisher, Mike O'Mary, out of my guest lineup. He has brought a whole new life to my book. His ideas for promotion have been priceless. I never would have known about most of this stuff had I gone on to self-publish after my first publisher went out of business. Please welcome Mike O'Mary and take lots of notes. Time and Commitment are Keys to Book Promotion by Mike O'Mary, My Dream of Things Publisher As the publisher of the trade paperback and e-book editions of Madeline Sharples' Leaving the Hall LightOn, I've had the pleasure of working with someone who really gets it when it comes to what an author needs to do afterthe book is written. In fact, I've already told other authors about Madeline and encouraged them to follow her and learn from her example.When Madeline first contacted me about becoming her publisher, I was intrigued. The hard cover edition of her book had good reviews, but then her publisher went out of business. … [Read more...]
Sharon Melton Lippincott – My first guest
I'm so honored to have Sharon Melton Lippincott as my first guest. We met a few months ago when we both participated on a Google+ hangout, and we have found a mutual connection regarding memoir and lifestory writing ever since. Sharon wrote a wonderful review of my memoir, Leaving the Hall Light On for the Story Circle Book Reviews, which I'm sure helped catapult it to the Story Circle Editors' book pick for November. Thank you so much, Sharon, for being here today. And that you chose to write about reading my book is a huge bonus! A Writer's Read on Leaving the Hall Light On by Sharon Melton Lippincott About five years ago I responded to a challenge and began posting reviews of books on Amazon and other sites, unaware that doing so would change the way I read and ultimately the way I write. Over sixty reviews later, I can honestly say that the enjoyment and value I get from reading has at least tripled. This enhanced reading mode led me to notice many fascinating aspects of … [Read more...]
Thank you, Indie Author News, for this great showcase
Featured Indie Book: Leaving the Hall Light On (Madeline Sharples) Featured Indie Book on Indie Author News: Non-Fiction Advice / Bipolar Disorder and Suicide Leaving the Hall Light On - A Mother's Memoir of Living with Her Son's Bipolar Disorder and Surviving His Suicide - by Madeline Sharples. Leaving the Hall Light On contains prose, poetry, and photos. And besides that, this quote from a reader who left a note on the Author's Facebook page recently probably says it all: "Your book has opened my eyes to see the signs and symptoms to look and watch out for. I want to thank you for that. I am so scared that my son will kill himself too. I am trying to education myself on this disease and your book has given me a rude awaking. My son said to me that I am finally taking his disease seriously. Thank you." The Book has been published via the Indie Publisher Dream of Things and is available as Paperback and eBook via Amazon, B&N and others 340 pages released in August … [Read more...]
Answering questions about bipolar disorder and suicide at SkatingThru2012
Dr. Pam Young, former professor and current Holistic Health Practitioner, was the ninth host of my three-month marathon virtual book tour, AKA blog tour. She graciously posted this Question and Answer session with me on her blog SkatingThru2012 on November 6. I thank her so much for her support and all the work she did to put this post together. I have been so fortunate to have so many folks join me on this tour. Author Madeline Sharples Answers Questions About Bi-Polar Disorder & Suicide Posted on November 6, 2012 | 3 Comments Memoirs can educate us by showing how one dealt with a particular circumstance. In that way, they offer a sort of lighted pathway. Such is the case with Leaving the Hall Light On by Madeline Sharples whose book tour included an invitation to bloggers to post questions about her experience not only to promote her book, but also to facilitate her mission since the death of her son: ¦to raise awareness, educate, and erase the stigma of mental illness and … [Read more...]
Anybody else get a damaging and useless Amazon review?
I just have to write about this. I can't help myself. Two days ago someone posted a 1-star review of my memoir, Leaving the Hall Light On up on Amazon. Here is what he or she said: I stopped reading after 36 pages I really wanted to like this book. The premise was interesting, "A Mother's Memoir of Living with Her Son's Bipolar Disorder and Surviving His Suicide." But the author's discussion of bipolar disorder seemed more personal opinion than actual facts and not much was actually SAID in the first 36 pages despite countless little "stories" and two poems...Honestly it was a struggle to even get as far as I did. Why would Amazon even allow this review to post? How could a review of 36 pages be valid and useful? I would think Amazon would want to interest people in buying their products rather than dissuading them. In allowing this review they do their company a huge disservice and of course make this author very angry. One of the people who commented on this review … [Read more...]
My writing life – still all good
Did I really say I wouldn't be working constantly while on my three-month virtual blog tour? I must have been dreaming. Writing, revising, and refining each and every one of my articles and getting them to the blog owners in enough time for them to post have kept me very busy. Plus, I've had new several requests from other bloggers to write for them that I've tucked into my blog tour schedule Right now I have a yellow sticky on my virtual desktop reminding me of the eight posts due in the next thirty days. Now that might not seem like a lot to you. However, just coming up with blog post ideas is a challenge that is unless one of the blog owners asks for something specific. In the last couple of weeks I've been asked to write about: 1) how I realized poetry alone was not enough to convey the story I told in my memoir, Leaving the Hall Light On, 2) my concept of gratitude, and 3) what I would say to someone who has just lost a loved one to suicide. These are not so simple … [Read more...]
My blog tour starts today
Angela Felsted officially kicked off my blog tour today by posting her wonderful review of Leaving the Hall Light On. Please find it at her blog site, My Poetry and Prose Place, or on the Leaving the Hall Light On Amazon page. Thank you, Angela, for your kind words about my book. Thirty-seven of thirty-eight readers found your review helpful. My tour will continue through the months of October, November, and December - But so not to give you the idea that I'll be working at it constantly during that time, not every day is taken. Also, the posts will vary between book reviews, questions and answers, a blog post my me, and a giveaway. So I hope you'll stop by often. The rest of the October agenda is: October 9 - Linda Hoye at A Slice of Life Writing October 10 - Jessica Bell at The Alliterative Allomorph October 17 - Amanda Lebron at All Between the Lines October 22 - Kathy Pooler at Memoir Writer's Journey. I'll let you know what's in store for November at the end of the … [Read more...]
Mormon Diaries by Sophia Stone
I am so pleased to tell you about Sophia Stone's wonderfully brave and informative book, Mormon Diaries. I'll provide a brief summary of the book, a few questions and answers, my review and a couple other blurbs, and a brief bio of the author with information on how to contact her. Plus her beautifully creative book video is at the end, so don't go away until you've watched it. Brief Summary Brought up in a religious home, Sophia believes the only way to have a forever family is by following church leaders and obediently choosing the right. She goes to the right school, marries the right man in the right place, and does the right thing by staying home to raise her children. But when she starts asking questions about grace, love, and the nature of God, she realizes her spiritual struggles could rip her family apart. Sophia and I exchanged a few questions and answers about her book and her current struggle. Here's a few that resonated with me. MS: Your book cover and video … [Read more...]
A Kindle book giveaway success story
I am pleased to report that my Kindle book giveaway, orchestrated by Mike O'Mary, my Dream of Thingspublisher, was a huge success. Scheduled to coincide with World Suicide Prevention Day on Monday, September 10, we offered my memoir, Leaving the Hall Light On, as a free download on September 8, 9, and 10. Downloads were slow at first. Sunday night the total was just 7,200. While I was willing to think that was a good number what did I know? Mike thought we should end up with at least 10,000. But we were both wrong. Downloads picked up considerably on the last day, and by the end of the giveaway we had a total of 14,500. Wow! The thought of that many people wanting to read my book is mind-blowing. And the success still goes on. In the three days since the giveaway ended, 200 Kindle editions have sold. As of this writing right now, the statistics are: Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,716 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store) ·#1 in Kindle Store > Kindle … [Read more...]
