What happened to The Desk – the epic novel I’ve been working on for nearly ten years? It has a new title – Heart Wood – and it’s very close to being published!
Heart Wood – An eco-speculative-historical-magical-feminist novel
Let me fill you in. Heart Wood was actually the original title before my working title of The Desk. After several early readers spontaneously suggested that Heart Wood would be a perfect title, I agreed and returned to the original title. Heart and Wood are themes interwoven throughout the novel.
I’ve chosen to publish independently for several reasons: time and control. I hold the rights to my novel, I control the cover and content, and I can publish it now through my local writing group’s imprint: Sierra Muses Press – not years down the line with a publishing house. The trade-off is that I’m responsible for all the work that a publisher would do for me: editing, design, proofreading, printing, etc. Luckily, I’ve had the support of many local professional women. It’s been a steep learning curve, but I’m not alone. In 2018 there was a 40% increase in independently published books.
Save these Dates!
MARCH 21st, 7 pm: Soft launch at Wordsmiths & Musicmakers at the Camptonville Community Center (camptonvillecommunitycenter.org)
MAY 3rd, 3-5 pm: Sierra Muses Press Book Launch at The Open Book, Grass Valley, featuring books by Shirley DicKard, Mila Johansen, Leslie Rivers, and Jenifer Bliss.
Shirley DicKard 
I like the tagline you settled on… Four women, for earth, for the future… sums it up perfectly!