Martha's Mirror will make its debut on August 13th

Getting ready for the launch of Martha's Mirror at the Westside Chapters this Saturday.
My thanks to Scott Hayes of the St. Albert Gazette for his recent story.

Still awaiting the books coming in from Toronto, but they should make the deadline. Fingers crossed.

Warmest wishes to everyone.
~~Sheree~~

Martha's Mirror will make its debut on August 13th

Brad, Ruth thought.

She swiped at an angry tear. She clenched her teeth and re-shouldered her long gun.

I can handle a few hours of this.

A seed of hope began to grow.

Then Mom can take over.

But she didn't know that a new hell was coming...

And it was going to last for months…

The Sequel has arrived!

Martha's Vine: Book II - Martha's Mirror

The story picks up exactly where Martha's Vine left off.
Find out what happens to Martha, Matthew, Meteor, Virgil, Anna, and Martha's daughters, Ruth and Elizabeth.

Announcing the highly anticipated sequel to Martha's Vine from Edmonton author, Sheree Zielke.
As promised, Martha's Mirror makes it debut this Saturday:

Westside Chapters (in the Toys 'r Us parking lot next to the Keg)
9952-170 Street
Saturday, August 13, 2011
11:30-4:00 PM

(Please note: A limited number of "Author's Editions" will be sold to current fans of Martha's Vine. These books are on a first come, first served basis.
There will be only ONE print run of these collectible copies; after that a first edition will be made available to the general public.

Don't miss out!
This will be your ONLY CHANCE to get a signed "Author's Edition"
of Martha's Mirror.

(If you cannot make the signing, you can buy an autographed Author's Edition from me directly. But these must be pre-purchased in PayPal before Friday. Just let me know via email.)

This offer is NOT available to the general public.

Martha's Mirror will make its debut on August 13th

Today, I received the Author's Editions of Martha's Mirror, the sequel to Martha's Vine. We have decided to go ahead with the launch on August 13th at the TerraLosa Chapters. We will be selling the collectible Author's Editions, which have had only one press run. After that, only First Edition books will be sold.

Hope to see you at the Chapters book launch...and if you can't come...then hope to have you there in spirit.

Back from the royal wedding and now editing on Martha's Vine II

Enjoyed the royal wedding very much, but mostly from a promotional aspect. If you Google my name and add the words, "royal wedding" or "romance novelist" you will be stunned by the coverage I got.

Here are a couple of samples:


Romance novelist attends the royal wedding

Canadian author sleeps on the streets of London


Still trying to get back on Alberta time.

Yawn.

Happy weekend!
~~Sheree~~

New Cover for Martha's Vine: Book II is done!

The cover for Martha's Vine: Book II is now designed. Fred SanFilipo, who designed the cover of the first novel, has once more worked his artistic and photographic magic. Just wait till you see it. Even more stunning than the first cover. And this time....it's a woman.

Fred never ceases to amaze me. He and I have worked on two projects before, and I am still flabbergasted at his ability to visually interpret my written words.

Thank you, Fred!

Both the title and the cover will be revealed in May.

I am still hard at editing the 2nd draft of the sequel. My endless thanks to David, Susan, and Rob for their tireless edits and constant support as I slog through the hardest of all the drafts.

I am off to adjudicate an Arts Festival in Hinton and Edson next week. And then David and I are off to the royal wedding in London.

Cheers,
Sheree

Hanging Around

How can a fictional character take such a hold on one's heart?

I just read Chapter 35 out loud to David. We both sat here blubbering like a couple of babies. The story and the characters surprised me with a wild turn...and sacrificed one of my most beloved characters. How can a person that is real only in my imagination, command such grief?

One more chapter to go...the epilogue, and the prologue...and the first draft of my second novel is complete. I can barely wrap my mind around that...my "second" novel. Who'd a thought it? I certainly didn't. But it's real...and I think you, my dear reader, are going to love this sequel.

Now, I must gear up for another book signing and the "Coming Out" party. I might even give a tiny hint as to how the book progresses. And then again, I might not.

I feel a little drained now...and I have a chapter to write tomorrow. It'll be hard to do, because everything inside me does not want me to finish the story...because it'll mean I must leave Martha's world. I am not sure my heart can handle that.

~~Sheree~~

I wanted a lonely picture to go with this entry...this is near "Old Faithful" in Yellowstone National Park.

YES, I want to attend the "Coming Out" party for Book TWO

I am totally amazed at how well this 2nd book is coming along. I've said it before...that this book feels more like me...less frenetic...more structured. Today, I completed chapter 32. I can't tell you how many more chapters there are to go...the characters just keep them coming, but I do know, the book is nearing the end. I hope it doesn't go past 40 chapters, because there is so much editing to do. Very fatiguing.


I want to turn over a bit of space here to a brand new reader...who has become a friend. She received Martha's Vine on Monday, and posted her review on Amazon today. She was hooked.

"Now that I devoured Martha's Vine I am at a loss till Martha's Vine 2 comes out.

 

The Vine's characters took on such life in all their attributes, personally becoming a part of me I'm not prepared to move on from. I saw their world, I walked in their shoes, I lived their experiences through every page - all put together quite thoroughly and quite apt if our world were to become Martha's.

 

Immersed is what describes my time with Sheree's creation!"

Thanks, Laurie!

For those of you in the Edmonton area, please tell your friends about the Coming Out party happening on the 23rd of this month.

~~Sheree~~

A flashback to many, many years ago...guess how old I was...

And speaking of giving birth--it's a BOY! February, 1, 1973

Baby boy Zielke

Thirty-eight years ago, I was alone, I was pregnant, and I was overdue. I had a weird doctor who thought that because I was pregnant, I couldn't attend highschool. I told him in no uncertain terms where to shove his advice. I was finishing Grade 12, and I had only 7 months to do it.

This same doctor was not into Mother Nature doing her own thing, in her own time. So, at 11:30 at night, I was told (against my legal rights and without any signing authority -- I was underage, so they made me a fast ward of the court), that I was too long overdue and that I was going to have an emergency C-section. I already hated doctors--he cemented the deal. 

In those days, unwed pregnant mothers, with plans to give their babies up for adoption, were kept away from their children. So, I lay in bed recovering from been ripped open against my will, and wondered what happened to my baby.

A tiny British nurse came in one day; she could see I had been crying. She listened to my story, and then she said, "We'll do something about that. You want to see your baby? Let's go." This was 8 days after the birth of my son.

I remember how tiny she was, because she had to help me out of the bed. And I could barely help myself. She took me to the nursery, we walked inside, and she pointed out a baby to me. "That's your baby," she said. "Do you want to hold him?" I had no idea what to do. I had no idea how to feel. "I said, NO."

I also said, NO," to the social worker pushing the adoption papers at me, along with the pressure to sign quickly because the parents were waiting.

I kept my son against all odds. And, today, I had lunch with him.

He's a great kid--a man, now. And I am so proud of him.  He is strong in the Lord, he cares for others weaker than himself, and he is a hard-worker. He throws lumber every day, even in sub-zero temperatures.

Happy birthday, Ryan. May we share many more birthday lunches together.

Love, Mom

PS Didn't write a single word on the Vine today, but did meet with the bookstore manager at West Edmonton Mall, where I will be signing books on the 19th of this month.

Ryan shows off his birthday "cake":

The "apple bird" served on birthdays:

Martha's Vine II is nearing completion but time out for Narnia!

My brain is so happy to be in all the action of the ending of a novel. Things are moving in both camps. The combatants have different names, but the struggles to survive and thrive remain the same. Times are tough in post-apocalyptic Alberta.

Don't worry, your favorites are still there, but they are taking a bit of a breather after that last big battle. Winter has helped to cool things down. Snow has a way of doing that in a world without snow graders and city snow removal crews.

This weekend, we have our grandkids. We are taking them to a Narnia exhibit at the Telus World of Science. It looks like it will be fun. We must have 3 children up and dressed and out of the house by 7:30 AM. That's gonna be one fast breakfast.

Are you reading this blog? If so, type your name into the comment box below. Anyone can post. Depending upon the strength of your interest in Martha's Vine, I might choose you as a reader of the entire novel once it reaches a 2nd draft.

~~Sheree~~

A shot taken in England. Why am I posting a shot from England? Because I will be there the end of April attending the event of the century: the marriage of Wills and Kate.

Steven Tyler -- you made me cry

Wow, some days it's so hard to find inspiration to write. So, I won't talk about Martha's Vine. Except that I am writing Chapter 26 today.

I want to talk about American Idol. I saw the most touching thing on last night's show, the Milwaukee auditions. A singer came with his wife who had been crippled in a car accident. The three judges called her in before they announced that her husband was going to Hollywood. I had a sneaking suspicion that one of the judges would be very tender towards her. I thought it would be JLo...a woman. But no.

Randy was no surprise; he looked like he was listening to prompts from the producers, and JLo was rather reserved. But Steven Tyler knocked my socks off...and brought me to tears. What a tender moment. He was so sweet to the woman.

I liked Tyler as one of the new American Idol judges...but I love him now. Good for you, Steven. Good for you. So glad that after all these years in a hard rock lifestyle, you have maintained a precious heart.

~~Sheree~~


Dedicated to Steven Tyler of Aerosmith

Staring at a blank page

Here it is...9 PM...do you know where your novel's words are? Nope. My silly, busy day resulted in a wonderful new laser mouse and new desperately needed eyeglasses, but not a single word on the Vine.
Makes me upset with me.
And what's worse...I opened up a page upon which I can usually spin a tale, but nothing came...not a word, not a gesture, not a thought.
So, I shall do what writers sometimes do best...procrastinate. *grin* And write a blog. I think that's who designed blogs, you know...procrastinating writers.

Tomorrow...there is always tomorrow.

~~Sheree~~

Shot outside West Edmonton Mall...this AM...while on my way to tutor two new students on a Sony camera.

Glad to be a writer

It's Sunday...a good day to stay in bed and listen to the wind blowing outside. Once again, I am so glad to be a writer. I get to work indoors. Meeting my quota today on Martha's Vine TWO. Hoping to take a bite out of tomorrow's quota, too.

Sending all of you my very best wishes for a wonderful week filled with all good things

~~Sheree~~

A wee bit of summertime to encourage those of us still deep in winter.

Absence makes the novelist's heart grow fonder

You know that silly saying, "Absence makes the heart grow fonder?" Well, I have seen too many instances where it simply isn't true of the human heart, but of the novelist's heart...now there is truth.

I have this love affair going on between me, my computer, and my novel. A three-way. More or less.  If I want my novel to sing to me, to draw me back in, back to my computer keyboard, all I have to do is be away from the computer with something else demanding my attention Like working for a living. Doesn't take long for me to be yearning to have my keyboard back under my fingers again.

I met all of my outside responsibilities today, and then could hardly wait to get back home, to writing again. You see, Brad came up with this absolutely devilish plan. But little does he know--disloyalty can work on both sides of the fence. Ha-ha, Brad!

If you are local, and you've read Martha's Vine, and you'd like to know what happens next, then come to our Coming Out party on February 23rd.

Have a great weekend,
~~Sheree~~

Ooh, pretty metal...on a motorcycle. Yummy.

Next book signing date set - February 19th at WEM

Just a quick blog entry for tonight.

I now have a book signing set for Saturday, February 19th, in West Edmonton Mall. Hoping people will come out 11:30-3:30 pm. We will be inviting readers to attend the "Coming Out" party---Sheree will read the next 3 chapters of the sequel.

Sign up on FACEBOOK

My son Ryan and I. Photo by my friend, Sylvia Labelle.

I'm here for the party!

I am often asked where I get my ideas from...how I plan the plot twists...the characters...and the storyline.

My answer: I don't. That's right, I don't.

I went for dinner with a friend, who is also a fan of MV, last night...and she asked me about how I write. Here is what I told her:

Everyday, when I face my computer and my open Word program, it's like facing a set of barred doors, thick doors, butcher block doors, the kind of doors that would guard a castle keep. Behind those doors, I can hear people's voices, people arguing, people laughing, people having a party. And I so want to get to that party, but I must push my way into the room first.

Some days, the doors are easy to open, but some days they take everything I've got inside me to push them open so I can take part in the party. So, I push as hard as I can. Once those doors open, and I enter the party, the rest is pretty easy. I just become part of the group, listen in on conversations, and watch interactions. Like a movie in my head. Then I write as fast as I can type.

The worst is when I manage to push the doors open, but I am in my shower or driving my car. Then I go half nuts trying to memorize everything I am hearing and saying. That part makes me panic.

I made my quota again today. And that's after getting a very slow start on my day. But luckily today, the doors swung open with a single push. And that's such a good feeling.

I am close to 1/2 way through the book. I am finding Ruth's life to be totally intriguing, but the wild dogs back on the compound are giving Matthew's people a very hard time.

~~Sheree~~

Do you know of someone else who has read Martha's Vine, but who isn't reading this blog? Would you please send them the link? Thanks.

Isn't she sweet...I shot this little mother fox two springs ago. She was injured, but she was so involved with her babies. I found her courage to be awe-inspiring.

How did the pioneers do it?

Today's forecast for Edmonton is very moderate...almost tropical at -1C. (That's about 30F for my American friends). But the coldest temperatures recorded for this day was -43C back in the 1800s (that's 45 below in Fahrenheit.) Yikes. How did the pioneers survive? No modern conveniences. No quick warm-ups at the nearest coffee shop. No idling and running the heater on the horse and carriage. No electric buffalo blankets. Gross. How did they do it?

Makes me stop and wonder at the prospect of Martha's world truly existing. What if the power grid disappeared? How does one cope with wickedly cold winter temperatures? The pioneers did it, but how? How would the modern day descendants of those brave souls survive such cruel temperatures? Is there something inside us, something intrinsic, we could or would tap into? Scary thought.

Just getting through a day, and managing to get a night's rest would be a major accomplishment. How dramatically priorities would change. Food, water, shelter, warmth, and protection from those who would like to take what you have struggled to find would far outrank American Idol, hockey scores, and the latest camera gadget. Not a nice prospect at all. 

Back to writing on the Vine2 today. Things are not looking good for Martha and her people. And it's only October for them.

~~Sheree~~

Here is a view of what -40C looks like in northern Alberta.

How a writer farms

A writer is like a farmer.

A farmer's life is never really his own--his life is controlled by outside forces from the cattle he keeps to the weather that can either bless or curse him. Yet a farmer finds the wherewithal to press on in spite of fatigue, in spite of failures, in spite of yearning for something more. How? He is always working toward a goal--a contented cow in the barn, a loaf of bread on the table, and maybe even--money in the bank. And for that, he is willing to respond whenever the work calls--at all times of the day and night. A writer's life is something like that.

Our imagination doesn't understand day or night...it creates constantly, and if we want to capture the rough diamonds our mind unearths, we must be ready to write, endlessly. The tilling of the mind fields, the reaping, the harvesting, the pounding of the literary grain into something palatable --is endless.

If you are a writer, then you have my empathy. Write on. You will achieve your dream so long as you ignore the status quo, work when the sun shines or in the pitch dark of the wee hours of the morning, but work.

I am now 10 chapters and nearly 30-thousand words into Martha's Vine2. Only another 90-thousand words to go. One mind field at a time.

~~Sheree~~

And just when does a full moon occur in Alberta in September?

Still trying to meet my quota, but logistics has popped up its ugly head and I find myself plotting times, hours of the day, and whether or not things could actually be happening at the time I have them happening. Like what time of year is it? What time is the sunrise? That matters when it comes to fighting a battle. Tough to hit a moving target in the dark. And just when is the moon full in September in Alberta? Luckily that changes from year to year, but sunrise tends to be around the same time. So no fudging in that department.
Result: more facts, but I am behind on my quota. And I feel fatigue setting in. Must go on....

And so it begins

Today is the last day of my former life... life before my self-imposed deadline of 3-thousand words a day. I must stay to my schedule or I won't get the first draft of Martha's Vine: Book 2 finished before my heavy schedule of commitments kicks in again.

Please accept my very best wishes for a 2011 filled with much joy and success... May the Lord keep your bird feeders filled.

If you miss me, you'll find me on Facebook.

~~Sheree~~

Martha’s Vine: Kindle edition doing great on Amazon.com

It is one thing to write a 584 page book; it is quite another to market it.

The good news is that the Kindle edition of Martha’s Vine is doing very well on Amazon. But the paperback version, newly released this past week, is still struggling. Please give it a look, buy 2 books, read one, give one away, write a review, send me your address, and I will send you a new book signed by me. Give the other book away, too. BTW, if you think I will become a millionaire…selling books on Amazon… let me enlighten you… I would need to sell 1-million books to become a millionaire. You do the math.

Read the customer REVIEWS!

Please help a struggling new author… tell a friend, read some of the reviews, click, “YES,” that the reviews were helpful, or buy a book or two. Or better still, tell Oprah!

Thank you!