THE LIAR'S DIARY is out in trade paper today, JANUARY 29, 2008! The author, Patry Francis, one of my favorite people in the whole wide world, she is proof that hard work, patience, and determination will make your dreams of being published come true. She’s one of us—the quiet people who observe the world around them every day, working day jobs for years to pay the bills and raise a family. She’s one of us who silently slinks off during a lull in life to a “room of one’s own” or even a corner of the living room, to spend a precious few minutes or maybe if we’re lucky an hour or more to write because we are driven to write that one book that we believe is in us (many of us are fortunate to have more than one). Patry has an extraordinary soul, and on more than one occasion she has been there saying all the right things for many of us during our meltdowns when the publishing world just looks so bleak for those of us knocking on the door.
It is rarer than people think to have a book published—agents are daily inundated with hundreds of query letters from writers looking for representation by post or email or online submission forms, I can’t wrap my mind around it sometimes—so when I found out that Patry was finally chosen, I couldn’t be more pleased! It’s just a stunning feeling to finally know that it can happen, and so awesome to have it be someone so special! Imagine the years spent writing, revising, rejection, more revising, and then—well—what the hell, writing another book just in case that one might be “the one”, and then finally, one day it happens, that’s the big IT. An agent accepts the challenge to represent your book, sells your manuscript to a publisher willing to take the risk—the dream becomes a reality. But—here’s the big bad BUT—just when you think you’ve got it all, you discover you have an aggressive form of cancer. This is what has happened to my friend. Patry is at home recuperating from surgery (thankfully her prognosis is good!), so unfortunately, she won't be able to do the necessary footwork needed for promoting the book in its new paperback format, with a lovely new cover to dress ‘her’ up for the party. So since Patry can’t, we’re out here instead, several of us (Patry’s favorite people in the whole wide world), fellow writers like myself, and other publishing-biz folks, have banded together to help spread the word by blogging about her book.
I have to say, ever since I finished reading THE LIAR'S DIARY (way back when it was a freshly minted hardcover with a squeaky spine) I have been telling everyone I know about it, loaning my copy to friends and relations, watching it become “loved” every time it is returned to me…the good news is, it is still sticking with me long after I finished the last page, which is what good books are supposed to do! I am very proud to count Patry amongst my friends, and my goodness, if I had the power, I’d move heaven and earth to see her get well again so she can continue this precious dream come true to write and publish more books—she is the most deserving of us to see this through.
To read about Patry and learn to learn about her and THE LIAR’S DIARY, please visit her blog Simply Wait at:
http://simplywait.blogspot.com/
Please visit your favorite bookstore or online store to order this fantastic book, and enjoy a good read!
