"If there's a book you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, you must write it." - Toni Morrison

I started writing at 10 years old simply because there were no books that seemed to tell my story. I write today for much the same reason: I want to give a voice to the least visible experiences and the lives that aren't often spoken of except in bits and pieces. 

I completed Elephant Girl: A Human Story in April, 2011. In July, I had a publishing offer fall through. After hearing from several agents that my work was good, but that I "lacked a platform" (e.g., the kind of name recognition that gets publishers excited), I decided to self publish. 

Elephant Girl is now available on Amazon (Kindle and paperback), CreateSpace (paperback) and Smashwords (other e-versions). However, merely publishing a book and promoting it through social media is not enough to make it a success. To give Elephant Girl the exposure it needs, I need a publicity campaign, including review copies, press releases and professional reviews in respected journals.

Why Elephant Girl is Different

The story of Precious ends with her teenage years. Jeannette Walls concludes Glass Castles as a college student. In A Child Called It, Dave Pelzer is removed from his abusive home by age 12 and eventually finds a loving foster family.

My story is about what happens when there is no clear path to follow and no dramatic rescue—when the only life-saving graces are imagination, self-determination and, ultimately, an undefeatable sense of hope.

Written in three voices; child, teen and adult, Elephant Girl takes readers on the raw, intimate journey of a life lived outside the lines. Sometimes I scrambled desperately for a way in—wanting more than anything to be closer to "normal"—while at other times I clung to the periphery as a source of self-comfort and nurturing. On the balance, I believe I've told a very human story where hope and reality, courage and fear, stark truths and bright imaginings often collide. 

What Readers are Saying

"From the soul of a child and the heart of a woman comes a story about turning imagination into possibility and scars into art." - Rosie O'Donnell, Talk Show Host

"(Elephant Girl is) woven from tears and grit and the pure determination of a spirit that refuses to be crushed." - Karoli Kuns, Writer (Read full review here).

"It's crept into the crevices of my brain and I can't escape her beautiful prose. Nor do I want to. Everyone should read this book." - Tanis, of TheRedneckMommy.com 

"This story needs to get out there. It's raw, vulnerable, and incredibly honest to the bone." - Ana Gonzales Lewis, of Women on the Verge

Read other reviews at Amazon.com. 

How Funds Will be Used

• $1200    - Professional Reviews from Kirkus, Clarion, others*. 
  
• $600      - Distributed Press Release
• $360      - Review Copies
• $250      - Videographer (professional book trailer)
• $900      - Marketing and Publicity
• $190      - Materials for Mailings & Promotion

Any additional funds raised will go toward my goal of doing a cross-country book tour to Independent book stores and social media/blogger events.

*Kirkus and Clarion are professional review catalogs that go to libraries and bookstores and help drive buying decisions from those entities. All publishers, indie or not, must pay for inclusion. This does not guarantee good reviews, only that the publisher will take the time to read the book, write a review, and include it in their catalog.