Skip to main content

VBT-Guest Author Shelby Patrick

Before we jump to our VBT-Writers on the Move guest author Shelby Patrick, I wanted to say thank you for following this blog. I started this blog almost ten months ago and I can't believe how fast the number of followers and views climbed over the months. I really enjoy doing this blog and it has helped me get back into the swing of writing after the birth of my baby girl a year ago. Hard to believe it's been a year since she graced my life.

There are many things I have planned for this year here on the blog and with Stories for Children Publishing. I will as always update you on what is going on. I know lately I haven't posted any personal updates and I plan to be better over the upcoming months. Again thank you all for your support and now to our guest today author Shelby Patrick.

Instead of a interview, Shelby has offered a guest post on writing and keeping your spirits up when everything falls on your shoulders as the author of a book.


About Shelby Patrick: Shelby has published various articles throughout the Internet and created several e-books that are currently in circulation.

Not only does she work avidly with thrillers, but she continues to work with her other favorite genres: Fantasy and Science Fiction. She is currently working on a supernatural novel involving a serial killer.

Shelby was the founder of the now-defunct Michigan Horror Writers and the editor for several newsletters. Besides writing and dreaming, her other interests include martial arts, animals, and astronomy.



The Road So Far…
By Shelby Patrick

Writing is exhausting, especially when you do it alone. If you don’t have an agent, a marketer, or a publisher lined up, it all falls on the author to write and sell the book. How does one find the time?

Careful steps are necessary to keep one’s sanity during the writing process.

I spent years just writing before I even considered putting my stuff out there. I was under the impression that an author’s job is to WRITE. The rest would take care of itself, eventually. However, competition is fierce to grab an agent, editor, or publisher’s attention. I got a few offers, but none of them panned out, so I took my books on the road myself.

What did I find out?

Nothing comes easy.

I was lucky enough to find a really good editor, Richard Buchko, although he’s busy and takes his sweet old time.  It takes months to write, rewrite, and then rewrite some more before I can feel like my work is good enough to compete with the market today.

I write under a pseudonym, but the disadvantage of that is your friends and family don’t know you wrote something and there is no glory – so now everyone I know is aware of my pen name. Unfortunately, I wish I had kept it a secret now because some of the people I know comment on the nature of my writing – such as I used a lot of bad language or there’s too much sex and they don’t want to recommend it to anyone else. Therefore, I won’t tell them about my hot erotic vampire novel I just finished, which I’ll publish under a different pen name, of course. J

My first novel, WHEN ANGELS SING, came out in December 2010. The main male character, Blaze Kerrigan, is a typical young guy (with sex on the mind most days), but with one peculiar problem – he has a psychic link to a serial killer. So when Jenna Michaels shows up at his door unannounced and bears an uncanny resemblance to his dead fiancée, it’s Blaze’s job to keep her safe, especially when the body count starts to rise.

To see the trailer for WHEN ANGELS SING, please visit:

WHEN ANGELS SING can be purchased at amazon.com or bn.com.

Shelby Patrick

** Find Shelby Patrick on Twitter (@shelbypatrick) or Facebook **

And don't forget to visit the next guest on the VBT Feb '11 Tour on February 16th. Kevin McNamee is featuring author Darcia Helle. This is one post you don't want to miss!

Popular posts from this blog

The Comeback of 2D Animation: Why We’re Craving Realness Again

There’s something happening in animation right now that’s worth paying attention to—not because it’s simply nostalgic, but because it’s deeply human. As someone who works in the mental health and creative storytelling space, I can’t help but see these conversations about art, AI, and hand-drawn storytelling as part of a bigger theme: our collective hunger for authenticity. We live in a time where AI-generated content is everywhere—convenient, efficient, and often soulless. It’s not surprising that artists and audiences alike are looking back toward something that feels more tactile, more imperfect, more human. That brings us to 2D animation, an art form that has shaped generations and now, it seems, might just be making a comeback. Here’s what Language of the Soul podcast host, Dominick Domingo, had to say on this trend: There’s been a lot of industry talk lately speculating about 2D/traditional ANIMATION making a comeback. Recent articles confirm that although Disney has not greenlit...

Interview Friday with multi-talented author, Cheryl Malandrinos

Cheryl Malandrinos is a freelance writer and editor from Western Massachusetts . A regular contributor to Writer2Writer, her articles focus on increasing productivity through time management and organization. A founding member of Musing Our Children , Ms. Malandrinos is also the Editor-in-Chief of the group's quarterly newsletter, Pages & Pens . Cheryl is a Tour Coordinator for Pump Up Your Book Promotion , a book reviewer, and blogger. Guardian Angel Publishing will release her first children’s book, The Little Shepherd Boy, in 2010. VS: Cheryl, I want to thank you for being my guest here on The Writing Mama today. I know being a parent and writer can be hard and I find myself asking if I am giving my three children enough attention throughout the day. I am sure you have been in my shoes from time to time. So to start here is the first question, how many children do you have and what are their ages? Cheryl: Thanks for having me at The Writing Mama, Virginia. I’m thril...

Guest Blogger, Author Kathy Stemke!

I am happy to be hosting Kathy Stemke as a guest blogger today. Instead of my ramblings, you will get to hear from a fabulous author like Kathy who has not only been published, but also has a passion for writing, the arts and all things creative. I have asked Kathy to share her story about becoming a children’s writer. You are sure to be inspired to keep on the road to publication. Besides writing, Kathy has been a dancer, choreographer, teacher, tutor, and an antiques dealer for many years. She is also a contributing editor for The National Writing for Children's Center. Hi, Virginia. Thanks for hosting me on your blog today. Here’s the story of how my blog lead to several children’s books, and a monthly newsletter. After I retired from teaching, I dabbled in article writing on Helium. I even sold several articles through their marketplace feature. Since I had taught for many years, I naturally wrote several education articles. I got lots of feedback and questions from other...