Accomplishments and Thanks

Good Afternoon Everyone,

I hope everyone has had a good year so far.

I have been quiet on social media for a few months not because I was trying to be anti-social or anything like that. I was actually taking a leap of faith with my writing. In August of 2024 I attended the Killer Nashville Conference which is a conference for writers that write crime, suspense, and thrillers.

For over 15 years I have been writing and working on several manuscripts. I tried to do the traditional approach and worked hard to try to get literary agents, publishers, etc. I have had several poems published through literary journals, however I was still wanting to publish a full suspense novel or fantasy novel.

In 2023 my manuscript Shanghai Sunset was a top ten finalist in the Action/Adventure Claymore Award. That was the push I needed to finally attend the Killer Nashville Conference in 2024. While at the conference I met with a wonderful agent who gave me the positive feedback that I needed and the encouragement to do independent publishing. I also entered the Chanticleer Book Review contest in 2024 for the Shelley Paranormal Award for my manuscript Shanghai Sunset and I recently found out that I have made the long list and am moving forward in the contest.

Since August 2024 I have worked with a friend to help me design a website, learned the world of independent publishing, have worked with my friend to design my logo, had that logo trademarked in the state of TN, worked with my friend to design cover art for several of my manuscripts, have worked with several professional editors on a few of my manuscripts, submitted and received the copyright for two of my manuscripts through the Library of Congress, and drum roll please.... on Dec. 10, 2024... I have published my first book, Midnight The Witching Hour.

This book is available through Amazon, Kobo, Overdraft which works with Libby so it can be checked out through local libraries, and anywhere you can buy ebooks plus the paperback is also available through Amazon as well as several other places.

• Amazon

• Kobo

• Books2Read

Shanghai Sunset will be released on Feb.1, 2025

Please check out my website sharonabarnes.com There is an a between my first name and last name for the website, it is easily missed that I why I mention it.

A special thanks to all my friends at Writers Round Table for all the support, suggestions, and encouragement.

A huge round of thanks to Chris Ross for his friendship, for the countless hours of working with me through all the discussions of how I wanted the website to look, plus answering all the questions I had about independent publishing, making the website so amazing plus the beautiful logo that you created based on the description that I saw in my mind, and the breathtaking cover art for all of my books and manuscripts that you made. Some of his wonderful cover art are shown on the website.

Thank you to my family; Daniel Barnes, Hermione Perry, Justice Barnes, and Bryant Wilson for all of your love and support, I could not and would not have taken this leap of faith without all of you.