Good Morning! It is time again for Selma’s Monthly News!
Have you touched base with your teen? Ask them if they need help with anything. It shows them you are interested in who they are and what they are doing. In addition, talking to them will give you insight into how they are feeling and what they may be struggling with. It is so important for all of us to check in with each other.
Battle Against Bullying
Throughout this quarter at Mentoring A Dream, we have been talking about what Bullying is and providing resources and tips on how to stand up and be a voice for the target of a bully. Bullying is a two sided interaction, so we also want to help you learn what the signs are if your teen is the one who bullies and provide ideas on how to help them. Here is a link to learn more about it and Mentoring A Dream.
Each of the books in The Way Series focuses on a teen challenge. Did you know that the teen challenge that Shawn’s Way focuses on is bullying? Shawn Townson is made the target of one who bullies. Josh Alberts is taking his frustrations out on him for his not making the varsity baseball team. Shawn’s story is told in Shawn’s Way and Josh’s side of the story is told in a short story I published this year called Josh’s Story. You can pick up a copy of the book to find out what happens to Shawn (see link below) and you can pick up a copy of the story story by signing up for my email list by following this link to my website Selma P. Verde.
My Journey
Even though my journey started out as an author, it is not only about the series. It has evolved into sharing my story about how my passion made a series of books and a platform that helps parents engage with their teens and young adults. Click on the link and learn more about that side of my dream. Mentoring A Dream.
Writing Updates
Here is the monthly news from the writing side
Update on the release of The Street’s Way
The journey to writing and publishing a book can be very challenging. For an indie author, which is one who self-publishes their work, sometimes life events can make a bigger impact on the timeline. We have been talking about the release of The Street’s Way being later this month. Due to unforeseen delays in the editing process, we are moving the release of The Street’s Way into early 2024.
The editing process of the book is a very important one to the overall quality of the story and the book. This small delay in the release will be making the book the best it can be. Keep an eye out for an announcement of the actual release date which will be coming soon.
My cover designer, Jennifer Givner, designed the covers for all of the books in The Way Series. In addition, she will also be creating the one for book four, the final book in the series, which is due to publish in 2025.
Be ready to find out more about all of The Way Series characters in The Street’s Way, coming your way in early 2024!
Have you started reading The Way Series yet?
Are you looking for a couple of good teen coming-of-age reads focusing on teen challenges? Check out The Way Series.
Book #1 – The Hard Way – is the story of Paul Jones and his starting his freshman year of high school and how he must navigate dealing with pressure from his peers to do things to fit in.
Book #2 – Shawn’s Way – although it is a continuation of Paul’s journey from The Hard Way, we meet freshman, Shawn Townson. He becomes the target of a bully when an upperclassman decides to take out his frustration on him.
Book #3 – The Street’s Way – is a continuation of The Way Series which introduces Mikala Kalani to the storyline as a runaway and homeless teen. Coming your way in early 2024.
So, click on link below to my books page to learn more about the series! And be sure to pick up your copies soon, so you can get caught up on the story line before the release of The Street’s Way.
Selma’s Books.
Writing events in November
Are you thinking about writing a novel? Well, November is National Novel Writing Month!
Have you heard of NaNoWriMo?
NaNoWriMo is the acronym for National Novel Writing Month. The event draws many people and challenges them to write 50,000 words in a month. The idea is to have an actual rough draft of a manuscript at the end of the event.
Here is a little bit about their history from their website,
National Novel Writing Month began in 1999 as a daunting but straightforward challenge: to write 50,000 words of a novel in thirty days. Now, each year on November 1, hundreds of thousands of people around the world begin to write, determined to end the month with a first draft. They enter the month as elementary school teachers, mechanics, or stay-at-home parents. They leave novelists.
Through their website, National Novel Writing Month, you can sign up for the event, which is free. They provide a tracking system where you log the number of words you write each day. They also have fun word sprints to help you build your word count. If you write 50,000 words by the end of the month, you are a “winner” of the event and receive a certificate.
NaNoWriMo is a non-profit organization, so if you want to support writers and writing novels, you could donate to the cause. Donate to NaNoWriMo.
How The Way Series is connected to NaNoWriMo
Did you know the NaNoWriMo event is connected to The Way Series? I participated two years in a row. The first year I created the first draft of Shawn’s Way (which was originally titled The Bully’s Way). Then, in the second year, the first draft of The Street’s Way was created.
Writing can be a very lonely pursuit, but NaNoWriMo is a fun way to complete the rough drafts and meet other authors who are doing the same thing.
Interested in writing a novel? Every story matters. Start writing yours.
