About Once Upon a Word: We're a large group of multi-talented authors working together, to bring you the best romances.

Friday, June 9, 2017

My Last Blog For ONCE UPON A WORD by Sarah J. McNeal



Rebecca Vickery is closing her publishing business. In the sad wake of Publishing by Rebecca Vickery and Victory Tales Press closing its doors, my books there will be moving to another publisher, Prairie Rose and its imprints. Happily, most of the authors with both publishers already know one another, some through mutual acquaintances.

Because the blog site, Once Upon A Word was established for the purpose of keeping in touch with readers and for book promotion within the company. But with my books in transition, I think it’s time for me to go and see what the future has in store for me. This will be my last blog here. I continue to have monthly blogs with Prairie Rose Blog and Sweethearts of the West . I also have my own bog along with my website that I have neglected for far too long. http://www.SarahMcNeal.com/



It has been such a pleasure working with Rebecca Vickery, Karen Michelle Nutt, and Laura Shinn over the years. I loved that they always provided a kind and well run publishing business. Authors don’t get that very often from their publishers. I have nothing but gratitude for my experience here with all of the delightful and talented people associated with this outfit.

I liked that the company kept all its publications wholesome and that everyone on staff as well as the owner kept in touch and communicated with me whenever I had questions or ran into some problem or other. People who are not familiar with the publishing business may not understand how extraordinary and wonderful that is.

Just for fun. I found this chart on Pinterest: How to say goodbye in different languages.



So, I bid you all farewell and wish each of you great success and happiness for whatever comes next. I have had a delightful and wonderful journey with you. God bless you and keep you. I wish all good things to your corner of the universe until we meet again on down the road… 

A parting song from Sarah Brightman & Andrea Bocelli - Time to Say Goodbye 




(graphics from Pinterest)

Sarah J. McNeal
Author of paranormal, time travel and western romance




Sarah J. McNeal is a multi-published author of several genres including time travel, paranormal, western and historical fiction. She is a retired ER and Critical Care nurse who lives in North Carolina with her four-legged children, Lily, the Golden Retriever and Liberty, the cat. Besides her devotion to writing, she also has a great love of music and plays several instruments including violin, bagpipes, guitar and harmonica. Her books and short stories may be found at Prairie Rose Publications and its imprints Painted Pony Books, and Fire Star Press. Some of her fantasy and paranormal books may also be found at Publishing by Rebecca Vickery and Victory Tales Press. She welcomes you to her website and social media:



6 comments:

  1. Sarah,
    Makes me so sad to see PbRJV and VTP close its doors, but I've met some very wonderful people online through the company and for that I'll be forever grateful. I know we'll still keep in touch. Remember, you are always welcome here at ONCE UPON A WORD if you wish to be a guest author or would like a shout out for one of your new releases. We are not closing the blog. :) I wish you the best success in all you do. ((Hugs))

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    1. Karen, I owe you so much for different things you helped me with along the way. And as a fellow paranormal author, we had some awesome things to share along the way. You even helped me with a beautiful graphic. I won't forget all you did for me. Thank you!

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  2. Sarah--I feel as you do..I still get a bit choked up, or at least maudlin when I think of leaving Rebecca. Honestly, she is the sole reason I am where I am today--semi-successful in my eyes, much better than I hoped to be. So, yes, Good-byes do make your heart hurt.
    The Andrea Bocelli song--that was on a PBS two hours program of all him--and Sarah Brightman--singing special songs from movies and plays, etc. I've watched that show twice over time, and if it's on again...yes, I'll sit and watch the whole thing again. Wonderful.
    I have the same blogs as you and it's all I can handle. I will continue on OUAW to some extent. I hate to give it up because it is easy to use.
    But...just an aside...I gave up my website. It was cheap to keep, and I could fiddle with it to my heart's content. But it was a lot of work and tedious work at that. Little by little I let it slide and kept thinking--I have to get rid of this.
    But as we learned early on "you MUST have a website." Well, Sarah, I've learned, "No, you don't." A lot of authors have given up a personal website--Cheryl, included. I read somewhere--instead of a personal website, we have an Amazon Author page with our bio...and yes, all our books already there.
    I connected my blogs to my Amazon Author page, so that those pop up there, too.
    I'm not suggesting you give up your website--But for me, it relieved that much more pressure off me, and I was happy to do it.
    So, don't cry, Charlie Brown--you still have your friends!

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  3. Celia, thank you for that information about your website. I always felt I had to have a website in order to validate me as a writer, show my books, write a personal blog from time to time (mine has a blog with it), but your words have given me thought. I pay for a domain name and I also pay for my website (really just $99) a year, but still, it is outgo not income. It doesn't get that much traffic--maybe because I keep forgetting to go over and write blog and make it appealing for others to visit. I will probably vacillate about this for a while, but you've convinced me that a website may not be necessary.
    I can't help being concerned for Rebecca with her health issues. I had work at 2 other publishers and 2 magazines before Rebecca and the 2 publishers were not great experiences for me. Cheryl Pierson led me to Rebecca and I was so grateful for the whole change in attitude and atmosphere at PbRV and VP. What a welcoming publisher I had gained. It was really a nurturing station for writers. If writers are little seeds, Rebecca was the gardener. Just sayin'...and I will never forget the lift in my spirits Rebecca and her staff brought to me. I am both grateful and happy to be working with Cheryl and Livia at PRP, but I will never forget the kindness and the tremendous help I received while with Rebecca.
    And now I am having a Charlie Brown moment.
    Thank you for coming by, Celia. My mind is spinning on that website idea.

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  4. Sarah, I'm so glad you wrote this last blog post. You have said so well everything I feel about this publisher. I have had nine publishers, eight of them digital, and all but one were good experiences, but none can compare with PbRJV. I have one more chat to publish this month, then I, like Celia, will be bringing other posts online here at intervals. I feel the closeness here is like family as well as business, and I hope we can stay in touch. I know I will be seeing some of you in a new publishing family soon, and I'm looking forward to what the future holds, but also holding this place in my heart.

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    1. It's like the end of an era, isn't it, Linda? Rebecca is the first publisher to really "get me". I can never repay the debt I owe her for her support when I needed it most. Rebecca is like a great gardener, except she raises authors from seedling writers by giving them the knowledge, courage, and belief in themselves to blossom. How do you ever thank someone for that?
      If Cheryl Pierson is another person I'll never be able to repay for all her guidance and kindness. She is the one who recommended Rebecca to me. I don't think we can ever forget the people who raised us up and changed our lives. I was so lucky to meet both Cheryl and Rebecca. I have no idea where I would be right now without them.
      By the way, I want to welcome you to your new publishing home. It's like a band of friends now.

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