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 True Stories

Trish Reynolds: High Tech
Veteran Becomes Novelist

I worked in corporate America for nearly my entire adult life, enduring hellish commutes, open discrimination for being a woman in a "non-traditional" role (I should be home with my children) and management who couldn't see the ends of their own noses.  Eventually "women's lib" caught up with the mainstream, my commute went from an hour and a half to a mere 45 minutes, I worked in a high tech job for management who appreciated my contributions and my son grew up and moved out. I had money in the bank and my IRA and pension plan had enough to assure me an early retirement after 30 years of service at age 55.

And then came 9/11.

In the subsequent couple of years my IRA dwindled to a fraction of what it
had been.  Sadly, I was one of those who didn't act fast enough, thinking
instead that the market would 'come back' soon.  My overtime was cut after
more than 10 years of rising steadily and my debts mounted.  Any dream of an early retirement to pursue other interests dwindled with my bank balance.

After 28 years with the same corporation, through buy outs, deregulation,
consent decrees, divestitures and name changes, I was offered a "package," a
"parachute," an "incentive to leave".  The early retirement settlement added
1/2 a years salary in a lump sum  with 1/2 years salary paid out monthly
over 4 years plus $10,000/year of service added to my pension buy-out with
an additional $10,000 tossed in for good measure.  Having lost nearly half
of my IRA in the economic slump following 9/11, I jumped at the chance to
recoup my losses and ran from the building like a thief.  At last I was free
to pursue what I had always considered my real career: writing.

For years I had been working quietly on my other passion, storytelling.
Influenced in my teens by a high school English teacher I continued writing
my stories whether they sold or not.  I had pages and pages written in
different genres and numerous short stories published in smallish special
interest magazines.  Despite making less than $2,000 per year writing, it
was the way I defined myself.  Quite simply, it was what I did. It was my
good fortune to have the means to travel frequently when I was working.  I
spent a great deal of time in England, Ireland and Wales doing research,
meeting distant relatives and making good friends.  It was during one of
these trips that I met my second husband, the man who was to become the
model for my character The Doctor in my first published series of novels.
Although we parted rather sooner than later, he was and remains an influence
on my work.

My first novel The Doctor and the Witch Book I: A Question of Balance
was published in July of 2003 by Dubsar House, a small press located in
Berkley California. Noted for publishing scholarly, esoteric and mystical
non-fiction, they were interested in getting into the fiction market on a
limited basis under a new imprint, Pagan World Press.  Their acquisitions
editor read the first 19 chapters of (which was all I had sent originally)
and woke me in the middle of the night with a phone call to ask where the
rest was and how could I leave him hanging.  I got up immediately and sent
the rest of what I had done in rough draft via an e-mail.

I am putting the finishing touches on the second novel in this series
which will be published in Sept/Oct 2004 timeframes to coincide with a
Halloween release.  I have also been doing publicity and book signings for
the first book as well as editing other manuscripts for my publisher on a
free lance basis.

While the novel has been holding its own, selling tolerably on various
dotcom sites, it has been an uphill battle to have the title placed in the
mainstream book chains.  While local shops have been receptive, THE BIG
THREE are reluctant to grant me shelf space.  So in addition to everything
else I am also out there stomping to get published reviews and 'celebrity'
endorsements and whatever publicity I can.

While I have the luxury of not depending on book sales for my survival, I
would like to be widely read.  I would like my ideas and writings to be a
legacy for my young grandson who is now almost 5 years old.  It is my dream
that he can say with pride that yes, he is the grandson of Trish Reynolds,
the author.

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