Coming Soon
Exciting news!
A new book from Elle Mott is on the horizon.
It is about a woman in the mid-twentieth century who was well known in her community of Lebanon, Oregon, and beyond for the many causes that she spearheaded to help others. The rich historical backdrop to this biography will appeal to those who will want to discover through story format of how our American society evolved through the twentieth century. If you like fiction or nonfiction historical books which bear a strong female leading character, you won’t want to miss out on this gem.
Marie Conner: A Leading Lady
Her Life and Civic Leadership in a Bygone Era
Marie was born a girl. That was only her first mistake, according to her father.
In an era when daughters and wives are not supposed to be concerned with matters outside the home, Marie is determined to prove him wrong. To do this, she must break down barriers placed on women in society, overcome difficulties that befall her, surpass hardships from the Great Depression, and then face an inevitable relocation.
Marie steps into her community and into the hearts of many people to give her time and help with their needs. She wants nothing in return other than her father's acceptance as a worthy woman and yet, she gains much in return, even if it is not her father's praise. This is Marie’s story—of a rise from her girlhood angsts to become a leading lady—and much more.
What Elle says about her journey to write Marie’s story:
It is a historical and critical biography of my maternal great-grandmother who we came to know as Nana in my first book, "Out of Chaos: A Memoir." Its research involved sifting through hundreds of published accounts of her life and accomplishments, some found in archived newspaper repositories. On the surface, and as she had described to me, it could sound like a perfect life. However, imperfections were found in my research, and more so, how she kept those imperfections out of the limelight.
There is much we can gain from a woman who lived in an era when women were expected to stay home and yet, she didn't. She was a changemaker and trailblazer. Her story causes me to strengthen my own community involvement.
I can’t wait for you to read it!
Timeline:
October 2024: Beta readers gave it a “thumbs up.”
November 2024: Manuscript was released to publishers for their evaluations.
December 31, 2024: Luminare Press in Eugene, Oregon, accepted and acquired this manuscript for publication.
January 1, 2025: The pre-publication work for the author, Elle Mott, and the publisher, Luminare Press, has begun.
The below dates for this timeline are in this year, 2025.
January 22: Consideration of book cover imagery is underway. Permission was granted by a news archive manager to use pictures that I found when in my research. The design team is assessing the quality of these digitized photographs.
January 27: The first phase of editing has begun. My line editor, Andrea Vanryken, is evaluating my manuscript. This is about a six-week process. Andrea initially describes Marie as "a pioneering lady."
February 28: I met online with my graphic desiger, Kristen Brack, to further discuss imagery for the book cover. Unfortunately, my pictures of Marie don't meet quality standards. However, I have a RPPC (real photo postcard) which pictures downtown Lebanon, Oregon, in or about 1945. I showed this to Kristen who agreed it will be an ideal and inviting image on the book cover. The postcard is now in the mail for her to receive in their Eugene office this week. She will take a digitized photo of the post card to work with. Many thanks extended to the family of the late Dot Dotson, the RPPC photographer, for their permission to reprint and use this picture.
March 14: Regarding the book cover, I've received three mockup options to choose from, and then for the design team to make it perfect.
March 14: Regarding my manuscript, I've received Andrea's edits along with 244 comments from her for me to address. This stage of the editing process will involve my input and several small rewrites.
March 21: I enjoyed an hour long visit and video call with my lead editor, Sallie Vandagrift. We discussed the ongoing editing process and I learned how to use "track changes" in a word document. From this point, I will keep working through the comments that Andrea, my line editor, needs from me. I will be busy at this for a good month or so. (Wish me luck.)
We are excited to get this book into your hands. Stay in the know of its development, details about the title, release date, and how you can be among the first to get your hands on a copy!
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