Published On Apple News and Next...Another Platform

https://www.quora.com/What-was-it-like-the-day-you-were-diagnosed-with-a-disease/answer/Sonya-Abarcar

Sometimes you have to use unconventional ways to get the world to read your work.

Look out there. There is a lot of competition to write. You’re out there competing against seasoned writers that have been writing for years, writes who are mediocre but have a large following/fan base, writers who are literal gods that should be worshipped when they drop a pen in a cafe somewhere, writers who just write about any and everything, writers who write what they want to write about so they don’t become “commercialized” and wanted to write about tings that they liked. Screw the world and commercialization.

Sure they haven’t published anything since Dan Quayle set his English book on fire, but none of that matters. Principles. We all have them until our stomach begins to growl and we’re writing by candlelight.

So, we do what we can do to get published. Again, in the writing world, writers are practically standing on their heads and screaming “Notice me!”. Some are good and some shouldn’t even be writing a grocery list. I’ve found some appalling books on Amazon.

However, through Quora, a writer could be published by writing a great answer. Use every opportunity that you can find to become published.

Two New Books Coming To You!--Faithful and Lovely Readers! Get Your Kindles Plugged in and Charged to Go! From Sonya Dickerson

Looking for something to read this Fall? Like a great short story that you can immerse yourself in? I have two book on the horizon that I know will keep you busy on the treadmill, knitting some socks, or reading on the train. However you read, I promise these two books from Sonya Dickerson won’t disappoint you in the least. 

I present....

Calico....Calico.....calico...

A young mulatto man, working in the trade of peddling human flesh has a change of heart. He envisions a place where free people of color can live and grab a piece of the American dream that they were getting ready to fight for in the American colonies. To free themselves from the same kind of Tyranny that the Americans wanted from the British. However, where were these people coming from. He would have to free them first.

This will be hopefully a Kindle Single if selected, once submitted, and a short story about a slave rebellion. Good for a Sunday morning read or a read in front of the fireplace for the Fall. A great time to start a story. 

Fragments of a Plague

Eileen Cake has just learned that her first born and only child is dead. She later finds out that he has died. Since putting him out of her house in the late 70s, she didn’t realize how his life had changed in such a short period. She also didn’t realize that a silent pandemic was growing. The only thing she has is his diary that he left, while she pieces together the fragments of his tragic and short life. She learns so much from the book about her son and about her self. She makes a decision in the end that will have consequences but she feels that it would be the last thing that she could do for her son. 

On Orlando

Bullets not only shatter glass and bodies,

They shatter ties and dreams

Unfulfilled quests and ideas,

Frequently lead to tragic things.

For those that came to the end,

Facing death heroically,

Those grazed by danger, yet survived,

Now losing faith in humanity.

Random violence is not random,

When hatred lives in your heart.

The heart beating ticks like a time bomb,

Blowing precious lives apart.

Let us remember that words uttered.

Hateful and said with shame.

They are as powerful as gunshots,

And they help us shoulder the blame.

We should collectively remember,
Not leave this in the past,

For blinking lights and ringing phones,

Make for a ghastly epitaph.

--© 2016 by Sonya Dickerson

Best Seller on Amazon "The Bridesmaids"

Best Selling List on Amazon, "The Bridesmaids"

So The Bridesmaids is doing well...


It's #16 in Women's Fiction/Psychological
It's #40 in Suspense/Psychological

And it's just Day One

Pick a copy of this book up today. Because it costs you NOTHING.
Nothing.

Looking for a good read? This book is the book to kick off the 2016 Wedding season. If you are getting married, in a wedding, or just love weddings, then this is a great book for you to read. Planning weddings are stressful and this is a great book to unwind with.

The book isn't long so it doesn't take long to get to the end. The suspenseful end that you won't see coming. The characters pretty much leap off the page and the dialogue writes itself. See what happens when the secrets of these four women come to light.

Social Media is Going Crazy Over the Bridesmaids Book

I'm very excited over the preliminary attention that, "The Bridesmaids" has gotten in a very short time. Many people have said that the characters jumped off the page and seemed very realistic. I was very happy to have written a book where the readers were able to identify with this book and enjoy it. Hopefully, this translates to more people reading a copy and letting me know what they think. This is just the beginning.

Thank you guys so much for the love and support!
Buy The Bridesmaids

The Bridesmaids

I'm so excited for my next book, "The Bridesmaids"!
Get swept up in the characters as they navigate through this bizarre world. Things aren't as they always seem.

Four friends are coming together to celebrate a wedding of two high school sweethearts. However, these girls don't travel alone to Chicago. They bring secrets packed along in with their makeup cases and phone chargers.

One by one, each secret will be revealed throughout this three day wedding weekend. Each secret could threaten the wedding or their very lives.

It's a book that you won't be able to put down. Preorder the book today so that it will be on your Kindle immediately! Or order your copy on the 27th!

"The characters come alive from the very first page! Some writers write characters that are so bland, you can barely tell who's talking. Not in this book! There are quite a few twists and turns that you really don't see coming! I couldn't put it down. I was given this book to review and I was totally blown away by the writing. If this book isn't a best seller by the summer, then I don't know what to do!"--KH

Join Our Facebook Event--The Bridesmaids Official Week!

https://www.facebook.com/events/1027520820619970/?active_tab=posts


Celebrate with us! Starting March 27, 2016, the Bridesmaids will be celebrating our week! This kicks off the official wedding season of 2016! If you love weddings this is the event for you. Celebrate with us, no matter where you are in the world!

Order your copy of "The Bridesmaids" today. Get swept up in the fever surrounding this book. You'll be sucked in immediately by the characters and the secrets that they carry. Drive yourself crazy trying to figure out where the next twists and turns will be. I had a ball writing this book and I hope that you enjoy it as you plan for the 2016 Wedding Season!

A Review for "The Bridesmaids"

Interesting Review---The Bridesmaids is that kind of book that you're not sure of what you're getting when you open the pages, however from the start it grabs you with some really great dialogue and interesting characters.

You feel like you've got a great backstage seat to this wedding that is just trying to keep it together. However as each secret is revealed, the facade that these girls have set up for themselves is just ripped to shreds....and not delicately. These girls messed up lives and philosophy just makes things worse. This novel is like watching a plane crash into a train wreck. Twice.

The Bridesmaids--The Trailer

Sometimes, you would like your audience to have a visual for your work, something that they can latch onto and be interested in. So I decided to create a trailer for my upcoming work, "The Bridesmaids".

The Bridesmaids--The Book Trailer. Enjoy! Available now for Pre-Orderhttp://www.amazon.com/Bridesmaids-Sonya-Dickerson-ebook/dp/B01AX9KLFG/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1456247801&sr=1-2&keywords=the+bridesmaids

Posted by Sonya Dickerson on Tuesday, February 23, 2016

The Bridesmaids....What's it About?

Every woman wears a veil.....

The Bridesmaids is a "chick thriller." It's about five women that have had a long standing friendship with each other.

One of those women is getting married! The remaining four women are traveling to Chicago for a fabulous weekend of planned activities and outings. This is supposed to be a weekend of relaxation and fun, however that's not to be.

Along with tons of makeup, dresses, and luggage, these four women are also carrying secrets with them. Secrets that could destroy the wedding and possibly even their lives.

Tara is the beautiful bride. With her thousand watt smile, she is charming and gregarious. With her fun loving personality, she wants this weekend to be a memorable one, however this group of girls is making this hard. Will her wedding be destroyed by the very women that vowed to stick by her side?

Brittany is a typical spoiled rich woman who works for a prestigious financial firm. As a first rate snob, her sharp with and tongue makes her an easy target. She is very outspoken and opinionated.

Penelope has a wild side that she has put away through years of therapy, however don't let her turtlenecks and poise fool you. Underneath, there was a sex addiction and lies brewing inside of her. As the Maid of Honor, she was not looking forward to this weekend. She has a secret to tell the Bride that is so horrific, she wanted to run back to the West Coast and never show her face to her friends again.

Kendra is a curly haired, intelligent, and witty girl. The only person with, "a vagina" that could put up with Brittany's rough personality, she worked with Brittany at the same firm as a secretary. An outsider would see Kendra's and Brittany's back and forth banter as hostile, but it was more affectionate than anything. However Kendra is also carrying a secret that she plans to carry with her to the grave. However, that was not to be. Her secret causes an explosion sure to rock every one of the girls to their core.

Phoenix wanted to be a business woman when she grew up. If someone told her that she would become a master of the pole at the local strip club, she would have slapped them for the insult. But that's where Daddy's little girl wound up in order to take care of her sick mother and paid some bills. However, Phoenix has a plan for her next come up. Soon, she will find herself on top of the world. She would rescue her mother from poverty, find some doctors to take good care of her, and get away from that pole that was slick from baby oil. However, how she plans to escape from her lifestyle is the secret that she's carrying. And she's not alone in her master plan.....

These five women plan to make this a weekend that they will never forget.



Buy, "The Bridesmaids"

The Bridesmaids is Available to PreOrder Now

The Bridesmaids

Available now for preorder on Amazon.com!
This is the best one yet!

The Bridesmaids! Coming Soon March 13, 2016--Pre-order today!

Synopsis

This is the day they've all been waiting for. Four best friends are coming together to meet in Chicago for the wedding of their good friends Tara and Brandon. However, each girl is carrying with her a secret and it'll explode in the Windy City.

Brittany, a successful Southern Belle hedge fund manager, is facing the SEC on Monday, but she feels confident that she will beat the rap and keep moving forward. Her friend Kendra is trying to come from behind her shadows and shine on her own terms. Maid of Honor Penelope is getting over the death of her husband and a sex addiction, while Phoenix is chasing a bus as well as her own demons as she heads towards the Second City. Meanwhile, the Bride Tara is just trying to keep the girls from falling apart long enough so that they can stand next to her as the Bridesmaids they'd always promise to be.

Will they be able to pull this wedding off with relative ease or will it blow up in their faces as each secret is revealed?

The Patient--new book coming soon

The Patient

This is a book about all chronic illness.

If you are a patient, then this book is for you. IF you are sick, then this book is for you. If you have cancer, depression, HIV, lupus, multiple sclerosis, cystic fibrosis, etc. This book is for you!

If you are a patient somewhere in America, this book is perfect for you. It tells all and talks about all that a patient has to go through. Disability, medication, treatment, death, funny stories, and much more. This book tells it all. 

To whatever disease that you have to whatever treatment you're taking, pick this book up today. 

please email sonyathescreenwriter@gmail.com for more information on when this book becomes available.

Chronic Illness Memoirs and The Problems With Writing Them

I read a beautiful book about a woman with bipolar disorder. It was a great book that I couldn't put down. I finished it with breakneck speed. It was fascinating to read about what this woman went through in her life and the challenges that she continues to face on a daily basis, including her hospitalizations and the effects on her husband and child. She was very candid about many things, including her violent episodes where she made an attempt on her husbands life, during a manic episode.

I left a dazzling review, however I read the reviews that were left from the book. While there were many five star reviews, there were a plethora of bad reviews. Mostly from those who suffered with bipolar disorder.

I live with bipolar. I could have written a more true to life book. The most true accounts were from her son and husband. Don't waste your time on this read.

Was quite disappointed in this book. Thought it was going to be about living in a bipolar mind on a day to day basis and the struggles-not just the crisis and hospital visits. Not worth reading.

I, suffering from depression and bipolar condition, was disappointed with this book.
It did not give me a lot of information, nor was it particularly interesting. I should have guessed from the title. Maybe just not my style.

I get really confused by reviews in this category of books. The reader often places expectations on a book by whatever means and then if the book does not live up to these expectations, they rate the book a failure. One of my books received a review from a woman who hoped that the book would be "inspiring" and "uplifting". But the title of my book is, "Diary of a Sick Chick". One woman accused me of navel gazing. Well if one can't "navel gaze" in a diary, where can you? Nowhere did I promise that the book would be inspiring and uplifting. It was just my life. Whether you find it inspiring, insulting, or downright boring is up to the reader. However, when I read books, I try not to put too many expectations on a book. I don't go into it thinking that it will somehow magically make me feel better. I'm either looking to be entertained or enlightened. I hope to come through the experience different. That's all. For better or for worse. I don't look for inspiration, especially in chronic illness memoirs. I look for truth. I look for honesty. That's all. I look for authenticity. I look no further and expect no more.

I'm writing a new book called, "The Bible of Chronic Illness". Where my last books about illness were about lupus, this one will be more inclusive of all diseases. I learned that there are many similarities with the struggle of living with sickness and that I could put together a book that would promote that. 

When reading a chronic illness memoir, don't look for entertainment. Honest, Truth, and Authenticity are good enough. When you're getting the truth, it is the best. You don't want to put lipstick on a  pig anyway. It's still a pig. 

So Many Titles

I have so many titles that are coming up right now I can't keep them straight. Just know that I've been a busy woman writing and also knitting. Hopefully I can stay focused and release something soon.

To The Murdered Child

This poem was written for children that died at the hands of the people who was supposed to save and protect them. The people that were supposed to love them and d care for them but chose to take their lives.

Every child in nearly every land,
All are familiar with the same drill,
That they shouldn't have to be afraid,
And that monsters aren't real.
Creepy demons crawling from the closet
Dead things living under the bed,
Hellish creatures from under the pillow,
Living ghouls underneath their head.
But there was a difference with this child
Who looked death in the face,
Having to face an awful reality,
That this was no ordinary place.
The last moments in terror,
That no child should have to face.
Alas, Evil Triumphed over Good,
While ripped from life's embrace.
Not the voice of a stranger,
Nor the face of an unknown,
A glance in the face of Evil,
Mirrored back to be his own.
These monsters showed no mercy,
With horrifying zeal.
Proved that death was to be its fate.
And the monsters under the bed were real.

By Sonya Dickerson © 2015

Dreaming of Okinawa

When the soldier goes to bed at night,

And he closes his eyes.

He dreams of Okinawa,

And all the men that died.

The bullets flying over head,

With the sand at his feet,

He prayed that God would watch over him,

He had promises to keep.

Many soldiers lost their lives.

On one fateful day.

He found God on the Battlefield.

As she shouldered his rifle to pray.

He locked eyes with one maiden.

Before she leaped to her death.

He tried to forget her and move on,

Soon realizing that he never left.

Marching through her jungles,

Blind to her beautiful land.

But soldiers can't see beauty,

When death is close at hand.

When he thinks of Okinawa,

And her beautiful sandy shore.

He wondered if things were different?

Could he have done more?

To save his fallen comrades.

As they died one by one,

Was it worth all the human cost?

For the battle to be won?

His battle wounds have since healed.

But his heart remains on her shore.

The two will always be one in the same,

Okinawa and he, forever more.

© Sonya Dickerson 2015

I wrote this poem to every US and Allied soldier that fought in the Pacific Theatre. The fighting on this little island was ferocious...as it was on Saipan and Iwo Jima. I hope and pray that this world will find peace and war to be something we did in the past. I pray that our children's children can figure out how to live with each other in a global community without having to shed each other's blood.

Historical Fiction: A Delightful Second Choice

...when done correctly.

First hand written accounts of historical events are something that I treasure greatly. There is nothing better than to get an accurate account of an important historical event. I love history just as much as I love writing. Today I found myself giving my daughter a history lesson about WWII and just how it affected the world today. When people say that history is in the past, I give a little chuckle. I could write a book on how that particular war changed the very face of the world and is the backdrop to the current events that are going on today.

Thanks to the ugly side of the Internet, I've been reading for white supremacists that African history is insignificant until the white man came through. I thoroughly reject that argument and began doing research and found it patently false. I turned to Haiti when I learned of the slave rebellion but there is not many witnesses that recorded the history. It was a gruesome history but history nonetheless.

During my research, I learned of a wonderful book, 'Island Beneath The Sea' by a wonderful author Isabel Allende. I am currently reading this book and I can't put it down. I haven't gotten to the Haitian Revolution and am having a fine time reading about the characters. Even though they are fictional, they seem so real and the story is building to a great climax to when the revolution starts.

I highly recommend the story, especially if you are into that time in history. Of if you happen to subscribe to white supremacist ideology....

A Paladin Without a King: Robert Gould Shaw

To Robert Gould Shaw....

A reluctant Knight in the beginning
It was to be a troubled start,
But his character and youthful wisdom,
Was emblazoned on his heart.
He was given a great challenge.
To persuade those who weren't quite there,
But he remained on the side of Justice,
Equality, Truthful, and Fair.
This reluctant Knight soldiered on,
A paladin without a King.
Loyalty, Honor, and Bravery,
Which the Truth will always bring.
He earned his place in history,
Before being buried amongst his men.
An insult intended to bring dishonor,
Brought him honor time and time again.
He won the hearts and minds of many.
With the respect that these men had won,
This reluctant Knight now forever valiant
To Him and the fallen 54th, "Well done!"
What could have been of these honorable men?
Whose legacy remains unmarred.
He couldn't have had a better company in death,
Nor a better bodyguard.

BY SONYA DICKERSON

Why write a poem to a man that died over a hundred and fifty years ago? Many people have watched the movie, "Glory," in which Matthew Broderick, Cary Elwes, Denzel Washington, and Morgan Freeman starred in 1989. It was one of the greatest Civil War movies made of all time according to the critics.

This movie was very good and still can't watch it without crying, even though the writers took great liberties with the story, even going as far as creating fictional characters.

The Confederates thought they were insulting this great man when they left him in a mass grave full of Negro soldiers but what better way to die amongst the men that revered and respected him the most?

Rest in Peace Colonel. 

Writing With A Chronic Illness

Sometimes the hardest thing in the world is to think. To have a coherent thought. To be able to form a sentence regardless of the pain that you're feeling. To feel motivated to finish a paragraph. To care enough to check for grammar. To feel desperate to create by smiting that nagging, blinking cursor on the screen.

It's easier to hide under a mountain of pillows, chuck some pills, and stare in a daze. It's easier to stuck in a good novel on my Kindle while my manuscripts suffers silently. My characters are left in suspended animation waiting on resolution to a conflict. Waiting for that inciting incident that's going to take their lives from order to chaos; a simple scientific lesson on entropy.

There are many days that I've sat and watched the cursor blink away at my face....taunting me that I'm not getting anything done. Then there are days that I've looked up and twenty pages have passed...and I'm still writing.

Those days I try to take advantage of because who knows when I'll be able to write again. I try not to think about other writers out there, churning out books, blogs, and articles like nothing. I try not to think of those writers who get up at seven am in the morning and write until lunch time. Or those writers that take their show on the road and have several pages completed daily. What are they doing that I'm not? Do I make excuses for myself because of my illness or do I realize that I have more time on my hands than I've ever had before?

I guess both are true. On days that I don't feel well, then I don't push it. Besides, whatever I do write comes out like crap anyway. I try to keep a pen nearby with my trusty legal pad and jot ideas down. Sometimes I like to "free write". That's when I just type whatever comes to my head. On days that I do feel okay, I try to write something...anything. This is why an outline is the best way to go when writing a book. I've been stuck on my current book so long I don't know what to do anymore. I get as lost as a toddler in a mall. Stuck and not loving it.

So excuses don't help anyone. I'm sure the writers who aren't slackers will tell you that. How else can you get anything done?