WELCOME TO MY WEBSITE
Jenny Poelman
Author, THE ALPHABET WOODS
Contact me through email or social media:
June 3 - Book Signing at Tybrisa Books
If you're heading for the NC mountains on Saturday, June 3, or live in the Hickory/Lenoir area, please stop by! I'll be doing a book signing at Tybrisa Books in Lenoir, NC (see photo above). Lenoir is a very quaint little town located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. I'll be there from 11 am - 2 pm. Thank you so much to Tybrisa Books for the invitation! Look them up and follow- you'll discover great book finds (and they also have very fun, upbeat posts). #thealphabetwoods #tybrisabooks #lenoirnc #downtownlenoir #jennypoelmanauthor
What are readers saying?
All the comments below are from unsolicited texts, messages and emails I've gotten recently. Thank you, everyone, for your positive feedback! If The Alphabet Woods warmed your heart, that's exactly what I hoped would happen! Thanks for reading!
"I loved the elements of love, goodness, support, trust, community, resilience of the human spirit...you know, the good things in life that are everywhere but sometimes seem nonexistent in this cynical world because we forget to look for them. I l oved the plot twist..." J.D.
"Started The Alphabet Woods on a flight...can't seem to put it down. Pulls on heart strings, beautifully written..." N.
"I just set down The Alphabet Woods and absolutely loved it! I am a slow, careful reader and appreciated all of your amazing details and descriptions..." B.J.
"I just finished it! I was hooked! Wonderful, attention latching...absolutely loved it!" J.C.
"My heart was touched with the progress of Wain at every turn." G.P.
"Such a sweet story! Definitely calls for a sequel!" M.C.
"The Alphabet Woods is one of the best books I've read in a long, long time. The development of the characters makes them so real, believable!" B.B.
"Great book...I loved all the twists and turns and the way you developed the characters into believable folks we'd know if our paths crossed..." G.H.
"I expected it to be wonderful, but not as good and wonderful as I found it to be!! I hope it is the first of many..." K.Y.
"You did an amazing job and I can't wait for the second book" P.C.
"I truly enjoyed it!" M.P.
"I...have trouble putting it down! What great writing, so descriptive, clever premise and character development..."S.S
I just finished your book. It was wonderful! I can't wait to read the sequel." J.G.
How do I order a signed copy?
First of all, thank you for your interest! If you'd like a signed copy, please email me at jennypoelmanauthor@gmail.com with:
~your name & address
~whether you'd like hardcover ($33 + 4.50 shipping in USA) or softcover ($18.95 + $4.00 shipping in USA)**
Payment choices: the QR codes at left will take you to
Venmo: @jenny-poelman or
PayPal: paypal.me/KenPoelman
Please make sure you're paying the correct account. Email me if you aren't sure.
I also do Zelle or plain old checks sent via snail mail! Contact me if you need my address.
** NC Residents, if you are paying me directly, please add 7% tax to your purchase prior to shipping costs.
Books will be shipped within one day of payment received. All books will be shipped via USPS Media Mail, which takes 3-5 days, usually.
I don't need a signed copy. How do I order?
To order directly from Warren Publishing, go to www.warrenpublishing.net and type in the title. There you can choose hard or soft cover.
My book is also available on amazon.com
barnesandnoble.com
at the Barnes and Noble in Hickory NC in the Local Authors section.
The question I'm asked most often:
What's the book about?
The process was messier than she had anticipated, a mixture of tears and runny noses and dirt and ash, but that was perfectly appropriate. Life when lived, truly lived, was messy.
-From The Alphabet Woods
A series of life-changing events leads fifty-seven-year-old Key North to a FOR SALE sign on a rural North Carolina road outside a cheerful little house situated above a patch of woods. Surprising even herself, Key breaks with her usual conventional, acquiescing nature and impulsively purchases it, much to the consternation of her possessive friend Iris.
Key has barely moved in and is just getting acquainted with this new version of herself when she gets a desperate visit from Guy, a relative with whom she has lost touch for nearly a decade. He presents her with a shocking and difficult request, one she is not at all sure she is equipped to handle.
As she slowly unravels the many complex, mysterious issues that accompany her decision, Key finds herself on a path far from her former predictable, unfulfilled life. It’s as though she’s stepped into an alternate world, where a little boy’s backpack holds clues, where an unseen hand seems to guide her, and where even the trees in the forest provide the answers she seeks.
Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mindy Kuhn
(704) 900-0236
warrenpublish@gmail.com
WITNESS THE POWER OF WORDS, TRAUMA, AND THE BEAUTIFUL MESSINESS OF LIFE IN DEBUT NOVEL TACKLING LITERACY
National (April 18, 2023) -
Debut author Jenny Poelman has written a novel unique in its simplicity yet mysterious in its complexity. In The Alphabet Woods, published by Warren Publishing, Poelman has set out to craft a story that can relax and yet entice readers, leaving them satisfied with having read a story with a memorable plot and cast of characters.
After a series of life-changing events, fifty-seven-year-old and recently widowed Key North breaks with her usual conventional, acquiescing nature and impulsively purchases a house situated above a patch of woods in rural North Carolina. The move surprises everyone, even herself, and irritates her possessive friend, Iris. Soon after moving in, Key agrees to take care of Wain, a relative’s seven-year-old son, after his mother and her boyfriend are arrested. As she begins to unravel the fallout of her decision to keep Wain, Key finds herself far from her previously predictable life. She soon discovers a new purpose in helping Wain overcome the trauma inflicted by the very adults he should have been able to trust.
Poelman used an encounter with a young man at an adult literacy center where she worked as inspiration for Wain’s character. Poelman recounts, “...I worked with him as he struggled week after week to simply recognize the letters of the alphabet. His backstory provided the seed of inspiration for this book.” In the novel, Wain struggles with literacy as a result of trauma, and Key takes it upon herself to help him read. As for the young man from the literacy center, Poelman says, “I hope you were able to put those demons to rest. Thank you for sharing your story with me.”
Ultimately, it is Poelman’s hope that readers “feel the ambient glow from the joy Key has allowed into her life.” Readers are taken on a journey with satisfaction being the destination if, “...they, like Key, [are] brave enough to take a risk, to push forward,” says Poelman. “The first chapter is difficult to read. It was equally difficult to write.”
The Alphabet Woods can be ordered on Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, warrenpublishing.net, and requested wherever books are sold. For media interviews and author appearances, contact Mindy Kuhn at (704) 900-0236, warrenpublish@gmail.com, or visit http://www.warrenpublishing.net/.
ABOUT JENNY POELMAN Poelman spent most of her childhood years in South Korea, where her parents were missionaries. As “third culture kids,” she and her siblings found entertainment in the outdoors and books, irresistible escapes to other worlds. She and her husband, Ken, divide their time between Lake Norman, North Carolina and Bozeman, Montana. They love to travel, sightsee, fly fish, rockhound, hike, keep in touch with old friends, and, best of all, hang out with their children and grandchildren. In addition to writing, Jenny also loves photography, word games, and invigorating conversations over a great cup of coffee
My Goal
a signed copy of The Alphabet Woods in every US state...
and as many countries as possible!
Over the past week, Michigan and Mexico joined the map. As of May 2, 2023 there will be signed copies in the states shown here and listed in red. Thank you to everyone who has purchased a book so far! Please spread the word. Thank you so much, everyone, for your interest.
March 29, 2023...
I got my printer's proof. What did it take to get there?
The Editing Process
All those thoughts that became words
...and then became a book!
...well. Maybe not ALL the thoughts. Editing is excruciating and time consuming and very hard work. I look back on the manuscript I first submitted to the editors at Warren Publishing, Inc (www.warrenpublishing.net) and I am astonished at how raw and unpolished the original story was. Still, they saw something. The bones were there. So was my writing style.
For nearly a year I worked with editors: first developmental editor Erika Nein, who would ask me questions like, "Is this character really necessary? Would this person say that this way?" Or "Didn't you write something similar three paragraphs up?" Or "This thought would fit better down here." Computers and editing programs make the mechanics of this kind of work much easier, but it is still such an involved, labor-intensive, brain-exercising process. After Erika came Melisa Graham, Warren's copy editor. She polished up sentences, changed a word or two here and there, tweaked a paragraph to read more cleanly. Next was the proofreader, who caught mistakes like where I referred to Chicago's Navy Pier as "Chicago Pier." (I hadn't given it a second thought...Just another reason why it's so important to research every single factoid you're putting out there.)
After each editing session, the book came back to me, and I went over every word yet again. It is not an exaggeration to say that I've read my own book (304 pages) at least 100 times.
The editors always stressed that it was my choice to accept their edits - many I did, and many I rejected, then rewrote myself. Sometimes I plugged a deleted sentence right back in, but I realized I needed more explanation as to why that sentence was necessary. No matter what, though, whether I chose to accept a certain edit or suggestion or not, the end result was always an improvement. I think one of the best lessons I learned was to put my ego aside. I didn't want to be so married to my own words that the book couldn't be improved by the input of others. I wanted to be open to why any editing suggestions were made. However...along with that, I learned to trust myself and my instincts where my book's characters were concerned. I had to ask myself, "How would this person react? What would they say? Does my narrative ring true, or should I change or elaborate on it?" The end result was an excellent collaborative effort that distilled The Alphabet Woods into what I am holding in my hands in the photo above. I'm so, so happy I persevered. And I'm so thankful for all the people whose invaluable input this book represents.
Join me on the path...
Please leave a review!
I hope you enjoy The Alphabet Woods! Once you’ve finished, I’d be so grateful if you’d provide feedback on my social media (buttons at top of this website) and/or leave a review on Amazon, Goodreads, Google, barnesandnoble.com or wherever you like. None of these sites require that you purchase the book from them. The easiest way to find the book is to search for both title and author at the same time.
I genuinely welcome any kind of feedback - everything from 1-5 stars. Books are like people - you may just love it or it may be that you're kinda, "eh, not for me"- but every review helps other readers make a more informed decision!
If you'd like to post pictures on social media, these hashtags help as well.
#jennypoelman or #thealphabetwoods
Thank you so much!
BOOK LAUNCH PARTY
Thank you to everyone who came to share this occasion with my family and me! We had such a great time! If you know of anyone who would enjoy an uplifting story with a hint of mystery, let me know! I might have a suggestion.
Book Release Day
April 18, 2023
It feels really, really good to get it out there.
I'd love feedback, questions, etc. I can't take comments on this site, but I will post your questions and my answers, or answer you directly. Please email me jennypoelmanauthor@gmail.com