HARRISBURG DISTRICT LIBRARY: Local author to discuss writing her first novel

HARRISBURG - Eldorado author Shirley Naas wanted to write a novel since the day she retired.

"I taught for Gallatin County at Equality School, before they consolidated," Naas said in an interview Thursday at Harrisburg District Library. "I taught 35 years until I retired in 2010, and I taught fifth- and sixth-grade language arts, and one eighth-grade class."

Writing a book had been on her mind for a while prior, she said.

"I had always wanted to, and when I retired, I said 'I'm going to use this time.' And, my mother always encouraged me to."

In January, Saguaro Books LLC, a company specializing in Young Adult fiction, published Naas' novel, "CONVERGENCE." It's a story of powerful forces of good and evil battling in settings familiar to many in the region. It tells the story of a fifth-grade girl who goes missing on a school field trip in the woods and an otherworldly pair of investigators trying to find her.

"It is a fantasy novel, but it's low fantasy," Naas said. "And, it takes place in many areas in southern Illinois."

While the novel itself is an adventure, Naas said getting a publisher to print the novel was an epic quest. She began writing the book the September after she retired. In the meantime, her mother passed away, and some time passed before she could devote her attention to writing again. Once she started again, she sent a query letter to a potential publisher. The rejection letter was not unexpected, but was a disappointment, Naas said.

"All those years when I was grading assignments, I would see my students did not like it when I marked something to be corrected on their papers," she said. "In this experience, I felt like I was in a similar position."

She tried another publisher and again was not successful.

She said she also had some interest from a hybrid publisher, which would require her to share a cost of publishing, but her daughter, an assistant U.S. attorney in St. Louis, reviewed the contract and felt it would not be a good deal for Naas.

Using a copy of "Writer's Market," Naas began to look for publishing companies who could be a better fit. She found one in Saguaro Books, though the process still took some time. After sending a query letter, the company asked for the first few chapters to review. Then, they asked for the manuscript. She received review letters advising what changes needed to be made, and after a third set of revisions, a suggested change was down to a single sentence.

She said she was thrilled to learn the book would be published. "I am so happy, and I know my mother would be proud," she said.

"Convergence" is available online from Barnes and Noble and Amazon, plus locally at 276 Exchange in Equality and Book Emporium in Harrisburg.