Winslow Eliot

Let me tell you something about Winslow Eliot. I've never met her in person, never spoken to her on the phone, never even heard of her before a few months ago—but she's had a big impact on my life.

I found her on Twitter, after making a random search for authors. I picked out a dozen, read their tweets, checked out their websites, and selected five who I thought might be willing to answer some questions I had as a newly published author. I emailed all five, but only one responded.

Winslow.

Winslow Eliot responded, and we began a running dialogue, and she impressed me as a writer, of course, but more importantly, I was stunned at the amount of time and effort she put into helping me. I'm serious. Winslow is the first author to tell me I had talent. She's the one who encouraged me to take my work seriously, and she taught me valuable writing skills along the way. She is, in many ways, my mentor.

Over the next few months Winslow answered my questions, read my novels, and gave me advice, confidence and guidance. I had an editor who demanded major changes in Lethal Experiment, said if I'd make them, he could get me an agent. I struggled with it and made the changes, and sent the revised work to Winslow. Within two days she emailed me and told me the manuscript wasn't working. She pointed out specific points that weren't up to par. Amazingly (to me) they were the changes the editor had demanded!  I sent her the original version and she strongly urged me not to make the changes. "Except for these," she said, and gave me some wonderful ideas. She wrote copious notes in the margins, telling me what she liked and didn't. She helped me strengthen my weaknesses. Every time she spotted a problem, she explained in detail why it was a problem.

Sometimes my characters frustrated her, and she'd "blurt out" remarks about them that made me laugh out loud when reading them later. I didn't mind the remarks because in her own way Winslow was showing me she had become involved with my characters, and that meant more to me than anything she could have said or done.

Later on, when I read her novel, The Bright Face of Danger, I realized the full impact of Winslow's talent. In a million years I'll never be in her league. But with her help, I'll be okay. And of course, I'm going to force her to help me with my next novel, and if she refuses, I'm not above asking Creed to step in on my behalf (just kidding!)

Every year I make it a point to name someone I've met or dealt with that year who made a difference in my life, someone who stood out as being special, above all the others. Winslow Eliot is that person this year, and this forum gives me a chance to say thanks.

Winslow Eliot's novels have been translated into eleven languages and published in twenty countries! She is a real author. By that I mean she is a true talent. You'll be doing yourself a favor by reading her work.

Check out her website at www.winsloweliot.com

Befriend her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/winsloweliot

Subscribe to her newsletter at http://twitter.com/winsloweliot