~Will be released in trade paperback on Aug. 29
SIKESTON -- First-time author Barb Watkins of Sikeston has no problem admitting the idea to write her recently published book came from a green man.
Well, sort of. The green man is actually an imaginary friend of her preschool-
aged grandson.
"My grandson would come up with these stories about the green man and talk about how he would help him out when he was scared," Watkins recalled about her book's origin.
And now -- a year later -- Watkins' self-described psychological thriller about supernatural phenomenon, "Behind the Red Door," is scheduled for release in trade paperback Aug. 29. It will be available locally at The Book Bug in Miner or via the Web at Barnes and Noble, Amazon and other online stores.
Although 45-year-old Watkins has always enjoyed telling ghost stories and writing short stories, it wasn't until she quit her full-time job to watch her grandchildren that she put her craft to use.
"My daughter decided to go to college so I wanted to help her and I had a little more time," Watkins said. "One night I just started writing and couldn't stop."
At the time Watkins' daughter was taking a creative writing class so at the request of her mother, she took a look at it and encouraged her mother to keep up with her writing.
"I've had an advanced writing class and it amazed me at how good it was and how well-written it was," said Watkins' daughter, Amanda Brown.
Watkins also had a niece living Arkansas, who writes short stories, to look at her work. Six months later she finished her manuscript.
Watkins submitted "Behind the Red Door" to a few different publishers, but there was one that really caught her eye.
"PublishAmerica was really good about getting the book out," Watkins said.
So when she received an e-mail her book had been accepted by the publishing company, Watkins said she was thrilled.
"'Behind the Red Door' is a well-written and crafted work of contemporary fiction that fits our speciality like a glove," said PublishAmerica Executive Director Miranda Prather in a news release.
"PublishAmerica primarily publishes works by, for or about people who face a challenge in life, and who overcome it by turning stumbling blocks into stepping stones. We believe that Ms. Watkins is a promising talent in this field."
Most of PublishAmerica's books are written by new and previously undiscovered talent like Watkins. A traditional publishing company, PublishAmerica pays advances and royalties while offering an alternative to authors who would most likely be overlooked by larger, more commercial publishers simply due to their lack of experience in the industry.
Targeted at those 16 and older, "Behind the Red Door" is a ghost story about a family and younger mother and son haunted by visions of spirits of the past, Watkins said.
"Anybody who likes scary movies will really enjoy this book," Watkins assured. "There are parts in it that intertwine with my real life."
For example, Watkins said as a small child she had certain episodes where it seemed as though someone was sitting at the end of her bed, and she used those occurrences in her book.
"It's a ghost book about real life experiences and listening to intuition," Watkins said.
It's also spiritual to some degree, Watkins noted.
"It's about believing in yourself and what you can do, and listening to your intuition can be the difference between a life-threatening situation -- what you do might decide the fate of your life," Watkins said.
It's also easier to write about things that have happened to someone personally, Watkins pointed out.
"Things would've been different in my life if I hadn't listened to my inner voice all my life," Watkins said.
One of the reasons Watkins said people will enjoy her book is the characters are easy to relate to. She also said the book takes a lot of twists and turns and has a surprising ending.
Plus the novella is only 68 pages.
"It's not a really big book and could be read in your spare time," Brown said about her mother's book.
There is no mention of Sikeston in the book although it is set in Springfield in present day.
"I think it's extremely good -- and not just because she wrote it," Watkins' daughter said. "And I think if she could, it would be a really good movie. It's got a lot of pay attention and remember stuff all through it."
Watkins has also e-mailed a portion of her book to Escape Artists and Sony Pictures and they responded with some interest, asking Watkins to send them her manuscript for review.
"When I got the e-mail back, I about fell out of my chair," Watkins said, adding she knows it doesn't mean they will want her manuscript -- she was just honored they wanted to read more.
More good news came Wednesday when Watkins learned her second book, "Thorns of an Innocent Soul," has also been accepted by PublishAmerica and should be out within the next year.
So now Watkins said she's trying to decide if she should hire an agent, she said.
Agent or not, Watkins plans to continue telling stories.
She said, "As long as I have ideas, I'll keep on writing."
For more information about Watkins and her book visit, www.barbienell.com or www.publishamerica.com.