Motorcycle Woman final front and back cover

This is my final cover, front and back, for my Motorcycle Woman story.  It will be available soon for purchase as soon as I go to Create Space and finish the final steps.

Motorcycle Woman only needs cover constructed

I have gone through all the steps on Create Space with my story Motorcycle Woman with the exception of cover construction.  I am having a local copying outfit formatting that for my front and back covers.  The six by nine format requires a PDF file for the photos.  The front cover is shown above.  The back cover will be a photo I snapped in 1971 of a dealership in Black River Falls, Wisconsin.  I have their permission to use their name in the story.  The cover should be done end of next week.  I am looking forward to that since I've not had a new story on the streets since last year.  My last two novels don't have a home now as the publisher has closed their doors.  I tried to get a home for both the shed novel and the dart novel but was rejected.  I have a suggestion from a nice lady author friend to seek promotion from motorcycle folks for this novella.

Motorcycle Woman legal aspects

My lawyer isn't versed in the question I had concerning using the name of an actual person from my past.  Jug was an excellent motorcycle mechanic and ran his own shop in Bloomington, Indiana.  I tried to contact him to get verbal approval of using his name.  I speak very complimentary of him in the story.  I learned he had died in 2012.  I was saddened by that news as he was a fine fellow.  My lawyer still didn't know if I should use his name.  He recommended I contact a lawyer with a background on this sort of thing.  I've decided instead of doing that I will change Jug's name to Jeb.  I believe that will be safe to do.  It cost me a lot to get my rights back on this story so I was reluctant to spend more.  I will probably have to spend more money to get the cover into the right format.  I am dedicating the story to the same three editors that helped me on the short version.  I don't suppose they will ever know I did that because I have no contact info on them anymore.  Likewise, I'm including the Harley shop in Black River Falls, Wisconsin who graciously allowed me to include their name in the story.  I also speak very favorably of them too.  I am close to being ready to start the process with Create Space.  I do wish someone would drop a comment even it is to say "Boo!"
I am also working on an old short story, 33,000 words entitled The Forever Bond which is a sweet romance with a strange twist involving a gold pocket watch.

More Rejections

I received more rejections, the Rescue novel and The Silver Dart.  I consider this the end of the road.  Any other publishing company or agent takes too long to respond and at my age I cannot afford to wait that long for a response.  I am thankful for this last publisher as she responds within a month or so.  She liked the Silver Dart cover at least.

If I have any hope now I will have to self-publish via Create Space or a similar route.  I'm still working on Motorcycle Woman and the hang up there is converting JPEG to PDF.  Internet directions for doing that show screens that do not come up when I try to follow the steps.

Motorcycle Woman completed

My Motorcycle Woman is completed at just under 45,000 words. I have edited it several times.  I can't decide to seek a publisher or self-publish via Create Space.  Anyway, I've sought and received an okay by the Black River Falls, Wisconsin Harley Davidson dealer to use the several references to them in the story.  I actually visited them on a motorcycle trip in July 1971.  At that time they had only been in business for six years.  They allowed me to take a test ride on a new '71 Super Glide.  What power that machine had.

Motorcycle Woman update

Motorcycle Woman is finished in manuscript form.  It maxes out at 44,000+ words.  I have received permission from the Black River Falls Harley Davidson shop in Black River Falls, Wisconsin to not only leave their name in the story but to use one of the photos I took of their shop back in July 1971 for the back cover.  The least I can do is send them a free copy of the book when it is published.  I don't have a scanner right now so I can't show you the photo I'll eventually use for the back cover.  I have two photos and will probably use the one with the Harley Davidson sign over the building.  When I was there in 1971 they had been open for six years.  This year will be their 53rd year in operation.  I have always remembered stopping there in 1971.  They let me take a ride on a new Super Glide.  Whoa, what power that bike had.
A 33,000 word story entitled The Forever Bond has been rejected as not fitting the publisher's imprint.  She did request a synopsis of my Rescue novel.  I doubt it will fit their imprint either.

My Motorcycle Woman story is about 45,000 words and I've been through it three times.  I have contacted the Black River Falls, Wisconsin Harley Davidson motorcycle shop and they have given me the okay to use their name in the story.  I told them I use very complementary reference to their shop.  I visited their shop on a motorcycle trip I took back in July 1971 and took a couple of photos of their shop.  I may use one of those photos as the back cover of the novel.  At that time they allowed me to take a test ride on a new Super Glide.  That happens in my novel too as Johnnie and Tess stop at that shop.  I will probably self-publish this story as the wait time for response from an agent or publisher is way too long for most of them and I'm not a young man anymore.  I can't afford these long wait times. More later on this subject.