I struggled with whether or not I wanted to write a posting about this. I finally justified it by telling myself that I needed to be honest, not only with myself, but also other writers.

A few weeks ago, I posted about being a semi-finalist in an international poetry competition (see Jan. 20 posting titled Kind of Cool). I didn't win, but I have more important information to share than that. A few weeks after being notified that I was a semi-finalist, I received another email correspondence. This time it was from a publishing company with offices in New York, London, and Paris. Even better, they were known for their fiction work (according to their email), but were now publishing some limited edition poetry and wanted to know if they could include my poetry in their publication. I admit, I was excited about this, not for the poetry part, but for the fiction part. I immediately began searching the Internet to learn more about this publishing company -- which, by the way, sounded very official and very much like large, familiar publishing company names. I couldn't find anything. Instead, I found listings with words like scam and fraud in them.

The purpose of this posting is not to smear names or point out specific companies. Instead, I'll let you find that information yourselves (just search the Internet for poetry scams and you'll find the companies). Instead, I just want to warn you about writing scams. Search out all companies before you establish any contacts (or worse yet, contracts) with them. Legitimate companies will never ask you to pay to publish your work. NEVER (period). Take heed and do your research. And if you do fall for a scam, don't feel bad. It happens to the best of us.

Ok, so, I'm opening my very own independent bookstore. It's a cute little thing, in a quaint little old building, right on the water with tons of character -- but that's for a different blog.

I rent the building, which means I have a landlord (this will be an important fact later in the story).

So one day, running back and forth between my house and the bookstore, I placed the single key to the bookstore (another important clue) in my apparently very shallow front jean pocket (a third clue). I, er, um, went to the bathroom and after I flushed I was pulling up my jeans when I heard an unmistakable BLLLLOOOOOP sound. I knew IMMEDIATELY what it was. That's right boys and girls, my only bookstore key flushed right down the toilet. I never saw it, just heard it. After I recovered from the shock and then spent the next 10 minutes laughing hysterically at myself, I had an awful realization -- that was the only key that I had which meant that I had to call and explain the situation to my landlord and get a new key.

Thank goodness I have cool landlords with the same goofy sense of humor as me. The picture is how the new key came back to my from the landlord. In case you can't decipher, it's on a "floaty" -- a device that boaters generally use for their boating keys in case they get dropped in the water they will float. Dang, if only I had thought of that...

(come on...it was WAY TOO FUNNY not to share! agreed?)

A couple of weeks ago, on a whim, I entered an international poetry contest online. Later that day I was laughing to my friend about it, joking that maybe I could at least win some of the money. Today I received a letter informing me that my poem has been chosen as a semi-finalist (no, no money yet).

Does this mean I have to grow a goatee and start hanging out at poetry-bash coffee shops?

Here's the poem:

Evolution of a Pain
You need cheer, help, laughter, I'm there.
"No problem!" I say. It's part of me to give and love.
But it turns against me. What have I said, done wrong?
I was only there for you. How can anyone find fault in that?
But you do. It's never good enough, never enough:
Unwarranted accusations, finger pointing, diversions.

Why are all of your faults acceptable, expected?
I get blank stares in a white room. Everyone else is
laughing, playing, worrying - but not with me, not for me.
I scream silently in the middle of a crowded circle.
It's funny how no one notices. "She has it all together."
It would be a fun game if it weren't happening to me.

A movie, a drama not happening to me, yet I'm part of.
A silent film ruined by the static of unfulfilled needs.
A play filled with disinterest, mindlessness, carelessness.
Look around. Would anyone notice if I weren't here anymore?
Sadly I know the answer. Yes, they would,
but only because no one else would make everything better.

Instead, I smile. "What a happy put together person."
But the eyes tell it all, don't they?

Copyright ©2006 Jacqueline K Wilson
Author's Note: This poem is a 2006 current semifinalist in the International Poetry Competition.

So.
There's a published author with my same name.
Lucky me.

It is strange: I'm a published author, she's a published author. I write children's stories, she writes children's stories. As far as I can tell, that's where the similarities stop. I am painfully aware that she exists, while I'm pretty sure that she doesn't even know (or care) about my existence.

I receive about 10 emails a month for her from children on my web site telling me how much they love my childrens' books. Unfortunately, these are not my books they are talking about. How do I know this?
1. I'm currently only published in the academic arena.
2. I've never even submitted my children's stories to a contest, let alone published them.

Not wanting to discourage any young children from reading their favorite author (I was afraid when the children didn't get a response they would lose interest in reading), I did the research and found Jacqueline Wilson's agent in the UK. I now forward all the children's emails to her agent. I'm pretty sure she still doesn't know I exist. I mean, that effort alone should net me some personally-signed copy of one of her books, but who am I?

How do these children even find my site? This is a phenomenon that I can't explain. One night while trying to answer this question, I Googled myself (yes, I'll admit it). There were pages and pages about Jacqueline Wilson (yes, the other Jacqueline Wilson). After about page 27 and no mention of me anywhere, I gave up.

So, here's the conundrum. What name do I publish my fiction mystery novel under? (Yes, I am hopeful that it will be published). If I use "Jacqueline Wilson" I risk the mix up between the two published authors. If I use "Jackie Wilson", you guessed it, people searching for my book will only come up with the famous R&B vocalist. I mentioned using my maiden name to my husband. The silence alone told me that didn't go over well.

I'm pretty sure the other Jacqueline Wilson doesn't lose sleep over having the same name as me.

Dang.

Today is my birthday. That's right, one day after New Year's. As you can imagine, I got cheated out of all the cool birthday stuff as a kid because everyone was "celebrated out" (or still out of town) by the time my birthday rolled around. Anyway, I digress (and I'm obviously not bitter).

I'm writing a fiction mystery novel. I have made a resolution that I will start submitting my book for publishing this year. HM. Interesting. Especially since I generally regard new year resolutions only for those who can't set and make goals for themselves the rest of the year. But this year I've jumped on the proverbial band wagon of resolutions. Hopefully this won't be one resolution that gets broken. Wish me luck!

From the Shelbyville News, September 21, 2005

Triton Central graduate stays busy with T-shirt company, writing books
By STEVE TALBERT NEWS correspondent

Embracing the basic business strategy of “find a need and fill it,” Jacqueline (Williams) Wilson launched a unique line of trendy-yet-affordable T-shirts for women when she couldn’t find what she was looking for in department stores.

“Up until a few years ago, I spent anywhere from 50 to 80 hours a week dressed in business suits or proper business attire,” Wilson said. “Although I always liked to dress trendy, I soon found that my wardrobe contained fewer and fewer jeans and even fewer casual shirts.”

When Wilson, a 1987 Triton Central High School graduate, started working at home, she began looking for fashionable-yet-comfortable clothes to wear around the house and out with friends. “I soon found that I was disappointed at many of the casual shirts on the market. Too boxy or manly or unoriginal or expensive,” Wilson said.

“When shopping at a department store, I was amazed at the price of some of the T-shirts.”

Inspired by the idea of creating her own shirts, the former Fairland resident found a California-based company to print the T-shirts and to take care of the e-store part.

“My T-biz came about the same way that everything does for me,” she said. “It just starts as a thought, and the next thing I know, I’m doing it!”

Called “Explosive Kiss,” Wilson’s original T-shirt line features large lips and cute sayings, including the popular “Kiss the Bride,” “Kiss the Bridesmaid” and “Kiss the Boys and Make Them Cry.”

Advertisements for the former Fairland resident’s apparel have appeared in US Magazine and Elegant Bride magazine. Her exclusive items are available at authorized specialty boutiques and online at www.explosivekiss.com.

Wilson, 36, designed her Web site and all of her products. “I make the artwork,” she said. “I come up with the ideas, and then make the sayings and art.” The shirts incorporate an imaging process that Wilson calls “artography,” the melding of art and photography.

“Sometimes images are digitally manipulated,” Wilson said, “and sometimes they are physically manipulated to capture a unique perspective.”

Wanting something unique and catchy, Wilson created artsy images of her own lips.

“I made a print of my lips with an ‘exploding’ background a la ‘Explosive Kiss,’” Wilson said. “I’ll be expanding beyond kiss-themed stuff someday.”

Wilson’s passion for design stems from a lifelong love of photography.

“My experience came from playing with my father’s old 35 mm camera ... and then later a Polaroid camera,” she said.

“My photographs and artography are representative of moods and situations that capture my attention.”

Since its launch in 2004, “Explosive Kiss” has garnered attention from both buyers and sellers.

“I get lots of e-mails from people who love my stuff,” she said, “and I have a huge amount of interest from boutiques who want to be re-sellers. Right now, I’m in the conundrum of deciding whether I want to be a retailer or a re-seller solely.

Deeply moved by the destruction of Hurricane Katrina, Wilson is creating a non-kiss-related category of T-shirts and cards. At least through 2005, 50 percent of the profits will be donated to the Red Cross, Convoy of Hope and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals for relief efforts.

“That covers things that are near and dear to my heart: helping people, New Orleans and animals,” she said.

A registered health-information administrator, Wilson is a freelance writer and consultant in the health-care arena. She also has taught medical-specialty college courses — including medical terminology and anatomy, standards in health care, technology in health care, fundamentals of health-information systems, curriculum development and clinical-documentation standards — in classrooms and via the Internet.

The author of several unpublished children’s books, Wilson recently finished “The Quarter,” a mystery novel that is set in New Orleans. “‘The Quarter’s’ main character is Tory Rockton — a psychologist living in the Washington, D.C., area,” Wilson said.

“Tory’s affluent life is turned upside-down with the sudden and inexplicable death of her relatively healthy mother. A box of unusual family clues takes Tory on a journey of twists and turns through New Orleans voodoo country — including plantations, bars, cemeteries and hospitals — in search of answers.”

Incorporating fact into her fiction, Wilson is rewriting the book epilogue to include Hurricane Katrina.

“The Payer,” Wilson’s second novel in a planned New Orleans mystery series, also reflects the Katrina Hurricane damage and devastation. Soon, Wilson will post excerpts from both books at www.JacquelineWilson.info.

Wilson has never lived in New Orleans, but she has been a frequent visitor. “I’m fascinated by New Orleans and its mix of extremes — from Catholicism to voodoo, from extremely wealthy to extremely poverty-stricken, from the highly educated and cultured to uneducated and the mix of English, French, Cajun and Creole languages and cultures,” she said.

“People have always fascinated me, and I love to see interaction of people with different backgrounds and viewpoints.”

Wilson is currently working on a large-scale philanthropic program, called Project KISS, to help women in unfortunate circumstances.

Project KISS evolved because it was a given that my company would be involved in some humanitarian effort,” she said. “I always have been involved ... have always volunteered.

Still in the developmental stages, Wilson’s Web site will include valuable information and links to free resources, including suicide hotlines and abuse help. She even hopes to provide, through donations, free business outfits suitable for interviews.

The former Fairland resident received a Bachelor of Science degree from Indiana University School of Medicine, School of Allied Health, in Indianapolis in 1992. Wilson recently received the 2005 Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers® award to honor her commitment to students and teaching in the medical field. She and her husband, Todd Wilson, a sales director for Epson’s home division, reside in the Southeastern Blue Water Region of Michigan. Her older brother, Jeff Williams, lives in Fountaintown. Their parents, Ken and Linda Williams, still live in Fairland.