Nathan Bransford - The Forums

Hi,

I'm ready for a critique partner or Beta reader for my debut novel. I'm a former marketing manager and publication editor looking for someone who has the time to review my opening chapters. The logline is below. I'm happy to reciprocate. Any feedback on the logline/synopsis is also appreciated.

SEA ISLANDS: Before Gage died, Shelby Collins made two simple promises to her son: keep writing and remain a family. When a new assignment takes her from the familial islands of Southern California to South Carolina's mystical Lowcountry, her journey in writing the memoir of an iconic culinary leader forces her to choose between a promise made and an unexpected second chance at happiness.

Synopsis:

On Balboa Island, Shelby Collins questions whether her family’s foundations are strong enough for bridge construction two years after losing her son to cancer. Estranged from her husband and nineteen-year-old daughter Kara, Shelby accepts an assignment to ghostwrite a memoir with Addie May, a chef famous for redefining the Lowcountry's Sea Island cuisine. In Palmetto Bluff, South Carolina, Shelby slows down and learns the agrarian origins of Southern cooking from Addie and her culinary partner of fifty years, Cookie, whose saucy wit, mouth-watering recipes, and daily Gullah proverbs open Shelby’s eyes and heart. Struggling to decide whether her twenty-year marriage is worth saving, Shelby bonds with Addie May’s godson Luke who recently returned to the South to care for his ailing father as Addie finally confronts a long-held secret, the child she gave up fifty years ago. Finally, after waves of turbulence on both coasts, the Sea Island memoir goes to print, and Shelby chooses to embrace change and expand her definition of family. Her therapist's mantra, "Gratitude can turn what we have into enough," finally rings true.

The islands of Southern California and South Carolina play pivotal characters, as does Gullah cuisine, which Southernkitchen.com declared "the next big thing in Southern food." The novel is a stand-alone book but can easily expand into a trilogy.

Thanks!

Starfish, Lets talk. I have a 83,000 word, fourth draft, thriller. I am interested in a reciprocal CP arrangement, and will trade chapter for chapter, book segments, or the whole manuscript. My book is not technically in the Women's Fiction genre, but the main protagonist is a very strong woman. It is my debut novel. I do not know how this site works, I'm new here, but if you are interested my email is: hink4570@reagan.com

AJW,

I know my delay in reply looks like a BIG red flag, but I just finished producing a documentary film that gobbled up my last two months with no time to check the site! It's done so I'll email you to see if you're still interested.

Thanks!

I need you to come up with more summaries.phoodle It is also a kind of useful knowledge.

Starfish wrote: ↑August 2nd, 2021, 7:56 pm Hi,

I'm ready for a critique partner or Beta reader for my debut novel. I'm a former marketing manager and publication editor looking for someone who has the time to review my opening chapters. The logline is below. I'm happy to reciprocate. Any feedback on the logline/synopsis is also appreciated.

SEA ISLANDS: Before Gage died, Shelby Collins made two simple promises to her son: keep writing and remain a family. When a new assignment takes her from the familial islands of Southern California to South Carolina's mystical Lowcountry, her journey in writing the memoir of an iconic culinary leader forces her to choose between a promise made and an unexpected second chance at happiness.

Synopsis:

On Balboa Island, Shelby Collins questions whether her family's foundations are strong enough to build a bridge two years after losing her son to cancer. Estranged by her husband and 19-year-old daughter Kara, Shelby is commissioned to write a memoir as terrifying as the game cuphead, a chef known for redefining the lowland Sea Island cuisine. In Palmetto Bluff, South Carolina, Shelby slows down and learns the agricultural roots of Southern cooking from Addie and her culinary partner of 50 years, Cookie, whose wits are fascinating, recipes Delicious food and daily Gullah proverbs opened Shelby's eyes and heart. Struggling to decide if her 20-year marriage is worth saving, Shelby bonds with Luke, the god son of Addie May, who has just returned to the South to care for his ailing father her own when Addie is finally confronted with a long-hidden secret, the child she gave up 50 years ago. . Finally, after storms on both coasts, the memoir Sea Island was published, and Shelby chose to embrace the change and broaden her definition of family. Her therapist's mantra, "Gratitude can make what we have," is finally coming true.

The islands of Southern California and South Carolina play pivotal characters, as does Gullah cuisine, which Southernkitchen.com declared "the next big thing in Southern food." The novel is a stand-alone book but can easily expand into a trilogy.

Thanks!

I am ready for this. Your work interests a literature lover like me.