Local Manager Valerie Benton Publishes "Greater Heights"
Sunday, December 11th, 2011
Valerie Davis Benton says the months since her first novel was published have been “surreal.” Greater Heights was published by WestBow Press in August and is available online at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and WestBow’s online bookstore.
“I’ve had people come up to me in the grocery store and tell me how much they enjoyed reading the book; that they couldn’t put it down,” Benton said. “The positive feedback affirms that the sacrifices I made to produce the book were worth it.”
Benton, who works full-time as the public relations manager for Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital, self-published the book through WestBow Press, a division of Thomas Nelson Publishers. Sales over the past three months have been steady.
Greater Heights tells the story of Riley Davenport Westin, a New York TV journalist who is in a abusive relationship with her husband, the CEO of a fourth generation family business. In an effort to avoid stares and whispers about her bruised face, Riley decides not to go into her office one day. That day is Sept. 11, 2001 and her office is in the World Trade Center. The decision changes her life forever.
“It’s Christian fiction, which means that it’s PG-rated reading,” Benton said.
Benton is a former award-winning journalist with more than 30 years’ experience in print journalism, public relations and marketing. She made a commitment to write the book in late 2003. She worked on it for the next three years, finishing in early 2007.
“I wrote the book mostly in coffee shops and restaurants during my spare time. I had to get out of the house and away from the phone and chores. I’d make appointments to write on my lunch hour, after work and after church on Sunday mornings. It was a real commitment.”
She spent the rest of 2007 tweaking and polishing the book while submitting letters to agents and publishers. Most were put off by the Sept. 11 theme, saying people did not want to read books with 9/11 as a backdrop.
“I just never believed that because we promised as a nation that we would never forget 9/11,” Benton said.
Benton’s decision to self-publish has given her increased control over her book. WestBow provided the services she needed to bring the book to fruition.
“I already had a title and a vision for the cover. WestBow illustrators executed the vision. I picked the type font and size and then they set it,” she continued.
Since the book was published in mid-August in time for Sept. 11, Benton has been marketing Greater Heights through Facebook, word-of-mouth, local and regional media and local book-signing events. She has three local book-signings scheduled in December, one at the Phoebe Putney Hospital gift shop, another at a local tearoom and another at a Leesburg coffee shop.
“I’m trying to get the word out locally and regionally. It’s been amazing. One friend told me her daughter-in-law in Peachtree City had read the book and that she knew others who had read it as part of a book club. That’s over 200 miles away – it’s incredible,” Benton said.
In addition to the work related to self-publishing and self-marketing Greater Heights, Benton continues to write. She completed her next book this year by fitting in time for writing much as she did for Greater Heights. She’s now polishing it for release some time in 2012.
“I’d be thrilled if an agent or publisher picked it up but self-publishing is also do-able. If I don’t hear back from a publisher, I won’t let that hurdle stop me,” Benton explained.
If you would like to learn more about Greater Heights or purchase a copy, visit amazon.com, Barnes and Noble or WestBow Press.
