New Years Goal For Shattered Silence

Thursday, December 31, 2009


I have been touched by the hundreds of emails I have received this past year telling me how "Shattered Silence: The Untold Story of a Serial Killer's Daughter" has encouraged them.


In 2009 friends and myself starting purchasing, "Shattered Silence" to give to women shelters, prisons, rehabilitation homes, and foster care centers. However, I am just one person and I could use the help of other's to spread the message!

Please assist me with getting the message of overcoming adversity and hope to others by considering any of the following:


-writing a book review for your blog or website and asking other's to donate, "Shattered Silence" to their local YWCA, Salvation Army, or shelter. Feel free to place a photo of the cover or link to the website http://www.melissagracemoore.com/


-Gift a bundle to your local foster centers, women correctional centers, teen crisis centers, school councelors, or prisons.


-Tell friends about, "Shattered Silence"


-Re sell "Shattered Silence" in auctions for the proceeds to support non-profits organizations. Contact Cedar Fort Inc. on how to order in bulk. Their website is http://www.cedarfort.com/


-Consider having a book club to increase awareness of the book.


If you have any other ideas on how we can share the message of "Shattered Silence" please email me at shatteredsilenebook@gmail.com


Thank you for your support!

Love,


Melissa Moore

Between Good and Evil

Saturday, December 19, 2009


Being a Child of an Incarcerated Parent:




The memory of my mother telling us three children that my father was in jail for murder will always be in my memory. Images in my mind of what I had seen in movies served as my only reference of my father's arrest. Since I didn't witness my father's arrest there was only my imagination to fill in the lack of information. I was left with no idea when or if I would ever see my father again.


Most often I am asked how I felt the day I learned about my father's arrest.


It seemed almost impossible to explain-It was like a death, but different, because when someone you love dies you don't feel shame or humiliation. Then as the trial set forth, there was a sense of relief that my father would never be free to harm others and then there were moments where I wondered if everything that was happening was real.




As time progressed, I questioned what my new relationship should be with my father. It was the hardest question to answer and took 15 years to finally find what felt right to me. Unlike some other family members of prisoners-mine was a serial killer. He did not make just one grave mistake, or by accident kill another. He is what some called evil, or a monster.


After wresting with emotions, denial and confusion I have finally came up with a justifiable conclusion. Every situation is different, but for me, I have settled in with the fact that having or maintaining any relationship with my father is not healthy. For several factors in my case. The first factor is that my father crosses personal boundaries in communication, sometimes being explicit. The second factor would be that as a sociopath he does not exhibit feelings of compassion, and remorse for his actions. My father calls the murders, "8 errors in judgement". It is my belief that for a relationship to continue both parties must gain from the relationship.


I have been called, and emailed by people who tell me that it is wrong to not visit my father or that he loves me so I need to stay in contact. Some families could benefit from staying connected to their family member who is in prison. However, it is never anyone else's call or judgement to make!


If you are a child or family member of an incarcerated person please know that you are not alone. We are invisible or secondary victims of crime, but we don't have to live like one. Through our choices and resiliency we can progress and have rewarding futures!








The Untold Story of a Serial Killer's Daughter a Holiday Message?

Saturday, November 28, 2009


If I had to summarize my own memoir, it would be- A story of Hope.

Not a detailed account of my father's heinous murders, not a salacious tale, but a story of how as a young woman, I had acquired the knowledge of what was good about life.

The message of, "Shattered Silence: The Untold Story of a Serial Killer's Daughter" carries the same message for this year's holiday-HOPE. We can have faith and hope in the unseen, in the future, and believe in times of uncertainty.

As I share in, "Shattered Silence" of a time when my family lived in my grandmother's unfinished, cold basement in 1995. The same year my father was arrested for Julie Winningham's murder and the case was quickly building that my father may be a serial killer.
It was a time of bleak circumstances. We had no home for our own, and with my mother working as a sales clerk making minimum wage to support a family of three teenagers, the chances were slim that we would ever have a home for our own.
At night I would lay on my cot in the storage room and dream of the day I would have my own room. One where I had a light switch, and a window, a real bed and a dresser. I pictured what my future home would look like and feel like. Wishing for a home was like wishing to meet the President of the United States-it was possible, but not likely,however, I had one advantage that all of us can carry. I had HOPE which turned my discouragement into determination.

I knew that I had a choice.
Either I could live in hope or I could live in despair. I chose hope.

Soon, my hope and faith was rewarded when my family was chosen to receive a home from Habitat for Humanity. In the Spring of 1997 our family moved into our first real home.
I will remember this holiday season the day when my mother was handed the keys to the newly finished house. I remember her smile, her gratitude and the lesson we all received. No matter how uncertain times can be, there is always a better day to come.
May you and your family be blessed this holiday season.





Intuition

Tuesday, October 27, 2009



Your Inner Compass-Intuition

One afternoon when I was in 6th grade I became very sick. So for the first time I was to be home alone. My mother had to go to her college classes, my brother and sister had school as well, so that left me all alone in our small home.

I remember how the house fell silent after the bus drove off with my siblings and my mother closed the front door wishing me well. In my thoughts I recall thinking, "Your finally independent", but I was scared. Something inside said, "You are not safe!" I tried to convince myself that I was just afraid since it was my first time alone at home.

Then a visual of a robber trying to enter the home came into my mind. In this thought I pictured a man trying to break into the house through the windows and doors. I quickly rushed off the couch and tested the windows to see if they were indeed locked. One wasn't. I locked that window right away and rushed to the front door. It was unlocked as well. I locked the front door and laid on the living room couch.

I believed that after checking the windows and doors to be locked would give me peace. It didn't. I still felt very insecure about my environment. A still inner voice said, "Beware your in danger".

I covered my head with my blanket to block out the feeling that I was unsafe. When I heard a car pull up my driveway. "Who is supposed to be here?" I thought. Then I heard a door open and shut, footsteps up my walkway and a rattle on my doorknob. I was frozen in fear.

Quietly, I wished the person would go back to the car. Instead I heard footsteps retreat and then a tapping noise on the side windows that I had just locked.

To my relief I heard the person go back to the car and then the engine start up. As the gravel crackled under the car's weight as it was pulling backwards out of the driveway I got the courage to check out who was just at my door.

It was my father! I had a brief moment when I could have ran out of the front door and tell him I was home. But I couldn't. The inner voice shouted-"Don't call for him!" I just stood there and watched him leave.

Mind you, I hardly saw my father after my parent's divorced in 1990, so a visit from my father was rare. To miss out on a chance to visit my father signaled to me that something was very wrong for me not to call out for him to stay.

I thought there was something wrong with me until 1995 when the media declared that my father was the "Happy Face" serial killer.

That day when it was my first day home alone will always remain vivid in my memory as a day I choose my intuition to guide me. It served me well and safe. It defied all logic and sense, but it was right. Since that day, I have allowed myself to trust my intuition in business, love and the rearing of my children.

I believe intuition is God's gift to us and it was intended to be our compass and protector as we journey through this world. So when that gut feeling comes I listen, and I hope you will too.

How to Write A Memoir & Publish It

Wednesday, October 21, 2009


I have received tons of emails with one single question....."How do I write and publish my memoir?"


So to answer this question I thought it would be best to start from the beginning-writing your life story. There are several books about styles, myths, and rules about writing available. Either go to your local library or bookstore and grab a couple of books on the topic to start your research.

Next, after you have done your homework on the rules of writing start to make regular appointments pre-planned with your computer.

It is a consistent process of writing on schedule that gets the job done. The average word count for a 200 plus page memoir is about 60,000 words. Do the math and divide your word count with your time frame of completing the memoir. So for example if you would like to write a book in one year's worth of time take 60,000 words divided by 12 months gives you a goal of 5,000 word count done a month.To break it down more, you would have to have 1,200 words done in a week-very achievable! Of course, if you wanted to finish the memoir in half the time then just double the numbers and so forth.

After you have decided to make the commitment to write your memoir and you have a time frame to finish the goal. Then you start with the basics. You will need a time line with events, places and memories done. Start with birth dates, birth places, and names. Then add in the events into the timeline. You can find templates of timelines online to just plug in the facts.

Next up, make your outline of chapters and what content they will include. This will be your road map to achieving your goal. As I would finish a chapter I would write beside the title of the chapter the word count total. It gave me a measurement of accomplishment.

Now that you have an outline, timeline, and a few chapters done you can start the process of getting your memoir published.

For Non-Fiction you do not need to have your full memoir completed.
This is what you will need done: a query cover letter, proposal/synopsis and a few sample chapters completed. This is the industry standard material required to get an literary agent.

The literary agent is the gatekeeper to all the big New York publishing firms. If you do not have the desire to be published with a major firm then you can self-publish your memoir. Depending on your goals the path varies to publishing. If you just want it published in a professional manner for friends and family then you can pay for a vanity press to publish your work. If you would like the nation to read your story and hear your message then you need a literary agent.

Literary agents will either take query letters online or via regular postal mail. On the literary agent's website it will give you directions on how to submit your work. Follow their rules!

What is a query cover letter? It is a one page letter with three paragraphs that agents read to decided if they are interested in reading more from you.Make sure it is really only one page! Write your query letter in 12 point font, business letter alignment with everything starting from the left with no paragraph intentions, and single spaced. Be professional and have it proof read by another person to check for errors.
Paragraph One: includes the hook. A one sentence tag line that gets a person's attention.

Paragraph Two: includes the mini synopsis.

Paragraph Three: includes the author's bio.

Closing: Give thanks to the agent for their time and consideration, and your contact information.

What is a synopsis? This includes outline and table of contents.

Lastly, include sample chapters and there you have it.....a complete packet for the agent!

So maybe now you are asking, "Where do I find agents?"
I would go to www.agentquery.com

Send out batches of your queries to no more than ten agents at a time. Agents normally charge a fee of 15% rate on your advance and royalities once a publisher signs you on. They are worth their fee since they are working on your behalf to get the best contract for you, as well as promoting your work to several publishing firms.


Next up will be your contract with a publisher.

Normally for a new author you can expect a royalty rate of 10% of publisher's gross. This means that if a bookstore bought your book from a publisher for $10.00 you would get $1.00 per a book. These are real average numbers. Your agent will assist with your contract terms, however, I suggest that you find an attorney to review your contract offer.

Royalties are normally paid 6 months after the release date of your book.
So if your book was to be in stores January 1st then your January royalties will be paid to you in July and February's royalties paid in August and so forth. Keep in mind that publishers normally keep a sum of funds away for returned books.

This is the start of your memoir's journey. Enjoy the process and be creative!





Off to New York

Wednesday, October 7, 2009


Thank you to everyone who came out to the Utah book signings!

It was great to see old friends and meet new ones!


This morning I had a radio interview, packed my overnight bag, and soon I will be dropping my little boy off to his grandmother's house.
I am off to New York for the taping of "Good Morning America"!

UTAH BOOK TOUR

Friday, September 25, 2009

Hi UTAH!!
Can't wait to meet local Utah residents this upcoming week at the following book stores:

Friday Oct. 2nd

10-11:30 Murray Costco

1-2:30 Orem Costco

3-4:30 Sandy Costco

6-9 Sandy Barnes and Noble

Sat. Oct. 3rd

9-11 Bountiful Costco

11:30-1 Sugarhouse Barnes and Noble

2-3:30 Murray Barnes and Noble

6:30-9 Orem Barnes and Noble

 
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