I have completed a manuscript, a love story set as historical fiction. It is the life of Shoeless Joe Jackson and Katie Wynn Jackson, but from Katie's perspective and tells of the triumph of a remarkable lady who faced all of the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, and at the end of the fight stood tall and proud. The length of the manuscript os approximately 87,000 words.

The timeline, where they were at any given period in their lives, is precisely followed. Their thoughts, conversations, and interactions with other people, though largely unknown, are entirely plausible, given what we know of them. My research spans more than 15 years, reading vast amounts of material and speaking with their friends and family. My credits include "Textile League Baseball" (1993) and "The Southern Textile Basketball Tournament" (1997), both published by McFarland & Co. I also wrote a two act drama, "Shoeless Joe" which premiered in 1996.

My agent and I continue to contact publishers who might be interested, but have made little headway. It is proving a tough sell in these difficult economic times. If you could offer any suggestions, or perhaps have a contact within the industry, I would be most appreciative of your help. Many thanks to Mike Nola for his encouragement in getting Katie's story told.

My best to all of you.

Tom Perry