Celebrating Five Years as a Published Author

Can I be real for a minute? Hmmm...that sounds weird. I try to be real all the time, but I suppose I'm asking if I can be real about a particular thing. Today, February 10, I am celebrating five years of being a published author. I was told in the beginning of my writing career that it takes about five years of a book being out before you really get your name out there. Truth is I've never had much of an interest in "getting my name out there!" What do I mean by that? Well, I want to help people and touch their lives through the stories I write. The stories are where I want the focus to be centered—not on me, the author of them.

I suppose there are writers who are driven by fame, but I think in general most writers simply love telling stories. My desire is to have the memories of the stories I write embedded in the hearts of those who read them. That’s what I want to last.

Well, it is five years later now, and things have started taking off in a small way. Plain Jane, my first published work, is listed on a college professor’s reading list for her class. I had no part in that. She simply came across the book and put it on her reading list for her class. It is also being read in a literature class in a small private school. While I know the person over the school, I did not promote the book to her. I simply shared as she asked questions about it, and that brings me to the other point I wanted to be “real” about…promoting my writing.

I'm not much of a promoter, and if I'm going to be real honest with you, I don't expect that to change. It's just not in who I am. I'm constantly told in the writing world that I need to get out there and promote my books, but I just can't seem to make myself do it. I enjoy getting on my Facebook author page and telling everyone what I'm presently working on; I was thrilled to have those who like my page help me pick out my new cover for Plain Jane, and I always inform people via social media when a new book is being published, but I just can't seem to push myself out there and say, "Hey, read my books; they're awesome! You'll love them!" I've always felt that the book would speak for itself. 

You’re probably wondering what my point was in saying all of this. I just wanted to share where I am in my writing career after five years, and I wanted those who have read my books to know that I sincerely hope the stories moved them in such a way that the characters left a residue within their hearts. That's all. Help me celebrate today by giving someone a hug and telling them you love them. I'm heading out in a few minutes to go to the hospital and tell my dad that very thing. He's having surgery today...nothing major, but I want him to know I love him.

The Creative Cycle

I began a work back in 2007. It was the first time I sat down and started typing a book and knew it had to be finished. I had started a couple of stories in high school and set them to the side, lacking the confidence to be an author, and again in college, I started a couple of books, getting only a chapter or two written before the hideous creature titled Lack of Confidence swallowed my dreams and caused me to give up. 
The work I started in 2007 was a work of fantasy. It was to be a series of four books. I wrote the first and second draft of the first book. After finishing that I wrote Plain Jane and had it published. I started on the second book in the fantasy series once I finished Plain Jane, but then I had a request to write a companion novel to Plain Jane, so I set the two or three chapters in The Called Ones to the side and wrote Pretty Boy. After completing it, I went back to the fantasy story that started it all for me and writing. I added a few more chapters in the second book before I had another story come to life in my head. Wildflowers was birthed, so I once again set The Called Ones to the side and typed away, giving birth to a beautiful and tragic love story. Then I went back to my fantasy series, adding more chapters. It was at this point that I realized the first book needed more, so I went back to the first book and added additional chapters, a lot of them! 
After completing that, I expected to go finish the second book, but a different book was being birthed. I wrote the first half of it while it flowed and went back to the second book in The Called Ones series. It was during this time that I felt led to write a book for ministry. My husband and I are ministers, and I write teachings for adults, teenagers, and children. 2014 was dedicated to BASIC Training. I did not write within the realm of fiction during the entire year, outside of a chapter here and a chapter there! And now I am back to having that creative flow that is needed to write fiction. I've been mulling over the world I created in the first book in my fantasy series, and I am anxious to reenter Halanea and discover where the Called Ones go from here!
I'm expecting a great creative year in 2015! It would be nice to finally complete the second book and maybe even the third one! In a way it is the series that caused me to get serious about writing as a career, so I wonder at times if having it always lurking off to the side needed a little more here and a little more there is meant to keep me writing. What do you think? Do you have a motivator in your life that keeps you going back to your love or your hobby?