An Author at Work

There are times when I wish that I could make writing my career...

I have often found it difficult to make real progress with the novels I have started, since I have to schedule writing in between my other commitments. However, I have recently realized that sometimes all that is needed is a little nudge - or push - in a certain direction.

The first book in my series "Journeys of Faith" was published earlier this year, and I still have not completed the e-book format for it. The second book in the series has been in progress for at least a few years, but I have not worked on it actively for quite a long time.

Part of the reason was because I wanted to complete the first book, but I was also somewhat "stuck." And now, I have suddenly found the catalyst and inspiration I needed!

A couple of weeks ago, I gave a copy of "A YIELDED HEART" to my neighbour and she loved it so much that she bought the copy! Not only that, but based on the Author's Note at the end which asks the readers to "stay tuned for the sequel," she told me she wanted to order 2 copies of each for Christmas gifts!!

I told her that the second book wasn't ready yet, but she is very eager to read it and share it with others ... and suddenly I knew that I could not let this opportunity pass. I realized that if I had an author's contract with an established publishing company, I would be given a deadline for completing my books.

So even though I am self-published, I have a responsibility to be somewhat consistent in completing my writing projects. Not wanting to disappoint my friend, I promised her that I would strive to finish the sequel by the end of November so that it would be ready for Christmas.

And now I have been making significant progress in the story development and writing. It seems that having a deadline was all the nudge I needed. I have scheduled time in during the week to work on my writing, because I have about 20 chapters still to write,

So without further ado ... it's back to the writing board!

More updates to come soon.

Update from Darlene

Hello again!
This is well past-due again ... but better late than never.

A YIELDED HEART - the 1st book in my series "Journeys of Faith" was published in January 2016. It is the story of a young man and his journey of discovering what his purpose in life is and what true faith really means.

The e-Book format of the book will be available hopefully by the end of May.

I have also recently published a book of my poetry writings over the years - it is called "Garden of Treasure: A Collection of Poems on Life and Faith."

I am working on the sequel - titled "PATH OF HEALING" - but I cannot promise when it will be completed and ready for publication. It is partially completed, but the parts already written require a lot of editing and re-writing.

I also have 2 other projects in the works:

- a trilogy (3 novels) called "Joanna's Legacy" and
- a book entitled "Interwoven" (4 short novels in one book)

I am hoping to have the 1st book in the trilogy completed by the end of the summer, and possibly more, but I don't want to promise something and not be able to fulfill it.

As much as I love writing, I do have a full-time job and other responsibilities, and so I often don't get as much accomplished as I would like to. I am learning, however, that there are ways I can make it happen - it just requires a little more planning than I am used to. Ideally, I'd like to just be able to sit down and write, but the likelihood of that happening is slim to none except on a long weekend or a holiday.

Being a writer is a journey of growth ... I started writing stories when I was very young, and have had a lot of life experiences since then, but there is always more to learn and ways to grow. As I learn and change, so does my writing, and I believe that I am a better author now than when I started to work toward this goal.

Thank you for checking in and reading my blog!

A HUGE THANK YOU also to those who have purchased copies of the books I have already published, and I hope they encourage you and keep you interested for more!

My goal in writing and publishing books is to share the gift of writing that God has given me and I trust that the stories are an encouragement and blessing to everyone who reads them.

Stay tuned for more updates ...

New Happenings!

Hello!! I realize that it has been a very long time since I posted anything on my writing blog, but that is about to change for the better!

A few months ago, I finally got myself in gear and finished re-formatting my first published novel, "What Christmas Really Means" into an e-book. It has been reviewed and completed and is available online at the Lulu bookstore, the Apple iBookstore, Barnes & Noble NOOK, and Kobo.

I am also working on several other projects at this time, including final edits on the very first novel I completed in 2006 but which I haven't published yet. My goal is that this will be done and ready for publishing early in 2016.

For those of you who have been awaiting an update from me, I apologize that it has taken me so long ... there have been a lot of changes in my life over the last year-and-a-half, and updating my blogs has taken a back seat to those adjustments.

Honestly, I haven't actually written very much for quite a while, but I hope that will soon change. It is somewhat strange, but still a reality that even for a creative person such as myself, I have to "schedule in" writing time or else it doesn't happen. And perhaps I'm not alone in this experience.

Thanks for your patience, and stay tuned for more updates!!

I'm a published author ... FINALLY!

I don't recall exactly when the dream began, but I was quite young.

I had no idea of the process involved to create the books that I absolutely loved to read, but I was determined to one day be a published author.

THAT DAY HAS FINALLY ARRIVED!

On Monday, February 17 I completed the process of self-publishing a novel. WOO HOO!!

This is the novel that I wrote the majority of during November 2013. It is currently available on Lulu.com and will soon be available in several online bookstores. An e-book format will also be produced ... hopefully later this year. (Maybe in time for Christmas, since it is a Christmas novel.)

Here is the cover design - it was easy to create, but time-consuming to format perfectly. I now have a new appreciation for all the work that goes into making a book that a person can hold in their hands and enjoy.

Someone asked me recently how much money I hope to make from book sales -- I responded by saying that my main goal is not to make money, but to share the stories and inspirations that God has given me.

Looking forward to continuing this journey, and hearing feedback from my readers as well.

And So It Begins...

The structure of this new writing inspiration is a little different than I initially thought...

It would be quite difficult at this point to begin another complete series of 4 full-length novels, so I decided to make them novellas and put it in the format of a 4-in-1. Both my mom and I love reading 3-in-1 or 4-in-1 novella collections, so I'm confident it will be quite popular. My tentative plan is to self-publish it first as an e-book and later in print format, but that is subject to change.

At the moment, I have completed a) the general outlines, b) the back cover synopses for all 4 novellas, c) the title of the book, and d) completed the cover design. I have also begun writing the prologue for the first novella already, so good progress. Unfortunately, I now have to put it on hold until I get the editing done for the 2 books I will be self-publishing this summer/fall.

Here's a little more information:
(not everything, mind you, because I want there to be some surprises)
- Each novella will consist of a Prologue, 10 Chapters and an Epilogue.
- The series will be set in the early 20th century (an earlier era than the rest of my novels).
- The theme of the series is "women of faith" and how their lives affect each other.

Here is the book cover and the individual novella titles (just to whet your appetite):

#1 - Organza Sunrise
#2 - Cashmere Days
#3 - Taffeta Sunset
#4 - Velvet Nights

As Inspiration Dawns...

Anyone who writes creatively will tell you that both the source of their inspirations and the moment when the inspiration dawns in their minds are often a mystery to the writer.

I generally know when my creative juices will flow most freely, but I usually cannot anticipate when I will get a burst of inspiration or a new idea ... They come to me sometimes in the middle of the night, sometimes while enjoying a bubble bath or washing dishes at the kitchen sink, and sometimes during a walk outdoors or while I'm reading a good book.

And sometimes I happen upon them at the most obscure times and places ... like while watching a television show. That's when I discovered my most recent inspiration.

This evening I was watching an episode of a very entertaining quiz show which I have recently discovered, and one of the answers given by a contestant caught my attention. It was stated as a possible book title, and I immediately liked it. I did an Internet search to see if there were any books by that title, and there aren't! So my next thought was ... "I could write a book by that title."

The two words of inspiration were "Velvet Sunrise."

And the very fascinating thing about this is that almost immediately I began thinking of similar titles and I now have a new book series percolating in my mind. This took me completely by surprise, because I am currently in the process of preparing two novels for self-publication and have begun work on their sequels, so I already have "a few irons in the fire," so to speak.

However, one rule I have regarding my writing ventures is that I must seriously consider the inspirations that come to mind. I have learned that if I try to ignore it, it will most likely persist in my subconscious mind until I do something with it.

Have I piqued your curiosity?

Unfortunately you will have to wait a little while longer for more details because I want to have a little better idea in my mind of what I will be writing about before I share it with you. So please, stay tuned ... this is going to be exciting!!

First Draft Completed...FINALLY!

I can't believe how long it's taken me to finish the last 3 chapters of the novel I wrote in November!!

I'm not sure if it's because I took such a long break and haven't written much during the month of December, but whatever the reason, the first draft is now complete!!

Now that that step is finished, the next task is to edit it. And I do have a deadline for this...

If I want my free hardcover copy from Lulu.com (and I DO) then I have to submit the prepared novel by Feb. 15, 2014. This will be a big task, but I am determined to achieve this goal. After all, I did write the majority of the novel in just 30 days and that was something I had never done before either!!

I'm sure you're curious, so I'm going to give you a sneak peek of the novel with a few excerpts:

How much people miss, Hillary thought as she watched people hurry along with their heads down. The sound of cars driving by mingled with the crunch of snow underfoot as people passed her on the sidewalk and she paused for a moment under the hazy yellow glow of a streetlight and closed her eyes, wondering what sights and sounds she might have noticed if she was part of the crowd approaching the city of Bethlehem for the census. As she approached the church, she recognized the melody of her favourite Christmas carol being played on the organ and she hurried up the steps. (Chapter 1)

He arrived at the street corner just as the bus arrived. Quickly stepping into the bus, he paid his fare and sat down next to the window. Peering through the frosty glass, Andre watched the people and cars passing by and wondered where they were headed this night…did they have families waiting for them at home, or were they feeling alone and searching for purpose like he was? About fifteen minutes later, he exited the bus and began to walk up the steps of the church. (Chapter 4)

“I know, dear,” replied Friedrich quietly. He felt the same worries and fears as his wife did. This was to be the last Christmas with their youngest son for at least a couple of years, because his future was very uncertain. Christmas had always been a big family celebration time, and they were both aware that this year would be very different. Friedrich had also been experiencing some difficulties in his business, and the stress of having to find a resolution to them was weighing heavily on his heart as well. (Chapter 13)

Jackson felt something brush against his leg and he jumped, startled. He heard a scratchy ‘meow’ and felt something moist brush against his hand and he realized it was just a stray cat. Heaving a sigh of relief, he pushed up from his sitting position and decided it was time to move on. Looking again at the church across the street, he hesitated for a moment. I do not belong in that place, he told himself, but he couldn’t seem to shake the feeling that he should go inside. And then, like a sudden gust of wind, the thought occurred to him – at least there I would be safe. No one would dare look for me there. And inside it would likely be warmer than out on the streets. (Chapter 16)

“Yes, I did,” Elsa replied tenderly. “It is beautiful. Now come, we need to catch the bus so that we are not late.” Brushing the snow off his jacket and taking her grandson’s hand, they walked down the sidewalk to the bus stop together. As they waited for the bus to arrive, Justin eagerly pointed out everything that caught his attention…from the boys across the street who were throwing snowballs at each other, to the multi-coloured Christmas lights twinkling in house windows and the way the snowflakes melted when they landed on his nose and cheeks. (Chapter 25)

"Friends, that is one of my favourite songs to sing, especially during this special season. But why is it that we only sing this song for one month of the year? Yes, we are celebrating the the joyful truth that ‘the Lord has come,’ as the song proclaims, but Jesus didn’t just disappear after being born. His life on earth continued, and brought a life-changing message to everyone he came in contact with. If we truly understand that message, if we even catch a glimpse of what God is saying to us through His Son, then that should change the way we live during the other three hundred and sixty-four days of the year.” (Chapter 28)

The novel will be published in paperback as well as e-book format next year!

More information will be coming soon about ordering copies and distribution. This would make a great Christmas gift for friends and family members!!