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!!