My Interview on Novel Journey

Just a quick note today to announce a very detailed interview that was posted on Novel Journey. The theme of this fantastic site is "Getting the Word Out, One Reader at a Time."

What a great tag line.

To help them, I'm letting y'all know that my interview is posted, and you can view it and comment if you like. Stick around the site too and take a look at all the other amazing stuff they have.

Read My Interview

Another one is coming on Monday. Stay tuned!

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My First Book - Hot off the Press & Cover Flats!!

I'm just dancing with joy today! All right, so I'm STILL dancing with joy after a great experience this past Tuesday.

A fellow newbie Heartsong Presents author, Deb Ullrick, shared with our ACFW email loop about receiving the PDF file of her cover for her first novel. In the midst of celebrating with her, I opened the mail Tuesday to find 45 cover flats of my VERY FIRST BOOK along with a 'hot-off-the-press' copy of MY VERY OWN!!

Oh, it thrills me to even say that, let alone to look at it. I wondered how I would ever get anything done that night. All I wanted to do was sit there and hold the book in my hand and stare at it. It's finally come true. It really is happening.

Now, I just have to wait for my author copies to arrive and figure out how I'm going to work my blog tour since there's a time lapse from book club release to online retailer and bookstore arrivals for my book. Been chatting with other HP authors to see how they've worked it in the past. Still working out a plan. So far, it'll be a small one in February and a full-scale one in late spring when it officially hits stores.

I had to share with all y'all who visit here and read my blog because I would never have reached this point had it not been for those who have encouraged me and supported me along the way. I only wish I could have gotten the dedication page to the publisher in time. :( Alas, it's nonexistent in the first book. I'm going to make double certain it gets into book 2, though. That comes out in July this year.

You can see the cover in the left column and read about the book on the books page. I'll have more information on ordering as soon as it's available, plus a sneak preview of chapter one very soon! Stay tuned.

Praise the Lord!

My First Book Update!

The time is drawing near. My very first solo book releases in February of 2008. That's just 2 months away. *bites nails* How am I ever going to get everything done in time? There's marketing, publicity, edits on book 2, cover information on book 3, finishing book 3, getting through the Christmas season, hosting my family visiting in January and starting to look for a new house with my husband.

Yikes!

Days like these make me wonder about being an author, but then I recall the joy I get from crafting a story with words and bringing life to characters through the written word so that others might enjoy them. That along with knowing that I might make readers smile, cry, laugh or have a turning point in their lives because of something I wrote...and it's all worthwhile -- even the pressure and stress. :)

Another part that's fantastic is getting interviewed and spotlighted, just like I spotlight so many authors here. My turn is coming. Patience and perserverance have paid off.

The first of my interviews has been posted, with more to come:

My Interview in the ACFW e-zine Afictionado
http://www.acfw.com/ezine/cgi-bin/nov07.pl?record=4

But most importantly....

I HAVE A COVER!

The book releases in February to the Heartsong Presents book club. That's a guaranteed reader base that's almost worldwide. From there, it makes its way into the databases of Amazon.com, Christianbook.com, retail stores and many other outlets for sale. That will happen in April or sooner if my publisher can get the information circulating in time.

Thanks to fellow authors, I am going to be involved in a multi-author booksigning the first part of next year, then I fly back East toward the end of the year for another signing there, where my books are set.

This is going to change my life, but it's a welcome change. Before long, and once we're in our new house, I might have another change that involves a little addition...but we'll see what happens. :) For now, I have more than enough to keep me out of trouble -- or in trouble -- whatever the case may be!