Missed Goal

When this year began, I had three writing goals. The first was to finish the KW Consulting series. That goal happened, and Always a Bridesmaid was published in September. It was a wonderful moment to see this series finish, and yet sad at the same time to leave behind these wonderful characters. I enjoyed writing this final book, but it took me a long time to write it - longer than I had originally guessed it would. 

My next goal was to start my next series, and I did that. I have finished the first book of a new series that will be set at a bed-and-breakfast called Holliday Hotel. My edits are completed and it's been sent to my faithful editors. I'm hoping that it will be published in January, but again, it took longer than I expected, and I am not giving my poor editors much time to go through it - especially considering that it is such a busy time of the year. 

My final goal was to write another Christmas novella. This one, I completely missed. Since Always a Bridesmaid and the new book took longer than I had planned for, I simply ran out of time. I've already been told by my mom and my Grandma Larsen that they would both really like me to get a Christmas novella out next year, and I promise it's on my list of things to do. I really enjoyed writing Christmas Angel last year, and I had planned to get one done this year, but somehow the time slipped away faster than I had anticipated. (If you haven't read my Christmas novella, you can purchase it at Amazon.com for just $0.99.) 

So I made two of my three goals, which isn't too bad. I would have been happy to announce that I had completed them all, but I guess it was just too much. So my goals for next year? Complete the second book of the Holliday Hotel series and write a Christmas novella. If I have time for something else, it'll be a bonus. 

I'm looking forward to introducing you to my new series with new characters. I have fallen in love with them already, and I can't wait to see where this series goes! While you're waiting for the new series, go ahead and finish up KW Consulting with Always a Bridesmaid and read (or reread, like my mom did) Christmas Angel. 

Always a Bridesmaid

Christmas Angel

Advertising

I think the hardest part for me as a self-published author is the lack of advertising. There are so many books on Kindle that it's easy to get lost. I get good reviews, but I get few reviews. I know there are people who won't buy a book with less than thirty reviews and all of my books have less than twenty.

In an attempt to advertise, I printed up some cards (shown above) with my books on them. I was going to be selling some homemade items that a few of us had made at a craft fair at my church and I thought it would be the perfect time to try to spread the word about my books. Since the craft fair was a Christmas craft fair, I decided to make the primary focus on my Christmas novella from last year, Christmas Angel (link below). On the back, I put my KW Consulting series. I printed eighty cards. I think I handed out less than ten. I really am a terrible advertiser. I hate promoting myself. It's so awkward. I'm terrible at it.

So my first attempt to advertise was - well, not great. Yet, I know that I should do more. So what do I do? My next attempt may not be any better, but in January I'm going to start an author Facebook page. My plan is to have drawings for people who like and share the page, give away prizes at times and try to keep everyone updated on sales and progress. I wish I could give away copies of my books, but since they're in ebook format, that's a little hard to do so instead, I'll probably give away Amazon gift cards and fun little gifts that I find.

My question to you, is this: how would you advertise? Have you ever had to advertise and found something that worked really well? I would love to hear how others have done it, because this is definitely not my strong suit. I guess it's just all part of the learning process.

Christmas Angel

How did you start?

I just got asked this question by a friend of mine that I hadn't seen in years. How did you start writing? I certainly hadn't planned on doing this. My degree is in elementary education. I took a break from that (pretty much as soon as I graduated) to be a stay at home mom. I had started writing before then, though.

A friend of mine, Lyn, had challenged Meghan and I to begin writing with her. She figured that we had read enough books that we should be able to come up with our own stories. So I took up the challenge and began writing. I really didn't think I'd even finish a story. I figured we each start one, realize that we weren't meant to write and continue on with our lives. Back then, my husband and I each had a desk in the small bedroom we called an office and we would spend our evenings in there. He would play computer games and I would write.

I finally got the draft in a condition where I felt able to share it and I first let Ashley read it. I told her to only go to a certain chapter because I hadn't edited past that. After what seemed like an eternity, I finally came back into the office to see that my sister had read past the point I had told her to. Her response was, "I couldn't help myself! It was so good I had to see what happened next!"

That got my attention. Maybe I was better at this writing thing that I had thought I would be. So I let Meghan and Lyn read it as well. We got together and they started discussing one of my characters. One of them said that she didn't understand why the character was unable to forgive and the other said that she didn't think it was about forgiveness. After that I kind of zoned out because I sat back and listened to them discuss my character's motivation and personality and it started to sound like a book club meeting.

I somehow lost that manuscript in a computer void somewhere. I have no idea where it disappeared to, but I was unable to recover it and for a while, I was too sick at heart to write anything. I felt like I wouldn't be able to do the story justice a second time.

I don't know how long I didn't write, but one day I sat down and began to write again. This time it was the story that is now published on Kindle as Best Laid Plans. I wrote sporadically and it took me nearly five years to complete it (and it's my shortest work).

I didn't set out to write, but somehow it just kind of happened. It kind of reminds me of James 4:13-14a "Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.” Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow." I didn't see this coming, but it was the plan God had for my life and I'm excited to see where He leads in all this. 

By the way, Lyn Meghan and Ashley have all asked me if I ever plan to resurrect that first story that I attempted to write. I always said that maybe someday I would, but with the new series I've been writing I found a way to work it in to the series so I'm looking forward to seeing what comes of that. It'll be interesting to see if it ends up better now that I've had more experience or if I can't really recreate that first story again. In either case, I'm excited to get the chance to rewrite that first story since it has a special place in my heart.

I've had many people tell me that they have always wanted to write. The best advice I can give you if you're one of those people is to sit down and write. Write, write and write some more. Let your friends read it and give you advice. (Make sure they're friends who can be honest and encouraging at the same time.) You never know. You may find out that you're better at it than you thought, or you may find out that it's not really your calling. But you'll never know if you don't try!

A Tribute

I think I've mentioned this before, but my favorite fictional book is Pride & Prejudice. I love the characters and the story. I read it through at least once a year. And of course, the only movie version worth watching is the five hour BBC version with Colin Firth, because it actually has every single part of the book in it. Anything else has to cut so much out that it's only a shadow of the novel.

Because of my love for this book, I added some tributes to it in my most recent book, Always a Bridesmaid. The obvious one is that Isabelle's two dogs are named Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley. The dogs personalities are reflections of those literary characters, but they're not exact. In the book, Bingley isn't skittish like Isabelle's dog, but he does rely heavily on Darcy's opinion and is more friendly and easygoing. I think Isabelle's dog, Mr. Darcy, is closer to Darcy from the book - he's proud, protective and quiet. It was fun trying to re-imagine these characters as animals and give them a little twist.

A more subtle tribute has also given me some criticism. I've had more than one person tell me that they couldn't stand Isabelle's mom. There's a reason for that. She's based on the character of Mrs. Bennett in Pride & Prejudice, although I think Isabelle's mom is more likable. They're both eager to see their daughters married off, prone to fits of weeping, and say things that really don't need to be said. Both women could be embarrassing for the main character, but I think that Mariana, Isabelle's mom, was more loving than Mrs. Bennett. Every time someone tells me how annoying Mariana was, I have to smile, because she was based on an extremely obnoxious character so it's not surprising that she wasn't the easiest to like.

It was fun to give this wonderful book a few tributes. I know that they are the faintest of shadows of Jane Austen's wonderful characters, but it was interesting to try my hand at something new. If you haven't read my recent book, you can find it by clicking on the link below. Happy Reading!

Always a Bridesmaid

What to Pray?

I just finished a Bible study by Kay Arthur called "Lord, Teach Me to Pray". In it she goes through the Lord's Prayer and shows how each phrase is a topic sentence that shows some aspect of how we ought to pray (ie: worship, petition, confession, etc.)

When we got to the part about making our requests to God I felt challenged to think about how I pray for my books. My first thought was that I really don't pray for my books or sales often. I thought about why that might be. The first reason was that I already feel so blessed. My husband has a job that allows me to stay home. We have all our needs - food, shelter, clothing - abundantly met. Besides our needs we have plenty of wants met as well! How could I ask for more? In some ways it feels selfish to ask for more. But deep down there was something more than just this. I found myself hesitating to ask, because I was afraid He would say no. How could I be disappointed to be denied something I never asked for? I couldn't. So if I didn't ask, then He couldn't say no and I wouldn't be disappointed.

When I realized this rationalization, this passage came to mind:  Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.  Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he?  If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him! (Matthew 7:7-11) God wants to give me good things and He already has. He may not ever give me an actual publisher, but if He doesn't, it isn't because He's stingy or being mean, it's because He has something better. I may never sell amazing quantities of my books, but if not, He has something better than that, too. The bottom line is that He wants me to ask! He may say no, but He wants me to talk with Him about it and share with Him my desires and dreams. 

Which led me to another soul-searching moment. Why do I ask to be published or to have more book sales? Do I crave fame or wealth? Do I want to receive recognition or glory? Or do I want to use it as a way to tell people about Jesus, a way to give God honor and glory? James 4:3 talks about why some prayers are unanswered (or really, that God has said no). It says "You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures." So I had to ask myself if this was part of my problem. I don't think I want wealth or fame. Like I said, I already feel so blessed, I can't imagine wanting more and honestly if I want fame, I am writing the wrong genre. I'm never going to make the New York Times best seller list writing Christian romance novels. How about recognition? I have to admit that one of my love languages is words of affirmation - I like to hear encouraging words and get "atta girls", but I'm not sure that even in that I want all the glory. I'm well aware that I am a novice in every sense of the word. Any praise I get belongs to God because I know it's not me! However, I'm also aware that this is a dangerous place for me. As I gain knowledge on how to write, it will be easy to accept the praise for myself. This is something I'm going to have to ask myself often as I continue down this path. 

So what do I ask for? I know God wants me to ask. The tense says that He wants me to keep asking. But according to James I want to ask with the right motives. I also want to be in His will. 1 John 5:14 says, "This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us." I want God's will to be done in this. So - I want to ask you to join with me in praying. First, pray that as I write I will have the words that God would have for me. Second, pray that He will get all the honor and glory. Third, pray that God blesses this work in whatever way He knows is best. I appreciate your prayers more than you could know. 

Comparing

I was participating in a Bible study called "Can We Talk?" by Priscilla Shirer this summer and the topic of comparing came up. It must have been something that God wanted me to hear, because it not only stuck with me, but God kept bringing other Scriptures to mind. There are so many ways that people compare themselves to others and it rarely ends well. Either they begin to think that they are better than the other person and vanity and arrogance surface, or they see themselves as inadequate and their self-esteem plummets. The cure is to see ourselves the way that God sees us.

Physical appearance is a huge area of comparison. I'm not as slender as that woman. I'm not as pretty as another. I wish I had her hair. The list can go on and on. If you talk to just about any woman and ask her to list her physical "faults" she could rattle several off in a heartbeat, but if you ask her to tell you how she's beautiful, she may have to think for a while. Why is that?  In Psalm 139:13-16 it talks about how God formed us before we were born. It says:

For You formed my inward parts;
You wove me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;
16 Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;
And in Your book were all written
The days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was not one of them.

I was thinking recently that when God formed me, He didn't step back, gasp and say "I made a mistake!" God created me to look exactly the way I do, so why do I wish His design away? We know that God looks at our heart and not our outward appearance (1 Samuel 16:7) so shouldn't I be more concerned about what my inward beauty looks like? Have you ever met someone who you thought was beautiful, but you got to know them and they were rude, selfish, arrogant, and mean? One day you look at them and wonder what made you think they were beautiful. On the other hand, you meet someone who is "average" looking, but they're sweet, loyal, and kind and one day you realize how beautiful they really are. Our inner beauty shows through and can alter our outer appearance. Besides that, my looks will change as I age, but I can still be beautiful in God's eyes and that's what I long to be.

Talent is another area of comparison. No matter what I'm good at, I can find someone who does it better. I can complain that I don't sing as well as someone else and refuse to sing, or I can realize that God can still use my voice in a variety of capacities and be willing to serve Him where He leads. My writing is okay. Others write much better, but I keep plugging at it and striving to improve. I need to not be concerned about being "the best" and instead be busy to use what God has given me to His glory.

The one that always gets me is when I hear people comparing spiritual gifts. This has been going on since the early church was formed. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul describes the church as a body with many members. He says in verse 21, "And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; or again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.”' Sometimes I see people who seem to think that other members are unnecessary, because they have great pride in their own gift and feel they can handle everything. More often, I see the opposite though. Verse 15 says, "If the foot says, “Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body." There are those who think that they aren't necessary for the working of the body. They wish they had a different gift, but forget that God chose for them to have that particular gift to perform a specific task, service, or ministry. 

A gall bladder can seem like an insignificant part of the body, but I can tell you from experience that when it doesn't perform it's duty, it hurts the entire body! Unlike our human bodies, there are no surgeries to remove organs from the body of Christ. You may think that your gift isn't important, but when you don't use it, the body of Christ suffers and will continue to suffer, because you are an integral part of the working and cannot be removed. God will not remove you, You cannot remove yourself and no one else can remove you either. If you think about how God gave each one of us a specific gift in a specific place at a specific time to be used in a specific way, it's absolutely phenomenal! What would happen if everyone in the body of Christ used their gift in the way that God intended? I think we would see amazing things happen!

We need to stop looking around and look up. See ourselves the way God sees us. Do what God intended for us to do. Let God work through us and give Him the glory!

Dedication: Always a Bridesmaid

This is one of my closest friends in the world, Meghan James. I met her in youth group and we have a lot of interesting stories from youth trips. But Meg is more than my friend. She's my sister - not by blood or by marriage - but by heart. My kids call her "Tia Meghan" (tia is aunt in Spanish) and she is at any of their events that she can possibly make it to. She's been on family vacations with us and when people ask if it was weird, the answer is no, because she's family, too.

We have so much history together. Not only have we been on youth trips together, but we've taken numerous girls trips together and we have lofty ambitions of many more trips that finances and time have made impossible for now. She was my maid of honor when I got married and sang during our ceremony. She was in the waiting room as I gave birth to my first child and was one of the first to see her. We've watched countless movies together and shared books that the other one "has" to read (she stretches me beyond my comfort zone when it comes to reading). We've run through grass in our bare feet, played in the ocean, watched plays, sang duets (one of them so fantastically awful it was wonderful), ridden amusement park rides, been on long road trips, been to sporting events, helped each other move, cooked wonderfully amazing grilled cheese sandwiches (and other foods as well), and channel our "inner child" together (like when we tuck our arms into our shirts so that only our hands stick out and stomp around like a t-rex).

There's so much more than our shared fun together though. Meghan is the person that I can call at any moment of the day when my world begins to collapse and she will drop everything and come running. We've had deep conversations and we've vented our frustrations to each other and somehow after spending some time in her company everything starts to look better. Meg will text me as soon as she sees something on Facebook that may cause distress in the family and let me know that she's praying for us and that if I even need anything she's there. The thing is, it's not an empty promise either. If I were to call her because I needed to talk, she would sit and talk with me for as long as I needed her. If I needed her with me, she'd be over as soon as she could - probably with a pint of ice cream or some chocolate as well.

On top of that, Meghan is probably one of the smartest people I know. When Elizabeth Ludwig looked over my first book to give me some advice, one of the things she mentioned was how good my grammar was. I credit Meghan with that. Mom and Ashley tend to find my contextual errors and tell me when things aren't clear. Meghan finds where I use commas inappropriately (all the time) and where my wording is wrong. It amazes me how all three of these women can edit the same book and they all find different errors. Beyond her incredible knowledge of grammar and the English language, she is also well versed in literature, has traveled to many different countries, learned other languages, can sing, knows history, art, science, and math.

I feel like I could go on and on about how amazing this woman is! She's such a wonderful friend, and it's just who she is. She's a wonderful friend to me, but there are countless people who will read this and nod their head in agreement, because she's been there for them at the drop of a hat as well. She is just so immensely sweet and always willing to help. I'm so thankful that God brought her into my life and that I get to call her my sister and my friend. Thank you, Meghan, for all of your help and encouragement! I love you dearly, my friend!