Why did I begin writing?
I've wanted to write for as long as I can remember. Growing up, I wrote poems but never thought I could write more than a few lines, so never even bothered to try. Even though I've always had a wild imagination, I still never felt my dream was an option. I needed to get a job and earn a living, right?! I love getting lost in stories, so I do read a lot. Even in high school, it was a rare day when you wouldn't find a romance novel either in my hands or in my purse. My dream has always been to "write what I like to read"...
How did I come up with "An Unforgettable Christmas":
I've been getting asked a lot lately, "How did you come up with that story?" So I decided to write it up in this blog. One Christmas (2004), I was all alone at during the holidays. No family or friends around me, and let me tell you - it was depressing! I had always been in the habit of "thinking up better situations" when I was 'down in the dumps' so I started thinking about my situation and how I could make it better, if only in my mind. That's when I came up with Chelsea & Nick. When the characters came to life inside my imagination, I glanced at my computer and wondered if I could put it on "paper". I turned the computer on and began typing. New Years' Day, 2005, I wrote the words 'The End' on the first draft. At the time, I didn't know what to do with it, so I saved it on a disc and put it up for "safe-keeping". After I discovered I could write a book, and actually enjoyed it, I began coming up with other ideas and outlines of other books.
Lesson learned the hard way:
When I had several ideas & outlines typed up in various word documents, I began writing another. Well, silly me, forgot to continuously save to another device and it eventually caught up to me. My computer crashed, to the extent that EVERYTHING was wiped out. Everything I had ever saved on that computer was gone, forever. (I'm constantly saving to a flash drive now AND emailing my files to myself, just in case. I have seen a flash drive break in two before - I'm still not sure how this lady managed to do it, but I saw the outcome and it wasn't pretty. Especially after I found out what she had on it!) Anyway - I have moved 3 times since that computer crashed, and after all those moves, I figured IF I had saved (which I thought I had saved the book I had been working on at the very least), then there was no hope of me EVER finding it. But, guess what?! I was going through an old purse a few weeks ago (hadn't used it in ages!) and found an old flash drive in there. Yes, you guessed it! The novel I had been working on when my computer crashed had been saved on that flash drive, so it wasn't a complete loss! I have saved it onto 2 flash drives and also have it saved into an email folder. I will not lose it again! Ha!
What I'm working on now:
After I published "An Unforgettable Christmas", I wrote "Daring To Trust" which is the beginning of a series titled, "Indigo Girls Series". It's a shorter story than normal, around 17k, but it didn't require as much back story as many do. I'm now working on book 2 of that same series, "Daring To Love". If you read Julia's story in "Daring To Trust", then you met Ellen, one of Julia's best friends. This series is about four best friends in their 30s, Julia, Ellen, Jae, and & Abby. (That is the order their books will be released in!) For more information on any of my books, please go to "My Books" page.
What's next?:
Once I finish this series, which I plan on having book 4 done and published in May, 2012, I intend to go back to that manuscript who played "hide and go seek" with me for a few years! I haven't come up with a title for it yet, but I'll be sure to let y'all know when I get more in-depth with it!
What about you?:
Is there something you've dreamed of doing for years but kept putting it off? Perhaps thinking it was no use and you had other things to do, maybe doing things in the meantime you felt you had to do but didn't really enjoy it? If you can set aside even 30 minutes a day to focus on YOUR dream, whatever it may be, then you've taken the first step to achieving that dream. Don't EVER give up! Share your story: What's that one thing that you've always wanted to do but just never got around to it? Why not make 2012 the year you make your dreams come true? If you need someone to help encourage you throughout your journey, please contact me. I'd be glad to be of assistance in any way I can! And, don't ever forget to thank God for everything you have and can do. My dream is coming true thanks only to God. If it wasn't for Him, I wouldn't be able to put two words together, much less an entire novel! Phil. 4:13
An image I'll leave you with:
I've wanted to write for as long as I can remember. Growing up, I wrote poems but never thought I could write more than a few lines, so never even bothered to try. Even though I've always had a wild imagination, I still never felt my dream was an option. I needed to get a job and earn a living, right?! I love getting lost in stories, so I do read a lot. Even in high school, it was a rare day when you wouldn't find a romance novel either in my hands or in my purse. My dream has always been to "write what I like to read"...
How did I come up with "An Unforgettable Christmas":
I've been getting asked a lot lately, "How did you come up with that story?" So I decided to write it up in this blog. One Christmas (2004), I was all alone at during the holidays. No family or friends around me, and let me tell you - it was depressing! I had always been in the habit of "thinking up better situations" when I was 'down in the dumps' so I started thinking about my situation and how I could make it better, if only in my mind. That's when I came up with Chelsea & Nick. When the characters came to life inside my imagination, I glanced at my computer and wondered if I could put it on "paper". I turned the computer on and began typing. New Years' Day, 2005, I wrote the words 'The End' on the first draft. At the time, I didn't know what to do with it, so I saved it on a disc and put it up for "safe-keeping". After I discovered I could write a book, and actually enjoyed it, I began coming up with other ideas and outlines of other books.
Lesson learned the hard way:
When I had several ideas & outlines typed up in various word documents, I began writing another. Well, silly me, forgot to continuously save to another device and it eventually caught up to me. My computer crashed, to the extent that EVERYTHING was wiped out. Everything I had ever saved on that computer was gone, forever. (I'm constantly saving to a flash drive now AND emailing my files to myself, just in case. I have seen a flash drive break in two before - I'm still not sure how this lady managed to do it, but I saw the outcome and it wasn't pretty. Especially after I found out what she had on it!) Anyway - I have moved 3 times since that computer crashed, and after all those moves, I figured IF I had saved (which I thought I had saved the book I had been working on at the very least), then there was no hope of me EVER finding it. But, guess what?! I was going through an old purse a few weeks ago (hadn't used it in ages!) and found an old flash drive in there. Yes, you guessed it! The novel I had been working on when my computer crashed had been saved on that flash drive, so it wasn't a complete loss! I have saved it onto 2 flash drives and also have it saved into an email folder. I will not lose it again! Ha!
What I'm working on now:
After I published "An Unforgettable Christmas", I wrote "Daring To Trust" which is the beginning of a series titled, "Indigo Girls Series". It's a shorter story than normal, around 17k, but it didn't require as much back story as many do. I'm now working on book 2 of that same series, "Daring To Love". If you read Julia's story in "Daring To Trust", then you met Ellen, one of Julia's best friends. This series is about four best friends in their 30s, Julia, Ellen, Jae, and & Abby. (That is the order their books will be released in!) For more information on any of my books, please go to "My Books" page.
What's next?:
Once I finish this series, which I plan on having book 4 done and published in May, 2012, I intend to go back to that manuscript who played "hide and go seek" with me for a few years! I haven't come up with a title for it yet, but I'll be sure to let y'all know when I get more in-depth with it!
What about you?:
Is there something you've dreamed of doing for years but kept putting it off? Perhaps thinking it was no use and you had other things to do, maybe doing things in the meantime you felt you had to do but didn't really enjoy it? If you can set aside even 30 minutes a day to focus on YOUR dream, whatever it may be, then you've taken the first step to achieving that dream. Don't EVER give up! Share your story: What's that one thing that you've always wanted to do but just never got around to it? Why not make 2012 the year you make your dreams come true? If you need someone to help encourage you throughout your journey, please contact me. I'd be glad to be of assistance in any way I can! And, don't ever forget to thank God for everything you have and can do. My dream is coming true thanks only to God. If it wasn't for Him, I wouldn't be able to put two words together, much less an entire novel! Phil. 4:13
An image I'll leave you with: