Faith in Yourself

Faith gives you an inner strength and a sense of balance and perspective in life ~ Gregory Peck

So the last couple of weeks have a been reminder to have faith in myself. I write about having a vision, creating goals, developing routines and boundaries, and having friends along the journey. But sometimes I forget to mention having faith in yourself and remembering that lesson when it comes to my own work.

With Musa’s demise, both of my published titles have found homes with two new publishers. APTCTO only took twenty-four hours to submit the query and sign the contract. It helped I had had a Twitter conversation with JM about second editions, but still, I turned that deal around in 24 hours.  I signed a contract last week for DWM with Amber Quill Press.That deal took a bit longer, I had some insider information, but still, they accepted my work.

Can you believe it? Two different publishers accepted my work! But why shouldn’t I believe it? Those two novels received plenty of four and five star reviews when they were available. APTCTO was even mentioned as Best Historical in 2013 by The Novel Approach Reviews!  There was no reason I shouldn’t believe that my work would get picked up somewhere else fairly quick.

Do you ever feel that way along your dream journey? Do you ever have some of those same bouts of self-doubt that I do with my writing. The one thing to remember is that, believe it or not, you are doing a wonderful job at whatever you’re trying to accomplish. Remember, most people aren’t even working towards a goal that is extra curricular from earning a living. Even if your goal is a promotion at your job, very few people are working toward higher goals than making it through the day and the week. My facts aren’t based on anything but my own experience, but I promise.

Wherever you are on your dream journey, remember to have faith in yourself. I am sure, as in my case, your are doing great!

When was the last time you realized you weren’t giving yourself enough credit for what you were accomplishing?

Disappear With Me has a New Home!

Time’s fun when you’re having flies ~ Kermit the Frog

I am excited to announce that Disappear With Me has a new home! I just signed a contract with Amber Quill Press for their Amber Allure imprint. I am excited that DWM has a home with a bigger publisher in the gay romance world. I’m also excited that it will sit along with other great gay historical authors and titles.

It looks like DWM will be also be released in May, more details to follow as I get them.

Here is a blurb about Disappear With Me:

Love is greater than hope or faith, but can Reverend Leander Norris convince a jury that the love he shares with another man is natural?

In 1910, the United Kingdom was in turmoil. King Edward died after only nine years on the throne. The social class system that upheld British society for centuries was being chipped away by social, political, and economic unrest across the Commonwealth. Amidst this backdrop, Reverend Leander Norris is accused of sodomy. After discovering his own self-worth and unconditional love, Leander finds the courage to stand up for what he believes is right and pleads not guilty to the charges. Throughout the trial, Leander’s past is revealed, including the temptations that bring the accusations against him. By the end of the trail, Leander is once again reunited with a romantic interest from the past, but it may be too late to rekindle any love that might remain, given the circumstances of the era and Leander’s likely sentence.


Here’s a link to the Amber Quill’s website in case you are not familiar:




http://www.amberquill.com/

Book Reviews, Rants, & Raves!: Getting Close to the Omega by Lisa Oliver

Book Reviews, Rants, & Raves!: Getting Close to the Omega by Lisa Oliver: Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23716463-getting-close-to-the-omega Author Name: Lisa Oliver Author Bio...

Defiance

Here’s to defiance when it leads to creative freedom - Jill Badonsky

Next Tuesday, the first quarter of 2015 will already be behind us? How is your progress on this year’s goals going for you?

For me, it’s been a rocky year so far. I got off to a slow start in January, but returned to daily progress on goals in February. Then the big news came. I went immediately from two nearly completed manuscripts to four in the blink of an eye. After a brief mourning period, I reviewed my manuscripts and sent them off to new publishers. APTCTO got picked up by JMS Books and will be published in May. I am still waiting to hear on DWM.

One of the hidden benefits of rereading my published manuscripts was reacquainting myself with my early characters. I had planned to do so later in the year, but it was nice to do it now. I also gained a new appreciation and respect for APTCTO, and therefore my own writing. Another benefit of releasing second editions of my novels will be the fact that maybe I’ll have four or five new releases this year insted of just two or three.

I’ve revised my scheduled three or four times since January. Although one revision was just about fixing the dates, it made a big difference in the overall plan. There have still been days when I don’t get as much done as I want, but I seem to be able to get caught up. Part of that drive this year is a determination to set boundaries between my day job and my writing job/goals.

Overall, it hasn’t been a bad quarter. I have one contract signed and soon I will have two manuscripts in submission piles waiting for contracts. While I wait, I’ll plug away at fourth nearly complete manuscript and get it done before July.

How is your first quarter going?

Book Reviews, Rants, & Raves!: Whispers of Home by April Kelley

April Kelly on the Book Blog today!

Book Reviews, Rants, & Raves!: Whispers of Home by April Kelley: I asked April what inspired her to write t he story, this is what she had to say: I had this story idea years ago when a f...

The Little Novel That Could

I could not at any age, be content to take my place in a corner by the fireside and simply look on ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

Two years ago, I was basking in the glow of my first contract, getting ready to enter my first round of editing. Caught by surprise on Thomas’s birthday in 2013, Musa Publishing offered me a contract for A Place to Call Their Own. I had actually given up on my first manuscript and was working on polishing Disappear With Me in hopes that I could get better reception on that manuscript. In the end, APTCTO came through and hit the market first. APTCTO holds a special place in my heart. It’s my first novel, written during Thomas and I’s early years together. It’s very much an allegory of our lives at the time.

When I got my rights back at the beginning of March, I immediately set to work on polishing Disappear With Me. With advice from some writer friends, I attacked my WIP to do list starting from the least work need to the most. I sent Disappear With Me off two weeks ago, and still have not heard on that submission.

But, APTCTO, the little novel that keeps on going, was accepted today by JMS Books!  Once again, my little tale of two Civil War vets going west after the war will be the launch (in this case, a relaunch) of my publishing career with an expected release date in May sometime!

I have never given APTCTO the credit it deserves. Not just one, but twice it seems it’s the hands down favorite of others who believe in it the value of its story. Thanks JMS Books!

Here’s a reminder of what APTCTO is about:

Frank Greerson and Gregory Young have been discharged from the Army and are headed to their childhood homes. They both defied their parents in 1861 when they joined the Army. After battling southern rebels and preserving the Union of the United States of America, the two men set out to battle the Kansas Prairie and build a life together. Once they find their claim, they encounter common obstacles to life on the Kansas Prairie in 1866:  Native Americans, tornadoes, wild animals, and weather.

When a prairie fire destroys their crops and takes their neighbor’s lives, Frank and Gregory are instructed to find their young son’s aunt. Faced with leaving a destroyed claim, the railroad coming through their land, and dwindling funds, Frank and Gregory must decide whether to leave the place they have worked hard to make their own or fulfill their friends' dying wish. Is it possible for the two veterans to find their place in the world on the Kansas Prairie?

Here’s a link to check out JMS Books:



http://www.jms-books.com/

Book Reviews, Rants, & Raves!: Black and Blue Love by Judy Folger

Book Reviews, Rants, & Raves!: Black and Blue Love by Judy Folger: I'm excited to have Judy Folger on the Book Blog today. Here are her thoughts on wrtiing Black and Blue Love: I have a...