Self Published!

This is an extraordinary summer for me. I’m excited. I’m overjoyed. I’m overwhelmed. I’m scared. I’ve been sitting on two completed novels for a full year. Yeah, it’s crazy, I know. My novels have been proof-read, edited, shared amongst close family and friends…and then tucked away in my closet. I’ve dreamt of sharing them further. I’ve wanted so badly for my words to reach people’s hearts. But I’ve been scared. What will people say about my stories? My novels reveal my heart, my soul, my inner longings and dreams. Will people think I’m crazy?

My novels don’t fit the mold most publishing companies have set. Agents and publishers of romantic fiction require specific guidelines regarding plot, characterization, and romantic development between characters. I researched story regulations, and my heart grew sad. I cannot revolutionize my stories to fit this mold. The joy and individuality of my writing would be lost. Instead, I found a proofreader. I worked closely with him to edit and analyze my manuscripts so they could be as concise and powerful as possible. I submitted to a couple agents and publishing companies… and got rejected.

So I self published my stories! I uploaded my manuscripts to Lulu.com, a user-friendly, self-publishing website. I designed basic covers for my novels and made copies available on demand for myself to buy and distribute.

Then life got busy. Really busy. In May 2021, I met someone special. I was swept off my feet. Need I say more? All my thoughts, hopes, and dreams revolved around this person. He became my life. But now, he is so far from me that his face, his voice, can only be memories. That is a story for another day.

Fast forward to May 2022. With my heart broken and my world turned inside out, I returned to my stories. Once again, I read through both my finished novels: Reckless Love and Forbidden Love. The characters drew me in. I emphasized with their motivations, struggles, and determination to love at all costs. I cried at their heartbreaks. I cheered their successes. I decided these are stories that need to be shared. I had no great interest in submitting to agents and cutting my novels to fit a standard mold. I wanted to share them as is.

My goal for the future is to work with a professional illustrator to update my cover designs. My covers right now are very simple, very basic. But the stories are finished. They beg to be shared. So, this spring, I took a leap of faith. I began sharing my stories again with friends and acquaintances. People were intrigued. I was giving my books away, but many people expressed a desire to buy my stories. I ordered dozens of my books, finding dozens more people to distribute to.

I believe God is at work in this. I learned I truly can share my faith and my heart with people through my writing. This spring, friends from my parents’ church in Nevis, MN, asked me to set up a writing stand at a church summer picnic. They want me to sell my stories to the entire church, whoever is willing to buy. I am amazed and excited. I’m brainstorming further ways to share my writing this summer.

Overall, I’m praying earnestly that God will bless the work of my hands and the words from my heart. My goals for the coming weeks and months are to make my stories available to as many people as I can. I plan to upload a link for others to purchase my novels on Lulu.com and on this website. I hope to eventually do a facelift on the covers of my novels. Also, I’m excited to kick off this blog to share my writing Journey with you. I’m new at all this, and it’s rather intimidating. But I know God is with me. He will never leave me or forsake me. I want to commit this journey to him. I pray and trust in God’s promise from Proverbs 16:3, “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.” May we all learn lots along the way!