With all the recent repairs going on around here, I’ve been forced to re-examine the original wish list we made when we moved in to this house 12 years ago. Looking back, I realize just how many changes this house and our family has seen…
This house was where I discovered I could write novels. Then we discovered I excelled at paranormal romance novels. When I made my first sale (Justice Incarnate) and we started mapping my career goals, we dreamed up numbers and all the things we’d accomplish with each subsequent sale.
It was a standard sort of list. We wanted to eliminate debt. We considered a few home improvements that included a dedicated office just for me. We wanted to boost the college fund.
Well, as happens with life, our circumstances changed and we had to adapt.
Some things got put off. Upgrades became hopes instead of real goals and my career took a back seat when our daughter suffered health problems during my husband’s year-long deployment with the Army.
By the time I was ready to get back in the publishing game, the whole industry was changing. Revisiting the proposals from previous years I knew they weren’t going to cut it and my action packed thrillers with an edge of paranormal romance were too much of a risk for traditional publishers.
I faced a choice. Become a greeter at Wal-mart or step boldly into the unknown and take my career in a new direction.
Then my back injury narrowed my options even more.
So I took the chance, reclaiming the rights to my original two books and short stories in the Shadows of Justice series and moved forward. Who knew it would be such an odd and crazy journey…
Finding a cover artist was only the first step. Going indie meant revamping my website and learning how to increase my visibility online. It meant seeking out my target audience, honing my message for readers, and through it all, writing like the wind to get more books to those readers.
Are you wondering how it’s working out?
Thanks to my marketing team, the site is ranking well in searches and the newsletter list is growing each month.
Since going indie I’ve added three novels and a few short stories to the 2096 world as well as launched an entirely new series. The Matchmaker’s Mark is far more lighthearted than the Shadows of Justice world, but so far, it’s equally popular with my readers.
In addition, I’ve developed two non-fiction titles. The Adopt a Greyhound Guide was brought to market to boost awareness and funds for retired greyhounds and the volunteer groups dedicated to the cause. The second non-fiction is designed to motivate and encourage writers: Goal Setting for Writers, Making Revisions work in Life and Art.
It’s been gratifying to offer well-crafted, well-packaged ebooks and paperbacks directly to readers who have pushed my titles to the top of the charts in ghosts (Amazon free), Dog breeds (Amazon), paranormal romance (Smashwords), and action adventure (Smashwords) in 2011.
Readers, I’m so grateful to YOU!
I look forward to meeting new readers in 2012 with the release of the next two paranormal romance novels in the Matchmaker series as well as a brand new, contemporary series.
And who knows, maybe one of these days I’ll get my dedicated office…at least I’ve learned through experience it needs to be sound proof so I don’t always have to write to the soundtrack of video game gunfire. 😉
Live the adventure!
