Tag: Sarra Cannon

Posted in event, News, promo, writing inspiration, Writing tips

Welcome Sweet September!

Posted on by Sherri
https://heartbreathings.teachable.com/p/hb90-bootcamp/?affcode=145068_lea8l-18

Well, I have done it again. I have allowed myself to get so busy that I am running around chasing my tail. You would think after taking the HB 90 Bootcamp and following Sarra Cannon’s Heartbreathing YouTube channel that I would understand the perils of burning myself out, but I guess for me it seems to be feast or famine. For a few months I lollygag around taking my time doing everything by the book or procrastinating (which is probably closer to the truth). Then I decide I want to do this NOW! So, I leap in with both feet or way too often, headfirst and before you know it, I’m drowning in all the things I have to do. On top of that, I’m a control freak. I’m trying to be better about delegating. I know I don’t have to do everything myself. I have other people willing to do what I ask (if I’ll ask), and I just have to trust them to do their part.

As an indie author or small businessowner, many of you understand being hands on. When we are first starting out, we know we are the only ones who can do the jobs because we can’t afford to pay anyone else. So, we write the books and find the Beta readers, find the editors, design our covers or seek those who can design them for us, find proofreaders, publish to all the sites, keep up with sales, market the books, social media, and write more books. And all of those little things that crop up that we don’t expect or know about until they demand our attention. 

As an indie author and the chairperson of the Pamlico Writers’ Group and VP of Communications for the Heart of Carolina Romance Writers I often feel like I’m juggling puppies. I can’t let one fall but maybe I just need someone to hold this one for a minute. This is where Sarra’s HB 90 Bootcamp has helped me the most. There are only 24 hours in a day, and only 7 days in a week. If I have goals that need to be met within each month, and overall goals for each quarter, I can divide them up into tasks. Breaking these goals into manageable tasks that can be completed to help me reach that bigger goal doesn’t seem as overwhelming as I’ve got to do THIS!

We can’t always plan for obstacles that derail our plans. Life happens. This month was supposed to be a very busy month but because my part-time helper and work-husband has to have surgery plans had to be changed. A little scrambling and we found a way to make most of what was on my schedule for September work and the rest just has to fall by the wayside. It cannot be helped.

I have learned to love journaling.

I think one of the hardest things for an indie author or an entrepreneur who is still working a “real” job is we have to carve out time for our passion. We have to use our precious little time for everything from writing the stories (or crafting the beer or painting or whatever you’re doing) to publishing to marketing to making ourselves known on social media. All of this when all we really want to do is that thing that gives us joy, our passion. But to turn that passion into a dream of success and that dream into reality, we have to do the other work. Yuk. But we still only have 24 hours and 7 days. We still have to sleep, spend time with family and friends, take care of bills, run errands, go to the doctor, etc. and if we work 8 hours, how much time do we really have to pursue our dream? That is what Sarra’s HB 90 Bootcamp has helped me see. We have to take a realistic look at how much time we really have to work with and how to make the most of it.

Join us September 11th through 17th for this round of bootcamp. Sarra will have a live kick off on September 11th at 3 pm via Facebook or YouTube. Enrollment will close at noon on September 11th.

Sarra has broken the payment plan down into three choices: Pay in full (best deal) $199, a 3-month plan of $75 per month over 3 months, or a 6-month plan at $38 a month for 6 months.

As an alumnus, I get to take the course again for free. Pay once, and then take a refresher anytime she offers it, but you’ll also have your notebook and lessons you’ve learned to help you when, like me, you fall back into bad habits.

Learning to set goals and limits hasn’t been easy.
Posted in event, inspiration, News, promo, writing inspiration, Writing tips

HB90 Alumni and Sarra Cannon Fan

Posted on by Sherri
https://heartbreathings.teachable.com/p/hb90-bootcamp/?affcode=145068_lea8l-18

I probably sound like a broken record when I talk about Sarra Cannon and her Heartbreathing YouTube Channel. What Sarra does for indie authors is unequaled. Other author channels teach the fundamentals of being an indie author or of writing a novel. But Sarra gives us tools to help deal with some of the more difficult subjects facing an indie author. Namely burnout. Authors, especially indie authors and possibly new traditionally published authors, tend to overextend themselves. We are often overwhelmed by all the things we believe we must do to be successful.

Sarra’s HB90 Bootcamp taught me to plan for the life I wanted. Her method breaks things down in 90-day goals. I would suggest this course for anyone who is a small business person or entrepreneur. I don’t use everything she taught me in the exact same way she taught it, I have adapted Sarra’s method to fit my life. That is another thing I love about Sarra. She realizes all of us have our way of viewing the world and we have to take what works for us from her method, and fit those ideas into our crazy lives.

Sticky notes and journals are my friend. Making lists, breaking things down into smaller, bite-sized pieces or more accurately into achievable tasks to reach the overall goal. Sarra also insists on adding mental health breaks and physical breaks into our plans. Planning to succeed means being happy, healthy as well as making money. I believe the happy and healthy falls by the wayside in our race to sell books.

One of the reasons I am affiliate for Sarra’s HB90 Course is because I believe in it. I believe in her. I have a tendency to believe I can do everything but there are only 24-hours in a day and I need to sleep sometime. After taking the HB90 the first time, oh, as an alumni I can take the class anytime it’s offered and continue to have access to the information even if she makes changes in the material or videos.

Course Information: Enrollment is open now! Feel free to share!

Course Dates: September 11-17th with the live kick off call on the 11th at 3PM EST via Facebook or YouTube

Course Price: Students have a choice pay in full at $199 (best deal), 3-month plan of $75 a month for 3 months or a 6-month plan at $38 a month for 6 months.

Enrollment will close at Noon EST September 11th.

HB90 LInk

Yes, I get a small commission if you use my affiliate link but even if I didn’t I would still promote this course. If you’re not sure about taking Sarra’s HB90 Bootcamp then check out her YouTube Channel. It’s a great way to get to know Sarra and decide whether she’s a good fit for you. I find her uplifting and real, she makes me think and fills me with hope for my future success.

Posted in event, News, promo, writing inspiration, Writing tips

Publish and Thrive

Posted on by Sherri

As an indie author it is sometimes difficult to take a leap of faith and spend money on ourselves and our careers, especially when we have a limited budget. We tell ourselves it’s a dream or hobby and it’s difficult to believe it’ll ever be anything more.

I put off taking Sarra’s class for a couple of years because I was afraid. I was afraid I wouldn’t be good enough, that spending the money would be a waste of time. That I would never be a success. But learning to believe in myself, is one of the greatest gifts I received from taking Sarra’s classes. Sarra’s Publish and Thrive gave me the tools I needed to build my career and I learned to trust myself with my publishing future.

A brand new round of Publish and Thrive is coming up, starting on July 30th. I know y’all have heard me talk about my adoration for Sarra Cannon and her program. Sarra is a “Feel Good” person. Even on her YouTube channel you see her shining spirit. She does her best to lift up her students and followers. Sometimes I listen to her videos on repeat just to lift my mood.

As a Publish and Thrive student alumni Sarra’s classes are available to me for a lifetime. I can re-take the program whenever she offers it, even when she makes changes like this year. There is so much to learn and do as an indie author, it’s not just about writing a great novel. Sarra helps her students navigate the immense challenges of planning, publishing and marketing our books. She is available for questions and we often learn from each other during the question and answer sessions, and the Facebook group.

Sarra is rerecording the lessons and adding some new features. I can hardly wait to see what she has planned for us. While I am more of a pantser than an outliner, but thanks to Sarra’s programs I’ve learned to plan both my stories and my jobs to be done.

PUBLISH AND THRIVE:

  • $399 Pay in Full
  • $75/ month for 6 months
  • $38/month for 12 months

THRIVING AUTHOR BUNDLE:

  • $499 Pay in Full
  • $90/month for 6 months
  • $45/month for 12 months

The course begins with a live kick off call on Saturday, July 30th at 2PM Eastern.

The course has been extended to 6 weeks, so our final live Q&A will take place September 10th.

HB90 will start that following Sunday on September 11th.

Publish and Thrive
Posted in event, News, Writing tips

Just one Author

Posted on by Sherri
https://heartbreathings.teachable.com/p/publish-and-thrive/?affcode=145068_lea8l-18

If you can touch one life, make a difference for one person then you have led a successful life. I am just one author who has benefited from following Sarra Cannon’s Heart Breathing YouTube channel. I fell in love with her honesty, her openness and her willingness to share the bad as well as the good parts of being a published author. As an indie author, we have to be our own boss, manage our own business, do everything from plan the stories to marketing our books and making sure all the bills get paid. It can be overwhelming. That’s why I am so glad Sarra offers her Publish and Thrive Course. As an alumni, I can take the course for free anytime she offers it. The next round begins Monday, February 7th and I’m going to be front and center. Sarra has some new things she wants to share and I am so excited.

https://heartbreathings.teachable.com/p/publish-and-thrive/?affcode=145068_lea8l-18

I understand that $399 is a huge investment. Sarra allows students to break the payments down in a couple of ways, $75 a month for 6 months or $38 a month for 12. If you can’t afford to take Publish and Thrive at this time, believe me, I understand. I’ve raised six sons and had to do some creative bookkeeping to make ends meet. Check out Sarra’s YouTube channel https://youtu.be/7vMuLBV-TIU

I have been following Sarra’s YouTube channel for several years. It wasn’t until I met her in person at a Heart of Carolina Writers’ Conference that I got brave enough to take a chance on myself. That is what this investment is, it’s about believing in yourself, your craft and doing whatever you can to be the best you can be. I am so thankful for this program and for the chance to take a refresher. There is so much I need to learn, re-learn, be reminded of, and I’ll be honest with working full time, sometimes I have to make a choice on what I’m focusing on this time. Each time I feel like I’ve gain another piece of the puzzle.

Check out her website https://sarracannon.com/

Sarra has touched so many lives, both readers who enjoy her books and authors who have learned from her courses and channel.

https://heartbreathings.teachable.com/p/publish-and-thrive/?affcode=145068_lea8l-18

Posted in Thoughts, writing inspiration, Writing tips

Following Other Authors (part 2)

Posted on by Sherri

Again, I paraphrase Neil Gaiman when I say, I’ve learned to write this novel. When I was writing Roxy’s Betrayal, I had to rely heavily on what I’d written in the previous book, Janie’s Secrets because they shared a parallel timeline. I had no idea how difficult this idea would be. First, I’m not a plotter/outliner. I write by the seat of my pants, also known as being a pantser. That is not to say that I don’t plan or research or have an idea of where I’m going with the story beforehand, I do. It is one of the things that insulted me about the craft book I purchased which said pantsers have no idea where they are going with their story.

Although I don’t outline my stories, I know a few things about my story and main characters before I start writing my first draft. I know some of my character’s backstory, I know or have an idea of how I want the plot to end or the climax of the story. Much of this I figure out in my fast draft. Which in truth is very much like an outline but in a story form. I call it my skeleton. I write the story as quickly as I can without much detail then I go back and add flesh, feeling, all that stuff that makes it come alive.

With most stories I start with a character or a scene, an idea that has come to me like a seedling. From there I ask questions, shed a little light on it. Some stories come to me whole, I just have to write them down, others I have to work at to find what makes all its pieces and parts fit together. Roxy took a little more work. Not only was I writing Roxanne’s story with a parallel timeline to Janie’s story. I had to figure out how she was going to meet and fall in love with Jorge, an accused murderer. Why they were trying to rescue Janie’s daughter and why they didn’t just ask for help.

I wrote several scenes as they came to me but had a difficult time bringing everything together. The bigger the series gets the more difficult it becomes to mesh each story into the next. I want to layer the family dynamics, their past hurts and future relationships, define their roles inside the family as well as give them a fun sexy romance with some suspense and drama.

I had Roxanne as part of Janie’s Secrets and there is even mention of her in Red Steel, but she was just an elusive idea not completely developed. Until I finished Janie’s Secrets, I really didn’t know who Roxanne was. As I started my fast draft for Roxy, I began to realize I’d misunderstood her. This is where backstory helps to flesh out the character. It is one of the great points in Lisa Cron’s Story Genius. That without backstory there is no story.  

Each novel requires a little different process. Now, if you are like the amazing Sarra Cannon, you may have discovered what works best for you to find your muse and productivity. Her methods change very little during the process of writing her novels. She has a master plan and is able to stick to it.

For me, I’ve been developing my plan as I go. Chrome Pink was written with everything thrown in and then whittled down. Titanium Blue was planned with sticky notes and written during my first NaNoWriMo, at least the first version. My middle son and his wife were great resources during this writing. White Gold was also done with sticky notes to help plan it. Evergreen Crystals was another difficult novel because I wanted to write a true romance with their happy ever after, but I couldn’t do it without killing people, so, I let my dark side out and had fun with it. I’m beginning to think I’m a little scary, I blame it on my children. Red Steel was a lot of research, but I actually carried around a small notebook and wrote down ideas, often texting my firefighter son about what this would look like if it exploded. I really want to go to some of their training exercises. Janie’s Secrets was a recycled story with a few additions. Now I’m working on the brothers’ stories. My problem is, I know Remy’s story but it’s not time to tell it yet. I know Seth’s story, but he needs seasoning. I know Trent’s story, but should he come next or should I work on Cole’s story. As I started working on Trent’s story, ideas for Cole came to me, I’m attempting to write both books in tandem but deciding which one will come first will be interesting. I don’t know if I want another parallel timeline, but I may cross timelines.

There are so many ways to tell a story so how can there be only one way to write them?

Posted in writing inspiration, Writing tips

Following Other Authors into the Abyss

Posted on by Sherri

I am a HUGE advocate of studying writing craft books, listening to author interviews, and writing advice videos and podcasts. I take a lot of online classes in a variety of subjects to improve my writing. One of my pet peeves, the thing that will make me so angry, is when an author tells me their way, is the ONLY way to write! Now, I am hardly a genius or even a bestselling author but Neil Gaiman, who is a story telling god, said during an interview at the end of his ten-year anniversary edition of American Gods (paraphrased) that he told his friend and fellow author, he’d finally learned to write a novel, but his friend said, no, you’ve learned to write this novel.

Indie author Michael La Ronn whom I discovered via YouTube, tells of writing his novels using several different methods. He even rates the methods on one of his videos. Like Mr. La Ronn I have tried different techniques, some with more success than others. But the truth is, you have to find what works for you or what works for this book.

https://youtu.be/ttGB2uHnvw8

Every author has their own style, their own method of writing. Some writers have to plot out every minute detail before they can start, but others prefer to discover the story as they write. They have to do what works for them or they cannot create. When I hear an author say you have to do this or that in order to write, I cringe. As a new writer, I wanted to learn to outline and plot my stories and do character analysis and diagram my stories so I could give readers a better story. BUT that didn’t work for me. That is not to say I did not learn important information in those classes, books and programs. I learned what works for me and what didn’t. I learned to adapt things to fit my needs and that is the key point I’m trying to make. Do take the classes, do read and learn from other authors but do not feel that you have to do things exactly as they have done in order to write a great novel and be a success.

One of my favorite authors to follow and listen to is Sarra Cannon. She is the author of several young adult series and new adult books, her most famous ya series, Beautiful Demons has sold over a million copies and her Heart Breathings YouTube channel has over forty thousand followers. She teaches a course called Publish and Thrive which is an amazing program for any writer but especially if you are an indie or hybrid author. While her method of writing, which requires a lot of planning, outlining and then post writing discovery, which I admit I don’t always use, but it has taught me what to look for to be sure my story is complete. I have learned to adapt many of her ideas in a way that best works with my style of writing. I truly love Sarra’s way of teaching because she doesn’t say her way is the only way.

https://youtu.be/CWoaqnMdgrY

I’m on this soap box because of a recent book I purchased for a program, Lisa Cron’s Story Genius. Now, not to completely bash Ms. Cron, I loved her Wired for Story, and there was much in Story Genius I also thought was well, genius but when anyone deals in absolutes, I get a little antsy. I was angered by what the author had to say about pantsers and especially what we do not do our due diligence which results in our failure. As a pantser, or now I might admit to being more of a plantser, as I do plan some of the details of my stories prior to writing. And while I’m not a famous author with several best sellers under my belt, but Mr. Lee Child is, and he is also a pantser. Like me, Mr. Child likes to discover the details of the story along with the reader. To plot or outline it in advance would kill the joy.

While I disliked much of what this author had to say in her how to guide to be a better storyteller, it was her lack of respect for other methods that truly angered me. Do not get me wrong, the author has some valid points. I kept reading because I could glean some nuggets of genius from her book but at one point, I became angry enough to return the book and demand my money back. I don’t do that. I have even tried to go back through the book and to see if I was just being too sensitive or over critical but when I started reading the second time, I got mad much sooner. This is one of the caveats I believe we as writers need to be aware of, even well-meaning people can crush your spirit and derail your efforts if you allow them to. Had I read this book when I first started writing seriously, it would have kept me from publishing. My self-esteem was so fragile that I would have felt trapped and unable to write.

To those authors who wish to share their hard learned knowledge with other writers, I ask that you remember not everyone processes information the same way nor do we produce in the same manner. Be careful of stifling creativity in your desire to show authors a new and better way to write. I will leave both the newbie writer and the master with this, thank you for your inspiration, your words on the page for they fill my dreams with possibilities and hope.

Posted in Thoughts

So Long 20-20

Posted on by Sherri

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JCJFND6

Happy New Year 2021, Good-Bye 2020

This year has been filled with many ups and downs. While some of you have been forced into quarantine and sought to fill your time with delicious books, I and many others were considered essential employees. For those of us blessed or forced to remain on the job, we’ve had to deal with more regulations and responsibilities. While my job isn’t an important one like being on the frontline nursing the sick, it is still considered essential and I try to do it with respect and grace. Working with the public I filled a role that many people felt was a necessity. For me, the biggest service I felt I could give to my friends and neighbors was a kind word and a caring heart. I have to admit that this year has been exhausting. Between the politics and the virus, family tragedies and dramas, extra responsibilities and expectations at work and in the public, I have been a bit overwhelmed. I’m sure I’m not the only one who has felt the weight of this year.

While we bid good riddance to this year with its many awful moments, I want to take this time to also reflect on the things that were wonderful and special about this year. I have two new grandbabies, twin boys who are healthy and after losing a grandson in May of this year, that is extremely important. I have a new and improved relationship with two of my sons and their families.

I have never been one to put myself out there, but due to Covid19 and having to do more online, I have started volunteering. I attended the RWA (Romance Writers of America) National conference and even hosted an online chat room. I have been able to attend the Heart of Carolina RWA meetings regularly and I’ve even accepted a position of leadership with the group. Our local writers’ group, the Pamlico Writers is still struggling to stay afloat during this time. Only a small handful of members attend the monthly Zoom meetings.

This year has been a struggle for so many. I know that I and my family have been blessed. My father-in-law has been the only one to truly suffer from the virus. He spent two weeks in the hospital but is thankfully well. Most of the family has kept working in one capacity or another. There have been a few struggles, some days it seems it is two steps forward and three back but with the grace of God and the help of family and friends, we are managing.

I know for many this year has been so much worse. Many have been trapped in their homes due to health concerns and regulations. Many have lost jobs, struggled financially, lost businesses and homes. Many have buried loved ones.  Our schools and small businesses have felt the greatest burden, trying to navigate a new world with new needs. Living in rural America where we are half-quarantined already has given us a bit of freedom people in larger communities haven’t had.

This year has been stressful on many levels. I only published two of the three books I’d planned. I’m hoping 2021 will be a more productive year. I have devoted more time to marketing and learning about marketing. I’ve come to realize that there are only so many hours in a day and I can only do so much within those bounds. If you haven’t taken Sarra Cannon’s HB90 course and you are a small business owner, especially an indie author, I suggest you take it the next time she offers it. It helps you understand how much time you really have and how to use it. I would also suggest her YouTube channel Heartbreathings, and her Publish and Thrive course. Sarra’s YouTube channel helped me through much of this year. Her uplifting spirit and honest approach to problems made me feel as if I too could be a best-selling author.

I’m ending this blog with some highlights from my year on my website and will follow it soon with my 2020 book list and highlights from my Creekside Café Author interviews.

Happy New Year!

HB90 w/ Sarra Cannon

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Posted in Uncategorized

I’m a Proud Affiliate of HB90

Posted on by Sherri
https://heartbreathings.teachable.com/p/hb90-bootcamp/?affcode=145068_lea8l-18

I’m a proud affiliate of Sarra Cannon’s HB90 course!

Many of you know how much I love Sarra Cannon’s YouTube videos. I met Sarra at a Heart of Carolina Writers’ Conference. I had heard of her from my fellow HCRW members who remembered when she lived in North Carolina and was a member. Sadly she had left the area before I became a member or at least before I began knowing my fellow members. The group talked of Sarra’s Heart Breathings channel on YouTube as well as her books, her Publish and Thrive course and her HB90 Bootcamp.

Sarra has an uplifting spirit which is a balm to many a weary and overwhelmed writer. I listen to her YouTube videos over and over because they give me courage and guidance. She sooths my worries with her insight and candor. Sarra doesn’t mind sharing her own mistakes or weaknesses, she allows us to see the real her.

Her HB90 course is a combination of things she’s learned from trial and error, as well as things she has learned from other authors, planners and other business people. She has taken everything and condensed it into an easy to learn program designed to help writers and other entrepreneurs succeed by planning.

Before you say “I’m not a planner,” you should know, I’m not either. Sarra’s HB90 course changed how I think about planning. Being able to plan in bite-sized pieces just what you can actually accomplish within 90 days had done so much to keep me from getting overwhelmed, even with battling the extra crazy year that has been Covid 19 2020.

Sarra has expanded the course from 3 days to a full 7-day course to give people more time to get through each assignment and to give more support along the way! Sarra has a Facebook group for her HB90 students and one for her alumni. Another great thing about taking Sarra’s course is being able to audit the class whenever it’s offered for a refresher. I know I need to go back and relearn a few things, as I said, I’m not a planner.

If you sign up for the HB90 course using my affiliate link I’ll get a commission and I’ll receive a free Q1 Planner designed by Sarra.

There is also a bonus for the person with the most enrollments. I’m saving up to have my books put on audio.

My Affiliate Link: https://heartbreathings.teachable.com/p/hb90-bootcamp/?affcode=145068_lea8l-18

Course Information: Enrollment is open now, so feel free to share!

Course Dates: Sunday, December 13th-19th with one live call on the 13th via Facebook. There is no closing call for the current course.

Enrollment will close Midnight EST on December 12th.

Thank y’all for sharing my affiliate HB90 link. I believe in Sarra’s program but if you can’t afford to take her course at this time, check out her Heart Breathing channel on YouTube. She is an awesome source for writers and indie authors.

And if you just want to feel good, check out Sarra Cannon on YouTube and see what she’s been up to during quarantine. She has been reading her books and sharing her life, trying to make things a little better for us during this pandemic. It is her love and generosity that has made me so passionate.

https://heartbreathings.teachable.com/p/hb90-bootcamp/?affcode=145068_lea8l-18

Posted in quarterly goals, Thoughts

My Pep Talk to Myself

Posted on by Sherri

The emotional ups and downs of being an author don’t always follow the pattern of our books’ success and failure. Too often, it is the low that comes after a super high, only to plummet back to reality.

As I look back at the month of August and what I’ve accomplished and haven’t accomplished, I find myself fighting melancholy. Why? A two-star review on Goodreads for Janie’s Secrets, not making the finals in Kindle Book Review Awards for Red Steel, feeling like I don’t have the time to do everything I need to do or want to do. I worked very hard to write a novella for the Heart of Carolina’s upcoming anthology only to realize I didn’t have time to finish it. Failure is crushing even when it is self-inflicted failure.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B084LX1D1P

But I should be doing somersaults after all I have accomplished this month. Chrome Pink made it into the Amazon Top 100 Kindle Free Books. It finished #34 on Sunday, August 30th after a Free Booksy Ad. It also reached #3 in Romantic Suspense and #4 in Suspense. Over 2000 books were down loaded on Sunday and that doesn’t even count the books I sold or the ones down loaded on other sites. I should be sailing in the clouds but I allowed a bad review, not even a really bad review but a 2-star rating, crush me. Why? Because I’m human. I can tell you I’m tired, I put my heart into my stories, they’re like my children, I want people to like me/them. The truth is not everyone is going to like my stories. Not everyone is going to like me.

I’m not alone in my emotional roller coaster, many authors, especially indie authors feel the same way I do. Author Sarra Cannon, whom I follow on YouTube with her Heart Breathing Channel and whose courses, Publish and Thrive and her HB90 changed my life, speaks of mental health and well-being in her videos. We often put too much on our plates and expect to be able to perform well, but like the juggler with his chainsaws that last addition can be catastrophic.

In Sarra’s HB90 course she talks of planning quarterly, 90-day increments and even breaking those down into monthly expectations. Sitting down with a planner, thinking of what I have to do, want to do and need to do. How much time things will take and how much time I will actually have to devote to the tasks amid life, work and family. Allowing time to sleep, eat and maybe even cuddle with my husband.

https://www.youtube.com/c/SarraCannon

I really have no reason to feel down. I know much of what I’m feeling stems from fear, exhaustion and coming off the high of other successes. For those of you who fear this might be a whining session and wish to tune out, it’s not, this is my pep talk to myself and to anyone else who is happy when they see one sale a day or are thrilled when their free book gets 100 downloads. I keep telling myself I’ve only been published three years. I have six books, seven if you count my trilogy of the first three books I just released, plus I have novellas in several anthologies. I’ve come a long way in a short time. Even though I’ve been writing for over forty years, I’ve only started writing to publish in the past fifteen years with a couple of years off after losing our house and my father. We had a couple of really rough years.

So, what do I have to whine about? Nothing. I should be celebrating. I have had over 300 new subscribers to my newsletter, that is both exciting and terrifying. I thought, how can I keep these people interested? What hoops will I have to jump through to keep them? But then I thought of the ones who have been with me all along the way. My steadfast friends who read everything I write good and bad, who offer opinions and assistance, and I realized, I just need to be real. I just need to be me. Yes, I’ll lose some people but that’s okay. Some will come for the free book, some will stay a while and go, others will be here for the duration. I just need to be the best me I can be for that is all I can be. That’s all any of us can be.

I know putting my books out into the world for other people to read means some won’t like it, but some will. Channeling Sarra Cannon again, I’m going to write from my place of joy. I’m going to write the books that I feel compelled to write and hope they will appeal to readers. It is time to get back to work on Roxy’s Secret.

For those of you who received my newsletter, I sent the first few pages of the novella I was writing for the Heart of Carolina anthology. I didn’t get to finish it and I’m starting to think it might be a full-length novel. I think I might try a stand-alone novel once Roxy is wrapped up. Maybe I can tie it into my other stories. I’ll have to think about it.

My goals for August: Promote Janie’s Secrets, I’m still working on it. Start Roxy’s Betrayal, I’ve started but I’ve not made the progress I’d hoped. Increase Newsletter subscriptions, okay this has tripled thanks to Bookfunnel. Janie is free in a Bookfunnel promo this month, https://books.bookfunnel.com/weloveromancegiveaway/ao2jdazxop.

Janie’s Secret is also in a Cover of the Month contest on All Author, https://allauthor.com/cover-of-the-month/9385/  I’d appreciate your vote.

Janie’s Secrets is also in a Book Tour on Instagram and Facebook, through September 6th. I’d appreciate your support.

https://www.instagram.com/bed.and.books/

I still need to learn more about Publisher’s Rocket but I’m tackling it in small bites.

One other thing I accomplished this month I’ve been wanting to do for a while was to combine the first three books of the Leeward Files into one book. It’s only on sale for a little while longer.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08FHGPKLL

I haven’t even planned what I’m going to try to accomplish in September but we’re going to do some great things: #1 write Roxy’s Betrayal. I’ll figure out the rest but that’s the most important.

I hope my whine, rant, pep talk has helped someone else. The truth is some days this is my dream job and other days it’s a nightmare. Sometimes it’s all on the same day.