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| Shannon Taylor Vannatter |
Wherever books are sold. The ability to say that has eluded
me for fourteen years.
In late 1999, I’d realized that story I’d had in my head
since I was fifteen could be a book and got a hand me down computer. I started
writing and didn’t stop until I’d finished the book. It was badly written, but
I didn’t know it at the time. Fifty-two rejections and a second book later, I
wrote number three. It got published by a print on demand company. I didn’t
know what that was, but soon learned they’re not in stores and they’re usually
over-priced.
Three more completed manuscripts and over two hundred
rejection letters later, I finally decided I needed help to get where I wanted
to be. For the next two years, I attended every writer’s conference in my area
and joined two writer’s groups. I learned so much, but there came a point, I
wasn’t learning anything new and nothing specific to my genre.
I googled Christian writer’s conferences and found American
Christian Fiction Writers. From 2005 – 2008, I attended the conference. In
2009, I finally signed a contract with Heartsong Presents for three books set
in Romance and Rosebud, Arkansas .
Both are small, real towns about thirty-five minutes from where I live. People
go to Romance to get married and send their wedding invitations and Valentine
cards to be re-mailed with a unique, hand-stamped postmark from Romance,
Arkansas and I incorporated that local flavor into each book.
My dream had come true.
Except that most stores don’t sell Heartsong Presents books.
Heartsong has a book club readers can join. Members receive
four new titles each month. If readers aren’t in the book club, HP titles are
hard to find except online. A Christian book store in my area carries the line
and I’ve had good sales there. I’ve been blessed to have thousands of readers
reading my books.
But all writers want their books in stores. Lots of stores.
It gets old when people ask where they can get your book and you have to say,
online.
I knew from the beginning, that my three books would be combined
into one volume at some point and sold wherever books are sold. Finally, that
time has come and I’m so excited—I get to say it:
“You can find my book, Arkansas Weddings wherever books are sold.”
“Wow, that felt good!”
Dora here. Writers, how many of you dream of saying these words?
Raising my hand...
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| Arkansas Weddings Purchase Link |
Love’s never easy in three Arkansas romances. Pastor Grayson is still
grieving his wife’s death. Will a budding relationship with florist Adrea Welch
be the healing he needs to plant new love in his life? Laken left home eight
years ago and never looked back. Now she’s in Romance, Arkansas , again, but is she too close to her
past—and Hayden Winters? Shell doesn’t have a good reputation. But no matter
what everyone thinks, she’s back in town with a job to do. Will Ryler Grant
disrupt her plans. . .and change her heart?
Shannon Taylor Vannatter is a stay-at-home mom and pastor’s
wife. Her
debut novel won the 2011 Inspirational
Readers’ Choice Award. When not writing, she runs circles
in the care and feeding of her husband, their son, and church congregation.
Home is a central Arkansas
zoo with two charcoal gray cats, a chocolate lab, and three dachshunds in
weenie dog heaven. If given the chance to clean house or write, she’d rather
write. Her goal is to hire Alice
from the Brady Bunch.
