Hey writers, have your writing plans ever been derailed by life? Today's guest knows the challenge of interrupted plans. If you're facing trials that displace your writing, you're not alone. May this post encourage you this week. ~ Annette
Hang
in There
by
Kara Lynn Russell
I have always, for as long as I can remember, wanted to be a
writer. I worked hard at learning the craft, submitted my work and eventually,
began to be published. I had short stories and even a couple of novels
published by a few different publishers. White Rose Publishing still has a lot
of my work available, and I loved working with that company. This month my
Orchard Hill Romance series are featured there for a dollar each. This series was one of my favorite projects.
So what happened to my writing career? It looked like my dream was
finally coming true, but then life threw some surprises my way. The details
don’t matter. It was a combination of illness in myself and other family
members, deaths in immediate and extended family, and financial woes from
doctor’s bills that slowed me down. I couldn’t make deadlines any more and finally
had to cancel my contracts and take a break from the writing world.
For a while I definitely felt "if it weren't for bad luck,
I'd have no luck at all," to quote an old song. But eventually things got
better and then better still. Life is never perfect but our home no longer
feels like a crisis center. I started thinking about writing again. Starting
over is never easy. I've abandoned half a dozen half- finished stories over the
last year or so but I'm determined that 2014 will be my year.
Let me tell you about one project. Last year I started a blog for
the purpose of learning WordPress. The library where I work was getting a new
WordPress website and I needed to be able to update it myself.
In my practice blog, Cuppa Cozy, I posted cozy mystery reviews. I
abandoned the blog when I learned enough to tackle my library blog. But I
missed posting my reviews and other thoughts on the mystery genre. So,
after a lot of thought, I've decided to go back to blogging on Cuppa Cozy. It
is my "comeback" project for 2014.
Our journeys as writers are bound to be filled with stumbling
blocks and setbacks. Sometimes we may even have to set aside our journey for a
time. But that doesn't have to mean failure. Lillian Jackson Braun, author of
the Cat Who mysteries published the first three books in this series between
1966 and 1968. She didn't publish another book until 1986! It took her eighteen
years to make a comeback, and she wound up being a regular on the bestseller
list. So why should I worry?
What obstacles are you facing in 2014, and how do you plan to
overcome them?
~~~~~
Orchard Hill Residents – Lock Up Your Hearts!
Pansy Parker and Misty Green are rivals in romance. Each belives
she is the town’s best matchmaker. Now they’re going to settle the question
once and for all. They’re keeping track to see who can make the most matches in
a year’s time.
No Heart is Safe in Orchard Hill – Not even their own.
Saving Gracie: Orchard Hill #1 – Riley O’Neil and Grace Randall
have been best friends since kindergarten and Pansy knows they belong together.
After Grace’s fiancé leaves her at the alter, Riley decides it’s
time to tell her he wants to be more than friends. Grace is still reeling from
her fiancé’s betrayal. She fears that if she and Riley start dating, it will
ruin their friendship—and right now Riley’s friendship is something she can’t
spare. A new year is coming and it’s the perfect time for a fresh start.
Will Grace take a chance on love with Riley?
~~~~~
KaraLynn Russell is a wife, mother, librarian, Amazon.com top reviewer, and writer. She
lives in the heart of Wisconsin’s dairy land. You can find her online at https://cuppacozy.wordpress.com/
