Monday, July 30, 2018

Nine Tips for Finding Balance by Kimberly Rose Johnson

Kimberly Rose Johnson

Nine Tips for Finding Balance
by Kimberly Rose Johnson
This self-proclaimed workaholic learned a valuable lesson—writing should only be a part of a well-balanced life, not all consuming.
I love to write. It’s my passion, and it makes me happy. However, when my boys went away to college, writing became what drove me day in and day out. I had contracts to fulfill, plus other books I wanted to write, as well as a part-time job. I was stressed, overworked, tired, ate too much, consumed too much caffeine, didn’t exercise nearly enough, and consequently my quality of life suffered.
I have always touted balance, but I allowed my passion to take over, and I became out of balance. It had never been my intent to stress myself out. I simply wanted to meet my deadlines and make my readers happy with a new book every three or four months. I’m not doing this any longer.
In 2017 I published nine books! Five of them were books I’d received my rights back on, and one had been in a collection. That sounds easy enough, except that I couldn’t afford the price the publisher wanted to buy the digital files, so I had to get the books scanned. The scanning process causes mistakes! It took me a long time to get through those pages. Suffice it to say it was daunting. On top of that, I had one book release from my current publisher, and I wrote two more novels to finish off an indie series. It was a lot.
That year took a toll on me in every aspect of my life, and I learned a lesson—I couldn’t simply talk about balance, I needed to incorporate it into my life every day.
Here are some tips I’m putting into action:


·                     Spend time in the Bible
·                     Eat wholesome and healthy foods
·                     Make exercise a priority and incorporate weights as well as cardio
·                     Allow wiggle room in my schedule
·                     Give permission to take a day off
·                     Don’t stress marketing—but still do it
·                     Do what is necessary then let the rest go during busy times
·                     Cut back production schedule—I will only publish two books in 2018.
·                     Remember it’s okay to slow down

There you have it, my plan to finding true balance. I leave you with one final thought that Allen Arnold talks about: Co-create with God.

Your turn: Have you ever gotten out of balance in your writing life? How did you get back on track? What are some items on your “finding a balance” list?

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The Sleuth's Miscalculation
The Sleuth’s Miscalculation

Two strong-willed sleuths team up to solve a mystery. Can they work together, or will their differences pull them apart?

Librarian Nancy Daley loves a good mystery and enjoys moonlighting as a consultant for the sheriff’s department. When license plates go missing in Tipton County, she’s on the case. This time things are different—she’s been partnered with the new deputy, and he’s not interested in her help. To make matters worse, she’s angered the wrong person and is now being threatened.

Sheriff Deputy Carter Malone expects Tipton, Oregon to be a sleepy small-town, but he miscalculated. He’d come to town for a fresh start with his nephew—one without the issues big cities deal with. Had he made a mistake? To complicate matters, he’s told he must consult with the sheriff’s daughter, who is not in law enforcement. When the minor case they are working morphs into something more, things quickly go from harmless to scary.

Can they solve the mystery before it’s too late, and more importantly, what will they do about their growing attraction?

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Faith Hope and Love Reader's Choice Finalist, Kimberly Rose Johnson, married her college sweetheart and lives in the Pacific Northwest. From a young child Kimberly has been an avid reader. That love of reading fostered a creative mind and led to her passion for writing. She especially loves romance and writes contemporary romance that warms the heart and feeds the soul.

Kimberly holds a degree in Behavioral Science from Northwest University in Kirkland, Washington, and is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. 

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