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?
~~~~~
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?
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?
~~~~~
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.
You can sign up for Kimberly's newsletter via her website at: http://kimberlyrjohnson.com/index.html
Kimberly holds a degree in Behavioral Science from Northwest University in Kirkland, Washington, and is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers.
You can sign up for Kimberly's newsletter via her website at: http://kimberlyrjohnson.com/index.html
Connect with Kimberly here:
Website: http://kimberlyrjohnson.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kimberlyrosejoh
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/krose1990/