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| Anneliese Dalaba |
Is it ever too late to start writing? Are there pros and cons to heading down that path at a younger age? Or as a person with more life experience? Author Anneliese Dalaba shares her journey to publication and insight gained. ~ Dawn
Too Late to Start Writing?
George Eliot said, “It's never too late to start what you might have been.” I've taken her advice and have started a new phase of my life in my fifties—writing novels. I’ve wanted to write a historical romance for a long time—a story that helps to inspire faith, give hope, and hopefully even cause the reader to chuckle. I decided it was finally time to begin.
At this age, it would be so easy to make excuses. I’m certainly not young anymore, so why start now? I don't understand all the modern technologies, programs, and apps. What if people don’t like what I wrote? How will I feel when I'm criticized? There are numerous excuses I could make, but what I can’t get away from is this: How will I feel at the end of my life if I haven't pursued this dream? If I live to be my parents’ age, I may still have thirty or more years of life ahead of me. What will I do with those years? Perhaps it's time to start checking off items on my bucket list. One of the top items on that list is writing a Christian historical romance. And guess what? I did it!
I published my first novel, Reluctant To Wed, in the Arranged Marriage series at the end of June 2017. My readers kept asking me when my next book would be published? They became the wind beneath my wings, and I published my second book in the same series, The Marriage Maneuver, in November 2018. I’m currently working on the third book in that series.
I have to admit that I have one regret about my book-writing journey, and that is that I wish I’d started sooner. Imagine how many books I might have published by now. On the other hand, the many years prior to turning fifty were certainly not wasted. I gained years of life and faith experiences and very possibly read a thousand books or more. Both the experience and the books have prepared me and have become a great resource for this novel-writing adventure I’m on. So perhaps I have nothing to regret after all. Maybe this is the perfect time to begin. I may never know for sure whether I should have started earlier, yet one thing is certain, I will never have to regret not having started at all.
And now that I’m on this path, I realize that God created me to do this very thing. I believe He finds pleasure in my gift. I have asked Him to guide my writing. May it always glorify His name and cause others to seek Him more.
“Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31 NASB
The Marriage Maneuver
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| The Marriage Maneuver |
Lady Selina Kendall, daughter of a viscount, was given away to her aunt and uncle at a rather young age. She never understood why she was forced to leave her parents’ home while her siblings were allowed to stay. Although Aunt Theo and Uncle Peter are very good to her, Selina cannot help the longing in her heart for her family. When she is ready to be presented to society, the long-awaited letter from her parents finally arrives. But when Selina returns home, nothing could have prepared her for the news that greets her.
Lord Hugh FitzWalter (Fitz) is a wounded hero bearing visible scars, but the greatest damage was done to his heart when his fiancé broke their engagement upon his return from battle. That act caused him to have very little trust for females.
A masterful deception places these two in an arranged marriage, neither anticipated nor desired. How can love grow and faith prevail when outside forces and internal conflicts conspire to tear them apart?
Anneliese Dalaba lives in Michigan with her husband of 31 years. She assists her husband, who is a pastor and, before that, they worked amongst refugees in Germany. She is a member of ACFW and ACFW Great Lakes Chapter. For many years, Anneliese worked as an administrative assistant and medical transcriptionist. After raising their two children, she is now experiencing the wonderful phase of grandparenting. She is an avid reader, and an author of Christian historical romances.
Connect with Annaliese and learn more about her books here:
Website/Blog: https://www.anneliesedalaba.org
Twitter: https://twitter.com/adalaba2017
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adalaba2017/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/AnneDalaba/
