Trees, Trees, and Destruction

Storms bring destruction. We are in a mess and are still trying to pull ourselves out of this. That is true about everything.

We also need to pull ourselves out of our writing destruction. This is when our writing gets sidetracked. Sidetracked by uncontrollable events, such as storms, technical issues and the loss of production time.

I faced a storm, where we lost power for three days (which was better than some in the area where they were out of power for about five days). However, I was unable to not only write, charge my phone, cook or basically do much of anything. It is amazing how much you live on power and do not know that until you are out of electricity.

Prior to the storm, I had technical computer problems and had been on the phone with technicians off and on all day. My computer backed upped the data just before the storm. I was lucky there for 15 minutes later the storm hit, and we were out of power. However, once electricity returned, another problem developed and that was the upgrade to a new operating system.

This new system would no longer back up my work. Another call led to another call and still the issue was not repaired. Then my other computer, which had been doing great on that end, would no longer backup as well. All these technical calls and spending days on the phone did not fix the issue. It was so, so frustrating. In addition, this lost valuable time in writing, promoting and all those other activities associated with being an author. Finally, last week, after three weeks of this, it got fixed. Praise God!

Writing, though, is like this. Everything is going along fine. Your writing goals are met. You smile on the progress you made and then devastation happens. This puts you behind the eight ball. What should you do?

Well, you must move on for what else can you do? I am trying to get caught up on weeks of lost production time. So no matter what you face, put your front foot ahead of you and take steps forward. Destruction and disasters come and the best is to look up, say a prayer for strength and set your eyes on finishing your project. God bless.

Excerpt: The Bride List

Jim Ward was in a tizzy when the president of the Presbyterian Theological College presented him The Bride List for him to court and suggested he start with Betty Chapman. A sweet woman, the president said. Oh, but that horse face of hers made Jim pine for his childhood nemesis, Annie Lee, who arrive in town a few weeks earlier. … Visit www.JanetSyasNitsick.com or this blog for links to this humorous tale.

A release by Parchment and Plume 

What do you do when your Publisher goes Bankrupt?

You have two options – find another publisher or self-publish them.

This is what I was faced with recently on two of my six books/anthologies. I decided to self-publish Seasons of the Soul and Lockets and Lanterns, because they were published years ago (Seasons of the Soul in 2006 and Lockets and Lanterns in 2012).

I believe self-publishing is the right path to go on these two books. However, this meant I needed to develop a new cover. After all I did not own the rights to the covers, the publisher did. What should I do? Go with an expensive cover designer or do a nice cover without any bells or whistles?

I decided to do the latter. I could not see paying a lot of money for a cover artist on books several years old. Thus I turned to a friend who has self-published, and she is assisting me.

Now since the original Lockets and Lanterns cover never really said romance, and it is a romance, it made sense to have a cover that more matched the genre. In fact at book signings, people often thought this book was either a horror or mystery novel. Although Lockets and Lanterns includes an element of mystery – the husband’s secret – your average mystery reader would not consider it as such. It is pictured below. What do you think?

The second problem was the book’s description. It needed to be revised. It did not say “romance” and, of course, it must do that.

This got me thinking about publishers who market all types of genres. They really do not know what each target audience demands. So, although going through my submitted manuscript is going to be a chore since I will have to correct the point size and fonts used and remove all editor’s remarks, it also is a time of rejoicing.

Rejoicing you say? Are you nuts? No, I have been disinterested in these books for quite a while to focus on my new material, such as the recent release of my historical humorous tale, The Bride List. The cover is pictured below.

However, now I am excited about these older books. Why?

Because it also took me back to when my autistic sons were younger as relayed in a spattering of personal accounts in Seasons of the Soul. I could relive those trials, such as where the family almost drowned or a humorous tale of when Andrew’s cat went missing. And, I could reread the God-inspired story, loosely based on my grandfather, in Lockets and Lanterns.

So when disaster strikes like a publishing company going out of business. First panic then take a deep breath and realize the positives. Positives of getting the books printed as you wanted in the beginning and are able to do so with self-publishing them.

Have a great spring and I would love to have your feedback on this issue and as always God bless.

 

Announcement of Winner of Kirsten Osbourne’s 100th Book Giveaway

Author Kirsten Osbourne wrote her 100th book, and I helped her celebrate that feat with a giveaway of paperback copies of my recent release, The Bride List, second in the Great Plains Series, and Courtships and Carriages, first in the series.

Entries needed to answer this question: What is your feeling on Daylight Savings Time – pro or con – and provide their e-mail address. There were a lot of great answers which made it difficult to chose but the winner is …

Ginny LaMere.

I liked her answer since many of us love it when we get an extra hour of sleep in the fall but hate it when we lose it in the spring. 

Ginny, look for an e-mail from me, so I can send you your paperback copies. Congratulations!

Giveaway: Congrats-Kirsten Osbourne on 100th Book

In honor of Author Kirsten Osbourne’s 100th book achievement (and what a feat this is), I am offering a giveaway.

What do you win?

A paperback copy of my recent release, The Bride List, a humorous tale and the second in the Great Plains Series, and a paperback copy of Courtships and Carriages, the first in the series. 

How do you enter?

(1) place your e-mail address in the comment section below.

(2)Give a brief answer to this following question in the comment section below: It is almost time to move our clocks forward because of Daylight Savings Time. What is your feeling on doing this – either pro or con? 

Paperback winner announced Tuesday, March 7.

An e-mail will be sent to the winner, so I can receive the necessary information to deliver their paperback copies of The Bride List and Courtships and Carriages.

However, if the winner does not reply by Thursday, March 9, a new winner will be chosen.

Giveaway Winners: Chug, chug along the track

What wonderful answers to this giveaway. I was amazed at the creative comments. It was difficult to choose but …

the winners are …

drumroll here …

E-book winner of The Bride List, second in the Great Plains Series, and Courtships and Carriages, first in the Great Plains Series, is Linda Herold. I will contact you so look for my e-mail.

Paperback winner of The Bride List, second in the Great Plains Series, and Courtships and Carriages, first in the Great Plains Series, is Margie Vickers. I will contact you so look for my e-mail. 

Note: If a winner does not contact me by Feb. 16, a new winner will be chosen. 

Paperback is here!

E-book and paperback editions are out. If you have not bought your copy of this fun reader, The Bride List, get it today.

Paperback 

Kindle  Nook  Kobo  Google Play

Also, on iBooks!

Jim Ward was in a tizzy after the president of the Presbyterian Theological Seminary College presented him The Bride List of ladies for him to court and demanded him to marry one on the list by year’s end or his desire to become a minister would come to an end. 

His only recourse was to see if he could court Annie Lee, his childhood nemesis, who just arrived in town.  He swallowed hard …