Talk about an event you don’t want to miss! I love the Cheyenne Art Walk and am thrilled to be part of it this Thursday at one of my favorite local downtown Cheyenne stores, Wyoming Home. The owner, Carman Hess, is just the sweetest person and she loves books. Stop by and I’ll sign some books for you and you can browse the store for the latest in Wyoming home art and decor!
Thursday, June 14th
5:00 – 9:00 PM
at Wyoming Home
216 W Lincolnway
Cheyenne
When I woke up this morning and looked at the date, I realized that today is the ten-year anniversary of the release of my debut novel. Not only is it my book anniversary, but it’s also my published author anniversary.
This is the day that Ruby Among Us released from Random House, and I can’t even begin to tell my readers how grateful I am that because some amazing people decided to take a chance on me, I get to write stories for you.
There are so many stories I could tell you about Ruby Among Us, such as how it is dedicated to my daughter, how it was inspired by the time I spent living in California, or how it was like a fairy tale just to be published. But the truth is, I have been so busy just living and writing new stories that I completely forgot this date was coming up.
So, Happy Anniversary to Ruby, Kitty, Lucy, Blake, Max, and the cast of characters of my first story. And Happy Author Anniversary to me. And Happy Anniversary on account of the beautiful relationship I now have with my readers, all because of this book.
I you haven’t read it yet, I really hope you will. It’s not too late. Ruby Among Us is still in print. If you want a new copy, I recommend buying it directly from Random House or BarnesandNoble.com or you can ask your favorite bookstore to order it for you. Of course, it’s in ebook too, even though at the time, I barely understood how big ebooks were someday going to be.
Much love, hope, and truth to you, my readers.
When I was first published, my debut novel, Ruby Among Us, was released by Random House’s Inspirational Division, Waterbrook Press. At the time I wrote it, I didn’t know how much my heritage of faith would play a part in the story, but we can’t hide who we are. What I ended up with was a Women’s Fiction novel with strong inspirational elements, and when book two came out, it followed in the same genre footsteps of my first novel.
When my friend Amy Nathan read the second book, Rose House, I was a little bit nervous. My dream was really for my book to cross over into the mainstream, because it really wasn’t only a Christian book and I knew it was missing a good portion of the broader audience I was hoping for. What would Amy think? We had a lot in common, but our religions were very different.
Well, Amy loved it, even though she is Jewish and I am a Christian. To me, it was an affirmation that my story itself really did transcend a religious barrier and I was able to communicate a story to a reader who may or may not be like me. On an even bigger level, the experience is indicative of Amy Sue Nathan’s ability to see and appreciate a story not in a non-judgmental way, but in a human way.
I am so glad Rose House touched Amy and seeing the book through her eyes has reminded me that our religious roots are important when they are included in our fiction, no matter what genre. They are part of our history, part of daily living, and inform the lives of readers in many ways, although not always the same. These are, of course, my words based on how Amy’s reaction made me feel as an author, a woman, and as a person of faith.
Even though my recent novels are part of the women’s fiction genre instead of inspirational, I’ve learned that readers just want a good story. My goal is to take my readers on a journey that makes them hope, dream, and feel happy.
I’ve always hoped my first two novels would find new life and a new audience in mainstream Women’s Fiction where my other books are, but if that never happens, the experience of having my books published through Random House/Waterbrook Press‘s spiritual fiction line has had a huge impact on me in many ways. Amy as a reader has been one of the biggest, and it is really a beautiful picture of our friendship, but you will have to read her posts to know why. I hope you’ll click over to the Tall Poppy Blog and read her post: Reading Outside Your Comfort Zone and Where Stories Intersect
After you read her post, be sure to look up Amy Sue Nathan’s books. They are beautifully-written and have some Jewish elements that I find fascinating, human, and more commonality with than I ever expected. I suppose I could write similar posts to the ones she has written about my books. Almost same story. 🙂
Have you visited the Tall Poppy Blog? Author Amy Sue Nathan and I have teamed up to write a column together called Tell Me a Story. Read about how Amy and I ended up being friends both on and off the page: Women Sharing Stories
I am a mom and a stepmom, but my three kids are all out of the house now, either working or in college. Of course, two of them are back for the summer, so my empty nest schedule is about to change for a few months, but it’s okay. It is a welcome change and I’m happy to have them around. I wrote an essay about them at PopSugar Moms.
PopSugar Moms: Dear Step Sons, I Love You More Than You Will Ever Know
I hope you’ll click over and read it. It might give you a different view of stepmoms than you thought, or maybe you already knew. After all, moms are moms. We are different, but on a basic level, I believe we have the same hopes and dreams as all other moms.
