Making quick decisions has never been my forte. As a hybrid author, I'm used to having some time to look over my work, months presumably, and I think about what my characters will say for hours on end before their words reach the public eye. Published by a digital press and also having published a few indie releases, I haven't shared in the deadline woes of many traditionally published authors and this hasn't helped my ability to make decisions on the fly. Though I'm capable of thinking quickly when I have a gun to my head, I'm also a perfectionist. I see the path I walk as an author as a journey, not a light switch and while this may be true, I still prefer to mull over decisions. Planning my wedding, I was introduced to a different way of being.
No one ever tells you that planning a wedding is a full-time job. As brides-to-be, we sort of know this is coming, but we're excited by the prospect of what's to come and not always focused on how much work it's going to take to get there. I was a different. I knew it was going to take a lot of work, but even I couldn't begin to imagine how much work, and I was also working to purchase a house at the time, working full time, and oh yeah, writing. Fortunately, I had the basic ideas of what I wanted for my wedding in my mind. This got me off to an excellent start.
When I was in high school, fantasizing about attending the prom, I focused on a sage green dress I'd seen in a magazine. Though I never found any such dress and instead wound up wearing lavender, I never did forget that dress. I still have the magazine clipping to this day (yes, we read actual magazines when I was in high school!) and I zoned right in on this color for my bridesmaids dresses. A loyal viewer of Say Yes to the Dress, I was always bothered when I heard a bride note under dislikes that she hated lace. As a romantic with a strong appreciation for the Victorian Era, I LOVE lace and always knew it would play a prominent role in my wedding dress. Gowns in tow, decisions like flowers came easy - green of course would play a prominent role, and white, but also red. I was told that the combination might play out to be too Christmas-like, but I strongly believed a pop of red would bring my wedding fantasy look to life and I was thrilled with the way things turned out. The more decisions I made the easier the others came.
Having spent over a year of my life planning for what ultimately amounted to one day, I was filled with renewed enthusiasm to rejuvenate my author brand, which though holding its own had been neglected while I was living my "real" life. Not your typical romantic suspense author, I'm not a fan of incorporating a lot of violence and depravity into my stories and instead use the dangerous situations I create to fuel the romance between my characters. As their creator, I know a lot of what appeals to me appeals to them as well. Planning my wedding has inspired me to breathe a bit of more of myself into my author brand. You can expect a few tweaks in the months ahead, including my new author logo, designed by Kim Killion of Killion Group, new covers for my paperback titles and a new look for my website. I'm always grateful for a bit of inspiration from wherever it comes. I'm excited to see where it takes me.
Easton Book Festival
I'm excited to be a part of this year's Easton Book Festival! I'll be doing a reading from A Sultry Performance, giving a workshop on Editing and Pacing and participating in a panel discussion on Self Publishing. All of my events take place Saturday, October 26th. I hope you can join me!
Author Expo Book Table - First
United Church of Christ Social Hall 27th, North 3rd Street, Easton PA - 10:00
AM - 4:00 PM, Saturday, October 26th
A Sultry Performance Reading - Quadrant Book Mart &
Coffee House - 20 North 3rd Street, Easton, PA - 11:30 AM, Saturday October
26th
Self Publishing Panel Discussion - State Theatre Gallery,
453 Northampton Street, Easton PA - 12:30 PM, Saturday, October 26th
Northampton
Community College, Classroom One, 25 South 3rd St. Easton PA - 4:00 PM
Saturday, October 26th
Making quick decisions has never been my forte. As a hybrid author, I'm used to having some time to look over my work, months presumably, and I think about what my characters will say for hours on end before their words reach the public eye. Published by a digital press and also having published a few indie releases, I haven't shared in the deadline woes of many traditionally published authors and this hasn't helped my ability to make decisions on the fly. Though I'm capable of thinking quickly when I have a gun to my head, I'm also a perfectionist. I see the path I walk as an author as a journey, not a light switch and while this may be true, I still prefer to mull over decisions. Planning my wedding, I was introduced to a different way of being.
No comments:
Post a Comment