My challenge!

 When I first started writing 9 year ago... It started with a short story a memory of a story I wrote in grade school. At the time my boyfriend Mike now my fiancée. (We’re getting married next May 23rd) We have been together 12 years now and would have gotten married earlier but we were busy with having our four adorable energetic kids.

Mike wanted to write a novel! So I did the research for him.

Before I had children I never stayed in the house at all always enjoyed to be out in nature. I went hiking, biking, rollerblading. My best friend Cassie and I would go down to the river a watch the swans. I actually got to sit with them they were so used to me.

When I became too round in the belly to bike. I sat in the chair and watched Mike working on his computer. That's when I decided that I needed a new hobby because I would now be in doors a lot more!

So that's when Mike made me a challenge! He challenged me to make my short story into a novel! I took the challenged! Of course because I not the type of person to back down from that kind of challenge! :)

First, I started with reading every book in my category, I could get my hands on. Examples: The never ending story, An acceptable time... I have a chest full upstairs. Also I read anything I could find out the net. Then I stop reading or looking at anyones writing style for a couple of years to create my own style of writing.

I wrote what I thought a novel should be and tried to get published. I was rejected many times at first! LOL. But instead of getting upset I got even! I just kept bring it up another level! (You see many writers start with getting published in magazines and short stories) I want to stay focused on my novel. So with many rejects and many attempts to perfect my writing skills... I turned to facebook and started net working with many other authors, illustrators. I watched all my new author friends! And studied under them. :)

(I had tried 2 other illustrators before I could find one I could work with and see my visions) Lorinda Loucks has done my book cover and many illustrations within the novel itself.

Finally, I found Donna with Sassy Sunflower books. She loved my novel! :0 and she taught me many things!!! She had a long list of things for me to do as the style, formatting and of course she wanted me to write more! LOL

WOW, there is a lot of formatting, and editing with writing a novel! It is about 70,500 words long. The last 10 day before submission I only slept 4-5 hours a night! LOL. Lots of work, therefore lots of ice mocha coffees! Owen being only 2 likes to get up early.

But sometimes in life you have to push yourself to reach another level!

When you read my novel you will see I have a BIG imagination. It’s a whole world and story that I invented.

As for writing with 4 kids, well honestly this is the way I relax. I write when they are busy and I also write when they are sleeping. I like to live within the pages of my novel and escape from reality.

This whole process took me about 9000 hours! 1000 hours per year for the last 9 years. (Mike counted!) Hehe... "I thought I would go with the never give up approach!" Besides I couldn’t let Mike win I was on a dare! LOL

I started writing when I was pregnant with my first child Meagan and now she is nearly nine years old. She has read my first novel Shrinking Forward. She was so excited to find out what happened next she bugged me for a week to read book 2 called Fading Away. After a week of bugging me she won!

She started reading one chapter every morning to me. I quickly found out that was a wonderful way to edit! And excellent bonding time with her. I love her excitement on her face every morning waking up and wanting to know what happens in the next chapter! After all one of my main reasons for writing my novels was for my children.