Month: October 2012

Well, it’s Sunday again and the start of a glorious new week in Anna’s World. I hope you all had a fantastic week. We returned from our Branson getaway on Friday evening, relaxed and ready to take on whatever the world throws our way in the week ahead. As some of you know, we will be on the road again at 4:30 Monday morning but this time not for a pleasure trip. My husband of nearly forty years has been fighting a battle with cancer for over four years and this is the week we go to IU Medical Center in Indianapolis for another week of intense immunotherapy.

Our four day getaway in Branson was awesome! We met some of the nicest people there and I handed out several bookmarks for one of my upcoming romances, Unlikely Lovers, which will be available in February from Rebel Ink Press. New friends were made and if we go back there, we will definately look them up. I did find some inspiration while there and may be including some Branson locations in future stories…we shall see. One of the local businesswomen we met was very enthusiastic about my work and couldn’t wait to get home and tell her daughter about me. 🙂 One fellow asked for a bookmark and after reading the blurb requested several more to pass along. I had to make a phone call to place a rush order for more bookmarks as I haven’t had a chance to give one to everyone I had intended to give one to yet!

We spent our time shopping, eating, and relaxing, as well as telling people about my upcoming releases. Now that’s my kind of vacation…I actually found time to read a Debbie Macomber romance while there.

I came home geared up to finish my current romance, the third in the Fab Five Series, and after writing most of the afternoon and evening yesterday am happy to tell you that it is finally very nearly finished. I am hoping to be able to work on it while at the hospital this week and submit it very soon to Lazy Day Publishing.

After that, I will go back to that pesky little love story that has been nagging at me for weeks to be told. If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter, you might remember that a few weeks ago, I had to stop one day while working on The Road to His Soul and get the first few chapters of Sealed With A Kiss started. Those characters just would not leave me alone until I did. My hero and heroine in The Road to His Soul were probably glad I did because their story has blossomed since that day. Sealed With A Kiss is not a part of the series, so as soon as it is completed, I will get back to my wonderful “Fabs” and their drama. Because as you know, in Anna’s World, there is always a love story begging to be shared with the rest of the world. And after you meet my wonderful “Fabulous Five” and their families you will discover that drama and romance always seem to find them, where ever they go.

Edits should be rolling in soon for my first two releases so I am looking forward to a very busy November and December between my writing and editing, my day job at Southern Hills, and of course, the wonderful holiday season with family and friends.

Have a great week in your world and don’t forget to say a little prayer for us this week as we face the week ahead.

Love,

Anna ❤

As I sit here on this Sunday evening anticipating the week ahead, I’ve decided that I am excited. We’re going to take a few days and visit Branson, MO again before we head back to the hospital for more treatments for my husband.
Vacations have been scarce the past few years for us and with fall being my favorite time of the year for a scenic road trip, this will be a much needed relaxation for both of us.
Maybe I’ll get a new inspiration for another book while we’re there. Once I’d finished my first book, I worried that there would be no more. That particular story had been in the making for years and once it was finished, I wondered how in the world I would ever come up with any more. So far that’s not been a problem. My mind is going all the time, coming up with new ideas. The problem seems to be finding the time to put all those stories to paper.
I have so many books planned, but with very limited time available in my schedule to write them, I try and make the most of the time I have. People say I’m focused and they are amazed at the amount of writing I can do in one sitting. Believe me, if I had more time, there would be a lot more being written.
I’ve set some pretty high goals for myself and at times I wonder if I’m being unrealistic. But the more authors I come into contact with, I find that I am no different than any of them. Writing is an obsession for all of us, it seems. Once the voices in my head take over, they don’t shut up until I’ve done them the honor of putting their words to paper.
I’ve been amazed at the support I’ve gotten from those who know me. It’s been overwhelming, to say the least. Once the news that I’d finally succeeded in signing that first all important publishing contract began to spread, the emails and messages from friends and family has been heartwarming. And when other contracts soon followed, I think everyone was just in total shock at the awesomeness of it all, most of all…me.
Those closest to me have known for a long time that this is and always has been my dream. Will I be another Danielle Steel or Nora Roberts? Most likely not, but just to know that people will be reading my books and hopefully enjoying them enough to buy the next one has to be the greatest feeling in the world. I hope that once you’ve read one, you’ll look forward to my next release every time.
The enthusiasm and anticipation as family, friends, and co-workers anxiously await the releases never ceases to amaze me. Thank you all for the endless encouragement. I hope that I will never disappoint you.
As long as the voices in my head keep coming up with new ideas, I’ll keep coming up with new stories for you.
Until next week, I hope you all have the best week ever and I’ll be thinking of you as I’m relaxing in the Ozarks.
Love,
Anna

My Crazy New World…Loving It.

Well, things are crazy as ever in Anna’s world these days. Lazy Day Publishing will be releasing Crossroad to Love in January and the second in the series in March, The Road to Her Heart. I’m currently working on the third one…The Road to His Soul. Rebel Ink Press will release Unlikely Lovers in February and Sunny’s Love in April so it’s going to be a busy time for me.

Many people have asked me how long it took for me to get that awesome first email that contained a contract for one of my books. Believe me, it’s an email that will change your life forever! The day I got my first one, I was at work. Everyone in the business office at the counseling center I do billing for heard my gasp and came running to see what was going on.

Now for the answer to the much asked question. I began writing my first book, Crossroad to Love about twelve years ago. But life sort of got in the way and I put it aside. Then about five years ago, I was sitting at home for the first time in many years without a job and bored out of my mind. My husband suggested that I finish the book to fill the time until I went back to work. So I dug it back out and started over. I took the first few chapters to my neighbor and asked her to read them and tell me what she thought. She did and told me to finish it. So I did. Then I wrote another one, and then another. I was accepted by an agent for Crossroad to Love and then I started a new job and went back to the forty hour a week gig. The agent thing didn’t pan out and I sent the manuscript to a few pubs myself. One was kind enough to tell me what changes I needed to make. I got four chapters into the changes and life hit me with a big one. My husband was diagnosed with the big “C”. So the books and the idea of getting published were put on the back burner again. Several times over the next few years people would ask whatever happened with my books. My husband said many times that he wanted to continue with my dream. Then I fell and broke my right arm and, of course, I’m right handed. So two surgeries and one year later, I was finally able to use the arm again. Once again, the hubs asked when I was going to get busy and start submitting the book. Finally I pulled out one ms, reworked it and sent it in. Then another and then another. The contract for Unlikely Lovers arrived from Rebel Ink Press three days after I’d submitted it and the contract for Crossroad to Love came one week later from Lazy Day Publishing. Needless to say, I was in seventh heaven. I sent Sunny’s Love in to Rebel Ink Press and lo and behold, another contract arrived in my email. By this time I was so stoked that I worked on The Road to Her Heart, as I’d always planned for Crossroad to Love to have several sequels. Two days after submitting it to Staci at Lazy Day, a contract arrived for it, as well.

I continue to write, am learning about marketing and am looking forward to staying on this crazy roller coaster. I hope you’ll all read my books when they are released and post reviews for me. Until next time, have a great week, everyone.

Love,
Anna