Michelle Bolanger's Blog, page 3

Safe Cages Cover Reveal!

It has been almost two years since I wrote the scene that started me down the path to telling Michael and Sam's story. The emotional connection and deep love these two characters have for each other haunted me every time I opened the document. I argued with God for months before I gave in and trusted that He would guide me as I wrote a story that has impacted me in ways I never would have imagined.I sincerely couldn't be more excited about this book if I tried. It seems like I feel that way a...

Strengthening YOUR Work

Last week I started a series of blog posts that I hope will help shed some light on what it takes to be a fully self published author. I promised to take you through a few of the many steps SAFE CAGES will go through to get from the first draft to release day. In my first installment, I talked about where the idea for SAFE CAGES came from and the development of the story from concept to first draft. After the first draft has been through several rounds of my own re-writes, and I've gotten som...

Not Today!

Last week I sent out a newsletter with what was supposed to be a link to my last blog post. I messed up, and the link was bad.You know what? I didn't panic. It happens. I sent out a new newsletter today with an apology, the correct link, and a new link to a this post. (And included a link that WORKS!)My reaction to that simple mistake was one of the first revelations of how much I've grown past my fear of failure. Not very long ago, an error like that would probably have discouraged me from...

Get It Written!

I frequently get asked what it means to be a self-published or 'indie' author. In a nut shell, it means I do everything myself, and I hire someone to do the things I am not able to do. Things such as editing, cover design, and formatting. Over the next several weeks, I would like to share a few of the steps my next book will go through before it is released in July.If you subscribe to my blog and newsletter, you'll not only get exclusive content and early access to the cover reveal, author no...

Dayton Book Expo

For the third year in a row, I attended the Dayton Book Expo at Sinclair Community College in downtown Dayton, OH. As I've come to expect, it was well organized, provided great panels and speakers, and drew a fairly decent crowd.The organizers, LaTonya M. Branham, Valerie J. Lewis Coleman, and Charlotte L. Jenkins don't just provide an event for authors to sell and sign books, but they strive to be a resource to authors at every level. They offer seminars, boot camps, and meet-and-greet sessi...

The Light Release Party

This past Saturday, April 21, 2018, I celebrated the release of my fourth book, The Light, and had an absolute BLAST! First of all, Natalie Lowry at Storybrooke Cafe in Englewood, OH is the best host! She welcomed all of us in, and makes amazing coffee, tea, and hot cocoa. If you get the chance, be sure to stop by and check out her store. She has lots of events for kids and adults alike. You can find out more about Storybrooke Cafe on their WEBSITEor their FACEBOOK page.Secondly, I have to gi...

Bread, Worship, and Temptation

I have a book deadline looming, and I am a little stressed because I still have so many words to write before I can submit it. But – I have to take these precious writing minutes to get down on a page what happened this weekend. So often powerful moments come and go in our lives, and while they may have long lasting effects and bring about changes that forever impact our life, the emotions and thoughts of the moment itself can get lost in the back pages of a memory.This weekend, I found mysel...

Prayer and Fasting, Pt 1

[image error]Last week, as I was praying for the list of people I knew were sick or facing a medical procedure of some kind, I was overwhelmed by the length of the list and the severity of the illnesses.Then, I started adding to the list all the other needs that had been shared with me or that I knew about.Then, I turned on the news.It prompted me to set aside a day to fast, and ask God not only to heal the sick, but more importantly to ask Him to speak to me. Biblical fasting is a discipline that doesn’t...

Dream Big

Look closely at the present you are constructing. It should look like the future you are dreaming. - Alice WalkerOvernight successes usually aren’t. There are months and years of work that often go unnoticed and unrecognized. In today’s world with 24 hour news, instant updates via every social media outlet imaginable, fast food, pizza delivery, and cellphones there seems little reason to wait for anything.Photos and videos go ‘viral’ and the people associated are household names in hours or d...

2018 Reading Challenge

In 2014 and 2015 I went into a reading frenzy. There were periods of time when I read 4-5 books a week! Then in 2016 and 2017, my desire to read fell to almost nothing. I re-read a few of my favorites, like Redeeming Love and The Infernal Devices series, but nothing else really caught my attention.The only new thing I read, and is a series I HIGHLY recommend, was the Broken Skies series by Theresa Kay. I blew through it in a matter of days, and will probably find myself re-reading it again th...