Sara R. Turnquist's Blog, page 38

The Social Media Beast – My Perspective

In my limited experience among other writers through groups and online classes and whatnot, the big thing seems to be how to tame the social media beast. Mostly because number one, we are first writers and that’s what we want to do – write. Not invest in the time drag that can be marketing. And secondly, because, by and large, authors tend to be of a more introverted nature. Reaching out through social media just does not suit our makeup in most cases. So, what’s my perspective on this? I can only share how I’ve managed to find some balance. I can only tell you what tricks I use to make social media and marketing a part of my rather busy life. But I am willing to do share what I can.

Balance. This is a buzz word these days. Especially for your particular season of life (which, I think this word tends to apply to almost every season). But I am in the season of littles. I have three children (6, 4, and 2) with their own needs and challenges and schedules. It’s a full time job! I also have this passion for writing, having become a published author within the last year (having a book released in July 2015 and one in January 2016). So, critique groups, online courses, conferences, having a mentor, and the social media/marketing piece are important to me. And then the writing, of course, as well. Are there enough hours in the day? No.

The Beam. So what is one to do? As a wife and mom, there are responsibilities that must get done. As a writer/author, I deeply desire to continue to grow and hone my skill. Well, I cannot (obviously) do everything. I have to learn to make sacrifices and delegate some things. I have in the past called this “on the beam” (the important stuff I need to keep doing) and “off the beam” (the stuff I delegate or stop doing altogether). Laundry, dishes, general housework – off the beam – delegated. Playing with my children – on the beam. Dinner each night – split on the beam/off the beam with my husband. You can begin to see how this works for your different responsibilities.

Managing Social Media. For me, the best tool I utilize is Hootsuite. This has been a God-send in my life. It means for me that I sit down once a day and do my posts/tweets at once and schedule them out across the day. You can do a whole week at once, but I just do one or two days at a time because I like my posts/tweets to be current to what’s happening with me.  I tweet and post to facebook and my facebook author page every day. I’m also on pinterest, but update that less frequently.

What do I post? Don’t think of your social media outlets as a place to do all your marketing. It is a place to make connections with people. So, post about what interests you. Encourage interactions with others. If you like gardening, for example, post and pin (on pinterest) about gardening. Those that like gardening will follow you and then discover your books as they learn more about you. Just be yourself, though. As the other point of social media is for those who follow you because they already like your books to get a little “peek behind the curtain”, a little insight into who you are.

When/Where do I market? I do, on occasion use my facebook and twitter to market. I believe the statistics say to use those outlets for marketing about 20% of the time. I do much less than that. Perhaps I should ramp it up, but that’s where I’m comfortable right now. You can also market yourself at speaking engagements. Whether or not you are speaking about your books. Mention that you are an author, pass out swag, do a door prize give-away of an amazon gift card or one of your books. Easy ways to get the word out.

E-mail list. Grow your e-mail list. Send out newsletters with some frequency. I get one out every month or every other month. I try to provide something for my followers (like a recipe) as well as information about my books and what’s going on with me. But you want to get that list going because that belongs to you. Facebook and twitter do not. They could be gone tomorrow. Not likely, but possible.

Baby Steps. All in all, social media seems like a time drag and maybe like a drag period. But, to steal an idea from the movie “What about Bob?”, you can’t think about the whole thing, take it one step at a time…baby steps. Think about implementing one thing this week. Maybe a blog. Do that for a couple of weeks. Then maybe add facebook. Then after a few weeks, twitter. Add things slowly an as you feel you can handle them. Measure out your time. I allow myself about 10-15 minutes for Hootsuite each day. That’s all it takes. Then, on Tuesdays and Fridays, I give myself an extra hour for a blog post. I have a goal of editing or writing 2 scenes each day. Small goals, manageable goals. If I do more – great! Icing on the cake.

So, with that, I will say good luck! Take a hard look at your responsibilities, see what can be delegated. Add something new to your schedule, and go with it! Happy marketing!!

 

The post The Social Media Beast – My Perspective appeared first on Sara's Desk.

The Fear of Failure

We all have fears…fear of something happening to one of our kids, fear of death, fear of pain…I’m totally afraid of a minor outpatient surgical procedure I’ll be undergoing tomorrow morning. I would put forth that fear is a natural part of life. I would also like to propose that most of our adult fears are basically a fear of the unknown. My fear of spiders, however, doesn’t apply. That’s a known, very real danger. Watch out, people! They’re out to get us! (All joking aside, even I can appreciate what spiders do for our planet – bug population control.)

What about those of us who are artists? Who put ourselves out there through our work? Or who are preparing to do so? What about that fear?

That fear is real. I believe that just about every artist experiences some level of fear when putting their art out into the world. It’s so much a part of who we are. What if no one likes it? What if critics are harsh? What if it is rejected? It will be like they are rejecting us. Who we are at our very core.

That fear can get in the way.

“90% of people who have a one-on-one with an agent at a conference and are requested to send in their material, never do. There are many reasons for this, but the #1 barrier is fear.”

― Bob Mayer, Write It Forward: From Writer to Successful Author

That fear doesn’t give up. Let’s say you do submit to the agent. Let’s even say you publish. That fear becomes your companion. Maybe not constant and maybe not even at the forefront of your mind. But it’s there, lurking. Waiting for that negative review or that criticism to confirm for you what your worst fear tells you – that you don’t measure up.

SO, WHAT IS ONE TO DO WITH THAT FEAR?

Have your team. You need those people in your life who support you and can ground you. Both so your head doesn’t get up in the clouds and so that you don’t let a bad review or some off the wall comment about your work drag you down. My team is priceless. My friends and family make up this group of supporters, as well as my professional connections. My beta readers, critique group, and writing mentor are invaluable to me for so many reasons. Their support,

Have the truth. You need to know who you truly are and where your worth is found. As for me, my sense of value is founded in who God says I am. So, whatever happens on Amazon reviews does not affect that. I am doing what God has set before me to do. The truth is that I am learning my craft, doing the best I can, telling the story that is in me to tell. It is my art. And someone’s opinion is just that – their opinion.

Have the courage to stand up to the lie. The lie that fear wants to tell you is that you don’t measure up, that your work (and therefore you) have been rejected. The truth is that any negative thoughts are words coming forth are opinions. They don’t know you, or your heart, or the purpose of your story. If they are criticizing your art, it is possible they have totally missed the mark, or just don’t share your views. That’s all it means. This does not discount who you are as a person or as an artist.

Believe in yourself. You are your number one champion. Though you have your support group, you have to believe in yourself. You are the one who sets your goals, who accomplishes them. And the one who will choose to believe the truth and not the lies or the fear.

 

The post The Fear of Failure appeared first on Sara's Desk.

Self-Editing: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

Hello! I don’t know if any of my fellow writers are anything like me, but I do not enjoy self-editing. It is, frankly, a time drag. It is time, I think, could be better spent creating new work. Imagine if I didn’t have to do any editing? How much quicker I could produce work? Wow! But the fact of the matter is, we all have to self-edit. It is a vital part of getting the manuscript ready for an agent/publisher.

WHY SELF-EDIT?

It only makes your manuscript stronger. It helps you fill in the gaps. Catch any mistakes you may have made. It basically presents the best of you to your publisher, a potential publisher, or a potential agent/editor (whomever is reading your work). Especially if you wrote the manuscript a while ago and it has been resting. Or you have learned more about your craft in the meantime through online courses or workshops or conferences. Bring that back to your work, enhance and hone your art.

It is required by many publishers before they send it to editing. I know that my publisher at least requires that I do a round of self-editing with their criteria and my own skills before I submit it to them for the three rounds of editing that they utilize (content, line, and proofing). I have been surprised how many things I have caught between my own self-editing and then self-editing with their criteria. And what they are asking me to look for is good stuff. It’s just stuff that a newbie like me wouldn’t have thought about.

HOW DO YOU SELF-EDIT?

Look for Grammatical Errors. This one is a no-brainer. One of the things I have found is helpful is to run your document through a couple of word processors though. For example, I used to write in LibreOffice. Well, LibreOffice catches a certain set of things. Word will catch a set. Some of these things overlap, but some do not. Word will catch things that LibreOffice did not. So, it behoves me to put my document through Word also. And that’s only one example.

Check for flow. One of the things you can do that is great for checking the flow of the document is to read it out loud. You would be amazed at the number of things you can catch that way. I know, it doesn’t seem that it would make that big of a difference, it does. But, as you go through, check to make sure you’re not repeating words. Make sure you’re varying sentence beginnings. These are things that help with flow.

Double check for inconsistencies or content flaws. Be watchful for things you may have missed when writing. You really have to have eyes like a hawk when it comes to this. Because you know in your head how all of it works out, but try to look at it as a reader. If it’s not clear in the document, it’s not clear. If it’s not written down, it doesn’t exist. A reader can’t ask you for explanations.

Tighten where you can. There needs to be some flow to your manuscript, but it also need not be extraneously wordy. Jerry Jenkins gives wonderful tips about tightening, especially dialogue. You can check out his blog here. Extra words are sometimes that – extra words.

There are more, but these are the biggies. I also strongly encourage you to get more eyes on the work. Be that a critique group or a critique partner. Someone else to look at it and give you honest feedback. And that, my friends, is my two cents worth on self-editing. Happy writing!

The post Self-Editing: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly appeared first on Sara's Desk.

What is the state of things?

We’re almost a year into this blog. A year from my first contract. And I’m getting some questions about what’s happening with this manuscript and that one…what am I working on right now…so it seems appropriate to do a post about the state of things. Where are the books and manuscripts right now? How have things been going? What are my plans for the immediate future and the upcoming year?

THE BOOKS AND MANUSCRIPTS

The Lady Bornekova. The one that started it all. It’s been a little over six months since my debut novel came out. Overall, I will say that it has been well received. Is it everyone’s cup of tea? No. But neither am I If you enjoy clean Historical Fiction/Romance that’s not too heavy-handed, but has an interesting story with a meaningful romance, my books will be more your style.

The General’s Wife. This book has just debuted earlier this month. And we are looking forward to the blog tour coming soon. It was supposed to start January 25th, but has been delayed to take better advantage of bloggers who are interested in hosting but needed different dates. Having a great tour (instead of a rushed tour) is all about timing.

Off to War. This book has been through my beta readers and needs some final editing from me before it is ready to go. That final round of self-editing/folding in beta reader suggestions is back burner right now.

Hope in Cripple Creek. Feedback from beta readers is currently being folded in and I’m about halfway through the book doing so as I apply some final self-editing. As this book was written about a year ago and I’ve learned so much since then, I am wanting to apply what I have learned to this manuscript. It just takes time.

Trail of Fears. Still out with one last beta reader. Also, I am letting this manuscript “rest” before I return to it. So, you could say it, too is back burner for now.

The Diary. Just finished self-editing and sent it out to my beta readers. This is an exciting time for me! I can’t wait to hear what my trusted readers have to say about my work!

The Lady Bornekova’s Sequel. I am about half-way through writing. I came to a point where, as you can see, I had too many irons in the fire. So, I am taking one manuscript at a time and trying to work my way through it. This sequel is being brought to the front burner (as it were). I am still deep in research about the Hussite Wars and about the military leader of the Hussite armies, Jan Zizka. So much rich history there!

THIS PAST YEAR

This past year has been a time of learning and honing my craft. A massive amount of learning! Conferences, online classes, the weekly critique group…all of it. And I am trying to be the best little sponge I can be. I started small in the way of conferences and went to the local Clarksville Writer’s Conference (fairly small, but good). Then worked my way up to a moderate sized conference in Kentucky (the Kentucky Christian Writer’s Conference). Then, finally, I steeled myself for a huge, national conference – the ACFW Conference. It’s been a whirlwind, it’s been so educational, it’s been AMAZING! I am addicted.

THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE

Just Keep Writing. Remember all those manuscripts that are on some burner? Well, those need to get conquered. And there are more ideas flowing. I plan to submit another manuscript for consideration in the near future as well. Which one…I’m not telling!

Speaking Engagements. I hope to expand this area of my repertoire. This next month, I will be speaking about my personal struggle with Post Partum Depression. There are many other topics I am ready and eager to speak on including, but not limited to, writing.

Workshops. The critique group I am a part of will be hosting two more workshops this semester, which I will be co-teaching. You can find out more about them here. Topics include branding, blogging, show don’t tell, deep point of view, character development, and more.

WHAT ELSE IS COMING

Conferences. I fully intend to hit some conferences again this summer. They are such a valuable source of information, networking, and a great opportunity to pitch your work to agents/editors. Definitely worth the investment.

Agenting. I have gone back and forth about whether or not I need an agent. I am starting to lean toward ‘yes’. So, I will more seriously be pursuing this prospect.

So, in conclusion…there is a LOT going on. But I wouldn’t trade it for anything, this wild, crazy life of mine. And to think…this all started a year ago. Before that I was a “closet writer”. Writing was a hobby, nothing more than a pastime for me. What a difference a year can make!

The post What is the state of things? appeared first on Sara's Desk.

Marketing: Minefield or Goldmine?

Of all the things that have become a part of my life as an author, marketing is not the most exciting. On personality tests, I test right on the halfway mark between introvert and extrovert. But in this part of my life, I’m definitely an introvert. Selling myself is just not my strong suit. But my education in this area has been more like a crash course. So, I’ll share what I have learned in my short time of actively seeking out information about the craft and all that’s involved in being an author…and hope it helps someone.

Keeping up a webpage. Well, having a webpage and keeping it up is like having a homebase for your audience. It’s a place where they can come to begin connecting with you – learning about your books, what you want to share with them about you, your blog, etc. The key is maintaining it. Keeping something new and fresh on the page as the weeks go by. We just did some refreshening of my webpage. So, if you haven’t looked around, feel free to – especially the pages of my novels (published and in progress). There are also some links on the left side of the home page you might not have seen.

Blogging. Regular blogging is important to keep bringing fresh information to your audience and your page. Sharing your ideas and letting your audience “peek behind the curtain” as it were. Those of you that follow my blog know that I try to blog twice a week (usually on Tuesday and Friday) but I rarely (if ever) let a week go by when I don’t blog at least once.

Social Media. Social Media can be a beast…or your best friend. The key is to think of it as connecting with your audience. Just be you. Post about things that interest you (and about your books occasionally, but don’t be cramming it down everyone’s throat). People will connect with you about your interests and, again, it’s those connections that you are looking for. And I will say here: Hootsuite is a lifesaver. Just sayin’. Social Media also includes places like Pinterest where you can make boards for each of your books, pinning your ideas for what your characters look like, costuming, settings, etc.

Swag. I have swag…bookmarks, postcard sized prints of my book covers, notepads with my book cover in the corner, etc. But I find that I don’t pass them out as much as I’d like. That’s probably more due to my introverted nature in this area than anything else. I recently heard of a company that prints booklets with your cover on the front and a chapter excerpt inside. Now that sounds like some interesting swag.

Blog Tours. I think that the blog tour after a book release is a good idea. I have benefitted a lot from making that decision. I recommend using a service and picking one that is specific to your genre. I write Historical Fiction, so I use Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours. They have been wonderful to work with and they are able to connect me with blogs that write in my genre. Therefore I am connected with audiences that are interested in my genre and are more likely to be interested in my book then, say, a blog about Mystery – only some of those readers will be interested in my book.

Speaking Engagements. I’ve heard that authors should make every effort to be speakers as well. Speak about the topics in your book, your message, or even just about your books. I am just now starting to expand this area of my platform. This one can be a little bit harder to get going, in my experience. Local venues are a good place to start – libraries, local clubs, etc.

I’ve touched on just a few areas that encompass marketing. This list is by no means meant to be extensive. There is so much to marketing and I am still learning. But this is a place to start. It is not easy to conquer the marketing giant. The best advice I’ve gotten is to take a couple of these areas at a time. Like do twitter and facebook for a while. It’s better to do a couple of areas really well than to do them all poorly. Happy marketing!

The post Marketing: Minefield or Goldmine? appeared first on Sara's Desk.

Monitor Your Expectations

I am a “recovering” perfectionist…at least that’s what helps me sleep at night. All joking aside, I truly believe I am on the road to recovery. But this perfectionism streak runs deep. I run into challenges in my life created by its existence over and over again. In every area of my life – as a mother, a wife, an educator, and even a writer. Where does this perfectionism come from? Well, it must have something to do with my childhood, with the way I’m wired…but how do I conquer it?

The cause. I find, after much thought in introspection, that the root cause of my perfectionism is expectations. Expectations about who I should be as a mother, what my home should look like, what my marriage should look like…even how my books should be received. See a pattern here? I do. “Should’s”. The buzz word for expectation. I imagine this picture in my head of what my life could look like (slipped around that should, did you see that?). And I long for that. And I beat myself up that I’m not there. Because that’s what I expect. Because that’s what I think everyone else expects (to some degree). Help me get off this roller coaster!

“Expectations are pre-meditated miseries”

I’m not sure who said it, but it hits the mark, doesn’t it? Who of us has gained anything by setting ourselves up for failure? I’m not saying we can’t have realistic expectations. It’s actually unrealistic, I think, to say that we will reach a place where we don’t have expectations. We all have them. And we’re not all unhealthy about them. But you know I’m talking about those expectations that set the bar way up there. Unreal expectations. “I’m going to be Martha-Stewart-crossed-with-Mother-Theresa when I become a mom” expectations.

A possible solution. I am NOT saying I have all the answers. Or even the only solution to this problem. But I can tell you what is working for me: setting small, reasonable goals for myself. Daily goals, monthly goals. And bouncing them off someone who can help me be realistic and make them tangible. “I want to be more interactive with my kids” is vague. “I will set out 30 minutes of each afternoon this week to just play with my kids” is measurable and attainable. It’s a goal you can reach and then feel good about. Then you can raise the bar a little if it would be good for you. Baby steps.

Learn to accept yourself where you are in your season of life. And monitor your expectations for where you want to be. These are two key things that I am learning right now as I self-evaluate. I never want to stop growing and learning, but I want to be able to experience joy and contentment for where I am and where God has me right now. And then look to the future with HOPE.

 

The post Monitor Your Expectations appeared first on Sara's Desk.

So you want to be a writer?

As some of you know, my second book released yesterday. “The General’s Wife” went up for sale in the wee hours of the morning…I know, I was up at 2 a.m. checking on Amazon. It was there. And the next 36 hours, I had so many texts and e-mails from friends and family members congratulating me and wondering what it must be like for an author on book premier day. Or what it is like to be a writer in general. It’s never too late to find out.

Make the time for it. This is the most crucial thing about writing. You must carve out and protect the time. And you must practice writing. Work on short stories. Share them with your significant other and close loved ones who won’t judge you but who will give you some good feedback. If you don’t have a clue what to write about, google “writing prompt” and get some ideas that way.

Join a Writing Group. Find a critique group that meets regularly. Preferably one that is led by a published author. And gather up enough courage to participate by bringing in scenes or short stories to share with the group and open yourself for helpful critique. That is the only way to improve…by allowing iron to sharpen iron.

Go to a conference…or several. Conferences are like crash courses for writers and then some. You sit in on session about the craft of writing and you have the opportunity (in most cases) to pitch to an agent or editor or mentor. This is a rather unique experience and one I would encourage you to take every advantage of. Even if you don’t feel ready. Make it a Q&A session or a practice session to ease yourself into the idea of pitching.

Take an online class. I made the decision to join a national writing organization. I joined the ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) and they host a monthly online class that I participate in. It is PERFECT for me. They focus on a different topic each month and there is one to two lessons a week (not overwhelming, but just enough to keep the juices flowing). It helps keep me on my toes and keep me learning.

Look for other opportunities to learn/network/connect. My critique group hosts workshops every few months which I participate in. I also joined a local chapter of the ACFW which meets monthly. Additionally, I do what I can to interact with other authors via social media whether they be other authors that work with my publisher or other authors in the ACFW (they even have a Facebook group for several different genres, so I can connect with ACFW authors in my genre).

I believe that there are people born with certain talents and aptitudes. So, some people have more of a bend toward writing than others, and even some have more passion for it than others (and passion counts for a lot). But no matter your aptitude, natural talent, or passion, there is always room for growth and learning when it comes to the craft of writing.

 

The post So you want to be a writer? appeared first on Sara's Desk.

Are you ready for this?

Well, friends, “The General’s Wife” will be released in TWO days! I can scarcely believe that come Thursday I will open my computer and see another one of my books available for purchase. It’s nearly unimaginable. It’s been quite the journey. Especially for this book…

My first novel. Even though this will be my second published novel, this was my first completed novel. This was the first book I plotted out, wrote on, labored over, and wrestled with. I started working on it so long ago, when I was still in college. As I didn’t have the know how or the time to work on it, this novel took years of honing and polishing to become what it is.

My first query. And though it was not first published, it was the first one I queried. I received a lot of “no responses” and one response that informed me that there was too much “head hopping”. Like I knew what that was. So, I started querying “The Lady Bornekova” and it was accepted for publication and began my road to publication, going to conferences and joining a critique group and learning a TON in a short amount of time. And then I learned what “head hopping” was (switching point of view character within the same scene). And I fixed it. Then “The General’s Wife” was ready to go.

My first go at research. As I had not written anything before, I had never been involved in the kind of research I would need for writing historical fiction. And I have come to find out that unique type of research I need for each book is different. This novel takes place in a real period in history, but almost all of the characters and events are fictional (the Pharaoh and his Queen are based on the actual Ptolemy II and Queen Arsinoe) – so I had a lot of creative leeway. Another of my books, “Trail of Fears” involves more real people that actually lived as well as real events, requiring a whole different level of research.

I imagine that each book of mine that I am blessed enough to have published will be unique for its own reasons. These are just a few of the reasons why “The General’s Wife” is singled out for me. Of course, with so many “firsts” it will always hold a special place in my heart.

 

The post Are you ready for this? appeared first on Sara's Desk.

My “No Resolution” 2016

Some of you love New Year’s Resolutions…I know you do. And if this day is a special day to you and makes you feel more encouraged to make a change in your life, more power to you and I truly do wish you the best. But it has always seemed to me that New Year’s Resolutions for most people last maybe a few weeks or a couple of months at the most. I really believe that someone who is ready for a change will make that change on any obscure date of the calendar year they finally reach that point where they face their old habit and decide they’ve had enough of living that way. I have had some such pivotal moments in the past year and so for the New Year, I resolve to CONTINUE these changes I have ALREADY made in my life:

To CONTINUE to work toward a healthier me. This is a challenge that has been ongoing. There have been times in my life I was more serious than others, but it was more often about losing weight. I have changed my perspective, however. It is now about being a healthier, more well me. So, over the last couple of months, I have made some changes in my life, little by little. My doctor is a fan of making one change at a time (he feels it is easier to sustain changes if you make them one at a time instead of changing so many things in your life so drastically). I am doing good-for-me smoothies for breakfast (which has always been a “what do I eat if anything” problem meal for me anyway). I am striving to trade pasta and rice for quinoa and couscous. More lean meats and veggies. Introducing more physical activity. Small changes, one at a time. And I am seeing results like I couldn’t have imagined.

To CONTINUE to schedule my time thoughtfully. As a wife and mom, there is a lot that goes into my life apart from the writing and the extra stuff I do. So, I have to guard my time carefully. And I have to be able to delegate the things that don’t belong in my schedule or simply say “no”. That’s hard for this extreme people pleaser. But necessary. Each week I look at my schedule for the week, looking over my commitments/appointments and then placing my “to do” lists on each day. Then in the morning, I go over that day and make adjustments to my “to do” list – shifting some to another day if need be.

Here is the key thing though: I celebrate that day if I accomplish only 3-4 things on that “to do” list. Anything else I get done is extra. That has taken a LOT of grace-giving and learning. But, especially on busy days, I need to not burden myself with unrealistic expectations. Because you and I know that, especially with a house, husband, and kids, there are always more things to do than are on that list. The others that don’t get done can slide to another day that may not be so busy (as you can imagine prioritizing those items is important).

To CONTINUE to make time for writing. “Write like a crazy woman November” (NaNoWriMo) led into “no writing December” for many reasons. Maybe I was burned out, maybe it was because December was so crazy for me. I definitely spent most of my free time reading. Ah, reading. It is a vital part of writing. It helps you learn from other writers, inspires you, helps you grow in ways that nothing else can. Stephen King says that “If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.” I think I concur. But, because I haven’t been writing, part of me feels a little….empty. My characters are all sitting around waiting for me to write their next line of dialogue. And they are desperate to know what’s going to happen to them.

All in all, these are the things I have been working on. Along with the “normal” desires to continue to be more involved with my kids and continue to daily “bless my home” (as FlyLady puts it) through routine care. So, while I am thrilled to welcome 2016 and look forward to a new year full of hope and promise, as far as a “resolution”, the only one I’m making is to continue what I’ve already started.

The post My “No Resolution” 2016 appeared first on Sara's Desk.

“The General’s Wife” COVER REVEAL!!

I know, I know…I teased you before Christmas with the cover reveal. Well, the holidays required that the cover reveal be a bit more delayed than I had expected, but it is here…

This journey has been quite different from that of the first book. But similar in many respects. It has gone by faster, it seems, and the editing process has required a little more of me. But I have been more distracted with other things – conferences, workshops, critique groups, getting other novels ready for review, NaNoWriMo, and whatnot…it’s been quite the ride these last few months. But this book’s release is drawing ever nearer – early January! The cover came in just today and we are ready to reveal it to everyone!!!

The Cover. This cover is the product of some collaboration between the artist and myself and LOT due to the cover artist’s great talent. For that, I can take no credit. The cover depicts pieces of the story so well and I am well pleased with the end result.

The Story. For those of you who have not been following my blog a description of THE GENERAL’S WIFE can be found here. It is the story of a young woman who is torn from her own home to face an arranged marriage to one of Pharaoh’s most powerful generals during the time when Greeks ruled Egypt. Leaving behind everything she knows, and her first love, she finds adversity awaits her. She faces the reality of a faceless group who wants nothing more than to run all of these Greeks out of Egypt and has set their menacing sights on her. Can she guard her heart from this man who has bargained for her hand? Will her spirit endure in the face of this mob who vows to rid Egypt of her and the whole ruling class of Egypt for good?

Clean Reads. The publisher I have been with for two novels now is called “Clean Reads”. They have been fabulous! Stephanie, the owner, has made herself available for any and all questions and has really been amazing to work with. You can learn more about this company here.

And so, without further ado….HERE IT IS:(click to reveal)

http://saraturnquist.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/The-Generals-Wife-cover-reveal.mp4

The post “The General’s Wife” COVER REVEAL!! appeared first on Sara's Desk.