Spellbound: To be released in PRINT this week!

I received a package from Amazon in the mail this morning that I had been eagerly awaiting for about a week.

The bright orange flames on the Spellbound by Fire caught my breath instantly. Finally I was holding in my hands a physical copy of a book I had worked years to perfect and bring to life. It's only a proof copy but it's the first hard copy of Spellbound to see the light of day. Tonight I sit working on the sequel, Spellbound by the Sword, with the proof copy sitting beside me as a reminder of what I have been through to be writing the series and finally presenting it to an audience.

My fiancé and mother have both been laughing at me all evening as I wander the house, hugging the book, caressing the cover. As revolutionary as eBook publishing is, there is still something magical about holding a physical copy of your own book in hand.

Back in May, I made a goal. I set out on a self-publishing journey that has seen its twists and winds, its ups and downs. Self-publishing She Wasn't Allowed to Giggle was an experimental learning experience, though it did much better than I thought it would in terms of reaching my intended audience and helping people, accomplishing what it was published for.

At the beginning of November, I decided to continue that journey by withdrawing Spellbound by Fire from the publisher and self-publish it; a decision I don't for any moment regret. I glance down at my book beside me with a sense of pride. After losing it in a house fire and then rewriting it, after rejections and turmoil with publishers, Spellbound by Fire was released December 2 as an eBook and I am now thrilled to announce that it will be available in print this week through Amazon!

The self-publishing journey has been an exciting one. As 2012 draws near, new goals are being set. It is time to reset my focus on my journalism career. I set it aside to publish my poetry book and Spellbound. I have a few journalism job leads. We'll see what happens there. In the meantime, I will continue on with my books. Next up: The sequel, Spellbound by the Sword. From writing to editing, cover art, production and marketing and selling, I can't wait to do this all again!