Eric's office

I thought I posted 'before' pictures here, but I've gone all the way back to January and I don't see them. In fact, I don't see that I've said anything about Eric's office. Odd.

OK, so we converted the downstairs office to Designated Eric Space. We painted and got him some grown-up furniture.

Here's what we started with:



And here's the almost after.




I have a shot of the final, but it's a little fuzzy, so I'll try to get a better one. If I didn't already have an office of my own, I think I'd be a little jealous!

Marketing: Step 1

I rallied enough brain cells last night to start my Facebook fan site. Please click here and join my group so that when I get ready to pitch a book this fall I can say I have a following. Thanks!

Oh, I guess I should probably 'out' myself here and let anyone here who doesn't already know (maybe there are one or two of you) that Wendy Blanton and Elizabeth Joy are the same person. Turns out the pen name created a marketing nightmare, so the Dragons Roost books will be the only books published under that name.

Home and beyond fried

The convention was beyond amazing. It was such a privilege to spend two intense days with such amazing writers. The staff was diverse, knowledge, and approachable. They answered every question thoroughly and graciously. There was no ego, no "I'm an author, bow to me," no "I paid my dues and now you must, too." They came along beside us, no matter what stage we were, and talked to us where we were.

I attended workshops on how to tighten and improve writing, and I also got into the marketing end. Marketing my writing has been a stumbling block for me. I am introverted and humble to the point to self-deprecation. Asking someone to buy my book feels like I'm a door-to-door salesman with my foot in the door. The publicist I talked to told me that if this is God's calling, I can't hide it under a bushel. If I'm going to get published--whether self-published or with a contract at a publishing house--I will need to be involved in the marketing.

Perhaps the biggest realization for me was two-fold. I have to hunker down and do my work with no expectation of reward other than the knowledge that God is going to use my work to touch people, and that in doing so I will attract the attention of the enemy, leaving me vulnerable to attack. I don't know specifically what that means, and I'm glad.

As for moving forward, I'll begin the editing of Gracie Mac and probably recycling an old story that never fully materialized. I have to work on specifics. On the marketing side, I'm going to look into a full-fledged website and perhaps start a fan page on Facebook. I'll be updating here as I put my plan into action.

Not today, though. Today I'm enjoying the sabbath.