booksbyanna

New Contract…always unbelievable on some level…

booksbyanna — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 02:03:53 +0000

I get a lot of mail (electronic and snail) from people who have enjoyed my books but who mention that they too would like to write. It always makes me think back over my own journey in this wild and wacky and VERY unpredictable career.

From the time I was in fifth grade I can recall thinking about telling stories in some way. I never really thought about it as “I want to be a writer” but more as “I want to tell stories.” There was a time when I thought I might do that on stage–as an actress. But I had neither the talent nor the stamina for that life. And then I started to write–and the more I wrote, the more I realized that whether anyone published my books or not, I simply couldn’t NOT write. I kept journals and tried my hand at a play and a screenplay. I went to work in corporate America and wrote marketing copy to sell products. And in between I just kept showing up at conferences and classes and meetings aimed at writers. I learned everything I could about the craft and applied what I learned to telling my stories.

Tonight I got the e-version of my latest contract–a 3-book deal for a series of stories set in WWII with a lead character in each who follows the Quaker (Society of Friends) faith to be published in 2013-14. This is a series that my agent has been trying to sell for the last couple of years. Truly I could probably paper the walls of a small bathroom with the rejections we have gotten on this one. So the pay-off here is not the $$$. It is the realization that somebody in the world of publishing has finally decided these are stories worth telling.

My point? This post isn’t really about my contract or career–it’s about believing in something so strongly that you can’t let it fail. I would so love to hear your stories of times when everyone around you rejected an idea or a project that you believed in and you stayed with it and saw it through in spite of those naysayers!!!

Deadlines–I have deadlines–I have stacks and stacks of deadlines!!!

booksbyanna — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 01:18:57 +0000

Busy time–and not so terrible given that it’s winter here in Wisconsin (albeit a mild one!) and what else do I have to do but go to my studio each day and WRITE!!! How lucky am I that in this crazy world of e-books and vanishing bookstores and publishers holding their breaths I have work to deliver!!! I well remember my years working in corporate America when I too often felt overwhelmed and put-upon — where my least favorite time of the week was Sunday night because it meant facing another week of work where I had little control over my assignments and had the added pressure of constantly needing to prove my worth to the powers that be. Writing can seem romantic to the unitiated but to anyone who has ever crafted a story or novel and tried to find a home for it, romantic it’s not!!

Okay, so I’m babbling on here–stream-of-consciousness as I try to make sense of the crazy world I find myself in these days. A world where my work has taken off in ways I could never have imagined while my personal life is wrapped in the tragedy that my husband is coming to the end of his journey with an illness called Pulmonary Hypertension (see my diary/blog at www.journeytowidowhood.wordpress.com). To say my days and nights are surreal at this time is the understatement of the year and yet I realize that in so very many ways I am truly blessed. My hope for all of you as we near Valentine’s Day is that somewhere in your life you have found love and laughter and the sheer adventure that is the one wild and wacky life you have been given. All best, Anna

Gearing up to launch latest book…

booksbyanna — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 22:39:39 +0000

And so it is February–Groundhog’s Day to be exact and so that I don’t keep repeating the same mistakes, I thought I would ask for advice from readers. Book 2 (A SISTER’S FORGIVENESS) of my WOMEN OF PINECRAFT series is coming out in May. As I put together a marketing plan for this one I’d love to know:

How do you “discover” new titles?
What motivates you to add a book (e-book or print) to your list?
How much do reviews (on amazon or from other sources) influence your choices?
Who influences you to pick up a new author or title (librarian? friends? co-worker? etc….)

Always a bright spot in my day to hear from you!!! All best and don’t forget to stop by my website (www.booksbyanna.com) to register for TWO contest giveaways.

Happy February!!

Anna

January News…

booksbyanna — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 20:25:33 +0000

Wintering in Wisconsin instead of Florida this year because…

Husband is coming to the end of a long and courageous battle with lung disease and to that end…

I have started to blog about my new and frankly terrifying journey toward widowhood at…
www.journeytowidowhood.wordpress.com

Please stop by now and know that your thoughts and support are always welcome as I travel this road. Anna

And so we come to a NEW YEAR!

booksbyanna — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 13:35:04 +0000

For me it promises to be a year of great change–my husband is quite ill and will soon move to home hospice care. Amazingly I find some comfort in books I am reading currently where the protagonist is recently widowed. Can we say SURREAL?? Do you have a favorite novel that deals with great loss? If so, please share title/author. My all time favorite ‘loss’ book has to be SOPHIE’S CHOICE by Wm Styron. Thoughts????

It’s beginning to look a lot like…

booksbyanna — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 13:23:02 +0000

What is your favorite holiday:
* Book
* Film
* Television Special

Shopping? Consider giving someone a copy of my latest book–A STRANGER’S GIFT–you can order it from my website at www.booksbyanna.com and while you’re there be sure to register for the contest drawing–you might just score a gift for yourself!!! Happy Holidays to all!!! Anna

AND SO TO THE HOLIDAY SEASON…

booksbyanna — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 00:37:57 +0000

This seems a good time to talk about favorite books with a holiday theme (or perhaps a defining holiday moment!)–what are your favorites and why? There are the classics, of course: GIFT OF THE MAGI; NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS; A CHRISTMAS CAROL; etc. But what else? QUESTION #2 FOR DISCUSSION: What is your definition (and example) of the term ‘heartwarming’ when applied to a story or novel?

Characters that are ‘real’

booksbyanna — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 21:27:34 +0000

One of the most rewarding comments I can hear from readers of my books is that the characters were so ‘real.’ That got me to thinking about books I’ve read where I connected with a character in such a way that it seemed as if we had a great deal in common. For me one such character was the writer and narrator of the story in “Sophie’s Choice.” Do you have favorite characters that came to life for you–reminding you of yourself or perhaps someone close to you? If so, love to hear more….

Book One of Women of Pinecraft is available…

booksbyanna — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 17:48:59 +0000

Forgive the self-promotion but just wanted to let everyone know that the first book of my Mennonite trilogy is available (at least for pre-order–officially available on 11/15). The title is A STRANGER’S GIFT and the setting is the wonderful Amish/Mennonite community of Pinecraft in Sarasota FL. Stop by my webite to enter a drawing for a $50 VISA gift card in celebration of this launch!!! Anna

Settings

booksbyanna — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 23:41:59 +0000

I’ve been writing stories set in Florida in the Amish/Mennonite community of Pinecraft (Sarasota). The books — some contemporary and some historical– have brought a lot of comments mostly about how much folks in these times are drawn to the ‘plainer’ lifestyle of these groups. That got me to thinking about settings: both time settings and geographical settings. Would love to have your thoughts on:
1. What time period (including contemporary) are you most drawn to?
2. Do you prefer stories set in the USA to those set in other countries? If so, why?
3. If a story is set in a foreign land, what foreign settings appeal most to you?
4. If the story is historical, what time periods are most interesting to you?