In the late summer my first editor was done with her wonderful edits. I was so excited that she had taken the time to sit through what I wrote. And I was researching printers. And of course... Nothing was coming together. The publisher I thought I was supposed to use was outrageously expensive and the whole thing didn't sit well with me. On one thought, I wanted them to publish the book. They are a big name independent publisher, one that a lot of big time Christian authors use. But there was just so much doubt. The we researched another printer, which was expensive. Again, frustration and doubt began to grab me, for a moment. And then I remembered that I am not the one Who was writing and publishing this and again, peace came over me. And not this happy feeling. It was a deep conviction that I was not alone in this, that there was a plan for this. I researched something called Create Space, which I had known about from the beginning. They were fast and they didn't charge me for anything. If I want to buy a book, I have to pay, but a reduced rate, something that Tom and I could live with.
I was all set to put it on Create Space, when an old friend contacted me through facebook. Our daughters had been great friends growing up and we had been through many bible studies together. He saw that I was working on publishing a book and asked if I wanted him to have a peek at it, he has some experience with editing and such. I took a deep breath, turned to my husband, who respects this man a whole lot and asked what I should do. We prayed about it and a few days later Tom suggested I give him another story. And the I thought, no! I have to give him the skating story! I did and he worked hard on it.
When I got his edits I freaked!!!! I didn't expect there to be so much. And then I worked through them and turned a really good story into a great one. With the help of everyone this story is something I am so proud of. And then... my daughter's cover came together. Wow! The model we used is a beautiful Christian girl who exemplifies what I thought of my main character to be. So now... I am happy to present (drumroll, please!)
https://www.createspace.com/5700472
Jacqueline Chevalier has it all. She is one of those girls you see in a magazine and wish you were her. She has everything a sixteen year old girl would want. She is an international figure skater at the top of her game. She lives a dream. Her family has riches and power. With that status, Jacqueline is expected to look the part, play the part, and be the part for family and country. But something is missing in her life that fame, fortune, and power can't provide. She feels lonely, unloved, and out of place in her family's picture-perfect image. She is frustrated about her parents refusal to allow her to pursue her dream, once her skating career is finished. When she makes the acquaintance of a set of twins, Grace and Brian Spencer, Jacqueline discovers that they have what is missing in her life. They have a relationship with each other that Jacqueline doesn't have with her brother and sisters, and especially not with her parents. Jacqueline craves that close relationship her new friends have with each other and with their parents, even though she knows that her family is different, that they have responsibilities to the citizens of their country. Just that alone prevents them from being a happy, normal family. She struggles with this as she watches her friends. Jacqueline wishes that she could be part of their close family because her parents' high standards of perfection and performance is exhausting. And then there are the expectations she puts on herself! Her life as a top skater leaves her no time to be what she really is - a teenager. When her parents reward her for finishing up her high school examinations with distinction, they take her on a holiday that includes a visit to her friend's hometown, Dubai. Her friends show her the best their town has to offer and a very strong friendship develops between the three of them, something that she has never allowed herself to experience before. On top of everything, Jacqueline makes discoveries that leave a deep impact on her as she watches and talks to Grace, whose standards are different than anything Jacqueline has ever thought of. She starts to learn that perhaps she is not as alone as she has thought. Her life changes when the family continues their holiday in the States. She accepts an invitation from Grace and Brian to spend a week on their grandparent's ranch, catching cattle and riding all day. She finds something more than the desire to have a close relationship with her parents. She finds that her perspective starts to change, that she no longer longs for a relationship with her parents, but that she now has something more to look forward to. It sets her up for an adventure that will last her life... and more.
Of course I want this to be a best-seller. Who doesn't. But there is something more important for me in this. If only one person reads this story and is touched by it, then I will be more than happy. And now I am going to enjoy myself. I am working on a website that is not up yet. I still have to upload this so that it is available on Kindle, which will happen this week.
Have a wonderful day. I know I am.
