Hey everyone and happy Sunday! A lot is going on right now and I’m excited about two of them. One is the book. It has had a name change and many other changes have taken place for the greater good. The book is now titled Ascendance. The only thing I will tell you about this novel’s plot is that there is a tiny bit of truth to it. Not all of it is fictional. It is a fictitious story that is inspired by future true events. That is all I can tell you at this time. So far it is coming along very well. I must be honest about this story though. It is not something that I just came up with recently. I have been trying to write this book for the past few years and spent a lot of time picking it up and putting it down repeatedly. Even while working on other projects. I’ve even given up on it entirely at one point but for some reason, this story just refuses to die.

I also want to let you all know that I have decided not to have this book traditionally published. Let’s face it…2020 has been one of the scariest years we have ever had to face and for obvious reasons. Life is too short and tomorrow is not a promise…it’s a gift. I don’t know if I’ll be alive tomorrow or the next day or next week. I don’t have time to wait for hundreds of agents to read my query letters, with me begging them to read my book. I want this book to be published right after it’s edited. I no longer care about being traditionally published. If life allowed me all the time in the world than sure maybe I would give it a go but things have changed. The world has changed…and I have changed with it. Recent events have taught me that I can’t live for the future anymore. I have to live in the now.

Unlike the previous books, I will most likely not use Kindle Direct Publishing. Not anymore. They are great and it cost nothing to use their services but they lack a few things that I want. One of those things is wide distribution. I want to see my books on book store shelves and in libraries and KDP did not deliver in that regard. I already have a publisher in mind. They are not free but they have a lot more to offer and the price is reasonable.

My main agenda is not to get rich. That is a long shot. And I am a realist. It would be nice to be rich, but it is not the most important thing to me. Happiness is. And what would make me happy is to have more readers. Without you guys, all of this would be for nothing. I mean that. I have all three of my novels available for you to read for free on inkitt.com/eshelle31 and the feedback has been so positive. Particularly for my novel A Woman of Courage. I truly appreciate all of it. It is so weird to know that something I wrote has made people cry. Or have given people hope. That makes writing truly worthwhile. How it affects you. Whether you hate it or love it, thank you for even giving it a chance. In the past, I was afraid to get any kind of feedback from anyone but today I feel different about it. One thing that this journey has taught me is that being a writer is not about making money, it’s not about being on the best seller’s list, it’s about how what you write makes people feel.

I am officially on vacation now and plan to make the most of it. It’s been a tough couple of years and I needed time off from my job badly. The mounting stress from family and my relationship has taken a toll on me. Although my doctor has given me a fantastic report on my health recently, I need a stress-free week. But I will continue to work on the book, the Blog, and be a presence on Twitter.

Today is my mother’s 82^nd birthday and I am so blessed to still have my mom with me despite her ongoing battle with dementia. There will be plenty of cake, cards, and gifts to celebrate this occasion. I only hope that someday I too will be alive to see my 82^nd birthday and most of all I hope I will still be able to write. Have a great week everyone.

Until next time…