An author’s work is never done. It sounds like a trite truism, but it is my life. For those of us who self-publish as well as working with New York (aka hybrid authors), this is especially true, because we have, essentially, multiple bosses tossing deadlines at us willy-nilly.
I’m basically running my own business, which, let’s be honest, is NOT what I signed up for. I am responsible for sending out invoices, paying vendors, auditioning voice artists, researching marketing strategies, and doing (shudder) math. I have to be on top of industry changes, know who is who in the field and try to keep track of what readers REALLY want. Oh yeah, and write, edit, package and sell my product. Meanwhile, all this is taking place on a merry-go-round that never stops changing. During an earthquake. In the middle of a tornado.
Beyond that…I have a life that I like to live sometimes. Meals I want to eat. A dog who wants her tummy rubbed. And a family who expects me to appear occasionally.
To make matters even more interesting, places like Amazon and Facebook frequently make arbitrary changes that seriously influence our ability to make a livable wage.
Is it any wonder authors often ask ourselves, “Why am I doing this again?”
I just got a real, hard-core down to earth reminder.
See, when I was a little girl, my pre-school teacher told my mother that I had a learning disability so horrible, I would never learn to read or write.
My mother—who was an Amazon Warrior of her time—did not accept that. She made it her goal to give me a love of books—though torture. Every night she read me one chapter (no more). I eventually became so frustrated to know what was going to happen, I learned to read. THAT is true motivation.
My mother was reduced to coming into my room every night to confiscate my flashlight.
And my emergency back-up flashlight.
Needless to say, I learned to read, though I am still (and always will be) severely dyslexic.
Can I have a shout out to the inventor of spellcheck???
So that explains why I love books, but why romance? Maybe because I read 2-3 romances a day when I was a blossoming young woman? Maybe because they are perennially satisfying? Maybe because I love the magic of bringing three souls together in a perfect love triangle?
Three? you ask.
Yes. Three. Not that I write ménage. (I don’t) The magic three are the hero, the heroine…and you. You are part of the magic. You are why I love to write, despite the frustrations and unfuns. (No pressure).
But there’s a little more to the story, if you will indulge me.
Why do I love Highlanders so much?
Because of her. That woman who refused to let me be labeled as a dummy. Who refused to let me fail. Who insisted on reminding me that I wasn’t weird (I was) but rather that I marched to the beat of my own drum.
My mother.
My mother, the Scot.
Directly descended from Mary Queen of Scots. A woman whose family hailed from Kinloch Rannoch. A woman who wore the Stewart Plaid every day. A woman who fought for me like a tigress.
My mom passed on the 20th of September after a long difficult battle with Alzheimer’s. It was so hard saying goodbye, even though it was a blessing and a well-deserved rest.
When something like this happens, you look at your life and you ask yourself, why am I doing what I am doing? Does it matter? Is it enough?
If I can please one reader, I feel like it does. It is.
Thanks, Mom, for helping me find my passion.
Thanks for believing in me.
Thanks for giving me a way to reach others and (maybe) make the world a better place for a little while for that one reader.
For you.
*~*~*
Sabrina’s newest release is from St. Martin’s Untamed Highlander Series…And yes. It’s a Highlander…
The Highlander Is All That
by Sabrina York
Elizabeth St. Claire has always been hard to please. Dreaming solely of Highlander men her whole life, no prancing London Lord can stand a chance at winning her heart…
… But perhaps a Scotsman can.
Elizabeth watches intrigued as the Highlander of her dreams, a Scotsman named Hamish Robb, arrives to oversee her season at the behest of her cousin, the Duke of Caithness. Elizabeth doesn’t hide her feelings for the striking Scot. But Hamish, determined to obey his order to protect the St. Claire sisters, steadfastly rejects her every seducing lure.
Believing that the debutante Elizabeth deserves a better, wealthier man, Hamish continues to turn away from her affection, even though he doesn’t exactly want to. Can this Highlander Scot resist the tempting seductress’ attempts to win his heart?
Read an Excerpt!
He emerged in the kitchens and, after greeting the plump and friendly cook—and snagging a scone from the cooling tray—he followed her directions out into the garden.
Ah yes. This was what he needed. The scent of mown grass, a hint of flowers, fresh air, and sunshine. He turned his face up to the sky and soaked it in.
Granted, it was a watery sunlight, and it struggled to shine through the haze of coal dust, but it beat the hell out of a musty carriage. He strolled along the path, studying the immaculately trimmed hedges, perfectly arranged rosebushes, and the affected pond in the center of the garden.
Everything was prim, proper, and utterly controlled. How British.
He missed the wild heathers of the Highlands, the raw scraggly trees that clung to the cliffs of the coast, the cold breeze gusting from the sea.
While he had been honored that Lachlan had entrusted him with this mission—for it clearly was important to the duke to support this family he had not known he had until recently—Hamish hated being away from home.
He had a business to run and had been in the process of seducing the lovely widow Dunn when the duke’s summons had come. But when a duke commanded one’s presence, one responded.
Ah well. The lovely widow could wait.
Hamish stilled and the little hairs on his nape prickled as he caught the trail of a tantalizing song. Like a sailor called by a siren, he followed the sound. As he rounded a corner, a whimsical gazebo came into view. There, leaning against a column, was his angel…
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE OF THIS SCORCHING TEASER AND BE THE FIRST TO ENTER TO WIN THE HIGHLANDER IS ALL THAT TIARA! http://sabrinayork.com/the-highlander-is-all-that-untamed-highlanders-from-sabrina-york/
