A New Direction by @karilemor #RomanceGems

 

Two years ago, I made a huge career decision. I had spent over thirty years teaching elementary school children. Working with kids was my life and love and I couldn’t think of ever doing anything else. But schools were requiring the students to learn things at a much younger age, required teachers to do far more administration than ever, and still be in the classroom the same amount of time. The stress of the job was slowly killing me. Literally. My health was suffering from the anxiety of my job.

A few years earlier, I had started writing. Taking the stories that had been running rampant in my head and finally, finally putting them down on paper. Yes, in those early days I did actually write everything long hand. But after transferring one very long story onto the computer, I quickly taught myself to type my books.

I made a decision to retire early and leave teaching so I had more time for writing. It wasn’t an easy decision as our finances weren’t plentiful. But with a very supportive husband, we made it happen. Thus began my foray into full-time writing.

Being an active teacher who put everything I had into planning, teaching, assessing, and planning again, I was used to being busy. I soon found that writing for a career took equally as much time. Sometimes more. Between crafting my stories, taking classes, going to conferences, revising and editing my work, helping other authors with their stories, creating promotion and graphics, and marketing, my days were as full as ever.

My first two series were with traditional publishers. And I learned so much from those experiences. But suddenly I wanted a little more control. I wanted the books published on my timeline. I wanted final say in what the cover looked like, how it was edited, and how much it would cost.

Once again, I found myself adjusting to something new. I have dipped my toe into independently publishing my own books. There’s still the same writing, revising, editing etc… to do. But now I get to be cover designer, formatter, and publisher as well.

I can’t say it hasn’t been stressful, but it’s also been rewarding when you see a book you’ve written get out in the world. And I have to say I think my published books look even better and have something more added to them than my earlier ones. And I can offer them at a price that is reasonable for a reader. If you’ve ever wondered why my Storm series has different prices for the first two books from the rest, that is why.

Book 3 -Stolen Dreams and Book 4 - Broken Dreams are the products of many days learning this business and making mistakes, then trying again. And soon, I’ll have a Christmas story available. Forgotten Dreams: A Christmas in New England story. It’s a novella that takes place in the Storms of New England world with little guest appearances from some of the other Storm family whose stories we’ve already seen.

 

If you’d like to get notified when this book is up for pre-order (hint - it will be very soon) you can sign up for my mailing list. I only send newsletters every month or so, no spamming ever. But you will get freebies and bonus features that I give only to my subscribers.

Here’s where you can sign up:    www.karilemor.com

To get a taste of my small-town New England series, here’s a quick rundown of what people are saying:

"A HEARTWARMING STORY OF THE HEALING POWER OF LOVE. FIVE SPARKLING STARS!"

"I wish the review sites had ten stars, this one would rank that high for me."

"The author writes beautifully, drawing the reader into the hearts and minds of the characters."

"This played like a Lifetime movie in my head."

"I am now in love with the Storm family and can't wait for the next book to be released!"

 

 

Here's a quick peek at the Storms of New England:

💖  -ELUSIVE DREAMS - An injured Marine, an introverted loner, two orphaned children needing a home. Can they create a perfectly imperfect family? (marriage of convenience, girl next door)

💖  -TRUE DREAMS - A recovering addict in search of a quiet life. An innocent optimist seeking fame and fortune. Can she see beyond his past to heal his damaged soul? (boss/employee, bad boy/virgin)

💖 -STOLEN DREAMS - An uptight perfectionist. A bohemian free spirit. Can she convince him a walk on the wild side is good for the soul? (opposites attract, friends with benefits)

💖 -BROKEN DREAMS - A new single dad. An unconventional nanny. A little boy in his own world. Can she show them that family is more than an image? (single dad/nanny, special needs family found)

https://www.karilemor.com/storms-of-new-england

 

Stay safe and healthy and happy reading!

Kari