My adorable little five-year old crawled into my bed this morning to snuggle, and he started the conversation with, “When I grow up, I’m going to be a publisher.”  He continued with talk about book cover design and that he wants to change his name in case he ever decides to write a book.  He then decided he would write one about robots.

In the end, I was quite amazed at how much he knows about the publishing industry.  As the day has progressed, I have begun to think about how much change this family has endured now that I have become an author.  Before I became consumed with the life of Alissia Roswell, I home schooled my children and was a full-time mom.  Now, I spend the majority of my time at my desk typing at the computer, and this fall will be their first year in a public school.  My oldest daughter is a bit nervous about this, but I believe she will adapt.

Then there’s my husband Daryl.  He is doing more around the house and is having to get used to less homemade desserts.  Although I still love to bake, my time is more limited in the kitchen.  Luckily, I have two daughters that share my passion of cooking, and I can sometimes talk them into cooking dinner or baking something sweet, yet healthy.

Social media has become a necessity in my life for marketing and networking, and I now find myself answering emails, tweeting, and checking my Facebook more often than I would like.  I’ve got to learn time management when school begins since that is when I plan to focus on book two of the Alissia Roswell series.  I have a time limit and plan to stay on schedule.

Although our lives have drastically changed now that I have become an author, I’m pleased by these changes in my family.  My children are becoming more independent, and my husband is getting more involved with running the house.  I never planned to write a novel.  In fact, I did not know myself until the week I started typing.  The story came to me, and it had to get out.  I was driven to write, and at first it was for myself.  I did not plan to try to have it published until about halfway through, when my friend and I realized it was a great story worth sharing.

I believe a lot of families go through changes like ours.  You may not have become an author, but it could be something else.  I would love to hear about it in the comments section if you would like to share your version, and I look forward to the discussion.

My son opened the door first thing this morning to let our little dog Gigi out, and guess what he found on the porch.  It’s here!  It’s finally here.  Although I’m happy, I thought I’d be ecstatic about getting to hold my novel for the first time, but all I can think about is the rest of my list of things to do.  The pile on my desk is a bit high, and I’m trying to get caught up before the children go back to school next month, and then I get to focus on the next book in the series.  That is what I’m looking forward to, going back to writing.  That is the fun part of being an author.  The rest is work.

I’m ready to immerse my mind in the life of Alissia once again and let her story flow through my fingers onto the keyboard.  Her story is already in my head, wanting desperately to get out.

I guess if I had to search for an emotion today, it would be a sense of feeling blessed.  Becoming an author was not really my plan.  In fact, I had no idea I would start writing a book until about four days before I started typing, and once I started, I was not doing it to get published.  I was doing it for myself.

Unexpected Metamorphosis has changed my life in many ways.  Where I once spent my days homeschooling my children, I now spend my days at a desk handling marketing, networking, designing, blogging, publishing, and writing.  It fits my Type A personality well.

I hope you will read my novel and leave a review on Goodreads and Amazon, and I await your comments also.  All authors want to hear how their writings affect others.  I love talking to someone after they’ve read Alissia’s story.  Each person comes away with different thoughts.

When I started writing Unexpected Metamorphosis, it started out much simpler than the end result.  I had a vision in my head.  (No, I don’t outline.  That does not go with my random and just do it personality.  Even the thought of doing an outline makes me cringe and did while in school.)  Over time that vision grew, and the story evolved into a wild adventure.  I greatly enjoyed my dedicated plot reader trying to figure out what would happen next or how the story would go.  She would call me after reading the latest typing, and I would laugh at her attempts to figure out where I was taking Alissia and the other characters.

I hate reading a book that I know the ending before I get to it.  The best reads are the ones where the ending is a great surprise, and I never saw it coming.  As a writer, it is a game I like to play with my readers, and I like to throw little surprises of intrigue and mystery along the way.

I also like to keep things real, well in a nonliteral way.  What I mean by that is this book is definitely fantasy, but my characters don’t just happen to stumble upon a quick fix or there just happens to be what they need nearby.  Instead, when there is trouble, they have to deal with it, but don’t let that scare you away from the book.  Although there is plenty of trouble, mystery, and unknowns in Unexpected Metamorphosis, there is also plenty of complicated romance and fun scenes where you will smile and laugh.  (I know this from the feedback and even watching some of my readers as they read.)

If I had to describe this novel with one word, it would be adventure.  I took an ordinary woman with a pleasant lifestyle and took her on a wild adventure with many unexpected twists along the way.

If you have not read the first two chapters by now, please click the link on the menu at the top of this page.  Once you have finished reading, you can click here to add it to your read list on Goodreads.  You can also follow my author page by clicking here.

I knew I would get asked that question about Alissia. Except for her green eyes, we look almost identical, but there’s a reason for that. Every detail about Alissia has a purpose, even her petite size and dark hair. I can’t tell you what that purpose is, but once you read the book, you will understand why I made her small like me and gave her dark hair.

As for why I chose Jesup, Georgia, as her hometown, I also had a reason for that. Jesup is a small town in South Georgia, and hunting is a big part of that town. I wanted Alissia to have that outdoorsy background instead of being raised in the city.

As you read Unexpected Metamorphosis, you will get to know Alissia very well, and I’m sure you will understand her and grow to love her. She is a very strong-willed character, and I pretty much threw her into a blender and turned it on high speed. Her personality, childhood, and even looks all play a big role in who she is and how she relates to all I put her through.

Does she look like me? Yes. Does she have a strong personality like me? Yes, that makes life and this story more interesting. Do we share the same background? No, I have never seen my father drink, and he is nothing like Alissia’s father. Although I’ve killed my share of deer in my days before moving to the suburbs, I have never seen my father with a gun, and he did not teach me how to hunt. Alissia and I do not share the same past, and although we resemble each other in many ways, we are not the same.

I love each and every character in this novel and dread the day Alissia’s story ends. Although I already have other books planned once this series is over, I don’t think I could ever love another character as much as I love her. Maybe it’s because she’s my first, and that is how it is with your first novel. She has been in my head for over a year now, and since her story has a long way to go, she will continue to be in my thoughts for more years to come.

As a writer creating an advanced plot, my mind is continuously consumed with Alissia’s life. I think of her all throughout the day and even into the night. Although I love being an author, it means I now share my life with Alissia. It really is as if I’m in another world each and every day when I write. I’m taking a break this summer and focusing on the release coming next month, but once the children start school again, I plan to focus on the next book. Once again, I will be consumed with Alissia, and it can be hard to balance reality and fantasy. I will spend an entire day typing a thick plot and once I walk away from my computer, it’s sometimes hard to turn my “work” off. Although I may be talking to a doctor or friend about various things in reality, I could actually be thinking about an advanced murder or love scene. (I do love thinking about the love scenes.)

If you have not read the first two chapters, please do so. You can then meet Alissia, and I can’t wait for you to get to know her.

I just put up the first two chapters of Unexpected Metamorphosis on the site, and my excitement is growing over this month’s release of the novel.  I promise you a book filled with complicated romance, adventure, and lots of mysterious happenings.  I had fun writing a novel filled with surprises that will keep my readers in suspense, and I’m ready to start on the second book in the Alissia Roswell series.  I love her strong personality, and she has become a major part of my life.  I spend a great amount of my time thinking about her throughout each day.

Be sure to follow me on Facebook for a chance to win a free signed copy, and I can’t wait for you to read it!