The Book of My Heart

Lyn Cote and I have been friends for decades and just recently reconnected when she asked me to do a workshop for her writers’ group in Wisconsin. She’s a wonderful writer and a fabulous person. Please give her a warm convertible welcome.

And a little bio to get to know her better: An award-winning author of both contemporary and historical inspirational romance, LYN COTE has been a 2006 RITA finalist as well as a finalist for the HOLT Medallion and the National Readers Choice Award, and in 2011 a winner of the prestigious American Christian Fiction Writer’s CAROL Award. Lyn lives with her husband and four cats in the northwoods of Wisconsin.  http://www.BooksbyLynCote.com

The question is–should an author write what she wants or write what the “market” experts–agents, editors and publishers say they want–for readers?

 

Authors are often told to write the book or story of their heart. Sometimes those books subsequently sell to an agent, an editor and then lots of readers. But some don’t. Here’s the brief version of what happened to, my first manuscript and story of my heart, La Belle Christiane.

When I began writing my first manuscript, I literally ran after my two toddlers with a clipboard in my hand and wrote whenever they paused! (I only wrote sitting down through Sesame Street and Mr. Rogers.) I spun that story without knowing anything about writing or marketing fiction. In fact, I told myself just to write the book and then I’d think about polishing and marketing it. At the time, the thought of trying to sell the manuscript was overwhelming. Three years of “active” 🙂 writing and I’d finished my first manuscript-1,000 handwritten pages. Whew!

 

When I began trying to market it, I found out that while it garnered interest from agents and editors, it never found a publisher. I think that’s because there are “unwritten” rules for inspirational fiction (any genre fiction really) and I didn’t know them or follow them.

But I always remained convinced my first manuscript was a good story, but there it sat in my stored files. Then the digital revolution began and finally I saw a way to publish it.

 

Last year on my blog http://www.BooksbyLynCote.com from the beginning of January through the end of July, I revised it and posted it for readers and invited reader comments. What a fun ride with the top down that was!

 

If you drop by my website now and click “Archived Free Read,” you can read the rough version on the blog and my readers’ comments and advice.

However if you don’t want to read it on your computer, now La Belle Christiane is FINALLY available at Smashwords (for Kobo Ipad, etc), the Kindle Store and NookBooks and in print. The process proved to be a lot of work, but I didn’t want the story of my heart to sit ignored in my files forever.

 

So do you think I should have self-published the book of my heart? Or were the experts right?

 

Perhaps readers will ultimately decide whether La Belle Christiane deserved to be published or not. I’d like to offer a free EBOOK copy of La Belle Christiane giveaway. Here’s more.

 

short blurb

In the 1770’s, after her mother’s violent murder, Christiane Pelletier flees France. Daughter of a French courtesan to frontier wife to companion of Lady Washington, Christiane moves into the heart of the American rebel elite. But one man in her life can never be forgotten. Once he was her friend. Now he is her enemy. Will he become her destiny? Only God knows.

 

5 stars: “Book one of the Patriots and Seekers Revolutionary War era thriller is a great tale due to a strong cast and held together by a wonderful brave protagonist. Readers obtain a taste of life in the rebellious colonies through the trials and triumphs of courageous Christiane. Lyn Cote writes an engaging saga as epic events sweep La Belle Christiane struggling to survive the tsunami of war.” Harriet Klausner, an Amazon top reviewer

Purchase Links:

For Print Edition

To buy a print copy   https://www.createspace.com/3669135

For Digital Editions

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/92021

OR