Sometimes change is easy – like marrying the love of your life.
Other times it’s hard, but good – like giving birth to a baby.
Other times it’s just hard.
Often times, those changes are accompanied by unsettled feelings inside – good unsettled or bad.
If you looked at the blog last Saturday, you saw me checking in from the annual conference put on by American Christian Fiction Writers. It never fails. I go through at least one bout of wanting to hide out in my room and cry for an extended period of time. Every. Year. I even blogged about it the other day.
This year, though, that unsettled feeling started about two weeks before conference. I posted on the private Facebook page of my crit group that I was seriously considering hiding out the whole 4.5 days I was there. They, fortunately, talked me right out of it ;).
But the uneasiness continued.
You know how when you’re clankety clanking your way up a hill on an unfamiliar roller coaster? Maybe one like Space Mountain where you’re in the dark. You know the climb is going to stop. The drop will begin. It’s a nervous anticipation.
I think maybe that’s what I was feeling. But over and over I received confirmation about decisions I’d been making. Everyone, every mentor, I talked with was on board – even the one who came into our meeting determined to change my mind.
So, dear InspyRomance reader, what does my disquiet and anticipation of change mean for you?
Books. Books. More books.
My books!
I’ve started my own press! CANDID Publications, named for my first series, will be publishing a number of books before the end of the year! Of course, I hope to take y’all along for the ride, too!
Beginning in November, I’ll be publishing two series of books – CANDID Romance and The Montevaro Monarchy.
Dorrie Miller, Jeremiah Jacobs, Stephanie Jamison, Anise Taylor, Julie Harders, and Gavin Parmiggiano are just some of the CANDID members you’ll meet. See, CANDID stands for Christian Authors Network, Dedicated to Inspirational Distinction – the premiere organization for writers of Christian fiction world wide. Dorrie and Jeremiah figure out accidents can be the biggest blessings in Finding Mr. Write. Stephanie will discover if the ten years since her elementary school crush on Josh Wilson made him Finally Mr. Write. And Gavin is going to do his best to get straight-laced Bethany to let her hair down in Falling for Mr. Write – and he will succeed!
You say you’ve never heard of Montevaro?! Well, it’s a small country, north of Italy and south of both it’s sister country, Mevendia, and Switzerland. Crown Princess Adeline is falling in love with Charlie – a single dad her father and Parliament will never admit really is Good Enough for a Princess. Rick, affectionately known as “the spare”, hopes Jessica, cousin to Charlie, doesn’t forever regret the day they met in Along Came a Prince. And Ana – the “accidental extra” – has always lived in the shadow of her older siblings. Will pediatrician Dr. Jonah Fontaine or American political royalty Jonathan William Langley-Cranston IV finally see her as More than a Princess?
Want to find out more? I’ll be sending out a newsletter with cover reveals and back cover blurbs in about two weeks. You can sign up for that on my personal webpage. There will be prizes for someone who does ;). Plus, you’ll be the first to find out about sales/discounts or free days :). My website is going to undergo a major overhaul.
My newsletter will also be where you’ll find out about fun website stuff – and Easter Eggs ;).
The first book to release will be Finding Mr. Write followed by Good Enough for a Princess and Finally Mr. Write in November. The exact dates will be announced soon. The other books will follow shortly thereafter. In fact, all six should be out by the end of December or early January!
I’m looking forward to sharing with you the stories of Jeremiah and Dorrie, Addie and Charlie, Stephanie and Josh, Gavin and Bethany, Rick and Jessica, and Ana and… well, Jonah or Jonathan. You didn’t think I was going to tell you who she ends up with, did you?! ;)
Thank you so much – to all of you who have already supported me in so many ways! I appreciate you! And I hope to get to know the rest of you soon!
It’s gonna be a wild ride… But I can’t wait!
(And just for you, InspyRomancers! Leave a comment for a chance to win your choice of any of them after release – Kindle or paperback! Paperback – US only. Giveaway open until midnight Friday, October 10.)
When she's not writing about her imaginary friends, Carol Moncado is hanging out with her husband and four kids in the big yard of their southwest Missouri home, teaching American Government at a community college, reading, or watching NCIS. She's a member of ACFW and RWA, President and founding member for the MozArks ACFW group, and a category coordinator for ACFW's First Impressions.
Yay Carol!
Excited for you!
Carol,
WAHOOOOO!!!!!!
SO excited about this decision.
My experience was similar, much prayer, several years of submitting and waiting and writing… More prayer. After a conference in Nashville, it was OBVIOUS the Lord was leading me in the Indie direction and I love it.
Congratulations!
Looking forward to reading your good stories!!!!
Let us know if we can help (quite doubtful but… happy to if we can!)…
I am SO excited for you!!
So happy for you, Carol! Having critiqued the first book you’ll release, Finding Mr. Write, I can’t wait to read the others.
Congrats, Carol! So excited to see how things go. I think you’ll blow everyone out of the water. :)
Congratulations, Carol! Isn’t it nice that He prepared you for what was to come? Very exciting times ahead for you. :)
Thanks, Kristen! I’m excited!
Thanks, Janice! Heart you! Your support means so much!
Oh! KC! You are too sweet! Yes, it’s pretty obvious this is where I’ve been headed for a while. But it’s finally time! I dunno for sure how you can help yet, but I’m betting I could find something – even if just sharing links for sales or free days! Heart you, my friend!
Thanks, Hallee!!!!
Congratulations on this venture! I hope it succeeds!
Thanks, Val! You rock! I appreciate your help so much with it!
LOL! I dunno about that, but it would be pretty cool ;). Thanks so much, Sally! Kept is on my list! Can’t wait to read it!
Thanks, Kimberly! Yes, He has been preparing this for quite a while. Even longer than I realized. I told one of my mentors this weekend that God had His fingers in the pie before I even realized there was pie!
Thanks, Tamara! I appreciate your support!!!
This is GREAT news! =)
Yeah!!! Can’t wait to read!!
Thank you, Nancy! You have been such a wonderful encouragement in all of this! You rock!
Thanks, Tari!
So very happy for you, Carol. I’ve been wanting to read some of your stories ever since I heard about Finding Mr. Write. Speaking from personal experience, indie is now THE way to go. Your series sounds fantastic, and I’ll pray right along with you in this endeavor. I’m so glad you didn’t hide out while you were at the ACFW, and hope you had a great time. Many blessings to you. :)
With ur spunk this venture is gonna be a humdinger!
You got this, girl! I’m so proud of you!!
Thanks, JoAnn! I’m glad I ran into you! [And now you know the real reason I became the hostess for the marketing class ;) – plus I love Janice and Kathleen – and got to know Anita a bit!]
Debbie, girl! The one you critted for me is on my “to revise and release eventually” list! I miss you, my friend!
Thanks, Stacey! The support from you guys has been so fantastic! Heart you!
I’m SO proud of you and all your hard work and am so excited for you to start this journey.
Also, don’t enter me in the drawing for the free books. Nope. I plan on buying every single one of them with my hard earned money because I want to.
Oh! My sweet NovelSista!!! Way to make a girl cry late on a Friday night! You are all that AND a bag of chips, my friend! Your hard work is such an inspiration! Love you to pieces!
Yeah, Carol. May God richly bless your endeavors.
The world will be blessed by your sweet and funny voice through your books and their chance to know you better. Continuing to pray and so thankful you have believed enough in yourself to keep following this dream! You. Are. Enough. Love you and so very proud!
Penny – one of my first and still biggest supporters! Thank you for everything you’ve done and continue to do! You are such a blessing in my life and I thank God for you!
Thank you, Ginger! I appreciate it!
So excited for you Carol! You will do great! You are perfect for this! Looking forward to reading the books. Perfect timing for cuddling up with some warm spiced chai tea and a great book by the fire! Can’t wait!
Thanks, Jennifer! I’ll even sign your paper copy. In exchange for lunch ;). You know where :D.
[Totally just kidding. But you know that! I do miss seeing you regularly though!]
Congratulations! Praying that God will bless you in this. :)
These sound like great stories to read. I’ll be looking forward to them. :)
Will be watching for your big launch—and all that is to follow.