Fleshing Out My Brand

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been thinking a lot about my brand. That’s the image readers see when they hear my name. Sometimes writers fall into them, but at other times we have to fight to figure out where we fit in the grand scheme of writing.

InspyRomance’s brand is FALL IN LOVE WITH A GOOD BOOK.

I write romance (or I wouldn’t be here, right?). Right now, all of my published works are contemporary. But as my writing career goes further, I’d like to expand to historical, and maybe into the fantasy realm–though if I do that, I’d probably use a separate psuedonym. And at some point, I might like to write some non-fiction.

But in all of that, I want to keep my brand. So, what is it?

Let me back up a minute, actually a few years.

When I first started writing and learned that the fastest way to up my readership was to start a blog, I considered my life and what I could blog about. I have a great husband who doesn’t have a romantic bone in his body. We are financially stable. We have seven children. I’ve lived in poverty and in prosperity. But what does any of THAT have to do with writing romance novels. Very little.

There’s a quote by Alphonse Karr that says, “Some people grumble that roses have thorns; I am grateful that thorns have roses.” Since I’m a HUGE fan of roses, I used this as a basis for my blog, which I named A Bed of Roses…Thorns Included.

One of my new graphics.

It wasn’t until a few weeks ago that I realized that THAT is my brand. I write about real life. Love is beautiful–like roses (or most flowers), and yet it can cause a lot of hurt–thus the thorns. We accept that to love we are taking the chance of being hurt. It comes with the emotion, the choice.

This week, a friend’s daughter passed away after a long battle with cancer. She was ten years old. I know without a doubt that my friend would NOT have given up those ten years of loving her daughter to avoid the pain the last few months have wrought on their small family.

Despite the pain (the thorns) we make ourselves vulnerable to, we still must love. We must enjoy the roses–the good times, the simple joys of seeing another smile just because you’re near, or the pitter-patter of your own heart when someone you love gives you a hug.

Anyway, enough waxing philosophical.

This past Easter, I saw another quote that touched my heart and filled my soul with  thanksgiving. It says, “When life is not a bed of roses, remember who wore the thorns.” Despite a thorough search of the Internet, I could not find anyone to attribute it to, but I loved it just the same.

So I prayed and considered and prayed some more. How could I incorporate those two quotes into something that readers would understand without a great deal of explanation. This is what I came up with, though I’m not sure it’s final just yet. :)

Finding faith when your bed of roses includes thorns

So, now, I’d like to know what you think. Is it understandable? If you’ve read any of my stories, does it fit? Does it speak romance? Can you think of a better way to say it?

Blessings, and thanks in advance for giving me your perspective,

Ginger Solomon (123 Posts)

Ginger Solomon is a Christian, a wife, a mother to seven, and a writer—in that order (mostly). She writes or reads inspirational romance of any genre. Even when she’s busy homeschooling, doing laundry, or fixing dinner, reading or writing are not far from her mind. She is president of her local writing group, and blogs regularly for InspyRomance.com and at gingersolomon.com.