WHAT ABOUT ME?
Sounds selfish, doesn’t it?
Guess what? It’s okay to think about yourself once in a while. For the first ten to fifteen years of my marriage (and motherhood), I expended myself for everyone else BUT me. I am a giving person by nature, but I failed to realize that during all that giving, I wasn’t taking care of myself. And in not taking care of myself, I was really failing my husband and children. I couldn’t truly be everything they needed–no one on earth can–but I sure tried. Hard. But I finally got to the point where I realized I need ME time. Time away. Even if it was only for an hour or so.
To truly be there for our husbands when they need us, we have to be rested. To be able to focus on the children, we have to be away from them for more than the five minutes it takes to use the restroom–assuming they leave you alone in there.
What does this have to do with romance?
Not much, to be honest. What does it have to do with then?
Shameless self-promotion. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE helping other authors by writing reviews, telling others about their books, etc, but there comes a time when I have to do the same for MYSELF.
So here it is…
In April, Second Choice released. It is the second book in my Belikarian Weddings Series. The first book, One Choice, released in 2014, has been out a while. It took me a loooonnnngggg time to get the second book written.
Here’s more:
Set to be married in less than a month, Princess Anaya Vallis’s intended runs away, leaving only a cryptic note behind. Her father insists the wedding go forth as planned with a new groom. She has days to make a second choice.
Titus Vasco is like a ship without a rudder, floating through life without purpose. Until she calls. He accepts her proposal without hesitation.
But wedded bliss does not come easily. Two virtual strangers brought together by unforeseen circumstances must learn to trust each other and God’s plan for their lives in order to achieve the happily-ever-after they both long for.
Available at:
Amazon
Kobo Books
iBooks
Barnes and Noble
And then last month, I released the third and final novella in the Broken Holidays Series, Broken Freedom.
Here’s more:
Bondage comes in many forms. Freedom can be found in only One. Broken Freedom is a story of love and finding freedom from fear by trusting the One who came to “set the captives free.”
Payton Du Pont lives in a prison not of her own making, but one she’s too frightened to step away from. Five years after a brutal attack by her then fiancé, she still lives in fear of crowds and men in particular, except when she’s working as a temporary nurse for the doctors of Meadowsville, VA.
James Hamilton III, M.D. stepped away from the Hamilton business of plastic surgery to make his own way as a family physician. Left at the altar by his fiancée nurse, so she could marry higher in the doctor hierarchy, he’s sworn off dating nurses forever.
God brings them together, but they have to fight their fears to find a future full of freedom.
Available at:
Next on my release pile is a story titled Learning from Experience. It will be coming in early September as part of the Falling For You set. Keep an eye out.
Then, in late September (the 22nd as of this post), the third and final book in the Belikarian Weddings Series will release. Love’s Choice was one of those stories I barely had to work for. I wish they were all that easy to write. :D
Sometime in October or early November, I plan to combine the Broken Holidays Series novellas into one book and offer it in print.
As for the rest of the year… who knows? I have another full-length novel started, but the story isn’t ready to be finished yet. I may wind up writing another Christmas novella to release, though at this moment, I do not have a story in mind for that.
If you’d like to be notified about what’s going on in my writing world, please head over to my website, www.gingersolomon.com. You can find all of my social media links there, as well as sign up for my blog and newsletter (mailed once a quarter or so, depending on releases and other news).
Right now the blog is on a semi-sabbatical. I still have authors share about their latest releases every week, but I haven’t been posting much else. I plan to restart blogging regularly in August or September.
Well, that’s about it. I hope you enjoyed this post about ME. LOL
Blessings,
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.
LOL! Oh yes, Ginger, your post about “me” made me smile.
Thanks for your post Ginger and the reminder to take a few minutes for one self – to take a take deep breath and regroup, especially as young moms. Now that I retired and both parents passed, I finally have more time for me. Appreciate the time author’s take for promotion of their books and those of other. I try to make time to write reviews on books and to give feedback on the reviews I read. As a reviewer, I often wonder if anybody reads my reviews and if they are helpful. Have a great week.
Hi Ginger. I have read both these books (and loved them) and am sooo excited for Matthias’ story- a long way off in September ;)
Totally agree, I am blessed to be married to a man in a leadership position, which means he gets a fair amount of attention etc. It is easy to feel left in the shadows and expend loads of energy being a wife and mum, until I remember that I have my own gifts/talents to share and bless others with. Reading is my ‘me time’, my brain goes into another gear and I don’t have to think about school etc.
Blessings:)
Thanks for sharing more about your stories and your struggle for me time. Reading has been my me time for a while. Just unwinding and dreaming with HEA.
Sounds like you have a lot going on in the writing world too. That’s great ?
You have a lot of books in progress. God bless! Yesterday afternoon I finally stopped moving after my youngest daughter was married! It was a beautiful wedding with help from a lot of people, but it was nice to just rest for an afternoon.
Sometimes it has to be all about me otherwise you will get depressed. Thanks for sharing what’s to come in your very busy schedule.
Thanks for sharing this, Ginger. This summer has been time for me – to write. I still fight the guilt feelings every day as my husband and daughter head off to work in the summer heat and I sit home with the dog and work on my stories. But I worked hard all year teaching, tutoring, and still writing. I have to remind myself that just because I love writing doesn’t mean it’s selfish to take time to do it.
I remember when I was a young mother of 6 children and how tired I became at times. I talked to another mom about it and she told me to take some time for myself each day for at least 15 minutes, and for a couple of hours once a week with or without my husband. I followed her advice and boy did it help! I was much more relaxed, which made me a better and more patient mom!
Thanks for the update, Ginger! Sometimes we just need a dose of reality to keep our lives in balance. ((hugs))
I’m always HAPPY to make someone smile. :D
I definitely read reviews of books when I don’t know the author’s name or have any experience with the writing. They help me, for sure.
I’m a ways away from having an empty nest (probably about 10 years, my youngest just turned 12), and both of my parents passed some time ago. I struggle to take ME time still. I always feel like there’s something else that someone else expects me to do–and there is. LOL I have learned that the something the person is expecting will still be there in an hour or a day or even next week.
Authors definitely appreciate the reviews.
Reading is a good way to have ME time. And thanks for reading and loving my books.
Exactly, Priscila. I remember when my kids were little, everyone had reading time, which coincided with nap time for the littlest ones, and it was the one time during the day where I could let down my guard (a little anyway) and enjoy a book or a short nap.
That I do. I love it. :D
I’m just entering the wedding season. My two oldest sons are engaged (or almost engaged) and planning weddings. We’ll have two weddings in the next year. Thankfully my daughters have a few more years yet, I hope. I can imagine the hectic days of planning and then having a wedding. Enjoy your down time.
You’re right, Kaleen. The downtime, even if it’s going and doing, revives us. For me, as an introvert, reading and being alone revive me. For my husband and several of my children, it’s being with others, having a party or something. Either way, as long as it doesn’t become an obsession and only about ourselves, it’s healthy to take a few hours to ourselves every once in a while.
I think of writing as my part time job, though from the schedule I posted it’s not overtly obvious. LOL Homeschooling is my full-time job. While I always say that summer is my time to write, it usually isn’t. I’m not as organized with my time in the summer, and thus the writing doesn’t happen because there’s always something else to do.
Just think of writing as YOUR job. You just get to stay home and do it. And feel blessed that you LOVE your job. :D
Absolutely! I’ve been there and done that. My oldest was 12 when my youngest (the 7th) was born, and I homeschooled. I wish someone would have told me then that it was OKAY to take an hour or so and go somewhere (anywhere) BY MYSELF.
So, if you’re a new mom and reading this comment, I’m telling you, “It’s OKAY to take a an hour or two every week or every other week to be by yourself and not on call.” You’ll be a better mother and wife for doing it. AND DON’T feel guilty for it.
Reality? What’s reality? I live in a fantasy world of my own making, though sometimes I slip in to other people’s worlds, too. LOL
Ginger, thanks for telling us about your latest books. I just ordered and had downloaded to my Kindle your third book in the Broken series Broken Freedom. I have read the previous two and don’t know I missed this release. looking forward to reading Broken Freedom. I really enjoyed the first two in the series.
Thanks for your support, Nancy. BF has only been out a few weeks, so you didn’t miss it by much. I’m glad you enjoyed the first two.
Would you be so kind as to go to Amazon and/or Goodreads and write a review? The more reviews I have, the more Amazon will promote my book. Thanks.
Wow, a mom of 7? I have two adult children who kept me hoping enough when they were growing up!!
It doesn’t seem like a lot to me. Not really. I know it is. But they came one at a time, so I was never TOO overwhelmed, and God gave and continues to give me the grace I need to deal with whatever comes up. *shrug* It’s normal (whatever that is) for me. :)
Well to me you are remarkable!! I have a friend who raised 3 kids and she amazed me. God only gave me 2 because he only gives us what we can handle!!
LOL. I think God just has a sense of humor. I wasn’t sure I could have kids–long story–and then when I got pregnant I wanted two, my husband wanted five. God gave us five boys and two girls. I don’t think He’s stopped laughing, at least when He looks my direction, since.
My friends think it’s funny because I have never much cared for kids. I love mine, but prefer not to deal with anyone else’s. My kids think it’s funny, too but they ALL know how much I love them. I make sure to tell them often.
Ginger, I like learning about YOU! Your books, life in general, what God’s doing, etc….I’ll be signing up for your blog & newsletter! :-) You have a full rest of the year with all the books you’ll be releasing….go YOU!!
Thanks, Trixi. I appreciate the support.