Tag: nowodazkij

It’s my fifth publishing anniversary or The One With All The Thoughts…First: “The One…” is a reference to Friends’ episodes, I’m not trying to say I’m The One with all the thoughts. That would be a looooot of thoughts 😉 It was either going to be that or It’s my fifth publishing anniversary and I’ll write a blog post if I want to (imagine me singing…or not…you probably shouldn’t, I have a speaking voice :-))

It’s been five years since this picture was taken.

Wow. Five. Years. The Chemical Engineer and I were living in Mainz, in Germany with Peter The Cat. I was working at the European Central Bank as Press Officer. We now live in Maryland with Plato The Dog and Bobbie Voltaire the Cat, where after going back into teaching, I am now writing and narrating. A lot has happened in five years, both publishing and non-publishing wise.

But first, a little or rather big shout-out to my parents who are celebrating their 45th wedding anniversary today (June 26th,2019).  Forty-five years! And let me just say, it makes my heart full of  ❤

Now, when it comes to publishing.  In those five years, there has been tears and laughter, total failures and resounding successes.

Some days, I feel like I still have no clue what I’m doing. Others, it feels like I have somewhat of an idea. Publishing has been a roller coaster of emotions. And let me make one thing clear, I am able to do it this way thanks to the Chemical Engineer. I definitely don’t make enough for us to live off my writing. And I’m very grateful he still believes in me after five years.

Five years ago, I published ONE, TWO, THREE…

When I published One, Two, Three, I thought it was going to be an instant bestseller.

You know the kind…even though I since realized that many (maybe most; I’m not sure since I don’t have any hard data) of the overnight successes had actually been in the making for decades.

Anyways, I believed I would wake up the morning of the launch and thousands of copies would have sold. I would be hitting all bestseller lists. Producers would be calling me, begging me to adapt the story for TV. Bookstores would ask me to stock it because people would be asking for it.

On the first day, it sold less than the number of my Facebook friends. Way less. Way way less. And nobody contacted me to adapt it for TV.

But I am still writing and I am still publishing and I am still selling copies of One, Two, Three today. And someone made fan art from the story!

Plus. the French translation got picked up as my option book with a French publisher.

It was retitled VIVRE, AIMER, DANSER… I love that cover!

And I still receive emails from readers who tell me how Natalya’s story has moved them, and how it has helped them somehow, and how much they loved getting to know her and Antonio, and Becca, and James.

Since I published One, Two, Three, I published one novelette (One Dream Only – Natalya’s story 0.5), one novella (A Summer Like No Other – Em & Nick #1) and four novels (Always Second Best, Em & Nick #2, Love in B Minor, Fear Me Fear Me Not and See Me See Me Not).

You can find all my books on Amazon, iBooks, Google Play, B&N, Kobo…

And you can also recommend them on Overdrive for your library!

I published translations of all those books in many languages (French, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, Dutch, Chinese…)

And I published bilingual copies of some for those learning languages.

And three of those French translations were picked up and published by a French publisher (available in French bookstores and grocery stores). I sold thousands of copies in France.

More and more readers have joined my cozy nook on Facebook. (Thank you!)

I went to writer’s retreats with talented writers and amazing human beings ❤

I participated in several authors’ events, and shared the stage with NYT bestseller authors and so many talented authors. 

I signed a guitar!

I was featured in the Baltimore Sun.

Recently, I got my first BookBub promotion for FEAR ME, FEAR ME NOT. I’ve been trying for 5 years to get a BookBub 🙂 and I loved what they did for the promotion and how well it worked!

Some of my books are even available in audiobook! Like LOVE IN B MINOR which has been gathering wonderful reviews!

I started producing my own audiobooks, like LA PEUR DANS LE SANG (and soon UN SEUL REVE).

I started narrating other people’s books, like this Learning French audiobook.

As well as other audiobooks for which I use a pen name…;-)

During that time, I also got diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (in October 2017). After finding out that I needed to change treatments, I also organized an auction to benefit non-profits who help young adults with cancer. I was blown away by the amount of support I received from the publishing community for the Let’s Do Something Good auction! I mean I even got a signed book from Jenna Fischer! And she retweeted me and tweeted me directly!

I am back in treatment now and it’s not necessarily easy (for many reasons) yet easier (in other ways), but let me tell you: the book I currently have on pre-order, TRUST ME TRUST ME NOT, means a lot to me.

I can’t tell if I love one of my books more than the other, but I can tell you that writing Lacey and Hunter has been cathartic in a lot of ways. Being able to write has been emotional and hard and easy at the same time. Writing always is, but having Lacey trying to move forward, not knowing if she really can has been hitting a spot.

During these past five years, I didn’t reach a point where both The Chemical Engineer and I and our four-legged friends (see pictures below because how cute are they :-)) could live from my income. I loss some (especially at the beginning), I gained some (I actually make profits from my writing now, whoop whoop!).

I still dream of getting contacted by a producer. So if you’re a producer reading this, don’t hesitate 😉

But most importantly, I am grateful I get to write those stories in my head. Writing helps keeping me balanced even when it’s hard and frustrating, I find that it helps me.

I am grateful to my family and friends and everyone who helps me and cheers me on along the way (my talented and generous writer friends, photographer, cover designers, translators, editors and more).

And I’m especially grateful to my wonderful husband (who did get a Best Husband Of The Year Award last year or was it two years ago? :-)). Sometimes I have the feeling that I should do more, try more ways to sell more books (and I do), but even when The Chemical Engineer asks me for Excel sheets for the business side (and full disclosure: we bicker ;-)), I know he believes in me. And that means the world.

And I’m grateful to YOU, dear reader, for taking a chance on my books…and for loving the characters as much as I do ❤