Turning The BIG Five O

I hit that monumental mark of turning a half century old right before Thanksgiving. My sights were set on publishing my first novel before I turned 50. Unfortunately, that didn't happen due to technical difficulties beyond my control. This was a devastating blow to me as I had the execution of my debut novel all mapped out- in my head. It would have been perfect timing that would have coincided with holiday craft fairs and events and when everyone is their merriest. However, God has his own timing but I am not yet privy to it. Based on others' perceptions and opinions, I was confident that I would be a published novelist by now.

As I ruminate over my failure to realize my dream in my time frame, I decided to look at it in a different light. The next stage of my life will be filled with intentionality; striving to accomplish things that I desire with purpose and drive.

It turns out that my delay in publishing is a blessing is disguise. Apparently, authors have a ton of work to do prior to publishing that I was unaware of. So, instead of moping around and waiting on someone else to fix my formatting issues, I'm taking matters in my own hands.

The past month I have created a brand new email dedicated to my writing- authormariathenriksen@gmail.com., I switched my Instagram account from personal to business, I created a new author Twitter account, I started Pinterest for the first time in my life (I still don't get the point of it), I went live with my first website- mariathenriksen.com, and sent out my first blog. In the meantime, I have been making changes to my book trailer (can't wait until that is completed!), and I have been working on my cover design.

Whew! Yes, it's been a whirlwind, very time consuming and I still work every day when school is in session.

I have my eye on the prize- the publication of my very first novel! I'm excited! I'm scared! I'm emotional! I'm tired and I have been sick for over two weeks, but I'm not giving up! My debut novel will be published. This is getting very real, very close. I can taste it. When will it be published you ask? I can't say for certain. Again, there are variables that are beyond my control, but I'm praying for the Lord's perfect timing that it will go live by the end of February.

This is huge for me and I need all the support I can get. So, thank you for reading this. Thank you for your continued support whether it's a quick simple prayer that I don't lose my mind or a Facebook note stating, "You got this!" or even a Facebook thumbs up on my posts. I need the encouragement. I didn't know how excruciating and cut throat this business can be.

There are other goals that I want to attain. Some of those goals will only get more challenging as I age, but I'm not giving up. In fact, I plan on sharing those details in another blog. Stay tuned...

That's me after I publish my debut novel!

This year, 2019 (the bulk of my 50th year), is going to be AWESOME!

#New #Followme #Blogger #goals #novel #writer #novelist #support #thankyou