Change and the Future

If you were a regular reader of this blog, you will notice that though I used to write weekly (and more), it’s been a loooooong time since my last post. Well, that’s because there have been a lot of changes going on in this author’s life. I think it’s time I tell you about them.

First, I released my debut novel, At the Edge of a Dark Forest, a while back. I did this as an independent author with a little help from some friends. It was only meant to be a small way to get my fiction on a stage where it could be found, but it has become so much more. I have since discovered the benefits of indie publishing that are not only good for me, as an author, they are also good for me as a reader. I have recently become part of a community of other independent authors who have chosen this route not because their work wasn’t good enough, but because someone in the publishing world told them they could not sell a book on the topic to which God led them. These authors, who write what God has laid on their hearts, are crafting beautiful stories with a greater depth than what they would have produced following the lead of a marketing team, and discovering there are readers who’ve been waiting for it.

That’s what I want to do.

I’d never taken this path with the expectation of becoming rich or famous (tho’ if God chose to curse me in such away, I would bear it willingly—sigh!). I chose it in the hopes of sharing stories that I love to write with people who may enjoy and be inspired by them. In fact, I sometimes fear things like riches and fame, due to the temptations that often come with them. That’s where independent publishing suits me. I don’t need to be known to many in order to get the coveted contract or even make a living. I just need to publish the book God has laid on my heart and hope enough people are inspired to pay me to continue.

Perfect!

I’ve also discovered, through my indie author community, that the best platform to reach an audience is not through social media or blogging, but offering more books. I currently have three almost ready to go, so I like this idea. And this is where I feel God has gifted me—fiction. I’ve loved blogging over the past few years. God has shown me many things as I journaled “out loud,” but now I feel it is time to focus on my gift.

So what will I be doing next? First, I will be working on getting my next three novels out. Two of these were set on a university campus, which according to some publishers is a non-starter for them—another reason to indie publish. The other is a spin-off from the second in that series. The long-awaited, One Among Men (about a female Christian grad-student living in and running a hard-partying all-male dorm), will be released in January 2015, followed every 3-4 months by the other two. I also have ideas to continue the stories from the Dark Forest which will feature Manny, the holey-jean-wearing chauffer, in a modern-day retelling of Sleeping Beauty, and I hope to find a girl for Sam Sakamoto, the hippo-therapist from At the Edge of a Dark Forest, as well—no ideas for him yet.

I will continue to post author interviews and articles on InfiniteCharacters.com, and will post here when God inspires me to. I have a new author website I’d love for you to visit www.ConnieAlmony.com, where you can sign up for my newsletter (or you can sign up for it in the right-hand sidebar here), and I am developing a search site to help readers find good Christian fiction written from the heart—IndieChristianFictionSearch.Blogspot.com. I’d love for you to check it out. Lots of great books to see there.

I am so excited about this new direction. Never before have I felt I was heading where God wanted me as I do today. I hope, when you read my fiction, you will feel the same.

For those of you who have come to this website to view my most-read post, Can God Heal Autism, I want you to know, though I have never felt called to write on this subject alone, God has led me to intersperse issues surrounding this disorder in some of my fiction. I have not forgotten you and will continue to pray for those who ask it of me. Thank you for your prayers and encouragement over the years.

God Bless!!!