The Viola Factor Year Anniversary

It has been a year since I published THE VIOLA FACTOR paperback and eBook.

Bringing the life of Viola Knapp Ruffner to light has been a distinct pleasure and I feel “chosen” to have been the one to do so. The victory of research discoveries, the dead ends that bring everything to a halt, getting “back up” and doing it all again are adrenaline rushes. Nevertheless, there are thrills and spills along the way.

THRILLS: being invited to book clubs and groups for presentations, unpacking and stocking your own books at the Booker T. Washington National Monument where the book is sold, visiting a bookstore locally and watching someone purchase my book while observing around the corner, receiving a random email or photo from a reader (some who even read to their pets), communicating with other book writers of historical fiction and sharing that “I’ve hit a wall in my research sigh,” having a book review posted on Amazon, BookBaby, or Facebook, requests for bookmarks and discussion questions (violafactor@gmail.com), and uncovering new information about the character researched are all thrills and humble gratitude is lifted!!!

(Thank you!!!)

SPILLS: How come everyone is not as enamored with the storyline and research as I am? How come not everyone rushes to purchase my book? How can I make the story stronger next time? Should I continue investing time and money in the book publishing process? Why can’t I find a photo of Viola?

By writing this post, I see the thrills outweigh the spills, so my faith is restored in all I have and am doing. I am sure my questions are the same as other authors and wonder at the whole big wide realm of the world of publishing. Makes one realize what a big deal people like Diana Gabaldon, Sadequa Johnson, and Lois Leveen are!