Guest post by Paula Borba Christmas Blues: What is it, and how can it be overcome?You've probably heard that some people feel a sense of sadness during the Christmas season. Is it a natural occurrence, or does it indicate an emotional disorder? To answer this question, we need to explain that the feeling of Christmas Blues can stem from various reasons. It could be of religious origin, memories of family stories like childhood reminiscences, negative memories of stressful life situations, or unpleasant occurrences during the holiday season. However, an exciting and common aspect for many people is that the end of the year is a time for life reflection. People ponder over things they couldn't achieve, the goals they set for themselves, and the mistakes they made, leading to a sense of sadness and frustration. Consequently, individuals associate the year-end festivities with a personal reflection, especially Christmas, which seems sad due to family gatherings, reconnecting with long-lost relatives, and engaging in self-disclosure. Similarly, other occasions like birthdays can evoke similar feelings for some people for the same reasons. In these cases, Christmas Blues may be a natural experience for specific individuals without being clinical depression. However, if it causes any harm, seeking professional help is advisable. So, can this Christmas Blues feeling affect people's lives? Typically, it's a period of emotions that tends to fade naturally once the festivities conclude. However, some individuals may refuse to participate in celebrations, isolate themselves socially, and indeed experience mood changes, impacting their daily performance or relationships with others, including work. What are the most common symptoms of Christmas Blues? One may notice increased sadness, a sense of distress, a lack of joy during the holidays, and even discomfort with others' enthusiasm about celebrations and gifts. It's because the person feels uncomfortable with the festive period. Some people may experience changes in appetite and sleep, anxiety, decreased interest in previously enjoyable activities, or a decline in daily performance. How can one overcome these feelings? If the impact on a person's life is significant or if these feelings recur year after year, it would be beneficial for the individual to understand the real reasons behind their sadness. Discovering these reasons can bring relief and provide a better way to cope with the emotions during the Christmas season. Seeking help from a mental health professional, such as through psychotherapy, can be a constructive step. It's crucial not to hide or escape from feelings through isolation or confrontations with people who enjoy the holiday season. The key is understanding oneself and respecting each person's thoughts and opinions. So, embrace the end of the year as a period in the life cycle where you can replan, motivate yourself for new goals, complete pending tasks, and renew your ideas and dreams. Dates are critical temporal milestones that help us measure the progress of our lives, inspiring people to set goals and challenges. They function symbolically as a starting point to drive individuals to seek improvements in their personal and professional lives.
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A Maryland native, she and her husband are living the dream in their modern-day money pit with four children, a spoiled aussiedoodle, and one not-so-fire-breathing dragon. When not writing, working, or wrangling pets, she can be found hiking local trails or escaping in a book at her favorite café, iced latte in hand. She’s a sucker for quirky romance, is addicted to audiobooks, and finds herself most drawn to flawed characters, raw honesty, and life’s cringiest moments. You can visit her online at www.stephaniathompson.com or find her on Twitter @stephthmpsn and Instagram @stephtwrites. Interview with Stephania ThompsonThank you, Stephania, for taking the time to chat! When did you know you wanted to become an author?I always knew I wanted to be an author, but it took several decades for me to take my passion seriously. When did you first consider yourself a writer?After my first book signing in Barnes and Noble–a life long goal by the way–I finally felt comfortable calling myself a writer. Who is your biggest inspiration?My dad is my biggest inspiration. He battled cancer three times before succumbing to it in 2012. Never once did I hear him complain, or ask why, or consider giving up the fight. He worked, he exercised, he took care of his family, and he kept his faith. And he always, always encouraged and supported my dreams. How do you come up with your ideas?Most of my ideas come from real life experiences or stories I’ve heard others tell. I take these ideas and then think, what if…??? Are your characters inspired by or based on real-life people?None of my characters are based on a specific real-life person, but they all have bits and pieces of people I’ve met or know well. Some even have little pieces of me. What comes first, the plot or the characters?Characters. Always. With an idea of the plot, but the characters are the ones who dictate where the story goes. What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?I’m not sure this is a quirk, but I have to edit my writing by listening rather than reading. Once I nail a chapter, I listen to it over and over, tweaking the words as I go. How did publishing your first book change your writing career?Writer’s block is the worst, and it happens to all of us. You just have to keep writing. I know some people recommend taking a break, or changing things up, but I find the more I stray from writing, the harder it is to get back. Have you ever gotten writer's block? How did you work through it?Writer’s block is the worst, and it happens to all of us. You just have to keep writing. I know some people recommend taking a break, or changing things up, but I find the more I stray from writing, the harder it is to get back. What are you working on now?I just wrapped up my second book (Tangled Charm City Threads Book Two). This is a standalone novel that picks up where my debut, Woven, left off. We’re in the editing phase now, and hoping for a release later this year. I’m also working on books three and four in the series. I have a self-published poetry chapbook coming out in February titled Unveiling Love. This is the second chapbook in my unveiling series. The first book is titled Unveiling Chaos and is available on Amazon. In addition, I contribute regularly to multiple publications on Medium with poetry, short stories, and short form articles on writing, health and wellness, and relationships. What advice would you give aspiring authors?Write. Don’t just think about it, plan for it, fantasize about “someday”...actually write. Surprisingly, that is the hardest part, but once you get started, the words come. Also, write for the right reasons. Write because you have to, not for someone else, or to fit some genre or subgenre…write the book that’s on your heart. Your audience will find you :) What do you like to do when you're not writing?I have four kids. They occupy most of my non-writing time, which is fine by me–they’re my favorite people :) Aside from them, I enjoy jogging, reading in quiet cafe corners, exploring new places, and binging on podcasts. What are three things that are unique about you?Hmm…let’s see…I have an excellent writing companion named Todd. He’s a Bearded Dragon who thinks he’s a human, eats better than most humans, and lounges on a couch all day. Okay, what else? Well, I’m living proof that office meet-cutes are a real thing. My husband and I met at work years ago. We now have four kids, and far too many responsibilities…but we’re still madly in love. Check out How I Met My Other: True Engagements, Forever Love for the full story. And finally, how about something fun? I held many jobs in college, but the most memorable was when I dressed as a Planters Peanut at a local wholesale club opening. Arielle Haughee Market research is an essential step of the book creation process no matter how you publish. It is basically seeing what is already out there in the market and how your book will (or will not) fit in. Luckily for us, we live in the age of Amazon, so you don’t have to spend hours at a bookstore picking through different titles. If you are working to be published traditionally, you will often have to list what are called “comps,” or comparable titles, in your query letter. If you are self-publishing, you will need to know how to promote your book. For both of these, you need to complete market research. What To Look ForStart your market research by finding comparable titles published within the last five years that are the same genre and a similar story line. The recency of titles is important, as you want information about the current market, not what sold well ten or twenty years ago. Find at least five books similar to yours that are moderate to top selling. A quick note about using comps in query letters—it is considered arrogant to list a mega best selling book as a comp. I always analyze the best of the best for my own research purposes, however. If you are going traditional, you will also want to make sure you are looking up traditionally published books for comparisons. Here is an example of a comp for one of my own books: Grumbler is a grumpy character who keeps getting love stuck to him and (spoiler alert) goes through a transformation. For people who are not in the kids’ book industry, I tell them it is similar to The Grinch so they get the gist of the story. It’s not a good comparable book for market research, though, because of how long ago it was published. Industry standards have changed since then. My favorite, best selling comp is Mother Bruce. It’s about a grumpy bear who gets stuck with a bunch of goslings who think he is their mom. After trying to get rid of them, he goes through a transformation. This book was only four years old when mine was published, it’s in the same genre, and a similar story. Great comp. What Details To Get From Book CompsComps are a wealth of information for all kinds of things. So once you have your list, keep those titles handy. Here are some of the most helpful things I get from comp titles:
Differentiating Your Title From Book CompsThe most important thing to take away from market research is not just about how your book can fit in and sell, but how it can stand out. How is your title different from what is already out there? What is your new twist on the story/information? You are trying to spot a hole in the market that your book will fill. For Grumbler, there were a lot of books featuring grumpy characters who become nice. And I mean A LOT. So I knew it was something people enjoyed that would sell. My book is different because love itself is represented as little heart characters that get stuck to him, and every time he tries to give them away, they come back even more. There is a hidden angle in there about how love grows the most when it is shared. That’s not in the other books. Another great trick for getting your title to stand out or fill a gap in the market is to—steel yourself—read the negative reviews of your comps. Is there something more or different people wanted from the story? For nonfiction, was something missing or left out? You can use this information during the revision process to add in or adjust your book so that it meets those needs. When To Do Market ResearchThere are two different school of thought as to when you should complete market research. Some say you should do this before you write one word of your book. Others counter that it can hinder the creative process. For nonfiction books, I agree that you should explore the market before you start writing. That way you can determine what angle your book will have that is different. For fiction, I personally think you should focus only on writing your story when you begin. You can always revise later and make necessary adjustments. You may not even need to change your story, just figure out what to emphasize when marketing. As you can see, market research is a very valuable tool for anyone wanting to publish a book, traditionally or indie. Don’t be deterred or intimidated by having to look for books similar to yours. There are multitudes of similar books on the market for a reason. People buy more of what they enjoy. Your job is to figure out how yours will be similar but offer something new and different. Then you will be 100% prepared to tackle that market.
Interview with Cheryl WestThank you, Cheryl, for your time! When did you know you wanted to become an author?I doubled major in college, for Chemical Engineering and Creative Writing. That was in 1969. When did you first consider yourself a writer?2017-publication of my first book Who is your biggest inspiration?Mrs. Bailey, my high school English teacher. She taught me not only to read the story but to understand what the story meant, including all the intricate details which the author included. She loved the English Romantic poets so I learned not only poetry but the history, culture, and lives of the writers which were embedded in the poets. How do you come up with your ideas?This is a difficult question as so many things give me ideas for my stories and poems. I collect glass negatives from the late 1890s and early 1900s. I try to find ones with dogs but I want people in the negatives as well. The pictures I see tell me about these people. Although everything is fiction, I still imagine what their lives were like, what was important to them and how they lived their lives. Then there are the random thoughts--something pop into my head, or maybe a sight as I am driving. From these come, stories. Are your characters inspired by or based on real-life people? Mostly fictional, some real-life for background and development. What comes first, the plot or the characters?Characters, especially with the glass negatives What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?I tell the story in my head, including detail conversations between characters. I joke that it would be nice if these characters invited me to join them. How did publishing your first book change your writing career?I knew I could do it. I learned more about writing, editing, formatting, marketing, etc., and continued to write more stories and poems. I also gained experience in working with others, from the first book written with two other authors, to anthologies, as well as books written solely by me. Each brought its own challenge but taught me valuable skills and lessons. Have you ever gotten writer's block? How did you work through it?I give myself a deadline. I work better under pressure. What are you working on now?Two books. One is a compilation of short stories inspired by the glass negatives which I have collected--over 160 and adding more. The other is a children's book of my poems, illustrated with AI generated art. Talk about a learning experience in computer technology, as well as ensuring that the poems are at the level for children that I am hoping to reach. What advice would you give aspiring authors?Definitely write but while you are doing that, try to learn more about the various aspects of your craft. Even if it is a genre you may never write, learn how the authors crafted their stories, what is important and and why. Sharpen your skills when it comes to dialogue, plot, etc. And if you ask for advice, listen to what people say, without trying to justify why you did something a particular way. Remember the old saying of God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason. What do you like to do when you're not writing?Reading and spending time with my animals What are three things that are unique about you?The more I am around writers and poets, the more I feel I am like them, strange as they may be. The first item would be that I was an engineer by profession and a writer in my spare time, more time now that I am retired. This gives me an analytical mind, with an equal portion of creativeness. The second is that I have been involved in the Samoyed (dog) breed for over 40 years--lots of stories there. The third may be that I have always been telling stories in my mind, even as a child. Perhaps Walter Mitty was my mentor.
Tonya writes fiction under the pen name Tia Marlee. Tia is the author of several sweet, small-town romances featuring all the swoon with low to no heat. Her series Piney Brook Wishes can be found on Amazon. Currently, you can find Tonya at her website www.anovelchoicellc.com or on Instagram @anovelchoicellc or Facebook. Find more about Tia Marlee at tiamarleeauthor.com Interview with Tonya SpitlerThank you, Tonya, for taking the time to chat with me. When did you know you wanted to become an author?I fell in love with reading very young, and shortly after I started making up my own stories. I'd handwrite or draw pages and pages of my own creation. I think I've always wanted to be a writer in some capacity, I just didn't always know it was possible. When did you first consider yourself a writer?Not until I published my first book. Even now, I sometimes deal with imposter syndrome. Who is your biggest inspiration?My biggest inspiration are the other authors I know! Their dedication to their craft is definitely inspiring. My daughter is my biggest motivator. She's always pushing me to be my best. How do you come up with your ideas?Sometimes, they are inspired by things I see or hear. Sometimes they come to me when I'm washing my hair. Just depends. Are your characters inspired by or based on real-life people?Some of my characters deal with things I've experienced or witnessed in real life, but the characters themselves are unique. What comes first, the plot or the characters?For me, it's usually the story line that comes to mind first, then the characters tell me all the ways I'm wrong. What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?I usually have at least two drinks beside me. How did publishing your first book change your writing career?It validated that I can do it! Gave me the confidence to keep pushing, even when it's hard. Have you ever gotten writer's block? How did you work through it?YES!! UGH! I will try and call an author friend and brainstorm or go on a walk. Spending time in nature is so essential for me. What are you working on now?I'm currently working on a sweet romcom with the multi author project The Coffee Loft. Next up, a brand new series featuring life on Apple Blossom Ranch What advice would you give aspiring authors?Never quit. Find a writing group and plug in. Work on your craft. Be a student of the industry. What do you like to do when you're not writing?I like to spend time with my family. I have three teenagers, and I'm soaking up the memories before they're adults and out on their own. What are three things that are unique about you?
Arielle Haughee Why do I sell fewer books |
Previously an elementary teacher, Arielle Haughee (Hoy) is a multi-genre author living in Florida. She has a serious reading addiction, fantasy romance her absolute favorite, and loves nothing more than good conversation paired with a good wine. She is surrounded by males at home—a husband, two sons, and an energetic dog—and tries to integrate as much purple and flowers in the house as possible. Arielle is an editor, speaker, and owner of a small press. Learn more about her at www.ariellehaughee.com or www.orangeblossombooks.com. She is also on Facebook and Instagram (@orange_blossom_books). |
Dawn Bourdeau Milstrey is the author and illustrator of The Stone Angel Society, an illustrated middle grade ghost novel (Orange Blossom Publishing, September 2022). First in a series, the book is a collection of spooky short stories with just the right amount of ghosts for young readers. Dawn has been illustrating picture books since 2008 and loves helping other authors bring their words to life with her art. |
Arielle Haughee (Hoy) is a seven-time RPLA-winning author, editor, speaker, and publisher. She is the owner of the small press Orange Blossom Publishing and was previously the Executive Vice President and Marketing Chair for the Florida Writers Association. She was honored with the President’s Award from FWA in 2020, and in 2021 Pling’s Party was awarded Children’s Book of the Year. She is also the recipient of a Purple Dragonfly Award for Piper and a Moonbeam Children’s Book Award for Sixth Sunday. She has a serious reading addiction, fantasy romance her absolute favorite, and loves nothing more than good conversation paired with a good wine. She is surrounded by males at home—a husband, two sons, and an energetic dog—and tries to integrate as much purple and flowers in the house as possible. |
Samantha Blakney is a short fiction, non-fiction and poetry writer for different anthology, from Free Spirit Publishing. (This was a Mistake) and (The Zeitgeist Exists). She has also been published in Along the Shores of Grief by Orange Blossom Publishing, (The Loss of my Mother), A forthcoming anthology by, Wingless Dreamer Publisher, Christmas Cheerios. (The Burning of the Christmas Yule-Log) poetry. Also, by Wingless dreamer Publisher, My Sanskriti Teal (Diversity of the Dark Color of Women). |
Arielle Haughee is the owner and founder of Orange Blossom Publishing.
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