A.R. Grosjean

  This is the working cover for the book I am writing at the moment. It is also the book that I'll be working on for NaNoWriMo which is National Novel Writing Month. During November, I'll be finishing the rough draft for the story with a special meaning behind it. Backstory.....My granddaughter has a special ability. She can light up any room, make you feel good, and has the biggest heart of anyone I know. And I know a lot of people. She's been through a lot so I decided to turn her into a character and write a story with her being the MC. Now meet Maria, a little cutie in her own right. She has a pacemaker, she's 10, and she just accidentally met Nemoy, a garden gnome who wasn't supposed to be seen by humans. It wasn't his fault, Maria made him sneeze... More about the story later lol. As I mentioned, I am participating in the NaNoWriMo this year which begins on November 1, 2020. I'm already 48K into the story which means I'm reaching the end of the sto...

 This is the timeline for my writing, before and after I became a professional.... 1987: I was 11 years old. Writing chose me. I was on a trip, heading home with my maternal grandparents and younger sister. It was in the summer and we had just visited my uncle who lived in North Webster at the time. We lived just south of Decatur and my grandfather always took the back roads so the trip was pretty long. At least it felt that way lol. My sister and I brought a lot of paper, some pens and coloring pencils to draw with for the trip. I had a piece of paper and a pen in my hand as I stared out of the window in search of an idea to draw something. As I watched the fields pass us by, an idea popped into my head but it wasn't something to draw. I began writing the story like it was something I had been doing for years. It felt natural. By the time we got home, I had a few pages written. I went to my room and rewrote it on lined paper and continued writing the story. I had no idea if the st...

  Reviews are extremely important for any author. For one, it shows other readers that you are just as you claim--an excellent story-teller. It also puts your book out there for more to see it. The more reviews a book gets, the more visible it becomes. And Amazon rewards the author by including the book in their email-adverts once a book reaches around 50 or 100 reviews for that book. So that's an added bonus because it means even more people will see the book and that is our goal as writers. Another reason reviews are important is the fact that it helps the author see how the readers are taking the story. It helps them know if the market will accept another book in that area of the topic, genre, theme, etc. If the book is only getting bad reviews, she/he knows to write something else or choose a different audience. Writers are always learning and growing and this is part of the process. So if you're an avid reader, please leave a review for the book you've just enjoyed or ...

 I am saddened to see the summer go. It feels like it just got here and now the cooler temperatures are coming to stay for a little while. I hate the cold so much lol. So Stolen is officially released and I've gone back to writing Fairytale's Truth, full time. I've reached the half-way mark (I hope). The MC has reached a roadblock and has to figure out how to get through it. Hopefully, her new friend, Nemoy the gnome can help her since she's only ten. It won't be easy, that's for sure. Meanwhile, I've been seeing my grandchildren more often which is a nice distraction but it's still a distraction which is why I've been writing so slowly. But I love it when they visit. My husband decided to buy these two matching outfits which is totally adorable. Of course, the oldest of the two just can't keep her mouse ears where they belong. But I think she was playing. She is a little cute goofball so I don't mind. She's also the inspiration for Maria...

 The first update I wanted to share, I finally got my granddaughter to put on the top I made for her. It looks so cute on her. I tried it on her several times during the making of this top to make sure everything would fit properly. I didn't use a pattern. I just crocheted it. It took a while to make but I'm very happy with the results and she liked it. Another update. I have officially edited 4 chapters in Stolen. I've been working on one chapter a day and I'm so happy with the way it's turning out. One of the Beta readers loved it but she found a few errors and made some suggestions that would make the story even better. I agreed with pretty much every change that she suggested. And since it was a genre she reads, she was my target audience. So if she enjoyed it, I know for sure others will too. And since I am making improvements, I know without a doubt, this will be a great story. I am super excited about this. The cover was designed by a friend and I think she d...

  Being a writer means writing, even when you're not in the mood. Time is something you make. So how do you juggle keeping a normal life, writing a novel, and marketing novels you've already written? Carefully lol. This is something I have learned over the years. The first book is always the easiest. Once it becomes published, you must learn how to continue writing while marketing the first book. Balancing life between the two and keeping a life is a little easier when it's only the one book with one being written. The more books you write and publish, the harder it becomes, especially when you're writing in multiple genres like I do. You have more than one audience which means extra work on top of what there is already. And that's fine because it is worth it. At least for me. So what are the secrets? You guessed it. Planning, planning, and keeping a schedule. But of course, what works for one may not work for another. So it really depends on your preferences and ro...

So all of the books have been updated which means new covers. I've already shared them on Facebook so this won't be anything new there. But I'm sure there will be someone visiting this blog from elsewhere so if that's the case, here are the new updated covers for all of my books..... As I've mentioned in the last blog post, Stolen will be the next book that is released which is scheduled for October 1, 2020. I am writing Fairytale's Truth at the moment which is 8% finished lol. I'm finishing up with chapter 2, then moving on to the next chapter. This story is innocent and sweet which will make it a family favorite. At least that's the plan lol. I haven't written a story like this before but it holds close to my heart so it deserves to be told. And I'm giving it my best. That's why I love my imagination so much, I can come up with these different types of stories. As my career grows, you'll begin to see this more and more! So if anything l...