Lisa is offering several different Giveaways to randomly chosen commenters: a choice between 1 autographed copy of HER HEART'S DESIRE or a Kindle download of either HER HEART'S DESIRE or LOVE CONTRACT to 2 lucky readers. The winners will be announced here on Friday, August 29th, between 5-6 PM EST. To be entered in the Giveaway, please leave your contact information within your comment. Thanks!
Be still…be open…be listening by Lisa Watson
I can’t remember a time in my
life when I wasn’t completely in love with reading, and writing. In fact, my
journey from aspiring to published author can literally be summed up in four words:
Right place, right time. In 2002, I was a stay-at-home mother of two small
children. A closet writer, it was my love of the popular 1980’s television
series, Remington Steele that prompted me down the road to publication. Discovering
several websites where people wrote original fan fiction based on the
characters from the show was like finding an unlimited supply of pancakes—and I
love pancakes. Something clicked inside me, prompting me
to write my own stories, put them on the Internet and see what happened.
What happened next scared me to
death. I began receiving emails from readers all around the world that were
enjoying my stories, and prompting me to continue writing them. I was stunned
that people were not only reading what I had to say, but also eagerly awaiting
my next chapters. During that time, I also stumbled across information on the
Romance Slam Jam Writers convention. I’d never gone to a conference before, but
couldn’t ignore my sudden and overwhelming urge to attend. When I discussed it
with my husband, he said go, have a good time. What!? That’s when I knew there
was more to this than my husband’s surprising thumbs up. This gentle prompting must’ve
been Heaven sent.
It was one of the best decisions
I’d ever made, and it changed my life. Aside from having the time of my life and soaking up as much knowledge
as I could, I met other aspiring writers, published authors that I’d always
read, but never dreamed I’d meet. I learned valuable ways to improve my craft,
made lifelong friends, I was given the opportunity to write a novella for an
anthology that would later be published.
Sometimes the path you’re
supposed to take, or the gifts you’re meant to receive don’t arrive with large
fanfare, flashing lights and hoopla. Sometimes it’s a subtle whisper in your ear, a thought that pops into
your head, or a gut feeling. It’s these moments where you have to be still…be
open…and be listening.
We all have spiritual gifts. Whether
we use them is up to us. The key is to be open to what comes your way, and to
have a positive attitude. When you’re open and receptive to life’s
possibilities, everything falls into place and there are no limits to what you
can do. Each blessing I’ve received has been about my being in the right place,
right time. I’ve trusted that if it was presented to me…I was supposed to go
with it.
For the last ten years, I’ve
been the co-publicist for the RT Booklovers Convention. In this capacity I’ve
been surrounded with people I never imagined I would meet and yes, I still get
star struck when I meet authors that I’ve been reading since I was a teenager. My
dream of writing for Harlequin has come true, I’ve become the new host of
Reader’s Entertainment Blog Talk Radio show, and my newest novel, Her Heart’s
Desire hit Number One on Amazon.com’s bestsellers list and I know this is just
the beginning of my blessings.
My advice to aspiring authors? Surround
yourself with like-minded people. Go
to writers conventions. There are plenty to choose from, and some may be coming
to your area. There are workshops, meets and greets, book signings, agents,
editors, publishers that attend that are always looking for new talent. Editors
are not going to come knocking on your door for you to give them your
manuscript to publish—you’ve got to go to them.
Be still…be opening…and be
listening.
Lisa's Ah-hahs To Tweet:
Meet Lisa Watson: a multi-pubbed
author who followed God’s nudging. (Tweet This)
#BookGiveaway of Lisa Watson,
author of Harlequin’s #Kamani line. (Tweet This)
What advice does Lisa Watson, co-publicist
for RT Booklovers Convention, have for authors? (Tweet
This)
Author's Bio:
A native of Washington D.C., Lisa Watson writes multicultural novels. Having her debut novel nominated for
Best Contemporary Fiction, sparked Lisa to continue creating engaging
storylines, strong characters with universal appeal, and a keen sense of humor.
Lisa loves traveling, so weaving beautiful destinations into the
pages of her novels as lush backdrops, or the heritage of her characters is not
uncommon.
Lisa's first series for the Harlequin's KIMANI™ line, The Match
Broker series, introduced readers to Love Contract, and matchmaking guru, Norma
Jean Anderson, aka The Love Broker.
Her goal is to have her son, Adrian, and everyone in his immediate
circle of friends, happily married—period. Book two in the series, Her Heart’s Desire, was released in
May 2014, and hit #1 on the Amazon Bestseller list. Look for book three, Love by Design in October 2014.
Lisa works at a technology-consulting firm, is the co-publicist
for RT BookReview Magazine's annual RT Booklovers Conventions, and the host for
Reader’s Entertainment Radio show.
Married for eighteen years, with two teenagers, and a Maltipoo,
Brinkley, Lisa lives outside Raleigh, NC and is avidly working on her next
series.
Places to connect with Lisa:
