As I reflect on this year, the thing that keeps coming back to me is Friendship. I have spent a lot of time on the road, sometimes alone, but much of the time with friends. I've only been in the writing world for less than 3 years (I started as a blogger), but it seems like I've known some of you for ages. I've never been a person to have a lot of friends, but I have found that to be untrue now. So many of you have embraced my books and have become closer to me than family.
This entire journey started with my best friend, Sydney Logan. She is such a wonderful person and fantastic author. She continues to encourage me when I'm ready to give up. I dipped my toes into writing when I published With This Ring back in August 2013. Things have continued to snowball. I Thee Wed came out on December 27, 2013 and both were put together to create Wedding Dreams six months later.
November 2014 brought the first book in my stand-alone Strength Series, Stronger With Him. This book cover has turned many heads and every time I see it I can't believe that it's on my book. 2014 also brought my first book signings when I traveled to Cleveland, OH, Knoxville, TN, Greenville, NC, Huntington WV, and Indianapolis, IN. If you've never attended an author event, you really should. There are such wonderful people to meet, friends to make, and fans to make you feel like you matter. I drove to all of these events (one was up to 14 hours away) and when I had someone with me, it was just another way to talk books uninterrupted.
November 2015 brought Stronger With Her, book 2 in the Strength Series. It's been an interesting exercise to write a series that has the same characters but different points of view. I also traveled a lot this year as well. I drove to Cleveland, OH, Columbus, OH, Bardstown, KY, Louisville, KY, and Huntington, WV for signing events. I met even more people, reconnected with old friends, and was influenced but others in the industry. Have I mentioned that indie authors are ridiculously supportive?
Now 2016 is just around the corner.
This year is going to be amazing. For a woman who never thought she would, let alone could, write a book, I'm planning my 4th novel, Stronger With Us. I'm working with a professional photographer and model (this still doesn't seem real) for the cover for the first time. I'm flying to an event for the first time in Las Vegas, and really, what better reason to fly! Then I'll be in Indianapolis, St. Louis, and Huntington, WV once again. I can't wait to meet new people and have new experiences. I hope that you will be part of this journey with me. I love to talk books more than just about anything else. I want to hear your thoughts, your ideas, and what you like. I want to get to know YOU.
So, thank you, for all your love and support. Thank you for coming with me on this ride. I hope to see you again soon!
Love,
JA Hensley
This is a great place organize an event; they have great staff and great events put on here! I had nothing but great times and great conversations there. At this event space they served slider and shrimp cakes as appetizers with chicken skewers, and eggrolls that had veggies on the inside and some kind of creamy fruit sauce on top.
ReplyDelete