Change is Good.

It's no secret that I've been working on a revised edition of With an Open Heart. I have changes to make, and I really haven't been quite pleased with the royalty structure with our current publisher. Not that I expect the book to bring in big bucks, but if releasing a second edition will allow us to give more to charity, that would make us very happy. 

I'm continuously amazed at how I've connected with such kind and supportive people, mostly through Facebook, thanks to our widespread adoption community. And now, I've "met" yet another angel to guide me when I recently discovered  a writer named Kay Bratt. 

Kay is a seasoned author of nine books, mostly all about China and her experiences, including her memoir, Silent Tears: A Journey of Hope in a Chinese Orphanage. Upon arriving in China on an expatriate assignment with her husband in 2003, Kay was instantly drawn to the cause of China’s forgotten orphans. Moved beyond tears by the stories of these children, she promised to give them the voice they did not have. With the help of her readers, Kay continues to raise awareness and advocate for at-risk children. 

Kay's most recent work is the new release of The Scavenger's Daughters, which is Book One of her trilogy called Tales of the Scavenger's Daughters, and has already made it into the top 100 Amazon Ebooks making it officially an Amazon Bestseller. I can hardly wait to dig into this one, but Silent Tears is first on my list!

When I wrote to Kay and asked her if she would mind taking a look at my book, she graciously--asking nothing in return--provided me with the most constructive feedback ever. The precise push I needed to get going on those revisions.

Kay's most welcome praise was that the story is beautiful, and "the writing is phenomenal." Okay...I'll gladly take that! But I really need to share that wonderful compliment with Marilyn Murray-Willison, who made me a better writer. My book's writing style would not have been so poetic without her editing assistance and coaching.

So, back to our changes. The key word here is "mystery." The book's formatting needs some. So Kay suggested that I reconfigure some sections to add a little intrigue. Now, I'm full steam ahead with this project and this new challenge.

Yeah...change is good.

Thank you, Kay, for your generous heart!  Thank you for encouraging me to "think big." With your assistance, hopefully Daniel's story will touch many more hearts, and our family appreciates it more than you'll ever know.

Follow Kay on Facebook.
Follow Kay on Twitter.
Follow Kay's blog here.

Miami Book Fair!

I am super-excited about this!  

With an Open Heart has been reviewed by the Miami Book Fair and I'm pleased to announced that I've been accepted as an exhibitor in their Writer's Row section!

This particular book fair has been around for thirty-years now, and it is one of the largest and most well renowned book-centered events going.

Here's a little history:  "Miami held its first book fair, called Books by the Bay, in 1984. The two-day street fair grew steadily each year and by the 1990s, the renamed Miami Book Fair International had become the largest literary festival in the country. The eight-day book party draws hundreds of thousands of book lovers to downtown Miami each November for a festival of all things read and written."

The week long event runs from November 17 - 24. I will be there exhibiting all day on Saturday, November 23rd. Wish me luck!

More details to come as I receive them!