Tuesday, August 5, 2014

New beginnings.... Roxanne Rustand

When I was young, single and in college, I held the misconception that once I married and had kids, life would unfold down a straight path of responsibility.  No forks in the road, just a steady course.  I am so happy to note that  all these years later, I am still finding that I was wrong!

Oh, there have been the sad and difficult valleys to be sure....times I would not ever want to relive. But what a joy it has been to find new adventures along the way when I least expected them.  How about you--have you found yourself traveling in directions you'd never dreamed of?

I never dreamed I'd be a writer, for one thing. An avid reader since early childhood, that thought never crossed my mind.  And yet...when our children were still in grade school (and younger) chance acquaintances with just the right people led me down that path.  I never would have guessed that would happen!

And even then, though I found writing a joy, I never dreamed I would be published.  But again...the right people, the right bits of information,  opened up that possibility through finding out about Romance Writers of America and the Golden Heart contest for unpublished writers.  After thirty books published with five of the Harlequin lines, I found myself in a happy and comfortable place, and writing for an editor I love to work with.

And then, with a major shift  in the publishing world, the possibilities of self-publishing opened up.  What fun it is to have the opportunity for complete control of a book, from the beginning to that day when it becomes available on Amazon!  From novellas to full length books, the opportunities are endless.   And now our daughter Emily is working hard at becoming a writer as well.  Here is a photo of us at Commander's Palace in New Orleans, just before the  Romantic Times Readers Convention this spring.

I still love working with my Harlequin editor, and am in the process of sending in a new proposal to (hopefully) continue there.

But it has certainly been revitalizing to try out new opportunities!  What about you--have you found the world changing in your own career?  If you are writing,  what do you think about the new world of publishing?

Wishing you all the very best,
Roxanne Rustand


Roxanne is the author of thirty books for Harlequin's Superromance, Everlasting, Heartwarming, Love Inspired, and Love Inspired Suspense lines. Her recent indie releases (available in all e-formats) include Summer at Briar Lake, Comeback Cowboy and A Montana Family.   Deceived will be available this fall, followed by a contemporary Christmas novella set in Scotland.

5 comments:

  1. I decided to try my hand at self-publishing and it has been THE most fun thing I have ever done. The only thing I don't do myself is design the covers.

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  2. It's an amazing thing how publishing has changed these past years, its quite unreal when you think about it. Challenging but fun.

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  3. It's been challenging but fun. A lot of fun.

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  4. Thanks for sharing your story, Roxanne. All the best to you and your daughter! It is an exciting time to be a writer.

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  5. You're so right, Roxanne. Life is unexpected - thank God! ;-)

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