Lately, I find myself saying often, “I’m dancing as fast as I can.” My world seems to get busier and crazier every week. When I started this blog back in May of 2010, I posted three times a week: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. My first book released that month. Before long, I was balancing deadlines, a young son and family, and a church as the pastor’s wife. A few years later, as the deadlines multiplied, I cut my blogging days to two days a week. I loved that schedule: Tuesdays and Fridays.
A few years ago, I discovered Toni Shiloh’s Book Sale Roundup. Once a week, Toni posted sales, giveaways, preorders, and free books. I sent her my giveaways weekly and gained readers for my blog. I wondered how she had time to do it as her career took off. Pretty soon after her second or third book was published, she e-mailed letting me know she didn’t have time to do her roundup anymore. At that point in my life, it had been a few years since I’d been published. Life and family and interfered with my writing. The book proposals I’d submitted weren’t accepted. I prayed about taking over Toni’s roundup.
After some research, I realized the preorders were the largest part of the roundup. I decided I could handle it if I didn’t include the preorders. I asked Toni if she minded if I took over. She was very gracious and even told her readers about my plan on her blog. Soon after my first roundup, Narelle Atkins e-mailed saying she’d heard about my roundup and she was interested in doing a preorder roundup. We decided to tag team and let our readers know about each others roundups.
I started Book Bargains Roundup last June. I inititally started blogging on Monday, Wednesday, Friday again. Then changed it to Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday – that fit better. It’s grown in bargains and visitors. In the meantime, my life has gotten crazier and more time-consuming. When I do have free time, I want to write. I kept getting behind on my weekly book giveaways on my guest posts, getting weeks or months behind on picking winners. To simplify, I started book bundles, so I only pick two winners a month. That helped.
But I’m still so stretched thin, I made a big mistake a few weeks ago. I combined two guest author’s posts and attributed it to one of them. The author e-mailed me when it went live and said this part isn’t my words. She was really good about it and I fixed it as quickly as I could. Also, for the first time in forever, I’ve got some open slots for guest authors. Which tells me, their lives have gotten crazy too.
I’ve decided to cut my blogging schedule back to two days again. I hate to do it. I want to continue the roundup. It’s been a big hit. So that means one of my weekly guest author slots will have to go. Beginning in July, I’ll blog on Tuesdays and Fridays again. Tuesday will be a guest author. Friday will be the roundup. I’ll still have bundle book giveaways once a month.
I appreciate all my readers who’ve stuck with me through although the transformations on this blog. I don’t plan to quit as long as I have readers. But there are seasons where something has to give.
Reader Question: What have you cut back on during busy seasons in your life?
April Book Bundle #2
My Journey into Fiction Writing by R.F. Whong, Nonfiction, Newsletter signup download
Loving Lydia by Susan Sloan, Civil War Historical Romance, digital
Kage: The 6th Commandment by Charlene Amsden, Romantic Suspense, digital
Counting on the Cowboy by Shannon Taylor Vannatter, Contemporary Romance, print
About Shannon: Award winning author, Shannon Taylor Vannatter writes contemporary Christian cowboy romance and has over a dozen published titles. A romance reader since her teens, she hopes to entertain Christian women and plant seeds in the non-believer’s heart as she demonstrates that love doesn’t conquer all—Jesus does.
She gleans fodder for her fiction in rural Arkansas where she spent her teenage summers working the concession stand with her rodeo announcing dad and married a Texan who morphed into a pastor. Shannon is Scrivenings Press Acquisitions/Content Editor for Contemporary titles. In her spare time, she loves hanging out with her husband and adult son, flea marketing, and doing craft projects. Learn more and connect:
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About the book: Counting on the Cowboy:
Ranching is his whole life…until he meets one special city girl
Texas Cowboy Brock McBride knows better than to fall for a city girl. She’ll leave and break his heart—just like his ex-fiancée did. But his job at Chasing Eden Dude Ranch requires working alongside Dallas wedding planner Devree Malone. And despite fierce resistance, he’s falling hard. Yet with Devree’s business back in the city, can he convince her she’s found her home…with him?
Worried you won’t win? Interested in my other titles? Need extra books for gifts?
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Counting on the Cowboy Shannon’s books
Come back May 2nd for Shannon’s Book Bargains Roundup!
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