Looking for Reoccurring Guest Posters

I started this blog in 2009 not knowing a thing about blogging. Some years I gave hours of my time working and building this blog, while other years I was lucky to get a few posts in.

There are many positive changes happening in my life right now. I'm in the process of changing careers and venturing out on my own as a creativity coach. My goal is to serve other aspiring science fiction and fantasy authors. This is also my opportunity to focus more on my own writing. Since I'm brand new I am also looking for a few authors who are willing to try my services for FREE! You can learn more here.

The Aspiring Author blog is a great tool I don't want to waste. I want to make this blog thrive again and fresh perspectives bring that. My vision is to find aspiring authors or authors who want to have a monthly (or weekly if you want) spot on The Aspiring Author blog. Each spot would be about a specific genre in fiction.

For example, I plan on writing weekly posts on Fridays about science fiction. The topic of the posts doesn't matter as long as it is within the genre.

Big Picture Thinking Without Getting Lost

Sometimes it feels like I have to have everything planned out and know exactly where I'm headed. I try to see the big picture but also zoom in and make sure every little step is accounted for. I want to reach my dream with every fiber in me. And that's great, but...

sometimes I get carried away.

I get lost in the action of trying to make everything work so it can all build to me reaching my goal. The thing is though...life. Life laughs at the plans. Not because they won't work, no, life laughs because we don't realize how many what-ifs we've banked on.

How many times have you thought something was going to go one way in life, and then a curveball happens and you're pushed in a whole new direction. Personally, I've lost count.

I can plan and plan, and that's good to do, you need to have a direction, but knowing every little step isn't necessary. You really can "cross that bridge when you come to it."

I think it is vital to keep yourself open to opportunities. If you have your head down busy planning your life, you won't notice the golden opportunities before you. I've come away with a new friend just by opening a door before. Stay mindful of your goal, but keep a broad view and it will feel like you are just watching things fall into place.

Keep your eyes open, not just your physical eyes, but your senses. Feel for opportunities and when you feel your inner voice nudging you to say or do something, try it! See what happens. Odds are you will end up better than before.

I had to remind myself of this. I don't need to know everything right now, I just need to know enough to get me to the next step. 

Review of Her Secret Friend by Juliana Stevens

Kaya James doesn't think like every other culmin. In her cold, hard world, she is not looking to get married. Her overbearing mother has other plans...and so does an unexpected secret admirer.
Men are not romantic, at least that's what Kaya always thought. But the gifts keep coming and for the first time, she is wrapped up in the idea of romance. With each note received more enthralling than the next, and a little help from the Paragons watching from afar, Kaya's heart may not be as safe from love as she once believed.

(This is first in a series, but the story is standalone)
Coming Soon- When Two Worlds Collide


Amazon  /   Goodreads 

*I was given a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review*

It's been a while since I have read a romance novel and I found Her Secret Friend to be refreshing. I loved the creativity of having the characters be another race on another world. The cold world they live in seems dreary but Stevens creates the warmth with her characters.

Kaya is a delightful protagonist who is the lone wolf in her village. Her dislike of being told what to do by her mother is relatable. The tension builds as Kaya keeps receiving gifts from a secret admirer and building feelings for a man in a profession she despises.

The aspect of the paragons in the story was interesting. It lent the story a special quality that added to the depth of it. This side story and the relationships between the different paragons helped develop the plot as they influenced the culmin.

This is a heartfelt read that is creative and fun. If you enjoy romance novels with a unique setting than you will enjoy this book.

Juliana Stevens is close with her family and grew up in a small town outside Austin. Her favorite pastime is going to the beach and spent many summers in Rockport and Port Aransas, Texas growing up.
She used to write short stories for her friends in middle school and has been an avid reader since elementary.
She lives in Texas with her husband, three kids, and three dogs.

Find her on Facebook and Twitter in order to get the latest updates on her books!


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