Zip! Bam! Pow! An Idea is Born

Here I go with writing prompt number six in the 28 day author blog challenge! You should go check out some of the participants. There is a lot of talent in this group.

Where were you when the idea for your book was initially ignited? Who was the first person you told? How did they respond?

I remember very clearly where I was when I got the idea for my book and the reaction because it was overwhelming that so many people believed I could do it.

I was sitting with my study group at my house - we were filling out little cards to play our own version of trivial pursuit based on notes in our history class - and I was making the questions for the section on Genghis Khan. Already, I had become intrigued by the man and begun the research for my paper. My pen hit the table and I raised my head to look at everyone. They stopped writing and raised eyebrows at me.

"What if it was because of Borte?" I asked them. I had been regaling them with Genghis Khan facts for weeks to that point and they all had a pretty good grasp of his history and peculiarities so they picked up on my meaning right away.

One of the more outspoken women in the group raised her voice, "Ooooooh, that's a good angle. I wonder if you could find any facts to prove that it was."

I answered, "I don't know but I'm sure gonna try. If not, maybe I'll just go off and write it that way anyway."

The reactions to that statement blew me away. I was flooded with suggestions on how to write it, what spins I should put on the story, how wonderful my writing was, how sure they all were that if anyone could do it, it was me, and how wonderful a love story with Genghis Khan in it would be.

Riiiiight. But the idea took hold and wouldn't let go. I knew I couldn't actually write fiction into my paper but I thought maybe... Almost eight years later, Yassa was born.

Bet you're wondering why it took me so long, huh?

Well, I had a baby, battled an illness, and had to return to finish school. I emerged on the other side of all that a better person with a more can-do attitude. No longer will I put off until tomorrow what I know I can accomplish today - no, I don't mean housework, I put that off all the time. What I'm talking about is the big things; those things that make you want to get out of bed just so you can challenge yourself that day.


Whether it's a weight loss plan, a blog challenge, a novel, or your drive to make your business succeed, it's something that will change your life. It drives you to want more. Newsflash: No one is going to hand you anything. You have to go out and grab the bull by the proverbial horns, look him in the face, and scream that you will succeed and no one can stop you.

I just published my first, full-length novel Tuesday. It was hard work, I won't lie, but it felt so good to click that publish button. Many people write and write their whole lives and never have the courage to click that publish button; but I did it. So many people never write more than twenty-thousand words over a lifetime; I wrote over one-hundred-thousand. Nothing like Yassa has ever been written before. An original idea is something that is rare in the publishing world; I stumbled across it and pushed to deliver.

Grow your thick skin and publish that book. Who cares if it gets forty-five one star reviews? It's that ONE five star review that will leave you dancing in the streets. The Abigale Chronicles - Book One has gotten three five star reviews (two on Smashwords and one on Amazon). I was bouncing off the walls when I got those notifications in my e-mail. Can you imagine?

But, I digress.

Let me get off my soapbox and down into the fray. If you haven't done so, you should grab a copy of Yassa. Or at the very least, go take a look inside. NOOK,  Amazon, and Smashwords will all allow you to preview the first three chapters. Trust me, you'll want to read more. If you purchase on Smashwords, you get a free copy of The Abigale Chronicles - Book One as well. Two books for the price of one!! Like a BOGO sale!

Don't forget to enter the giveaway on Goodreads! It's your chance to get a paperback copy of Yassa, signed by ME, for FREE! That's a $17.99 value and NO shipping charges! What's better than free? Even if you aren't into historical fiction, you'll be in to Yassa. I don't go into boring details about this conquering or that one. Instead, I focus on the love story and betrayal. The relationships between the characters are front and center but you'll learn a LOT of facts in a fun way.

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo