Freedom.
When Judith offered a chance to guest blog with Romancing The Genres and told me the theme for October was Freedom, I could not say no. Why? Because I've spent a long time building freedom from… and freedom to… into my life.
Freedom from debilitating deadlines. Freedom to write the stories that burn in my heart to be written. The worst part about realizing those freedoms were gone was that I had done it to myself. I had signed too many contracts for too many books. I had agreed to revisions that gutted my spirit as deeply as they gutted my stories. No one forced me into those situations. No one. I don't blame publishers, editors or my agent. Why would I?
I am a grown ass woman and I made my own choices, but when I realized those choices weren't working, it was also up to me to fix that.
Fixing it came at a high cost as any kind of true freedom so often does. However, I now turn books in early because I can. I write stories that matter to me and when someone thinks they should be gutted, I pull the book if I don't agree.
It's an amazing feeling to know I'm on the path I'm meant to be on, but also that my journey down that path is set by me. I appreciate every one of the publishers I have worked with and continue to work with. I am grateful for all I have learned from my editors and agents along the way.
But all of that has led to a new sense of freedom for me, not just a feeling, but a hard fought for reality. Again, not without cost. Pulling a book is no easy thing. Trusting the process when sometimes it leads to what feels like failure? Not easy. But worth it. Because the alternative is stifling the very creativity that has brought me this far.
My hero in my current release has a newfound freedom and what he decides to do with it is pretty darn great, if I do say so. Duty and an old promise forced him to let go of the only woman who ever mattered. He's no longer under contract to marry another royal, but can he convince Emma that freedom means they're meant to be together?
HIS MAJESTY’S HIDDEN HEIR
Harlequin Presents
ISBN-13 : 9781335568106
ISBN-10 : 1335568107
The prince is in for a shocking revelation in this secret baby romance by USA TODAY bestselling author Lucy Monroe!
The mother of his child…
…and wearing his crown?
Prince Konstantin can’t forget Emma Carmichael, who vanished after a wedding contract forced him to end their relationship. A surprise meeting five years later shocks Konstantin—Emma has a son. Unmistakably his son.
Emma wants Konstantin in their son’s life—yet she’s wary. She’d had no choice but to walk away; his family hadn’t deemed her worthy of being his princess. But as their reunion stokes the flames of their passion, can she trust that this time their bond is strong enough to prove them all wrong?
While she writes multiple subgenres of romance, all of her books are sexy, deeply emotional and adhere to the concept that love will conquer all.
A passionate devotee of romance, she adores sharing her love for the genre with her readers.
Learn more at https://www.lucymonroe.com/
3 comments:
Lucy, thank you for sharing the bones of your personal freedom story. What, for me, is the most valuable lesson you share is that of taking personal responsibility for where you were on your writing path, determining it wasn't where you wanted to be and that then gave you the freedom to change. So many people, writers and non-writers, don't exercise their personal freedom and thus commit themselves to a life of misery.
This is a very important post, Lucy! Having the confidence and fortitude to remove a book rather than have it gutted and published s something most writers don't even consider. It is hard to make that leap from I'll-do-anything-you-say-to-be-published to I'm worthy of making those choices and I'm confident in my story.
Of course, we all need someone to point out where things could be better. But having the choice to say, "NO, and this is why" is important. I've always loved your stories and it seems you have found a good balance of traditional and indie publishing. For me, one of the things the indie revolution has done is put some real power back in the hands of good authors. So, they feel free to choose their project partners and get their books produced and marketed in the way that's best for each story.
Judith: Thank *you* for giving me the opportunity to share. Absolutely. I've always believed that one cannot have power without responsibility. To be personally empowered requires taking personal responsibility for one's choices.
Maggie: Thank you so much! And yes, I agree. Indie publishing has provided me (and many others) the freedom to choose our own path and the right path for each story.
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