Authors need a tagline, a phrase to explain what they offer as a writer. It also could be called a motto. Essentially, it is a way to tie their books together. Since I write in different genres and for different age groups (which is usually a no-no in our industry) this is an especially important aspect of marketing which I needed to do for myself. In my last blog post, I mentioned how much I struggle with this. And like anything related to marketing, I was dreading it. But creating my tagline was much easier than I thought. A common theme ran throughout every story. Maybe you have guessed already but I decided on the tagline, Tales of Trials for a Greater Purpose.

So, what does Tales of Trials for a Greater Purpose mean? It means that my characters face almost insurmountable obstacles to fulfill something greater than themselves. This tagline has a  personal meaning to me. What you might not know is that I suffer from health issues. I have more than one chronic illness (3 with 2 others I’m usually able to keep in check through diet and medication). I don’t like being called disabled, even though I could be considered so. This is my normal.

My life—dealing with the pain and the limitations are my trials, but God has a greater purpose for me. Through all of this, I have been given a gift, the gift of writing. There have been many benefits with this gift. I am able to “travel” to my make-believe worlds and “visit” some real places (in my contemporary novels) from the comfort of my own home. My mind takes me on these journeys and when you read my stories you’ll able to come along too.

Also, I spend a lot of time by myself. Being a loner doesn’t really bother me but we all crave some sort of human connection. Through my stories, I have created friends, fictional ones like Marigold, Melanie, Cindy, Haley, Ty-Dan 4, Ryka, Father Jasha, Queen Isea, Rosamund, Dragonsoul, and many others just to name a few (actually I named several). I’m hoping one day you will know them and become friends with them too. I also feel blessed to have made many friends in the writing community, good friends. It’s amazing for this book nerd to interact with authors I enjoy reading (and very exciting to receive a friend request from them as well). As you can see, there are positive things which we can receive through our trials.

I said all the above so that you will understand more about me and the meaning behind the Tales of Trials for a Greater Purpose. I’m not going to pose a question for you about your trials, because sometimes things need to remain private. But if you are dealing with trials, which most of us are, I want you to know that you’re not alone. Pain and suffering can bring about some good things too especially when we allow God to use them.

***BIG NEWS*** Cover reveal for Melanie on the Move on Thursday, March 19th!