by Tari Faris, @FarisTari
Image by Towfiqu barbhuiya from Unsplash
My third book in my Restoring Heritage Series was released last week. It was super fun to see the series wrap up with Since You’ve Been Gone and I have had some great responses, but it also begs the question: what next? Sometimes authors will go right into the next series contracted series without missing a beat but that isn’t the case for many authors, and it isn’t the case for me. I find myself without a current pressing deadline, so the question is what do I do then? There are several different options, all with their benefit and drawbacks so let’s look at 3 of those options.
1. Take a break.
This is a truly valid option. Especially for those who have been working from deadline to deadline as I have for the past few years. I will admit it was a joy to take a bit of a breather and enjoyed a slower pace for a while.
2. Write a spin-off.
This is a great option if you have characters in your previous work who really need a story of their own. Your faithful readers are invested in your characters – sometimes even more than you are. Give them a little more. I am doing this right now. I had several emails about a set of brothers that appear in my first book You Belong with Me. After enough emails questioning about Liam and Logan, I have decided to do a three-book series featuring them. The biggest Challenge is without outside deadlines, it is easy to push this project to the back burner. I have had to learn to be self-disciplined. (It’s a work in progress)
3. Write a giveaway.
This is great for building your newsletter and building your audience. It is hard to give something that you could sell away but if it gets your name out there to read some of your other work then it is worth it. As you can see, there are many options for you between writing deadlines. And it could end up being a combination. I know I have been combining options 1 and 2. And I am sure you could think of a few too. But most of all, I would encourage you to pray about it. Because as the Bible says “In their hearts, humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.” ~Proverbs 16:9. I know this is true for me. If God has called you to write then it is an act of worship to him. Ask him what you should do with the space in your calendar.
Leah Williams is back in the quaint town of Heritage, Michigan, and ready to try again to make her business a success. But blank slates are hard to come by, and a piece of her past is waiting for her there. Heir to the Heritage Fruits company, Jonathan Kensington is the guy who not only made Leah’s past difficult, he also seems determined to complicate her present as well.
Jon is trying to prove to the Heritage Fruits board that he, not his manipulative uncle, should be running the business. The board insists Jon find a new owner for the building that will house Leah’s business. To avoid forcing a buyout of Leah’s part of the building, Jon strikes a compromise with Leah, and the two go into business together. With her vision and his know-how, it might work. And Leah might realize he’s loved her since high school. If only he didn’t keep on shooting himself in the foot by boxing her out of important decisions.
Sparks fly in this romantic story of two people who must learn to trust both each other and the one who called them to this journey.
Tari Faris has been writing fiction for fifteen years but has been creating fiction in her head for as long as she can remember. She is represented by Wendy Lawton at Books & Such Literary Management and is a member of ACFW and My Book Therapy. She was the 2017 Genesis winner, 2016 Genesis finalist, and 2014 Genesis finalist. In addition to her writing, she also works for My Book Therapy as a special project manager and writes for LearnHowToWriteANovel.com . When she is not writing or working, she spends time with her amazing husband and kids. In her free time, she loves coffee, rockhounding with her husband and kids, and distracting herself from housework. You can connect with her at www.tarifaris.com