Re-alignment and Re-branding

I’m sorry that I’ve gone so long with no new posts. My kids were becoming screen addicts and desperate times called for drastic measures. It meant a lot less time for me to write combined with flares with my joint pain and fatigue. They’ve started school again, so hopefully I can get back on track. However, it wasn’t all a waste. I was able to do a lot of thinking about what I want to be as a writer.

Do you follow me on social media? If you do, then you’ve probably seen me post more Bible verses lately. In fact, other than sharing a post about Austen stuff, that’s pretty much all I’m posting lately. It’s not that I don’t have other interests, it’s just that I’m spending a lot less time on social media for my own mental health. I’ve found solace in the Word of God. I used to post motivational quotes about things which may help people, but the real fact is that I believe all of those tidbits of encouragement and advice are useless without the transformative power of Jesus in your life.

Have I had some profound experience in my life which made me decide to become more outspoken about my faith? Not really. However, I’ve seen a lot of people talk about their beliefs in all manner of things lately. They give their idealized versions of the world and what can help bring peace and equality. Well, if they can bravely share that, then why shouldn’t I share mine? It is out of pure compassion that I am trying to point people towards Jesus more.

On the other hand, I have certainly been examining my own life. I want Jesus to be the center of my life. I’ve been thinking about all of my books. Do they point to Him? Well, I’ve tried to show good, healthy relationships within a certain sets of morals. They’re flawed people and following Jesus isn’t about being perfect.

What is common in each of my stories is that they overcome obstacles and adversity. However, I’ve tried to fit those themes into Historical Fiction and Historical Romance.

I’ve done research over the last few weeks, and I think my JAFF stories would actually fit better in the Inspirational Romance categories. This shouldn’t mean a big difference in my writing style. It’s just that I will make those themes a little bit more prominent. I will continue writing JAFF.

It’s important to note that Inspirational is not the same as Christian. There may be a faith element in Inspirational fiction, but not necessarily. The crucial part is that they overcome adversity and grow and change. Inspirational fiction is positive and uplifting while encouraging readers to make similar changes in their lives and be better people. Inspirational does usually mean sweet or “clean” romance. As such, I will probably re-edit some of my older books to lower the heat level on them. Something like A Sense of Obligation, which revolves around Darcy believing he had sex wtih Elizabeth, or Mr. Darcy’s Secret Baby, will remain mostly the same. I will remove parts that focus on physical intimacy and instead focus on emotional intimacy.

I do plan on writing Christian Romance as well. My stories that were going to be Regency Romance as Rose Harrison will now have Christian themes in them. They will remain in the Regency era. If you have read Julie Klassen or Sarah Ladd, I hope to aspire to their level. The goal of these stories will be to have a faith element that points to the grace of Jesus, but not be preachy. I hope people that haven’t enjoyed Christian Fiction before will give it a chance and that people from other walks can also find things to appreciate in the stories.