New Book Published

It has taken years of on and off inspiration, hard work, perspiration and plenty of help from my secret editing committee without whose help and encouragement I would not have come nearly as far. But most of all, I would never have been able to attempt this amazing task were it not for God giving me the talent of writing. He has allowed me to use it as my own therapy and now I even have the opportunity to make money off my therapy.

I must honestly say that feel sorry for other writers or even artists of any kind for that matter. I don't know how they deal with the feeling of incompleteness. Do they ever feel like the product is perfect? If they do I would love to know how they do it!

However, incompleteness and doubts aside, I bit the proverbial bullet and decided on a cover design so that I could publish at last. I decided against the conventional way of publishing - now, now one that knows me should be surprised here! Instead, I chose to use Lulu.com who allows you to self-publish. It is a print-on-demand facility and they also allow you to publish eBooks.

This is the description from my storefront website:

The aftermath of a car accident irreversibly changes the lives of three families after secrets of the past are revealed. Not only does this event change the lives of those directly affected, but reverberates further into causing the characters to inexplicably change the way they see themselves.

And this is the Authors Note:

There is a Crystal and Adrianne in each of us; the over-controlling and the carefree - sometimes reckless - sides of our personalities. I am not unique in this. We all struggle to balance the scale between strangling the life out of ourselves and throwing all caution to the win. Neither extreme is beneficial. We must strive for that perfect balance to live life to the full.

This book has been my journey to wholeness. I discovered both characters in myself. I have lived on the Adrianne-side and I have paid the price. Living only for the moment has its consequences - and frequently we are grossly unprepared for them.

As I faced many responsibilities and aimed to rectify my past mistakes I unearthed Crystal. She was helpful in disciplining me, but she also didn't know when to stop. She didn't know when to drive over the bridge and observe the similarities between bunches of broccoli and treetops from a distance. Nor could she appreciate the cotton-ball clouds stuck to a clear-blue summer sky. She stood like a pruner ready to snip off anything that did not conform to the plan. And, yet, it is her that keeps me from reverting back to my discarded past.

I have purposed that my life would be balanced. I want to live everyday as if it is my last but not be surprised when it isn't. If there is a way to be prepared while having the party of a lifetime, I want it!

As you discover yourself in the myriad of characters portrayed in this novel, I hope that you will take something away with you. I hope you will learn when to wean and when to nurture your character qualities.

Some of you might have picked up that I am using my maiden name for this book. There is a very simply explanation: Larry thinks it sounds more like a writer's name than Cara Morris. So, Cara Young it is. Almost like having a split personality...

It is an incredible high that comes from completing something of this magnitude. Of course, there will be weeks and months of excited ramblings, big smiles and celebrations - I think my husband has been the most excited about me accomplishing this minor feat. And, after all the hullabaloo is a thing of the past (so 2009) I'm sure I'll be asked the question, "what next?", which will invariably result in me trying my hand at some more pieces that might or might not develop into novels.

Larry has been extremely supportive throughout the process and helped me with pricing. So, if you think the price is ridiculous it's his fault. No, not really. But, there are printing costs involved and I'd prefer to make some sort of profit than none. If not, why not?

I might never be a Shakespeare or anyone of note, but I will never forgive myself for not using this outlet to grow. And, hey, things can only get better from here onwards!

The book is available at my storefront website, http://stores.lulu.com/carayoung. There you will see that I have the paperback available for $19.99 and the eBook (available for immediate download) for $12.99.

Hopefully soon I will be able to purchase the Global Reach Package from Lulu so that I can sell it at not only Amazon.com but also at Amazon.uk or stores like Barnes & Noble.

This might not be the best thing ever written but I can say that I have had the time of my life so far.

Speaking of having the time of your life, Larry and I are going to Cape Town, South Africa, for Christmas this year so for three weeks I'll be living it up in my second summer for 2009. We will be leaving on New Year's Eve - we can celebrate across the time lines (I wonder how many we'll cross). I'm positive that I'll have bunches of pictures when I get back. So, watch this space!