Well, folks, it’s Happy Release Day (July 2, 2013)! There are a lot of metaphors I could use to describe my launch as an Indie author, and trust me, I realize July 4 is just a few days away. A friend told me July 2 is the day the Founding Fathers actually signed the Declaration of Independence before announcing it to the public on July 4. I like to think the founders wanted to savor the news for a few days, in the same way a couple who finds out they are expecting might decide to keep that wonderful secret to themselves for a while.
Like most books, Nora Roberts Land has already had a journey, and it has more road up ahead now that it’s being sent out into the world. But how does all this relate to freedom and happiness?
Happiness is knowing that you have the freedom to speak with your voice and be heard, and knowing that matters. One of my favorite moments in The King’s Speech is when the king bursts out, “I have a voice.” Yes, we all do. And it’s meant to be heard, shared. I’m so grateful for all the Indie authors who have helped pave the way to this place where I can publish my work and give readers the freedom to read it should they choose.
Happiness is the freedom to do what we know we need to do, what we are called to do, what we must do. I am an author—down to my soul. Stories make my heart sing. It is my calling. Having the freedom to share them makes me happy.
I write about characters finding that freedom in their own lives. Being empowered. Meredith Hale chooses to throw off the shackles of her divorce and her ex-husband’s belief that Nora Roberts’ novels gave her unrealistic hopes and dreams. My hero, Tanner McBride, throws off the job of a burned-out war correspondent and decides to find out if there’s anything safe, sacred, or beautiful in life anymore. They both find what they need personally and something just as profound—a love reserved for that happily ever after called Nora Roberts Land.
So, as we all celebrate July 4, I am grateful for all the freedom I have. The freedom to be me and speak with my voice and know it is my greatest contribution to the world. The freedom to publish this story and allow readers to find it and enjoy it. The freedom to know that my life, my present, and my future are all in my own hands. And when we speak with our voices, we inspire others to do the same.
“I am the master of my fate. I am the captain of my soul,” wrote William Ernest Henley in Invictus.
I claim the same for you and your journey.