nonfiction – Dianne Marie Andre

A book launch is an exciting event, but it can also be overwhelming. As authors, we hope everyone who hears about our book will purchase it (after all, e-books are less than a cup of coffee), read it, love it, write a kind review, share it, talk it up, and even re-read it. One can’t do this with a cup of coffee!

If you are an author or creative artist, you can relate to this sentiment. Most importantly, you appreciate the desire to create something valuable, impactful, and inspiring. Therefore, marketing can feel unfamiliar and downright uncomfortable for many of us.

We aim to offer hope, a touch of kindness, and guidance based on our experiences and/or education, rather than focus on sales.

While writing Country Perks and Grit, I wanted to leave a lasting family legacy, and offer hope to others that they too can step out of their comfort zones in pursuit of their dreams. It doesn’t have to be a country lifestyle or growing and preserving your own vegetables. Maybe you want to be a nurse, live in a tiny house by the ocean, pass an exam, or write a song.

When we take action on something we’re meant to do, we find purpose.

Achieving your dreams isn’t a simple task. It requires dedication and perseverance. By diligently applying oneself and staying true to the path that God has laid out, a realm of incredible opportunities and unexpected surprises will unfold before you. Here are two that surprised me:

Country Perks and Grit ranked

#1 New Release and #1 Best Seller!

It received five 5-star reviews within five days of release!

After filling your cup with freshly brewed coffee, take the first step towards achieving your dream. If you need a little encouragement, pick up your copies today. Glean useful tips from Country Perks and Grit to help motivate your own path into reality.

Do you have a dream you’d like to share? If so, I’d love to cheer you on.

Did you know Country Perks and Grit is now available in paperback?

This week’s Welcome to My World blog challenge question is what new thing have you learned this last week?

I learned that crushed eggshells DON’T stop snails.

But this post isn’t about snails or eggshells or my half-eaten sprouts. It’s about…well, I’m guessing you read the title.

I admit to researching—strictly from curiosity—books about my garden foe. There are lots of children’s books with fictional snail characters. But only a few snail books appeared in the adult nonfiction category with titles like, the world of snails and snail farming.

Regardless of age or topic, fiction and nonfiction can entertain and be educational.

My preference is nonfiction. In fact, my interest in real-life accounts began with slick magazines.

Their charming essays, striking captions, and feature stories drew me to the many creative lifestyles and elegant words.

When my monthly issue of Victoria arrived in the mail, I’d plop onto the sofa, recline with my knees pulled up, and then rest the magazine against my legs. I’d turn to the last page, delight in the writer’s childhood memories of summers on the lake, Sundays after church, that last remaining china cup filled with tea, and more.

The essays so inspirited me I wanted to write my own. This is how God began a work in me to become a writer.

I didn’t know at the time that reading essays in Country Living and Victoria magazines was part of God’s plan for my life. I simply enjoyed the lovely stories. It was through these narratives that I related to the musings of Bo Niles. Some of my favorite lines written by her include:

“While I work, tall grasses whisper to me. I listen to them, and feel good.”
Country Living October 1995

“That is the best thing about traditions. They grow to embrace other traditions, like a tree with many branches.”
Country Living December 1995

“We cannot let the sense of wonder wither and die in our children. It is the key to our humanity.”
Country Living July 1997

At bookstores, I browse the nonfiction section first. I love books about people who accomplished a dream. Who beat the odds and established a hopeful path for others. Who learned to trust God with their careers, hobbies, or personal growth.

I also look through the fiction books offered on display tables. For me, fiction is about the author’s creativity, skill, and compelling characters I love or love to hate. (The latter group sure stirs us up, doesn’t it?) Fiction allows me to get lost in the writer’s make-believe mind and experience extraordinary plots. I can go through a time machine, be a detective, visit fairy lands and make-believe worlds.

At home, I keep my fiction and nonfiction print books on different shelves. They are almost equal in number. But nonfiction wins. On my Nook and Kindle, fiction wins.