Even though I've taken off December, there has been plenty to keep me busy. However, I'm going to back up a bit as I didn't post much in November.
In late September, our family started attending Hutto Bible Chruch. We had attended Grace Community Church for three months before that, but the distance was making it difficult to make relationships. Hutto Bible Church has been such a blessing to our family. This picture was one of our family attending the Thanksgiving Feast. It was the first family picture we had taken in months, due to work schedules and other craziness. I bet all of those who have read There Was Always Laughter in Our House can pick out who is Who
We attended Thanksgiving in Plano, Texas. I grew up going here every year, and I used to think that it was normal for people to have 60 - 100 people at their family Thanksgiving gatherings. It was an especially awesome time as some of my extended family has come to a saving knowledge of Jesus and producing fruit.
We took a trip over Christmas to Fredricksburg and then Johnson City afterward to see the lights. It was so pretty, and we had so much fun
One of the best things that happened to me this whole year to be able to hand the first copy of Laugher to the couple it was dedicated to. It was a powerful moment for me as a writer.
We got snow in the first couple days of December. Of course, I also got the flu which is why this isn't the best picture of me. We get snow only every few years in Texas, so it was a real treat.
Here is a picture of it coming down.
We celebrated Christmas a little early due to my brother having to work Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. My family spoiled me this year. My Sister gave me some amazing Republic of Tea teas, my Mom gave me some books I have wanted as some cool organizers that you may have seen in my last post.
We went to an amazing Christmas Eve Service, one that had a manger scene for you to take selfies in.
The New Year has been filled with friends, family, and some healing years. I will be honest, 2017 knocked me down hard and left me with some deep wounds, some of which I talked about in my last post of 2017. In fact, New Year's day ended in a fit of tears as my parents held me. I look forward to 2018 to as a year of healing, hope, and drawing closer to Jesus.
Yeah, we all have been there. However, things like this are made even more complicated if you don’t know the deadline.
I started writing There Was Always Laughter in Our House the night Grandpa Leroy gave me the title. Early in 2017, he started having some serious health issues. I went to visit him, and I read him some of the stories within the book. However, as I saw his health decline, I worried and prayed. I wanted to hand him a copy of the book – the book that was dedicated to my two adopted grandparents. I’ve already had to change one dedication to “In Loving Memory of” and I really didn’t want to do that again for a while.
God is a giver of good gifts. I was so blessed to present the very first paperback copy to the Casts this week.
I had thought it would be impossible to get the book done in time. I was so afraid this moment wouldn't happen. Praise be to God, it did.
What is a deadline that you thought you were going to miss this year, but God helped you meet?
Each stop has its own giveaway!
What do you get when you mix two parents who grew up in the city, six kids who have always lived in the country, and add homeschooling? You get a whole lot of laughter!
Homeschool graduate and author Sarah Holman shares stories about her family that range from thought-provoking to side-splitting. She shares both hilarious mistakes and heartbreaking moments in her family. In this collection of stories, she endeavors capture some of the answers to the questions people have often asked her about growing up in a conservative homeschool family as well as some of the wisdom she has gleaned along the way. Sarah invites you to open up this scrapbook of memories. She hopes that you come away encouraged, inspired…and laughing.
November 16
Reachel – What stories are you going to include, Sarah?
J. Grace Pennington – An interview
Esther Filbrun – A review
Tarissa Graves – A review
November 17
Leona Ruth – A review
Chloe – A review
November 18
Kaylee – A review
Alexa - A Thanksgiving Story
November 19
Liv K. Fisher – Short Girl Jokes
Kelsey Bryant – A review
I'll be quite honest, these last two weeks have been full of the kind of work that is needed, but my least favorite: emails, information gathering for blog tours, and social media posts. Thankfully, I see an end in sight. I'm almost done with all of the promotions I'm part of this month, and I will be able to focus on projects that I really want to.
Kate #3 and Kate #4 are both what I hope to focus on for the last part of November. I want to get Kate #3 edited and ready for an early 2018 release (yeah, sadly it won't be happening this year). I also want to write the last part of #4 and maybe even start in on #5. I'm going for three Kate books next year!
There Was Always Laughter is going awesome. I am putting the final touches on the paperback copy so that it is ready to release the same time as the Kindle book. If you want to grab a copy for $2.99 (As the price will be going up to $4.99 soon), you can do so HERE.
As for the Christmas story....
Janet took a deep breath and let it out again, one hand brushing against her tan skirt, the other squeezing the keys in her pocket. The whole scene was picturesque and the opposite of how she was feeling. Another deep breath brought a sick feeling to her stomach. Instead of the scent of the oak trees, hay, and cows, her nostrils filled with a Christmas sent flowing out of a candle store as she passed through the mall doors.
She picked up her pace and plunged forward, her professional looking black flats slapping hard against the linoleum. She couldn’t be late for her job. She couldn’t give into these feelings right now. She didn’t want to be late for her job, did she? It may not have been the greatest, but it paid better than the minimum wage job she had been working before. She also remembered the countless stores she could have been working in. She was helping older ladies find a good blouse or a businesswoman find the right pantsuit, instead of having to blush her way through working at an underwear store or deal with screaming kids at the toy story. She needed this job, and she was lucky to have it.
Kate #3 and Kate #4 are both what I hope to focus on for the last part of November. I want to get Kate #3 edited and ready for an early 2018 release (yeah, sadly it won't be happening this year). I also want to write the last part of #4 and maybe even start in on #5. I'm going for three Kate books next year!
There Was Always Laughter is going awesome. I am putting the final touches on the paperback copy so that it is ready to release the same time as the Kindle book. If you want to grab a copy for $2.99 (As the price will be going up to $4.99 soon), you can do so HERE.
As for the Christmas story....
Janet took a deep breath and let it out again, one hand brushing against her tan skirt, the other squeezing the keys in her pocket. The whole scene was picturesque and the opposite of how she was feeling. Another deep breath brought a sick feeling to her stomach. Instead of the scent of the oak trees, hay, and cows, her nostrils filled with a Christmas sent flowing out of a candle store as she passed through the mall doors.
She picked up her pace and plunged forward, her professional looking black flats slapping hard against the linoleum. She couldn’t be late for her job. She couldn’t give into these feelings right now. She didn’t want to be late for her job, did she? It may not have been the greatest, but it paid better than the minimum wage job she had been working before. She also remembered the countless stores she could have been working in. She was helping older ladies find a good blouse or a businesswoman find the right pantsuit, instead of having to blush her way through working at an underwear store or deal with screaming kids at the toy story. She needed this job, and she was lucky to have it.
This book is fun, and... Patrick and Brian make a cameo appearance!
I call him Grandpa Leroy.
Although he’s not a blood relation, he and his spunky wife adopted us kids as their grandchildren when I was about eight years old. We had moved from my childhood home into a new area almost two hours away from my best friend. Relations with my own grandparents had been strained, and my siblings and I felt the loss. So, this feisty elderly couple had adopted us and we had adopted them.
It was a pleasant day in January 2015 and we had come to pick up my sister Grace, who had been helping them clean their house. I sat on the floor telling them about my latest book projects and other little happenings in my life. When I finally paused, Grandpa Leroy looked down at me with a smile.
“I know what your next book needs to be and what it should be called.”
“Oh? What is that?” I asked, expecting an interesting fiction idea from this man who had fun stories to tell about his growing-up years, his time in Korea, or raising his children. But he surprised me. “You need to write a book about your family and the title needs to be There Was Always Laughter in Our House. I want to read that book, because I know that you have many wonderful stories to share.”
“I just might do that,” I said.
“Well, I would buy a copy,” Grandma Letha piped up. “I know a lot of other people who would.”
As I left I wondered if people would buy the book because of how crazy our family sounded, because of the title, or because of their interest in funny stories about a homeschool family. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that it was all three. Some of you are reading this because you wondered what would possess anyone to have six children. Some of you picked this up hoping it would be about my escape from the restrictive lifestyle of a skirt-wearing homeschooler (you’re going to be very disappointed, I assure you). Some of you are homeschooling moms, wondering if this crazy life you’re living is worth it. You also might be a homeschool student or graduate wanting to compare stories. I hope you’ll enjoy this collection of memories.
I actually was originally going to change the title of this book because I’m not a humorist. Oh, I can tell a funny story or two, but I can’t keep it going for page after page. To be honest, I get pensive after a while. This leads to some serious pondering, which then spills out in my writing. However, I decided that even if many of my stories aren’t funny, the title fits our family so well. No matter the obstacle we’ve faced, no matter what life throws at us, there are few days when you won’t hear laughter in our house.
Read more about my family in my latest book.
I call him Grandpa Leroy.
Although he’s not a blood relation, he and his spunky wife adopted us kids as their grandchildren when I was about eight years old. We had moved from my childhood home into a new area almost two hours away from my best friend. Relations with my own grandparents had been strained, and my siblings and I felt the loss. So, this feisty elderly couple had adopted us and we had adopted them.
It was a pleasant day in January 2015 and we had come to pick up my sister Grace, who had been helping them clean their house. I sat on the floor telling them about my latest book projects and other little happenings in my life. When I finally paused, Grandpa Leroy looked down at me with a smile.
“I know what your next book needs to be and what it should be called.”
“Oh? What is that?” I asked, expecting an interesting fiction idea from this man who had fun stories to tell about his growing-up years, his time in Korea, or raising his children. But he surprised me.
“You need to write a book about your family and the title needs to be There Was Always Laughter in Our House. I want to read that book, because I know that you have many wonderful stories to share.”
“I just might do that,” I said.
“Well, I would buy a copy,” Grandma Letha piped up. “I know a lot of other people who would.”
As I left I wondered if people would buy the book because of how crazy our family sounded, because of the title, or because of their interest in funny stories about a homeschool family. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that it was all three. Some of you are reading this because you wondered what would possess anyone to have six children. Some of you picked this up hoping it would be about my escape from the restrictive lifestyle of a skirt-wearing homeschooler (you’re going to be very disappointed, I assure you). Some of you are homeschooling moms, wondering if this crazy life you’re living is worth it. You also might be a homeschool student or graduate wanting to compare stories. I hope you’ll enjoy this collection of memories.
Pre-order your copy today!
Now the real question: what do all those consistent work days and good word counts equal? Several really awesome things.
There was Always Laughter in Our House
Editing almost complete
Kate’s Case Files #3
First draft completed
Two short stories
First drafts completed
Book about Austin Disaster Relief Network
Moving into the fact checking phase
• Finish editing Laughter and ADRN book
• Publish the next Tales of Taelis short story
• Start editing Escape and Endurance
• Start writing Kate’s Case Files #4
What have you been up to this month?
This non-fiction book captures a few pages in the scrapbook of memories of growing up in the Holman house. This book is for all ages.
What do you get when you mix two parents who grew up in the city, six kids who have always lived in the country, and add homeschooling? You get a whole lot of laughter!
Homeschool graduate and author Sarah Holman shares stories about her family that range from thought-provoking to side-splitting. She shares both hilarious mistakes and heartbreaking moments in her family. In this collection of stories, she endeavors to capture some of the answers to the questions people have often asked her about growing up in a conservative homeschool family as well as some of the wisdom she has gleaned along the way. Sarah invites you to open up this scrapbook of memories. She hopes that you come away encouraged, inspired…and laughing.
How do I decide what to work on each day? I have a yearly
planning session (you will get a peek into that later on this year) and set
goals. However, I set monthly, weekly and daily goals as well. Right now, I am
blocking off time and seriously trying to catch up on my planned goals for this
year.
This week, I am reading Courage and Corruption aloud to myself
and doing final edits before sending it out to my readers. Reading the book aloud
helps catch awkward working and issues I have missed (like the fact I used yes
and no, instead of aye and nay). Of course, I have to use my special editing
pen. I really do love that pen.
By the end of the week, Courage and Corruption will be ready
to send out to my beta reading team. When I am working with a paper copy, I
have my daily goals separated out for each day.
I am also happy to report that I finished the first draft of
There Was Always Laughter in our House. This book has now been moved into the
editing queue.
