Donna Sundblad Interview with I.B. Nosey

Be sure to check out the latest interview with Donna Sundblad over at Ahoy! Gum Drop where I. B. Nosey grills Sundblad about her book The Inheritance! This is a fun one. Don't forget to leave a comment!

See interview here.

Book Signing Lighthouse Bookstore

Thanks to everyone who prayed and for those who turned out for the book signing at Lighthouse Christian Bookstore in Calhoun, GA. I met many friendly people and thank everyone who came out to support me and buy a copy of The Inheritance. Getting out from behind the computer and talking with people about my writing has breathed new life in my desire to finish my next novel, Soulless.

Thanks also to the Lighthouse Bookstore and Karen and Wayne for providing the opportunity to meet the public. Their hospitality was such a blessing!

For more insight into The Inheritance story, be sure to check out the interview at Christian Education Plus.

Glossary Bookmarks for The Inheritance

Since The Inheritance is an allegorical fantasy, I've decided to make up glossary bookmarks to make it easy for readers to keep their place without having to stop to look up what a name means. I hope to have the physical bookmarks in time for the book signing at The Lighthouse Christian bookstore on January 14, but I'll also be adding a free downloadable version of some sort on my website. I'll keep everyone updated!

The Inheritance - Email Quote of the Day

I'd love to share this snippet from a fan email I received today. After reviewing The Inheritance,  and having positive things to say, this writer has returned for an interview, so I definitely consider her a fan. This snippet was buried within a thread as we talked about the upcoming interview. It made my day and am using it with her permission.

 

 

 "I do believe it [The Inheritance by Donna Sundblad] has valuable potential especially after trying (as a Christian educator) to use Pilgrim's Progress as a teaching tool. Your book is more user-friendly for today's audience in my opinion than the classic." ~ Donna Cosmato

Calhoun author Donna Sundblad nominated for Epic eBook Award - Calhoun Times

The Calhoun Times article about The Inheritance turned out great. It not only talks about the book, but also the upcoming book signing at the Lighthouse Christian bookstore! This morning I received an alert and found that it is available online! You can read it here: Calhoun author Donna Sundblad nominated for Epic eBook Award

Read more:Calhoun Times - Calhoun author Donna Sundblad nominated for Epic eBook Award

What a nice Christmas gift! Merry Christmas to all my readers.

Follow through God moment

I needed to write a letter of introduction for The Inheritance. The introvert in me let the task slide. Why? Because the next level meant contacting people. In my dreams of what I should do, I intended to talk with the owners of the local Christian bookstore to see if they would carry my book. I frequented the store as a customer but walking in the door to promote myself felt unnatural.

I'm a goal setter. It helps me stay anchored and to get done what needs to be done, even when I don't feel like it. This week my letter of introduction as a Christian fantasy author needed to be written. I let it go to the last day, Saturday. I pulled out my copy of How to Write Attention Grabbing Query and Cover Letters and spent a good amount of the morning crafting the first draft. Once I had the draft, editing and tweaking was the easy part. Actually contacting the bookstore would be another matter. The introvert in me is so much more comfortable behind the anonymity of the computer!

I prayed again, that the Lord would lead me in the way I was to go. I read over the completed letter once more. I just had to fix the second line of the address, when the phone rang. It was my daughter. She had been to the bookstore that morning and mentioned me, and The Inheritance, and my upcoming interview with the local paper. Long story short, they wanted to talk to me. The door was opened and the letter ready! It wasn't coincidental.

The journey

As a writer, I knew God wanted me to write this story of a young man who realizes nothing satisfies the hunger within him. Not his riches, not his accomplishments, or anything else. He heads out on a quest for Wisdom and meets two sisters. Earthly Wisdom and her sister Heavenly. They each give him a gift and he is on his way as he decides to head to the Eternal City, but every village, along the River of Tradition, offers a different way to gain citizenship there. They can't all be right! How can he find his way?

Even though I knew God wanted me to write this story, I thought it was just a matter of obedience. I didn't expect much other than finishing the book. 

I had a secular publisher accept the book and it actually was nominated for an award in the spiritual category back when Eppie e-book awards were around. It ranked in the top three out of hundreds. Oh, yes, I was excited, but even more so I was stunned. Then the owner of the publishing company died suddenly and unexpected. The doors to the company shuttered, and I had a book listed on as a finalist with a link to nowhere. 

Long story short, I scrambled in my own strength to try and pick up the pieces and I self-published. Talk about stepping outside of your comfort zone! 

I took a breath and prayed that God would enlighten the eyes of my heart based Ephesians 1:18. 

"I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints" (NIV).

My walk with him is not for awards of this earth.

Going to the Christian bookstore

I walked out the door armed with my letter of introduction and copies of the book. I returned home with my books on the shelves of The Lighthouse Christian Bookstore in Calhoun, Ga, and a tentative date for a book signing. For me it was another God moment. It reminded me, again, that God is in control, and he cares for me. As uncomfortable as I felt, I did what needed to be done and he paved the way to make it a little easier!

Today, The Inheritance has found a new home with Each Voice Publishing in Atlanta. 

 * * *

Some links in this post are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and affiliate sites.

 

Press Release for The Inheritance by Donna Sundblad

This morning I received an alert in my email box letting me know that someone out there posted something about Donna Sundblad. I checked it out and found a press release about the interview conducted by Lisa B. Binion. 

 

 Marketing and promotion is a big part of getting the word out about The Inheritance. It's so nice when someone else does the work for me! I want to thank Lisa and Fiction Writing at Bella on Line for the positive review and interview.

Thank you!