So... maybe a little more than two and a half years ago, my mother and I got a two-for-one package deal for self-publishing with Author House. She published her narrative poetry, Snowdrop Fair: Nehama's Dream, by E. L. Ward, and I published my first novel, The Heart Grows Stronger, by K. E. Ward. Neither of our books sold very well, especially not mine, even though my mother had two book signings at her church, and I had two book signings at the mental health clinic where I volunteer. Neither of us paid for advertising. So late last week, I decided to bestow upon a free e-book online company (www.free-ebooks.net) my second novel and third book, a science-fiction novella. All I got in return was unlimited access to their books (a lifetime subscription), and exposure. But the reason why I decided to do this was because I could not afford to self-publish again. My mother did it with her second edition, which is a little different from the first. My books have a Christian theme, though some of the subject matter is a little bit mature. I strongly recommend parental guidance with the teenagers, although the stories are about teenagers (except for the science fiction novella, in which the alien, Eve, is about twenty years old). My symbolism in the first book is about the Archangel Michael, and about the battle in which he was supposed to have defeated the Devil, and in the Book of the Revelation, in which he defeats the Devil once and for all, under the authority of God, of course. My second book is a little bit complicated. It is about the blame we feel from the world of sin and how it can damage us. The science-fiction novella is not only about an alien planet, but also about time travel, and about Eve, the female alien, who is the messiah of the planet. I have written other books, too. They are supposed to be touching, and powerful. I take pride in my writing talent. Oh, and as of yesterday morning, there were more than 100 downloads to my second novel (and remember that I receive no royalties for them) in under a week. I sold maybe a little over fifty copies of my first book. I do not support myself that way. The book also got on the editor's picks list. I am not quite sure how many books my mother sold. She used to tell me, "The Tiger Story," when I was a little girl, and we came up with the "Sarah and the Glass Castle" series together, at bedtime. Well, we'll see where our books and publishing go from here on out. My church did purchase five copies for their book table. My opinion is that fiction and Christianity can go hand-in-hand, but we must limit our subject matter and think about what kind of message it is conveying to the world. Christianity involves faith, and I have faith that my books will reach many people. One of the reasons I believe that is because I think they have important messages. Our books are also available at Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.com.
