Reflecting on My Writing Journey in 2024

It’s amazing to see how much has happened in my writing and publishing journey this year. Each milestone has been a step forward in my career as an author, and I couldn’t be more grateful to share it with you.

Finishing and Publishing Falling for the Boss's Son

One of the most exciting moments of the year was completing and publishing my 16th novel, Falling for the Boss's Son. When I wrote Daniel and Ali's story in Claiming His Kiss, I introduced Daniel's adult children. Cassie was the oldest and we got a glimpse of her relationship with her fiance, Jesse. I knew then I wanted to tell their story and from there, Falling for the Boss's Son was born.

Connecting with Readers at Book Festivals

This year, I had the privilege of attending two incredible book festivals: the Newark Book Festival and the Columbus Book Festival. Meeting readers in person, hearing your thoughts about my books, and connecting with fellow authors was an experience I’ll always cherish. These events reminded me of why I started writing in the first place – to tell the stories I would want to read and to share them with other readers who are looking for the same types of stories.

The Daniels Brothers Omnibus

Another major milestone was publishing the omnibus of my Daniels Brothers series. Bringing Behind Closed Doors, Red Zone, Crossing the Line, and What Might Have Been together in one collection was a labor of love. It’s a celebration of the journey of these characters and the readers who have followed them from the beginning. If you’ve ever wanted to dive into the Daniels Brothers’ world, now is the perfect time!

Exploring New Horizons on TikTok

This year also marked my foray into TikTok. As someone who loves connecting with readers, joining this platform has been a game-changer. From sharing writing tips to behind-the-scenes glimpses of my work, TikTok has opened up a new way to engage with my audience. If you haven’t already, come join me for some fun bookish content!

Starting the 6th Novel in the Finding Anna Series

While 2024 brought several endings, it also marked a new beginning: I started writing the 6th novel in my Finding Anna series. This series has been a cornerstone in my career, and diving back into these characters’ lives has been both exciting and emotional. I can’t wait to share the final chapter of their story with you.

Looking Ahead to 2025

As fulfilling as 2024 has been, I’m already looking ahead to 2025 with excitement. My primary goal is to complete and publish the 6th and final book in the Finding Anna series. This will be bittersweet as it marks the end of an era for me and my readers. Additionally, I’m looking forward to attending my first book signing event in Atlantic City, NJ. It’s an opportunity to connect with more of you face-to-face, and I’m counting down the days.

Thank you for being a part of my writing journey. Your support and encouragement fuel my creativity and keep me motivated to bring more stories to life. Here’s to another year of writing, connecting, and bringing stories to life!

National Human Trafficking Awareness Day

Today is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. It's sad we need to have a day like this in 2023, but unfortunately the sale and exploitation of human beings is still alive and well. Too many people, specifically women and children, are bought and sold every day in countries, including the United States.

 

It wasn't until writing Slave (Finding Anna, Book, 1) that I realized how oblivious many were to this sad reality. I got reviews saying this type of thing didn't happen in America.

 

But it does happen in the United States. It's not only a third world problem. It doesn't only happen in other countries.

 

The inspiration for my Finding Anna series was a woman who was rescued after being held as a sex slave for almost 20 years. This happened in the US. She wasn't trafficked in the traditional sense. She was kidnapped and held captive.

 

As I listened to this woman's story as it unfolded on the news, I thought about the trauma and trust issues she would obviously, and rightfully, have. How would this affect her relationships going forward? Especially those with the opposite sex.

 

Just like Brianna in my Finding Anna series, the people rescued from these horrific situations need support. While researching my story, I came across an organization called The Polaris Project. They are working to try and stop human trafficking at its source.

 

"Human trafficking is the business of stealing freedom for profit. In some cases, traffickers trick, defraud or physically force victims into selling sex. In others, victims are lied to, assaulted, threatened or manipulated into working under inhumane, illegal or otherwise unacceptable conditions. It is a multi-billion dollar criminal industry that denies freedom to 24.9 million people around the world."  ~The Polaris Project

 

 Those individuals being trafficked are trapped. When I wrote Brianna's story, I wanted to given a realistic insight to what it would feel like for someone who'd had their humanity stripped from them. These people are no longer human beings with rights, needs, and desires. They are a commodity to be used for convenience and profit.

 

Brianna's story wasn't typical. She was only held captive ten months before she was rescued by Stephan. Many are trapped for years or decades. 

 

I pray for a day when we no longer need to talk about this. One where using and abusing human beings is a thing we only learn about in history books.

 

Change Is Now Available In Print!

 Change (Finding Anna, Book 5) is now available in Print! 

Grab your copy at one of the below retailers or order a signed copy directly from my website.

 

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3S4IsCc
Barnes and Noble: https://bit.ly/3z5AXSR
My Store: https://sherrihayesauthor.com/shop

Where Do You Get Inspiration For Your Stories? #WriterWednesday

One of the most common questions writers get asked is where we get inspiration for our books. First of all, writers, and all creatives really, have vivid imaginations. It doesn't always take much to inspire us to create. Sometimes a word or a picture can spark an idea that takes on a life of its own.

 

For example, a fellow writer shared a picture with me the other day and almost immediately a scene between two of my characters began forming in my head. Whether or not the scene will make it into a book is yet to be seen, but a simple picture prompted the question of what happens next.

 

The second novel in my Serpent's Kiss series, Longing for His Kiss, was inspired by a song. I was driving to a book conference, stuck in my car for hours, listening to the radio. A country song from Tim McGraw came on about a soldier who'd written a letter to his family. By the end of the son, not only did I have tears streaming down my face, but I also had the idea for a story. 

 

My Finding Anna series was inspired by a news story about a young woman who was rescued from sexual slavery. As I listened to the story, my first thought was that when the woman was ready for a relationship that it would take a lot of trust and communication after what she'd been through. At the time, I was reading a lot of BDSM fan fiction and the main requirement in a healthy BDSM relationship is trust and communication. That's all it took for my creativity to take off and Finding Anna was born.

 

Inspiration really can come from anywhere. It can come from pictures, songs, experiences, or a host of other things. Some of the best ideas come from the most unlikely places.

 

What inspires you?

My Review of Out Of Bounds by Kris Pearson

 

I downloaded this book because I've read several of this author's books before. All her books are set in New Zealand and I have a soft spot for Kiwi authors.

 

The cover of this book had me intrigued. It's not exactly your typical contemporary romance cover. But as it turned out, that's because it's not your typical contemporary romance book.

 

The heroine in Out of Bounds by Kris Pearson reminded me of Brianna from my Finding Anna series. She's been through a horrible trauma and is fearful of men and sex. Jetta's emotions and reactions could change on a dime, just like Brianna's.

 

I loved the interaction between Jetta and Anton. He was tender while pushing her boundaries.

 

There were a lot of differences between Jetta and Brianna, of course. Jetta's trauma occurred when she was little and she'd been trying to work through it for years, whereas at the start of Slave Brianna's is fresh. She's had no time to find her footing after what she'd been through.

 

The first sex scene between Jetta and Anton had a lot of similarities to Brianna and Stephan's first time as well. And considering I loved Brianna and Stephan's first time together, I couldn't get enough of the interaction between Jetta and Anton.

 

Needless to say, if you haven't already figured it out, I loved this book. It started off a little slow, but it more than made up for it once it got going. Hmm. Another similarity to my Finding Anna series. 

 

If you've read Out of Bounds, I'd love to hear what you thought of it in the comments.

 

Amazon

Why I Decided To Self Publish - #WriterWednesday

After five years of being with a publisher, the owner of the publishing house decided to get out of the business. I'd heard horror stories from some authors about publishing houses going under and the authors having to fight to get the rights to their books back. So, when that first email was sent out saying they were no longer taking new submissions I was a little nervous.

 

Luckily, once the publishing house officially closed its doors, the owner gave all the authors the rights to their books back. But this now created a new dilemma. Should I seek out another small publisher? An agent? Or should I take the plunge and self publish the books myself?

 

Because most of the affected authors saw the writing on the wall several months in advance, we all had the opportunity to weigh the pros and cons of each. Some authors choose to find new publishers, but after going back and forth with all the positives and negatives, I decided that self publishing was the direction I wanted to go in.

 

I'd been published for five years at the time and had nine published stories. The first four books in my Finding Anna series (Slave, Need, Truth, and Trust) were out, as well as the first three books in my Daniels Brothers series (Behind Closed Doors, Red Zone, and Crossing the Line). I'd been active in marketing my own books since the beginning and had worked closely with the publishing house whenever I launched a new book. I was confident I could do it on my own.

 

But that doesn't mean there wasn't a learning curve...

Inspiration For My Military Romance Longing For His Kiss

One of the most common questions I get asked as an author is 'how do you come up with your stories?' The simple answer is that I just do, but that's not usually the type of answer people want to hear. Often the question is asked by individuals who are more analytical, those to whom creativity doesn't come naturally. It's difficult for them to wrap their head around crafting a story, or making a sculpture out of a block of stone, or building a piece of furniture without blueprints.

 

Many creative people construct in their heads. This is the case with more traditional art forms like painting and sculpting, as well as, writing.

 

Even authors who write with an outline have to create the world, the story, they are going to build it in their head first. They may write it down to help flush out the details and fill in any holes, but the creativity...the imagination...forms in their head before it ever makes it onto paper...or the computer.

 

For someone who is a true pantser when it comes to writing, I'm much like a painter who sits in front of a canvas and lets inspiration take over. When I was writing my Finding Anna series, I had no idea how the fourth book would end until I was 75% of the way through the book.

 

For the fourth story in my Serpent's Kiss series, Longing for His Kiss, the inspiration came from a song. I was driving to a book conference, listening to the radio and a song by Tim McGraw came on called If You're Reading This. By the time it was over, I had tears streaming down my face and the idea for a new story.

 

The story is about loss, grief, and finding love again after losing the love of your life. Grace, the heroine of the story, is a submissive who finds herself lost without her husband and master after he's killed over seas while serving his country in the military. She's trying to find her way again along when she receives a letter. It's from her husband, his last wish for her if he should not return...he wants her to move on with her life and find another Dom.

 

I cried many tears while writing Long for His Kiss. It's a moving story that tugs at the heart strings and will have you reaching for a box of tissues.

 

The Next Installment Of Stephan and Brianna's Story Is LIVE

 

The 5th book in my Finding Anna Series is now available at Amazon, Apple, Nook, Kobo, and Google Play. If you loved the first 4 books in the series, you're not going to want to miss this next installment in the series. Click on one of the links below to purchase your copy.

 

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3fyvTMp

Apple: https://apple.co/2J9j3YY

Nook: https://bit.ly/3lc7SfC

Kobo: https://bit.ly/2HGb7y8

Google: https://bit.ly/3l5cUKH

Sneak Peek Saturday - Change (Finding Anna, Book 5)

 

As gently as I could, I eased back into bed and pulled her against my chest. She released a soft sigh as she nestled her backside against my stomach. I pressed a kiss to the back of her head and closed my eyes, letting the sound of her breathing lull me to sleep.

The next thing I remember was the feel of lips pressing against my collarbone. I sucked in a deep breath and was rewarded by the sound of giggles.

“What do you think you’re doing?” I asked, keeping my eyes closed.

“Giving you kisses.”

Without warning, I grabbed hold of her hips and flipped our positions. She was now staring up at me with a huge smile on her face. It was so good to see her this happy.

“Good morning, Sir.”

I brushed the hair out of her face and gave her a proper kiss. “Good morning, Brianna.”

She ran her fingers through my hair and down my back. I felt my body responding, but I couldn’t give in this time. “What time is it?”

“Almost nine. You must have been tired.”

I felt a smile tug at the corner of my lips. “Someone wore me out last night.”

A pretty blush stained her cheeks.

Available December 15, 2020

In this long-awaited next installment, Brianna and Stephan are settling into their new home outside of Le Sueur. The river that runs behind their house provides a peace Brianna had never found in the city.

It’s been three years since she stood in a courtroom and faced the man who’d held her captive and altered her life forever. Since then, she’d been trying to move on with her life...trying to find her way.

The move was part of that. Too many people knew who Stephan was—who she was. They needed a fresh start.

But demons are funny things. They follow you wherever you go. With the help of Stephan and a new therapist, Brianna will have to face the changes in her life and confront her fears.

 

Order your copy today!

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3fyvTMp

Apple: https://apple.co/2J9j3YY

Nook: https://bit.ly/3lc7SfC

Kobo: https://bit.ly/2HGb7y8

Google: https://bit.ly/3l5cUKH