Debut Author Credits Move to Michigan for First Book

May 4, 2011 - PRLog -- It was May of 2009 when Janet Morris Grimes, of Nashville, Tennessee, finally joined her husband near Ann Arbor, Michigan, one year after his job transfer with Ford. Her intention was to quickly find a job, but after forty job applications went unanswered, she used the last dollars in their bank account to attend her first writer's conference in Grand Rapids.

"Since the sixth grade, I knew I wanted to be a writer," Grimes admits. "But life happened, and between work and raising kids, my publishing dreams were placed in a box in the garage. I rediscovered many of my old articles and stories in a box as we moved. Twenty years had passed, but I was still touched by what I read. I yearned to learn how to do this correctly, and publicly. I found a conference sponsored by American Christian Writers just a few hours away."

The writing conference could only be described as 'taking an equivalent of 20 writing courses at one time.' Grimes could not jot down notes fast enough to absorb all that she learned. "I came away from that experience knowing two things for certain. 1) I could no longer keep myself from writing, because the beast had been unleashed. And 2) no one knew how to do this when they first started. So, why could I not become a writer, an author, as well?"

Sitting down to write does not quickly translate into a steady source of income. "Writing was the easy part. Understanding the business of publishing, and learning how to market myself came much more difficult," says Grimes. "But, I committed to writing every day, on a myriad of projects that kept me awake at night; stories begging to be shared with the world. I registered for every free webinar I could find, and have committed to attending two large conferences per year. I read as much as I write, in an attempt to learn from those who have figured this out long before I perched myself in my broken recliner with my laptop permanently fastened to my lap."

Soon, Grimes answered an ad for a 'Book Writer.' for Atlantic Publishing. After submitting some writing samples, and bidding on several projects, she was awarded one of them. "Atlantic Publishing is known as a Book Packager, or Book Producer. They had the title and a basic idea of what questions they wanted answered with this project, and they hired me to do the research, interview the experts, and get it written, all within a tight, six-month deadline. "65,000 words, numerous edits, and a year later, I am an author, and received my first copies in yesterday's mail."

This is a different path to publishing than most writers take, and Grimes still has many of her own projects ready to submit to agents and publishers. "I recognized that in order to become a writer, sometimes you must find out what needs to be written, and choose to write that first. I made sure to write something I would choose to read at a later date, so even though this book is not about me, my perspectives are there along with many lessons I have learned the hard way. I packed it with helpful information that I wished I had known when my children were little."

The topics that burn a hole through her heart vary from family, parenting teens, faith, teen issues and fatherlessness. She has written novels, children's stories, and publishes several devotionals and inspirational articles each month. "At the end of the day," Grimes reflects, "I'm not satisfied unless I've created something new, something moving, something that will hopefully touch the heart of another. I can hardly keep up with myself now. Unleashing the beast sent me in a hundred different directions at once. I guess the next step is to tame this beast."

Grimes has also entered the world of public speaking, a healthy companion to any writer's dreams. She joined the Canton, MI chapter of Toastmasters in 2010, ready to learn how to speak to an audience and give them a reason to remember her words. "My father was a preacher, though I never had the chance to hear him personally." Grimes explains that her father died in a car accident when she was a baby. "But I've always wondered if my words could capture a face to face audience. If I could write them, could I also learn to speak them and present them in a way that mattered?"

She quickly found that speaking to an audience in person was a completely different world. "Toastmasters was a perfect fit for me. They accepted me at my level and showed me how to improve; to stop fidgeting, to speak slowly, and enjoy the message myself so that my audience could join me in this journey. I imagined myself becoming good at this, but it is only through the weekly meetings, immediate feedback and contest opportunities that I am improving, learning and growing as a speaker."

"There is no substitute for experience," Grimes continues. "That is true for both writing and speaking. So, when I stop to wonder what happens next, I suppose the answer is to simply keep doing both, every chance I get."

"I want my words to matter, whether written or spoken, and whether my audience is adults, teens or children. It's not about me, but rather about the message, and I would not be doing this if I did not believe in my message."

"So for today, my message is this," says Grimes. "Dreams are powerful, and were never meant to be ignored. I knew I would write some day, but figured I would be 96 years old by the time I finally sat down long enough to do it. And by that time, I would no longer remember what I wanted to say. It took a painful and lengthy move to Michigan to get me to slow down. Once I did, I heard a voice; my own childhood voice, reminding me that we always wanted to be a writer. The fact that it was too cold to go outside from November through April, that all my family and friends were at least ten hours away, so that removed my social life. All of these combined to provide the incentive to sit down and give it a try."

"My life, my career, and my future will never be the same because of it. Because I am now an author. A local author from two states; Tennessee and Michigan."

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About Abbandoned Ministries: This is the writing and speaking ministry of author Janet Morris Grimes, who leads others to seek God, as Abba, during times of abandonment. For additional information visit http:janetmorrisgrimes.com or http://abbandoned.com