Please welcome Stephanie Faris to my blog today

Finding the Real Reasons We Write
by Stephanie Faris

In my 20s, I discovered a love for writing. My job as a PR consultant required me to write all day, but it wasn’t the same as writing for fun. I wrote my first novel and immediately tried to get it published, sure an editor would fall in love with my writing and I’d instantly be rich and famous.

Yeah, that didn’t happen.

What did happen was rejection. Years of it. I kept trying, though, knowing someday I’d reach my goal. And then I discovered blogging. At one point in my 30s, I stopped trying to get published and wrote. People were reading my words and commenting on them and I felt that connection. It’s a connection you don’t really have when you write a book, since the only feedback you get comes in the form of reviews.

In retrospect, that period of time helped me understand why we write. Whether we’re writing books, short stories, blog posts, poems, or songs, it doesn’t matter if it makes us happy. It may make us miserable sometimes, especially if we can’t get past a certain plot problem or we’re writing a synopsis.

Sometimes, if we’re feeling stuck, it can help to stop writing with the goal of being published. Julia Cameron recommends morning pages, a process that frees you up to write whatever you want. You can even write longhand if you enjoy it.

I think it’s important every now and then to find a way to remember why we do this. If you find you’ve been working on the same book for a long time and you’re getting nowhere, try writing something completely different. You can go back to your book tomorrow. After you’ve taken a step back to remember why you love doing this, chances are you’ll feel much more energized to take on those plot problems.

And here's all the info you will need about Stephanie's new release:

When Piper Morgan has to move to a new town, she is sad to leave behind her friends, but excited for a new adventure. She is determined to have fun, be brave and find new friends.
In Piper Morgan Joins the Circus, Piper learns her mom’s new job will be with the Big Top Circus. She can’t wait to learn all about life under the big top, see all the cool animals, and meet the Little Explorers, the other kids who travel with the show. She’s even more excited to learn that she gets to be a part of the Little Explorers and help them end each show with a routine to get the audience on their feet and dancing along!
In Piper Morgan in Charge, Piper’s mom takes a job in the local elementary school principal’s office. Piper is excited for a new school and new friends—and is thrilled when she is made an “office helper.” But there is one girl who seems determined to prove she is a better helper—and she just so happens to be the principal’s daughter. Can Piper figure out how to handle being the new girl in town once more?

Stephanie Faris knew she wanted to be an author from a very young age. In fact, her mother often told her to stop reading so much and go outside and play with the other kids. After graduating from Middle Tennessee State University with a Bachelor of Science in broadcast journalism, she somehow found herself working in information technology. But she never stopped writing.

Stephanie is the Simon & Schuster author of 30 Days of No Gossip and 25 Roses. When she isn’t crafting fiction, she writes for a variety of online websites on the topics of business, technology, and her favorite subject of all—fashion. She lives in Nashville with her husband, a sales executive. 

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And here's the link for Stephanie's giveaway: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/YmE3MjA1ZmE3NmM3MjJlOTUyMzIyZjViYzk5OWQ3OjY=/?