Let's Celebrate The Yellow Lantern!

I am so excited that friends are finding The Yellow Lantern on shelves in bookstores! 

If you have read my story, be sure to leave reviews on Amazon, B&N, Christianbook.com, Target, ...wherever fiction is sold! 

Also...

Tonight, I plan to share the winner of the July giveaway, the contents of the August giveaway, and what to be on the look out for in August! This has been such a fun book release.

Hope to see you tonight at 8pm cst at Angie Dicken, Author page.

One Sheet Recommendations

It's that time of year again...a big writer's conference is just around the corner, and while I busily try and generate word count, I LOVE to stir my creative juices and help out my fellow authors with ONE SHEET DESIGN! Check out these testimonials from my happy clients, then click on the page link up top called, "CBA eBook Cover and  One Sheet Design" to check out details!

NEW: I design ebook covers  and bookmarks too!! If you are published and would like to have some bookmarks to share at conference, contact me!

"Angie's one-sheet blew me away. She listened to all the details I gave her and came up with something that really captured the flavor and setting of my book. " 

- Sally Bradley, 4-time ACFW Genesis Finalist

"Angie Dicken was amazing with my One Sheets. Not only was she extremely timely, she basically hit the nail on the head with the very first try. She got my story, understood my needs, happily made tweaks and supplied a product over and beyond my expectations--in an affordable price range. My agent appointments noticed and commented on the fantastic layout of my One Sheets. Highly recommended for the conference bound writer!" -Casey Herringshaw, Frasier Finalist

"After much frustration creating my own one sheet and never being satisfied with the result, Angie was so sweet and offered to help a girl out. The result was SO much better than I could have imagined! I highly recommend Angie for all your one sheet needs!" 

-Krista Phillips, author of Sandwich, with a Side of Romance

Filling In My Dreams With Color

As a child, I read a book about a girl who would draw a picture, and then as she slept, she would live the picture in a dream. It's a book I have searched for, time and again, and cannot find it anywhere. But it made a big impact on me, and now, as I prepare for my sixth writing conference, I know why.

I have been writing my dreams down, just as the girl, and watching them grow into their full potential over these past ten years. Each year I find myself at the ACFW conference, I might not see my book in print yet, but I add some color to my journey, and the dream becomes more real.

It's not as easy as closing my eyes to see the dream play out before me. There's work, always work to be done. It takes time, tears, and... time (did I say that?)

But, although I have no book contract to prove I'm living my dream, I have a ten year journey to prove it. And each step along that way has brought me even more color than I could imagine...and more dream to fill in with those hues.

I have learned the construct of a good story, and a bad one. I have learned the sobering reality of a tough market, and the sobering truth of a trusted critique partner. I have rejoiced in finding soul-mates along the way...women whose hearts beat the same rhythm as mine...whose dreams are at all different stages, but who treasure the same dream as me, regardless.

In the book I mentioned above, the girl ultimately ended up learning something from the dreams spurred on by her drawings. She was a different person at the end of the book because of the dreams she lived throughout it.

I always picture my writing dream culminating with a book on a shelf that might enhance a reader's heart. But, looking back, I realize the dream is more precious than that. I suppose, the dream is a journey, and the heart being changed is mine.

May I never come to a point where my color runs out, or there's no more space in the dream to fill it.

The dream has come true already.

I can't believe I just wrote that. If you know me at all, a week ago I would have told you differently. Sometimes, I get distracted by rejection or anticipation, and I try to control my dream. And while it feels necessary for a while, it's rarely satisfying. It just kills the joy, and fades the color of the dream.

Nope, regardless of human standards or culture-based success, I am living the dream out each day, each page, each writer's conference. This week, as I meet with my fellow soul-mates, and discover more colors to add to the page, I hope to realize all the more dreaming to be done.

Women's Fiction One Sheet Design

This sounds like a heart-wrenching story! So glad I got to work on this one sheet. Here it is minus the bio...will post the full after conference!

(original has photo credits included)

One Sheet Design For Courtney Ballinger

Here is another design I have worked on this month! This girl has big things ahead. She is an ACFW Genesis Finalist and author of a great story!

One Sheet Design For Patricia Beal

This is the most colorful one sheet I have designed, but it's perfect for the southwestern flair of the story by Patricia Beal! Head over to her Facebook Page and hit like! She has reached a huge milestone of over 2000 followers!

One Sheet Design for Jennifer Major

I have been busy working on one sheets for fellow ACFW'rs just in time for conference! My first project was a beautiful historical story by Jennifer Major.

TBT: My One Sheet Design

A #ThrowBackThursday tidbit? I have a degree in Landscape Architecture.

Yet. I write fiction.

Ah, but my degree isn't completely wasted as I learned a ton about graphics. Now, I apply what I've learned to design one sheets for myself...and other CBA authors!

For Throwback Thursday, here are my a few of my past one sheets. Interested in having a unique design to take to your agent/editor appointments this year? Check out my tab 'CBA One Sheet Design' for more one sheets, testimonies, and info. My schedule is booking fast, so if you are interested, let me know!

Gearing Up For ACFW: One Sheet Design

Hey ACFW attendees! Be sure to check out the page on this blog, CBA One Sheet Design My schedule is filling up! Pass this ad along if you'd like.:)

Bold Up at ACFW!

I am on the other side of my second ACFW conference, and as I had prayed on the first day, I am completely humbled. God's hand works in mighty ways and He was OBVIOUSLY present in St. Louis...not just in my triumphs, but in my trials--molding and shaping--His blessings poured onto the friends around me, and His glory was spoken, sung, and shown. What an amazing thing to be around so many professionals in this tricky business of publishing, and have a common thread of Christ throughout the 700 people in attendance!
I was personally blessed with connecting to precious friends who I have spent this past year getting to know on blogs, loops, and through crit groups.

It's funny how my prayers were answered when it came to interest in my manuscripts, but how I tossed aside the excitement and wrestled with severe self-doubt almost instantaneously. I had this impending doom that I was fooling myself and others into thinking I could write, and now I had to prove it by sending in my stuff. It was at these moments of dread, that I found support in my friends and realized God has placed some amazing women in my life.
My fellow Alley Cats surrounded me with prayer, my crit partner encouraged me and even talked to other agents and publishers about my work (she is amazing), and my parents (who flew to St. Louis just to watch my baby in a small hotel room...thank you!) kept giving me pep talks.
My cup overflows with the people God has given me!

As I left the conference, I had one of the Alley Cats, Mary Vee, look at me and say,
"You need to bold up."
Amen, Mary. I will never forget that...and hopefully, in a conference or two, I will be a bold, new author with confidence and a contract! :)
Now, I have work ahead of me. I have never felt so driven. It is all because of the prayers that were said that I feel like it might be possible to tweak my book and proposal to a new level...and I am dedicated to doing my best...because that's all I can do!