I don't know if you could hear the excited "SQUEE!" that erupted the moment I received this... but it was pretty loud! XD
     I was SO excited to receive fan art!! You have no idea. Many thanks to JM for sharing her artistic talent with me in such a creative and amazing way!!!

    Those of you who have read The Heart of Everything will recognize the three main characters, and not just because the artist labeled them with their names. She actually captured them very well, based on my descriptions in the book! See Jesse's longer hair... Alex's polished look... the relative height of each character... all done to a T! Emer is even wearing the hoodie that Jesse gives her in Chapter two :-D.
    All in all, this made my day! Publishing your book and watching it become "real" is one thing - seeing your characters "come to life" in art is another step up! I know cover art is often used to give a visual representation of characters - or at least, it can be. Now that I am self-publishing and having to do research into book marketing, it seems cover art is just as often (if not more often) used to grab attention and sell the book, rather than meaningfully portray characters and plot (one of my biggest beefs with cover art is when it DOES NOT match the book descriptions... I absolutely HATE that... which probably explains why I prefer my covers to be people-free XD). But accurate or not, cover art is done professionally and for a fee. Fan art, which is done for the love of the story and the characters, means ever so much more. It's less about talent because it's done from the heart - though, I would argue that JM's depiction displays both talent and enjoyment of my book! Thank you again for blessing me with this :').
    To that end, I would like to invite any budding artists out there: if you enjoy my book (or future books!) and bring those characters or scenes to life on paper, please share them with me! Feel free to post them on social media (please tag me so I can see them!) or use the contact form on this website to let me know that you'd like to send it to me directly. Please tell me whether or not I'm okay to share your art here/ on my other channels - I don't want to infringe on anyone's rights but I do want others to enjoy it if possible! I can't promise to share everything I receive. But I do promise to keep and appreciate anything I receive from my fans - it touches my heart to see what these stories mean to you!!!
​     Feel free to scroll back up and give another happy smile at that cute picture (that's what I keep doing... the way both boys seem to be "claiming" her... so adorable!) and stay tuned for more updates!

​   The page design for the anthology is complete!!! Squee!!! I can't tell you how excited this part makes me. I just love seeing my book actually LOOK like a book! :-D
     Even more exciting is the fact that I'm receiving these proofs now, only a month since announcing that this book would be coming out. True, BookBaby said I would be receiving these proofs in 3-4 weeks (and here we are!), but still! Those of you who were here for the first book may recall that this is SO MUCH FASTER than it was the last time. This makes me really, REALLY hopeful for a release date before the end of the year! ;-)
     But enough about timelines and schedules! Let's talk about some beautiful book design, shall we?

     I've got four images for you here today - obviously not the whole book, but enough that you can get a sense of what it will look like overall. The first two images are the title page and the beginning of the first short story. The last two images are the "origin stories" title page and the first page of those stories. As you can see, the design is vine-like and floral, similar to the first book. Yet it's also quite different - more complex, I would say. And I love it!
     (Sigh.) It's becoming real!!! :-D
    Of course, it's not real YET. I still have to fully review the design proofs to make sure everything looks good, and verify there aren't any typos that snuck in during the process. And then of course, there's the cover. So I do not have a specific date for you at this time :-(. But rest assured that we are most certainly moving in a forward direction, and as soon as I know something, you'll know something!
     Stay tuned as we wait patiently for this next release! Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go admire my new book a little more... ;-P.

     And I mean that, quite literally! This update is about the new and different places you might find me online.
     First of all, I've joined Pinterest! I'll be listing all of my books here, with direct links to buy through my BookShop page. You can find me here: https://www.pinterest.com/authorlynnwallace/pins/
     I've also joined BookBub! For those who don't know, BookBub is a free service that helps millions of fans find new books, while simultaneously helping authors and publishers find new readers. You can view my profile here: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lynn-wallace
     Last but certainly not least, I've joined BookSweeps! BookSweeps is pretty much what their name implies: they feature giveaways (usually books but also other prizes!) as well as help readers discover and engage with new authors. You can check out my profile here:  
https://www.booksweeps.com/discover/lynn-wallace/
​     The most exciting part of joining BookSweeps is that I will be participating in a book giveaway next month, in the early part of September! I'll be posting more information once BookSweeps gets everything set up, so if you or anyone you know still needs a copy of The Heart of Everything, be sure to stay tuned!
     That's all for now! Until the next update, keep reading!

        Okay, okay! I've been dropping hints about the mysterious "next book" for several months now... both in updates and blog posts (go back and re-read a few if you missed them ;-P)... and it's high time I stop teasing and just tell you!
         So, are you ready? Are you REALLY ready? Are you sure?! Because here it is!
        The next book will be... The Supernatural Reasons Why I Love You! This is NOT the sequel to The Heart of Everything. (I know, I'm sad too, but I'm making good progress on editing that one!) But it DOES connect back to the first book! Or rather, connect forward - you see, this new book is actually collection of short stories, and it features a set of "origin stories" that provide the backstory for our heroes from The Heart of Everything. So if you're curious about how Jesse and Alex became friends, or how they met the priestess, or if you want the full scoop of that dark, fateful day in Jesse's past, then look no further. This is the book for you! This anthology will also have stories that follow other characters: some new, some familiar (like Lisa the witch, who turned her boyfriend into a zombie ;-P). All in all, it's a great collection of paranormal romance short stories, and you're sure to have a lot of fun reading them!
       Unfortunately, I don't yet have a date set for when this book will be released. I've just recently started the publishing process with the help of BookBaby, and I received an email TODAY that I should be able to review my book design proof in 3-4 weeks. Hopefully, that means I'll have something more to share with you next month!
      In the meantime, keep your fingers crossed that the process of formatting and design goes smoothly and quickly! It will NOT take as long as it did to get The Heart of Everything to print (those of you who kept up with the initial series of updates on that will recall it took FOREVER) because the editing part has already been completed. We're just making the book look like a book at this point, but I still don't have a guaranteed time frame. I really do hope to have this out to y'all by the end of the year - because what makes a better Christmas present than a brand new book?? ;-P
         Stay tuned for more and until then, keep reading!

     Great news! I've been invited to contribute as a guest blogger for The Paper House, a self-publishing company based out of New Jersey. They have multiple guest writers for their blog (which has a general theme of writing and publishing), so if you visit their site to read my post, be sure to check out what everyone else has written!
     Today, I'm sharing my publishing journey, with what I've learned, what I'd like to do moving forward, and what advice I'd give to anyone just starting out in the publishing process. You can read all about it here: ​https://www.thepaperhousebooks.com/post/not-all-who-publish-are-lost
        I'll be posting for them every so often, but each time I do, I'll be sure to share a link here in case anyone is interested :-). In the meantime, stay safe, stay tuned, and I hope to have more good news to share soon!

For immediate release:
Author's new book receives a warm literary welcome.
Readers' Favorite announces the review of the Young Adult - Romance book
"The Heart of Everything" by Lynn Wallace, currently available at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1098302680.

Readers' Favorite is one of the largest book review and award contest sites on the Internet. They have earned the respect of renowned publishers like Random House, Simon & Schuster, and Harper Collins, and have received the "Best Websites for Authors" and "Honoring Excellence" awards from the Association of Independent Authors. They are also fully accredited by the BBB (A+ rating), which is a rarity among Book Review and Book Award Contest companies.

Reviewed By K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite
The Heart of Everything is a work of romantic fiction penned by author Lynn Wallace for young adults, which also contains some paranormal and Christian themes. The plot centers around Emer, who believes that she is a pretty normal young woman headed for a normal life. So when she is suddenly kidnapped and informed that in a previous life she has had different lovers and been an elfin priestess, shock sets in pretty fast. Getting to know the vampiric Alex and Jesse, the literal son of the devil, has its perks, but her handsome kidnappers also set Emer on the path to truly knowing herself, and with that comes the obligation to use her remembered powers to defend them all from danger.

Author Lynn Wallace has created a compelling romantic narrative that her YA and NA readership are certain to really enjoy. I liked the combination of Christian and supernatural themes at play, keeping the story firmly fixed in the realm of redemption with a classic and well-executed battle of good versus evil underpinning the tale. Emer is well developed as an emotive heroine who reacts fairly realistically to the shocking situation she finds herself in, and her relationship with the two men in her life builds gradually and endearingly as the plot unveils itself. The twists and supernatural moments of the storyline are described with cinematic language that really makes those scenes pop. Overall, The Heart of Everything is a read which is certain to beguile and entertain anyone who picks it up."

You can learn more about Lynn Wallace and "The Heart of Everything" at https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/the-heart-of-everything where you can read reviews and the author’s biography, as well as connect with the author directly or through their website and social media pages.
​
Readers' Favorite LLC
Media Relations
Louisville, KY 40202
800-RF-REVIEW
support@readersfavorite.com
https://readersfavorite.com

     First of all, happy belated Easter!  To celebrate a season of hope in the midst of this pandemic, I've created a coupon code valid for 20% off on my BookShop page!  It can be used on either digital or print copies of the book, and it's good until 4/30/2020.  Just use "EASTER2020" at the link below!

     Also, I now have a profile on LinkedIn!  You can connect with me through the button below:

     That's all I have at this time.  I hope everyone is staying safe!

     Hello everyone!  I have good news and less good news.  
    First of all, the good news:  The Heart of Everything is indeed available again as both an eBook and a paperback!  Both versions can be purchased directly from me using the link below (this link is also listed on the Books tab):

     The less good news: only the Kindle version is available on Amazon right now.  The paperback will not release on Amazon until May 1st (no idea why - this is Amazon's decision, not mine).  You can purchase the Kindle version or pre-order the paperback on Amazon here.  In the meantime, I'll continue doing social media posts (featuring more of the novel's highlights!) on Saturdays during April as we countdown towards the Amazon release!
     I am still hoping to publish another book later this year (not the sequel, sorry - I finished the first draft, but there's still a lot of editing to go on that one! ><).  Nothing definite has been decided, but I'm hoping for a late summer/ early fall release date.  I'll share details on what that book will be once once a day is set!
     That's all for now - I hope everyone is staying safe, and if you get bored, just take advice from an author and read more books! ;-P

     Good news on the re-release of The Heart of Everything!  All the files have successfully been turned over to BookBaby, and both the eBook and print-on-demand versions are in production!  It's now just a matter of sitting back and waiting for it to be available once more!
     How long will we have to sit and wait, you may ask?  Now that's the tricky part ><.  As of right now, the eBook is scheduled for release next week (March 4th) and the print version is scheduled for release at the end of next month (March 25th).  That means that even if the listing appears sooner, it will only be available for pre-order until the set date.  Which is still a great thing, because pre-ordering insures that Amazon/ other stores will have enough copies available to ship out on the day the book is released!
     However, all of that only holds true if nothing goes wrong.  And while I don't foresee any issues with the re-release of the print version, we are running into some issues with the eBook.  The new eBook can't be listed on Amazon until the old listing is taken down - yes, my book still shows up as "available" on Amazon.  No, it's not supposed to be there.  I am working with Covenant Books to get that rectified as soon as possible.  If you can, please wait for the re-release at the end of this month before purchasing - anything that is sold now goes into Amazon's (or the bookstore's pockets), and I don't get a cent.  Besides, the re-release will actually be cheaper, so if you can wait a few more weeks, you can actually save yourself some money!

     I have even more great news!  Victoria TX is about to hold their first annual Book Festival, and I've been selected as one of the open mic readers!  I'll be reading a never-before-seen short story at 1:45 pm on Saturday, March 7th, at the Museum of the Coastal Bend!  Come out to hear something new, and stick around after the readings are done to say hello!  I'll have free bookmarks available, and I'm happy to sign any copies of my novel you'd like signed!

    And in other news... I finally got a royalty check!  Only took over a year XD - it's still exciting though!  The exact payout is covered up not because I'm suddenly a millionaire (haha, wouldn't that be something) but because the number is actually on the smaller end ><, and I don't want you laughing at me for being excited over it :-P.  (Sigh) It's the simple things in life that make me happy, and knowing that enough people enjoyed my book for me to receive something back is a very nice feeling indeed :-D.
     That's all the news I have at this time!  Just bear with me a few more weeks, and by the end of next month, we should be able to celebrate the successful re-introduction of my first novel back into the world!  (And then maybe we can talk about another book ;-P.)  In the meantime, stay tuned to social media - I'll be sharing some of my favorite parts from The Heart of Everything as we wait for the end of March!!!

    Hello all!  I have big news today.  Sadly, it's not that I'm releasing a new book (yet ;-P).  Drumroll anyway, please...  I'm switching to self-publishing! :-D
    After much deliberation, I've decided that using a traditional publisher (such as Covenant Books) just isn't the right path for me at this time.  There are a lot of factors that went into this decision, but among the biggest were cost and control over my work.  So now I am making plans to transition to the use of a self-publishing service - in particular, I'm looking at BookBaby to help me continue to share my stories with the world.
   What this means is that there may be a gap in the availability of The Heart of Everything.  My contract with Covenant ends at the end of this month, and I will need to collect my work from them, then turn around and share it with BookBaby so they can re-enable the printing and distribution of my book.  I don't know how long this gap might be, when it will start or even if there will be one.  I just want everyone to know that if my book disappears from Amazon or doesn't seem to be available anymore, HAVE NO FEAR.  It will come back, I promise!
  The great news about this switch is the many advantages it holds for both myself and my audience.  The distribution range with BookBaby is much wider - not only will my books be available online through Amazon and Barnes & Noble, but also through other online retailers such as Walmart, Powell's Books, and Books-A-Million.  They use some of the largest distribution networks, so it will still be available in stores - it's up to the store to decide to stock it, though (don't be afraid to ask your local bookstore to get it for you!).  My books will still be in eBook form as well - and more than just Kindle or Nook! 
    The other great part is that I can set the price!  Which means I'll be able to share my stories at reasonable, market-comparable rates, and not what a publisher thinks I should sell at.
     I'm hoping this will be the start of an amazing adventure.  As soon as my first novel is transitioned and available, I will post another update with all of that information (should be within the next month).  And *hopefully* sometime after that, I'll post again about when the next book will be coming out ;-).
     Thank you again for your support and stay tuned for more exciting news!