I'm excited to announce Sue Young as our second guest post on Kali Kuzma Author and Storyteller! I met Sue through a Facebook group we both follow which helps bloggers and self-publishers promote their stories.
Since starting a friendship on Facebook, a few months ago, I can tell Sue is very creative, and puts a lot of energy into her craft-quite literally!
Sue has done a great job honing in on a particular niche which is one of the main goals when writing a book-but I'll let her tell you what niche she decided to publish her first book in!
My Peaceful Place
“The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul.”
-Dieter F. Uchtdorf
I am a wife, mom, and Grammy (to 3 beautiful grandchildren!) and somewhere in the midst of that I opened a home-based wedding business.
My specialty was creating custom wedding invitations, favors, signs, and most anything else paper related a bride wanted. One of my favorite things to do in that process was meeting with the brides in person – in my living room! Young girls and couples would be starry-eyed talking about their wedding and I loved to listen to their ideas and dreams.
Being who I am, I most often become a “mom” to young girls, and this was no exception in my bridal business. Still today, over two years of closing my business (and having a viable business for 8 years), I am still in touch with a few of those brides. They are open to marriage advice, creative suggestions for problem-solving, and how to love their spouse. During my years with my wedding business, I created a small version of My Peaceful Place and gave or sold it to my brides as a way for them to de-stress and refocus on what really matters.
Fast forward several years, and now out of the bridal business, I started to focus on young moms (my own children!) and how to encourage them. It was then I decided to expand My Peaceful Place and include all wives, not just brides. I think we as women are so involved in our families and have little time to ourselves. (It’s good to be involved, but not at the expense of spending yourself without replenishment). My hope is that women will use this book when they need to regroup, remember why they fell in love with their hubby, and to give them ideas for small “dates” with their spouse.
I have been happily married for 38 years and counting. I want to share those things I’ve learned with others. I am starting to create a new coloring book – Love That Lasts, Truths about You and God. It’s still in the planning stages, but look for it soon! My goal is to provide an escape from a busy day and provide a quiet and relaxing moment in the way of a color page with a truth about God in relation to you. We hear so many lies in our world, cling to a few; and need to be reminded of the truth!
I’m also writing a book! It came to me while I was sleeping...title, chapters, and content. I have over 50 pages written so far. It’s called You Have A Gift; How to find your gift, hone it, and share it with others. I have such a passion to encourage others and help them find ways to have joy and purpose in life. This book will have a journal to compliment it. Here's an excerpt.
The go-getters. The change makers. Those who have the ability to make an impact on the world. We all love ‘em. We wish we could be like them. It all starts with a secret. You have a secret and the world needs to know about it. That secret has the ability to change you, the people you encounter and the world around you. “What is the secret?” You ask. It’s you. The Real You. The gift you have you were made to share. “Oh I don’t have any special gifting!” You say. Well, lean in and listen. We’re about to change your perspective and rock your world. Several eBooks are in progress. Most are from years past, ones I need to update and add to. The eBooks range from wedding planning, budgeting, marriage, and marketing. What a range, huh!
Although not all are books, I thought I would share a peak into my mind and share some projects I am working on.
I’m preparing to be a vendor at a vintage market. This is SO much fun and entails shopping at thrift stores and repurposing items. Lots of painting, gluing, sanding, sewing, and some simple upholstery.
This may hurt some of you book lovers, but when I come across a vintage book that has seen better days, I make a journal out of it. I put in new blank pages and rebind it. I have sold some on Etsy, given some away, and used some for myself. I am now creating bookmarks with vintage images to go with the books
My goal is to use a lot of what I have. I figure that when my stash of materials is gone, I will be able to collect more. I’m thinking of having a display where everything in my booth is for sale – including the ladder, stool, and bookshelf I will use to help show my items.
I’m honing my homemaking skills. I’m into making jams and applesauce for canning from our plums and apples on our property. I shop the farmers markets and buy rhubarb, strawberries, and any other fruit I can find to make cobblers for my freezer. I make cookies from cake mixes (only 4 ingredients and oh! So good!), and want to explore making bagels from scratch next.
Thanks for reading! You can find me on my blog, A Sweet Haven, or contact me at asweethaven@yahoo.com.
I loved hearing how dedicated Sue is to helping others! I can't wait to see what other ideas she comes up with over the next several years.
You can find her book, My Peaceful Place, available here!
If you loved hearing about Sue's journey check out our last guest post by Britta Whitmer.
You can find my best selling children's book, Princess Gabriella and the Never-Ending Kiss here! Subscribe to the blog for new posts every Monday at 9am.
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