This article was originally published on the Golden Brick Road Publishing GBR Blog. Please note that this article contains affiliate links.
We are excited to announce the launch of a new series on the blog: Living the #GBRAuthorLife. Every month we will be featuring lead authors and co-authors from our upcoming books, as well as many of our award-winning books.
The first interview in our series features authors from one of several books that will be released as part of our Fall 2019 catalog. Dear Love, I’m Ready for You is the fourth book of the 2x award-winning Dear Women series. This anthology of stories is about real love and the many forms it takes in our lives.
Read the interview below to learn more about some of the authors and how these ladies are living the #GBRAuthorLife.
Lead Author: Sara Gustafson
1. How did you come up with the concept for Dear Love?
I actually can take no credit for the concept! Ky-Lee already had the idea in mind, and I was planning to join the project as a co-author. I was fresh off the publication of my first book, Her Art of Surrender, and eager for more! When the Dear Love project didn’t pan out in its original form, I was so disappointed and after a few months, I just couldn’t get the project out of my head. So I reached out to Ky-Lee and asked her if she’d consider me as a lead. I’m so honored that she trusted me with the fourth book in the Dear Women series!
2. Who should read Dear Love? Who is this book meant for?
I might be biased, but I think everyone should read it! Kidding aside, this book is perfect for people who might be struggling with the concept of self-love, of what that actually looks like in our day-to-day lives. It’s also for people who are fed up with the fairy tale picture of love that we’ve all been fed and who want to hear stories of REAL love felt by REAL people.
3. Not only are you the lead author for Dear Love, but you have also been a co-author for several books, including the award-winning Dear Time. To top it off, you are also a Freelance Technical and Developmental Editor with GBR. How do you manage all of this?
There’s a lot of truth to the saying, “Do what you love, and you won’t work a day in your life.” I spent almost ten years in the non-profit sector and I truly enjoyed it, but I kept feeling the nudge to get out there and do my own thing – write my own story and help create the types of books I love to read. Making the jump into freelancing has been terrifying, thrilling, and incredibly rewarding, and I’ve been blessed with some really wonderful, passionate, talented clients, like GBR. I have to pinch myself some days to remind myself that this is all real – I get to read and write books for a living! It can definitely get crazy at times, but writing and editing get me into my flow state. I think that’s an important piece of the time management puzzle – when you’re in flow, it doesn’t feel like work, it doesn’t feel like just managing tasks. And I think we can all find those moments of flow throughout our days, even if you aren’t currently doing a job you love all the time. Finding those pockets of joy and ease can help give us the clarity and space to better manage the rest of our day.
4. What does living the #GBRAuthorLife mean to you?
Sorry, had to stop and pinch myself again – I AM AN AUTHOR!!! That sentence is truly the culmination of a lifelong dream, and I’ll be forever grateful to GBR for opening the door for me. For me, the #GBRAuthorLife has meant prioritizing myself, for pretty much the first time in my life. Like most women, I spend a lot of time prioritizing other people’s needs and dreams. Joining these projects with GBR, though, means I am obligated to put my dreams first for once – I have a commitment to my fellow co-authors and the books I’m working on, so I HAVE to make the time to sit down and write, I HAVE to close the door and say, “Sorry, world, I need to read this book now.” Getting that push to really take my craft seriously and dedicate time to it has been life-changing. I take myself more seriously now as well; I’ve noticed myself voicing my opinions and wants more strongly, saying no to things I don’t want to do, expressing what I DO want to do. Living the #GBRAuthorLife has given me the confidence to say, “I deserve to live the life I want, too.
About the Lead Author
Sara Gustafson is a freelance technical and developmental editor with a passion for helping people tell their stories well. She has used her love of language to craft an editing style best described as “tough love,” emphasizing proper grammar and technique while nurturing each author’s unique voice. Sara comes to Golden Brick Road with ten years of editing and writing experience in a variety of fields. She is also a three-time published author with GBR. She believes strongly in the power of community and collaboration and believes that all of our stories matter.
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Co-Author: Carley Inglis
1. What was it about the Dear Love book that made you want to become a co-author for it?
When I heard about the opportunity to write, I was thrilled! I couldn’t believe that there was this type of opportunity out there. A couple of books were floating around, but I really resonated with Dear Love because I immediately thought of a story that I could contribute. After speaking with Ky-lee and Sara, it was clear that my story was worth sharing and that it lined up nicely with the direction the book was taking! I liked that it was co-authored and that all of our stories were unique and not solely focused on finding your soul-mate or any one particular topic related to love.
2. What has the co-author experience been like thus far?
The co-author experience has been wonderful! It is a new network of amazing people to connect with and share our stories. Such an uplifting group of women who just want to do great things! Sara, in particular, is such a supportive lead. She communicates often and effectively and is such a warm person. This experience has really brought me out of my shell. I am also a person who works well with clear expectations and this experience has provided that from the very beginning.
3. As someone who has their own business, how do you make the time to focus on creative work?
It is definitely a challenge as a business owner to find time for creative work. But that is what makes this experience so awesome and unique. You have a group of people in your corner, helping brainstorm, talk through challenges, struggles, time issues, lack of motivation and it all helps circle you back to what you set out to do! It is hard to not WANT to get creative and share when you have such a wonderful group of people to work with and support one another.
4. What does living the #GBRAuthorLife mean to you?
#GBRAuthorlife has already opened up so many doors for me. It means the ability to be creative, uniquely you, and to build a network that seems to carry forward throughout so many different parts of your life. I have grown as a person creatively and in my business. I have learned so many new skills and become part of something that I never imagined possible for me. But the main thing is what the letters represent for me: Growth, Brilliance, and Reinvention!
About The Co-Author
Carley is a social butterfly. Her perfect place is somewhere on a beach in the sun and sand, surrounded by great people. She enjoys spending time building strong and lasting relationships and learning from those in her life.
In 2017, Carley left her corporate career where she was a Manager of Learning and Development and founded Clearly Learning Solutions. She has since supported larger retailers such as TJX Canada and Holt Renfrew, but works primarily with small startups, not for profits and independent retailers on program design and delivery of learning modules to set them up for success. Carley is an expert facilitator and prefers working with groups in classroom and workshop settings. She is regarded as one of the best in retail for her ability to design workbooks to set employees up for success to execute all areas of standard operating practice.
Carley lives her life by two simple rules: Keep things simple and “it is none of your business what people say behind your back” and she believes that these two things help keep her living her best and happiest life!
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Co-Author: Danielle Laura
1. How did you hear about the Dear Love book? What made you want to sign-on as a co-author?
I was originally introduced to GBR through a dear friend and fellow author with the company. I reached out to Ky-Lee about my interest in becoming a published author, set up an interview, and it was clear that Dear Love was the perfect project for me to be a part of, and I was invited to move forward as a coauthor!
2. Can you describe your journey on becoming a personal development & leadership coach, healer and spiritual mentor?
I was at a point in my corporate career where I had “made it” as the CEO of a medical center, and yet I was still very unfulfilled and felt like there was so much more of a difference I wanted to make. I deeply wanted to use ALL of my gifts and passions combined with my education and expertise to truly feel aligned and inspired, making a huge difference in this world in a real way. The transition into entrepreneurship took off quickly for me as I dove headfirst into bringing all the multidimensional aspects of me to my work as a coach, healer, and spiritual mentor, while also empowering my clients to do the same. It has been the best, most fulfilling decision of my life to help others also live out their highest path.
3. What or who inspires you to keep going when things get tough?
My faith, without a doubt. I truly have an unshakable faith in my purpose and the bigger mission God has in store for me. Even in the roughest times at the beginning of my entrepreneurial journey when I was also going through divorce, having every penny of the money stolen out of my bank account, having the closest people in my life turn their backs on me, moving four times, starting over, etc. — even through it all, I knew in the depths of my soul that the trials were all preparing me for a future brighter than anything I could have imagined at the time. And being on the other side of it all now, I was right 🙂
4. What does living the #GBRAuthorlife mean to you?
It means that I can live a fully expressed life by sharing my story, connect with other powerhouse women, and share our truth with the world to help others heal with our potent medicine.
About the Co-Author
Danielle is a mission-driven former corporate medical executive turned spiritual entrepreneur and has spent the last decade innovating therapy work, in addition to leading teams of change-makers, which gives her exceptional understanding of human behavior and what it takes for lasting transformation and success at every level. As the founder of H.O.T. Souls ™ Individual and Couples Coaching, Danielle is passionate about helping people shift their entire paradigm so they can shift and change the world through deep honesty, openness, and transparency. Her mission is to help changemakers ground into their truth, master their gifting to amplify their zone of genius, cultivate H.O.T., thriving relationships, and up-level their life in transformative ways in order to live fully expressed lives both professionally and personally while making their greatest impact. Danielle has a masters degree in counseling, a bachelor’s degree in health science, and is a Certified Reiki Master Healer.
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