Dear Reader,

Today’s guest author, Kelly Borjas, grew up in Southwest Colorado and later moved to Southern California. She has a degree in communication studies from Biola University and a master’s in leadership and organizational studies from Azusa Pacific University. She is a cohost of the Lit Ladies podcast. Find her at kellyborjas.com.

Kelly’s debut novel is ‘High Exposure,’ the riveting start to an adventure-driven romantic suspense series: Determined travel blogger Julia Stevens is on assignment in snowy Silverberg, Colorado. Upon her arrival in town, she discovers a dead body and is compelled to research the situation, give justice to a man’s story, and kick off her new career in journalism.

Kelly is giving three readers the chance to win a copy of ‘High Exposure.’ To enter the drawing, email kellyborjas@hotmail.com Please include your shipping address in case you’re a winner.

Welcome to the book club Kelly…

Did you know writing can be a solitary job? Most of the time authors don’t have “coworkers” down the hall, or a water cooler where we can chat and catch up. So, what does an author do? Certainly, one could remain holed up in a writing cave (my couch and a blanket, with a laptop) forever. However, I learned something valuable: writing a book (typing the words on a page) is a solitary endeavor, but completing and publishing a book is a team effort.

This author would like to talk about the power of community. I just published my debut novel. This book displays my name on the cover, but behind the story lies a community of people who believed in the idea–who believed in me. Critique partners shared insight for years on ideas and brainstorming. My agent sharpened the story with her amazing abilities. Editors worked tirelessly to tighten every angle, phrase, and word. Marketing and publicity created brilliant images and distribution to bring this book from idea to reality. Early endorsers (authors I’ve long admired) shared their time and encouragement. Finally, readers have shared the quotes and themes that have resonated with them.

What is the point of acknowledging all these people? It’s the idea that life is best lived with community. We all need support and encouragement. We all bring unique skills and perspective to situations. When we work together, sharing our strengths, the end result is so much better than traveling the road alone. I believe this to be true in my art, but also in life. As I reflect on the experience of publishing a debut book, I can’t help but ruminate on the many people who cheered and supported me along the way. It’s a reminder for me to share my strengths, to cheer someone along, to be part of a team.

Wherever this article may find you in life, I hope you see the value YOU can bring to someone around you. Perhaps you can encourage someone in a new endeavor. Perhaps you can give of your time. Perhaps you have a unique skill set that will benefit someone. From someone who benefited greatly from the gifts and skills others gave to me, I can say the impact will not be received lightly.

— Kelly Borjas

Kelly is giving three readers the chance to win a copy of ‘High Exposure.’ To enter the drawing, email kellyborjas@hotmail.com Please include your shipping address in case you’re a winner.

Thanks for reading with me. It’s so good to read with friends.

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com