Thank YOU!

First of all, I want to thank all of you who have supported me and my works, especially during the month of August, when I released my third book, Luck of the Irish! Thank you so much for downloading this third Holiday Heartbeats story (the longest and so far, my personal favorite). I’m so excited that this book is getting into hands around the world. What a dream come true!

Keep On Dreaming On

As an adult, when you believe a dream of yours, it can be difficult to hold on to that belief Â – especially when many of those you love and respect quietly give you the side-eye for pursuing what seems to be a far-fetched dream. I’m thankful to have always had a family that supports my very, *ahem* unique perspectives and pursuits in life, and I’m blessed to have a husband who’s my biggest fan and motivator. Still, it’s hard to pull both inspiration and creativity out of the ether and consistently be productive on the daily. Doubt is constantly on the sidelines, poking its nose in places where it shouldn’t be. Combating negativity and creating anything useful aren’tÂ compatible activities, so some days can be pretty exhausting. But I keep on crawling towards that dream, ever hopeful that soon I will walk and eventually run as I grow stronger.

Last month, more readers showed genuine interest in my work than ever before, and it miraculously affected my bottom line. I’m sharing this because I know that many of you reading this blog understand the struggle between living your authentic life as a Creative and also being able to put food on the table for your family and yourself.

So often, I battle with the guilt of no longer working a so-called traditional job by “choice”. Believe me, I’ve definitely been led to do this; even I can’t yet explain why. It’s exhausting running my own business feeling as though I’m wearing blinders, but by Grace and by Faith, I am slowly learning to feel my way around. Mentors are popping up into my life in ways that I may not have expected, but humbly welcome. Last month, I was awarded a grant to attend the Northern Hearts Conference in Toronto, Canada with the Toronto Romance Writers chapter of the Romance Writers of America! Good things are coming, and as I continue to learn and grow, just as I promised when I first came to the decision to work for myself, I intend to continue toÂ share my ups and downs with you as candidly as I can.

There is so much that I want to accomplish, and the desire is still so strong, it’s often overwhelming. As a woman of Faith, I am convinced that I’m following my calling, but it’s hard to hear it over the discouraging silence that often comes back when reaching out. That’s when I’m grateful to those encouraging souls who remind me that just because I’m not hearing an echo doesn’t mean that my message isn’t resonating with someone. So, I’ll continue to reach out, thankful to all of you as I continue to explore Love and Life, one word at a time.

Sending Love and Light to all of you.
Luck of the Irish,Â HolidayÂ Heartbeats#3,Â is now available. The first chapter is available for free on Wattpad. Read it here.

â€“ Atina Atwood is a southern girl who moved from Europe to the West Coast. A former university professor in Germany and California, Atina stepped away from Academia to focus on her miracle child, life, love, food, quilting, and of course, writing. She is the author of the Holiday Heartbeats series. Follow her onÂ TwitterÂ andÂ Pinterest for more, and sign up for Atinaâ€™s newsletterÂ here.