HAPPY NEW YEAR! HAPPY NEW YOU!
My word & intention for 2025, the importance of approaching your writing, life and dreams "one day at a time," PLUS: THE PAGE TURNER launches April 8 & Introducing Our Viola Valentine's Clothing Line!
Happy 2025!
My word for the new year is …
Every January, I choose a word or phrase to help guide me in my intention for the year. Believe me, I am not a “hocus pocus,” “manifest-it-and-it-will-be-so” type of guy.
But I am a
type of guy. Dolly’s philosophy (and mine, too) is that there is a mighty big difference between a wish and a dream. A wish is something you “wish” might happen, but you don’t necessarily put the work in to make it so. A dream is something that guides you so powerfully you put in the work — and set an intention — to make it so.Which is why I choose a word: To put my dream for the year into motion.
My word for the new year is “unmeasurable.”
I jotted this word down early last year as I was editing my upcoming novel, The Page Turner. In the novel, a young writer, Emma Page, has long been measured against the success and beauty of her parents and sister. She has long measured herself against the authors her parents publish. “We judge and measure each other – and the books we read – by our collective covers before we ever read a single word,” she says.
This past Sunday, I was brought to tears by Demi Moore’s Golden Globes speech in which she stated that others in her field never considered her ‘worthy’ of awards, esteem or accolades for her acting (she was deemed a ‘popcorn actress’), and – as a result – it corroded her and made her believe that they were correct.
“In those moments when we don’t think we’re smart enough, or pretty enough, or skinny enough, or successful enough, or basically just not enough,” she said, “I had a woman say to me, ‘Just know you will never be enough, but you can know the value of your worth if you just put down the measuring stick.’”
Much of my life I have felt the same way: I have compared my success to others. I have compared my life to others. I have compared the way I look to others. I have compared my work to others. I have compared my worth to others.
This impacted me, personally and professionally. For a while, I lost the sheer bliss, the unbridled joy, the creative comfort and the life balance I found in writing. I literally lost the plot of my own storyline.
But this past year, I have rediscovered it again by asking myself these questions:
What if I just stopped and let my work exist in the universe on its own without measuring its merit based on sales, bestseller lists or accolades?
What if I stopped measuring myself against others and simply loved myself unconditionally and took joy in the fact that I am blessed to create what calls to me?
What if that isn’t just enough, it’s more than enough?
This began to free me, personally and professionally. The Page Turner is symbolic of this new freedom. So is the 2026 novel I just finished and am currently editing. These new works are ‘very Viola’ but also very different in the themes I explore. I couldn’t be – once again – more excited to write.
Moreover, the questions I ask above parallel Emma’s journey in The Page Turner. What does it mean to be enough in a world where – from social media to entertainment – we are constantly bombarded with a desire to be ‘perfect.’ The Page Turner is a universal story about how we judge one another by our collective covers and measure ourselves against “the unmeasurable” as well as how we are often judged by the “types” of books we read. It’s also a look at the challenges of publishing and being an author today (see my post below about this!).
I hope I am able to put down that measuring stick this year. I hope that you are as well. And, knowing it won’t be easy, I hope The Page Turner allows you to consider just how important you and your beautiful story is needed in this world.
You may preorder a copy of The Page Turner from one of the wonderful bookstores below who will be supporting me this year. You may also preorder from your favorite bookstore as well. I will be sharing my Page Turner tour very soon!
Here’s to a year filled with unmeasurable joy! XOXO!
***PAPERBACK
***eBOOK
***AUDIOBOOK
***SIGNED COPIES
Autographed copies of The Page Turner will be available from a wide number of indie booksellers across the U.S. Stay tuned for a list as well as the stores I’ll be visiting on tour this spring and summer!
📕❤️ TODAY IS THE LAST DAY TO ORDER YOUR 2025 VIOLA SHIPMANt SUBScRIPTION BOX!
📕❤️ CAN YOU HELP MAKE DREAMS COME TRUE FOR ADULTS ON THE SPECTRUM?
If you are not familiar with our Viola SHIPMANt book boxes, they ship every other month, with each box containing one chapter of my new novella, THE HEIRLOOM SCRAPBOOK (available only for subscribers), and unique, handmade gifts centered around the chapter, season or holiday (think, for instance, a box centered around The Wizard of Oz and Wicked). Moreover, these boxes are boxed with love (and many of the gifts are hand-embroidered or handmade by them) by adults on the spectrum - who are cycled out of this system at the age of 26 in most states - by providing them with jobs, a purpose and a passion. Proceeds benefit them! Your support supports THEM!
NEW this year (at no extra charge) is a book club for subscribers in which I will read, talk about the novella and answer your question (including about my new novel THE PAGE TURNER) as well as a cooking and crafting club with Gary Edwards and Amy Vine from Urban Vine, the nonprofit we work with.
A special Facebook page will be created for subscribers to watch our lives (and don't worry! If you miss a show due to work or family obligations, they will be archived so you can watch them at a later date).
The 2025 SHIPMANt box will include:
• THE HEIRLOOM SCRAPBOOK, a heartfelt, hopeful story about two very different women who become friends. If you have a friend who has changed you, saved you, gotten you into trouble, made you laugh, dream and be a better person, this is the story for you. Set in Holland, Michigan, this novella is filled with tulips, snow, family, friendship, and a magical history of Holland's ties to The Wizard of Oz. It is laced with visions of Paris, Italy, Greece and so much more!
• Gorgeous expandable Hard Cover for adding new chapters
• Six Chapters - One Chapter per box
• Unique themed gifts produced by some of our favorite Michigan Artisan's and Urban Vine's team (Select Michigan Products will be included)
• Artwork by Gary Edwards
• FOUR VIRTUAL book club meetings with Wade Rouse (NEW this year!)
• TWO VIRTUAL crafting & cooking days with Gary Edwards and Amy Vine (NEW this year!)
• SAME GREAT PRICE - MORE TO LOVE! ($60 per box plus tax)
TODAY IS THE LAST DAY TO SUBSCRIBE!
CAN YOU MAKE DREAMS COME TRUE?
ORDER NOW AT THE LINK BELOW!
2025 SHIPMANt BOXES!
TY for your love & support! XOXO!
WHY I APPROACH WRITING, LIFE & DREAMS “ONE DAY AT A TIME”
PLUS: A sneak peek at my upcoming book tour!
Many readers tend to think that writing is a solitary profession.
It is. And it isn’t.
Yes, when I write a book, I am alone, at my desk, in another world. But the rest of the time? I am the equivalent of that guy in the circus who spins a gazillion plates on the top of a pole.
You cannot be a successful author today if you simply sit in your office and avoid the realities of the publishing world. Which means: You. Have. To. Do. It. All. One. Day. At. A. Time.
Here is a sneak peek into the last few months of my life as an author:
I am completing edits for my 2026 novel novel. It is due to my editor on January 15. I have spent the last eight months writing it.
I am preparing proposals to submit to my editor and publisher for the novel after my 2026 novel. The proposals are due January 15, and the manuscript is due August 15. Proposals are tricky: They must be detailed enough (characters, plot, tension) to give the team a clear idea of what is going to occur, so each summary is akin to writing a short story. (Exciting news? The proposal is for a winter/holiday novel, which I love writing!)
I am finalizing my tour for The Page Turner, which has taken months of planning. I love touring. I love bringing my book to life for and meeting, hugging and loving on readers. But it takes a big chunk of my schedule (remember above when I said was not only editing but also writing a new book that is due in August?) But touring makes me come alive! My tour will actually be two tours this year: The first part of the tour will occur April 7-17 when the book launches. It will take me through Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio and Missouri. The second part will focus on Michigan, where I will visit roughly 10 bookstores and a half dozen libraries. We are also looking at visits to Illinois and Wisconsin as well. Stay tuned as I will be posting all the tour dates within the next couple of weeks!
I am working with three publicists, a marketing team and a social media marketer on The Page Turner publicity and marketing campaign. It is extensive (and exhausting) to plan as we work to secure attention for this beautiful book in a world where book coverage is shrinking and fewer big box outlets are buying books.
Side note: Not so ironically, The Page Turner details the challenges of publishing and being an author today. I’m sure you have already seen the endless lists touting “The Best Books of 2024!” and the onslaught of “The Books You Should Read in 2025!” Can I let you in on a secret? Many of these lists you see are ones that have been in the works for months if not years, carefully curated by publishers who have paid a great deal of money to acquire a book, money they want to recoup, or produced by publications that earn more money and garner greater attention when well-known celebrities, authors and books are promoted. All of the books and authors on these lists are worthy of your attention. But may I ask a favor of you in the new year?
Respect these lists. And also ignore them. Some 2.2 million books will be published in 2025. You will hear about only a handful of those. I can already tell you most of the books you will see being promoted on TV, receiving the lion’s share of the advertising/marketing/PR from publishers, or destined to become New York Times bestsellers. But let’s go old school in 2025, too: Word of mouth. Talk about books you love with friends. Shout from the rooftops about the books you think deserve attention and to be read. Share on social media. Over and over and over again. There is nothing more powerful than readers talking about books.
I am spending countless hours promoting The Page Turner on social media, doing podcasts, book clubs and interviews, doing anything and everything humanly possible to let readers know about the book and the story behind the story (again, while editing and writing and … )
I also have a life, family, friends and dogs (including one elderly dog who doesn’t have much time left) separate from my career. They require my love and attention.
So … How do I do it? One day at a time.
My husband, Gary, recently celebrated his 30th year of sobriety. He has navigated the ups and downs of life, the loss of parents, family, friends, jobs, pets, the successes and heartbreaks, all without a drink, all without dulling his pain or his emotions. His philosophy: One day at a time. That is mine in writing and life. You cannot approach something as big as writing a book (especially when you are just starting) by looking at the end result. It’s just too overwhelming, and it will stop you cold in your tracks. You must look at it as I did when I wrote my first book or ran my first marathon: One word at a time. One page at a time. One mile at a time. One day at a time. A day at a time requires daily dedication. But it doesn’t overwhelm you. And, slowly, over time, you will cumulatively see what you have accomplished: Fifty pages of a book. Fifteen miles toward a marathon. Ten pounds on a weight loss journey. And this mindset, trust me, will become routine, a healthy, happy routine that changes your life. It will become a mental mandate to work toward your dream — whatever it may be — one day at a time. And there will come a day when you look up and you are standing at the finish line at the end of your marathon. Or have a completed first draft on your laptop. That’s how I approach what I do. I work hard. Every day. One day at a time. And it makes for a joyous life.
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
WE LOVE, LOVE, LOVE OUR VIOLA VALENTINE’S CLOTHING LINE!
We are so in love with our new Viola Valentine’s clothing line that is only available for a short time! These shirts are custom-designed by Kat Ferraro of Viola Creations by TomKat and feature book, love and Valentine’s quotes from my novels and the most adorable artwork. Perfect gift for yourself or the book lover in (or love of) your life!
These beautiful shirts are available in countless colors and sizes. You customize!
Which is your favorite? (Click on one to order now!)
And please join me every Thursday evening at 6:30 p.m. EST for …
… my weekly literary happy hour where I interview bestselling authors and publishing insiders, host holiday parties and seasonal cooking and craft shows, give you tours of my homes and the settings behind my books, and talk about inspiration and overcoming fear in your life.
Just head to the Viola Shipman Facebook page — CLICK HERE! — to watch the show AND if you’re not currently following Viola on Facebook, please do! We’ve created a community of kindness and wonderful readers! Until next time …
Read the netgalley ARC of The Page Turner and loved it!