Happy Monday, Friends!
I have the awesome Alyssa Roat here to share about her latest book, Picture Imperfect. Grab a cup of tea (or coffee) and read on! Be sure to leave her a comment below!
I know firsthand what it’s like to experience burnout.
In college, I was pursuing a degree in Professional Writing. I knew other graduates had gotten their books published in college. This was going to be amazing.
Little did I know, those grads who had books published were the exception, not the rule. I remember the very day I decided to give up, a spring day my sophomore year of college. I had overworked myself so hard trying to “make it” that my body had begun falling apart with a neurological condition that hadn’t yet been diagnosed.
My writing career was going nowhere. Everything was moving too slowly. Forget it. I must have misunderstood God’s calling.
But that very week, the week I gave up, three things happened.
First, I received my first assignment for a national magazine. Second, I was hired as the online editor for our college newspaper. And third, I landed a promising internship with a literary agency.
After that, whenever I doubted I would ever be published, doubted God’s calling, wondered if I was being a fool to pursue a career in the publishing industry, I remembered that moment.
In our most recent book, my co-author Hope Bolinger and I decided to tackle some of those issues of burnout and calling.
In Picture Imperfect, a struggling career woman and a procrastinating artist have to work together to create a picture book and save a beloved nonprofit. We have cute dogs, quirky kids, plenty of funny moments, and of course, a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance, but most of all, we wanted to explore some important themes in our own lives.
What do you do when you’ve been working so hard, and you still haven’t “made it”? What happens to the “gifted kids” once adulthood hits?
If you join us on this journey, we hope you’ll find that if you follow where God calls you, you’ve already “made it.” If we are faithful, it doesn’t matter how successful we appear on the outside. It’s about listening to His voice on the inside.
About the Author
Alyssa Roat is a multi-published author and has worked in a wide variety of roles within the publishing industry as an agent, editor, writer, and publicist. When she isn’t nose-deep in a book, she’s trying to keep up with the antics of her crazy cat, Kookoo. Her name is a pun, which means you can learn more about her at http://www.alyssawrote.com or on social media as @alyssawrote.
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About the Book
Can a struggling career woman and a procrastinating artist save a beloved nonprofit?
Aspiring novelist Caroline Penn expected a promotion, not a picture book assignment. But when her employer, the non-profit Helping Hope, runs into financial trouble, this book might be the solution. With the company struggling to stay afloat, she and the illustrator will need to collaborate on a strict deadline—no problem for a workaholic like Caroline, right?
Andy Jackson, a “starving” artist, pays the bills by taking on graphic design gigs, but his perfectionism gets in the way. If only he could focus on a project for once, perhaps he could achieve his dream to make art for children for a living.
When the two are thrust together to create a book, Caroline can’t seem to write for children, and Andy can’t meet a deadline to save his life. As time ticks down to release day, the two must face their pasts and insecurities. If they can avoid strangling one another for long enough, they may just bring to the table what the other is missing.
If not, the fate of their careers—and a beloved nonprofit—hangs in the balance.
Toni Shiloh 
Beautiful cover. Thank you for sharing!
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My pleasure!
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