After working as a creative entrepreneur since 2008, I have learned that projects come in seasons. Sometimes those seasons last for years and sometimes they are brief, fleeting. Some seasons I repeat, in new ways, over and over again because I enjoy them so thoroughly and feel called back to them. Some seasons are experienced and then come to an end. I’ve written and published two books, both in their seasons. Both were a part of my growth, my story, and my body of work. While both were about home, they were not a part of a series or a pair. They were standalone books, chronicling my two previous homes, my work on them, and how they built into me.
After the first book, Inspired You, I thought that might be it. I wasn’t only an author/writer. I did many other things and wasn’t sure how writing another book would fit in my life again. Truthfully, I wasn’t even sure if I had another book in me. But, a few years later, I was welling up with ideas for a new book, sharing about customizing our very beige suburban home in Minnesota, and Feels Like Home was the result.
Well, two books might be it. I’ve written a lot about home. Not only have I written over 4,000 posts on this blog (4,000!!), the majority of them about home decorating, antiques, and furniture, but I also have written hundreds of articles for magazines and websites. If I wrote another book, maybe it wouldn’t be about home? I let the idea of writing another book simmer for a while, letting it bubble in the background, stirring now and then just to keep it from sticking, until I felt ready to pay it some serious attention. Without any clear destination, I started collecting old stories and writing new ones. I bounced between different word documents, developing ideas, and figuring out what I wanted to say in the next book, if there would be a next book.
During my January 2024 break, the fragmented ideas became more structured. It’s like looking at an impressionist painting. If you’re too close, you’re unsure what you’re looking at. Once you take a step back, the subject appears and it makes sense. Taking a break gave me just the clarity I needed to organize the things I had been mulling over for a while. I spoke to my literary agent about it and started refining the ideas and writing. I wrote daily through the Spring and Summer until I had over 30,000 words written and a book proposal completed.
While pitching this proposal, I was hoping it would be picked up by a publishing house that wanted a long-term partnership. Unbeknownst to me and my agent, a publishing house had a similar idea. They approached my agent, Illuminate Literary Agency, with an idea for me to write a book about creativity. This was the very book I had been working on – a book about nurturing the creative soul. Our subsequent meeting about this book and potential future books felt easy, exciting, and like we had somehow been tuning into the same wavelength independent of one another. It all felt providential.
So, just before Christmas, I signed a multi-book publishing deal with Harvest House.
Another tidbit of coincidence is that I have been familiar with Harvest House for years and have known of their stellar reputation from my friends and industry peers who have published with them – Melissa Michaels, Emily Lex, Karianne Wood, and Ruth Chou Simons. I house many of their beautiful, high-quality books in my personal library as well. They are the perfect publisher for this next creative season.
The book publishing process is a long one, but I’ll share little sneak peeks along the way until the first book is released in 2026. I am already bursting at the seams to share it with you. Even in its unfinished, unpolished state, it’s one of my favorite things I’ve ever worked on in almost 15 years of writing. It’s from my heart to yours about one of the greatest gifts bestowed on humans – our creativity.
37 Responses
I can’t wait to see it!
Sincere congratulations ! I wish your book was being published in 2025 because I feel like I’ve lost my creative spark. Looking forward to some sneak peaks here on your site. Again, congratulations!
Congratulations! I know you are so excited, and I can’t wait to see it. Although I had a special fondness for your former PA cape home, your current home is my favorite by far because I have always had a thing for ranchers of this time period and seeing them being brought back to life so beautifully. I do hope your current home will be featured in your upcoming book.
How wonderful for you and your readers! BTW, love the photo
I am excited for you and with you. You will also be gardening, home keeping, painting and tending to your family in the meantime. And, being a pastor’s wife.
Simply amazing, you are!
You have been a blessing to many of us in many ways! Thank you.
oh, and scraping glue!
Congratulations on the book deal! Harvest House is a wonderful publisher. I can’t wait to read your new books!
Oh, that sounds wonderful. I am looking forward to our “advance sneak peeks” here on the blog!
Congratulations!! Well deserved. I’m excited for you.
I can’t wait! Congratulations, Marian!!!
Congratulation!! 🙂
Congratulations!
This is so exciting and I’m so happy for you, Marian! So many of us know your talent, and I own your two previous works and loved both. It’ll be fun to see where this book takes you and all of us who follow along on the blog. Best wishes!
Very exciting indeed and I can’t wait to read it. You’ve renewed my appreciation of objects to create with such as fountain pens, a beautiful piece of paper, linen fabric, on and on.
This is very exciting and I’m eager to learn more about this project! Congratulations! I’m very happy for you!
OMG! This is FANTASTIC! I’m so thrilled for you, and for us, your fans and fellow “creatives”. You go, girl!
How wonderful! I, for one, can’t wait to add your new book.
Congratulations! Exciting news!
Congratulations! I hope you’ll write a blog post that lets us all in on the secret to how you get so much done. Do you ever sleep?
That’s so exciting! Congratulations! I’ve thoroughly enjoyed your blog for a while now. Harvest House does high-quality books. Can’t wait to hear more and to see it!
How exciting! Congratulations!!
Congratulations, I’ll be looking forward to your next book.
How exciting! I can’t wait to hear more about it.
Congratulations! How very exciting for you and all of us!
Well.. that came out of the blue~ thinking, talking , and boom! Congratulations Marian!
Looking forward to another Marian book of creativity!
Love your blog, love your writing. You’re a natural. Someone who uses her gifts and it benefits us all. Congratulations!!
Creativity makes me dance in place!!! You have inspired so many with your talents. I am grateful for your time and for the work you have done to share your talents; a book is absolutely perfect. Thank you for all you do.
Couldn’t say it better than already been said. Blessings on the journey kindred soul!
Continuing to pray, Anne
Congrats!!! I don’t know how you do it…BUT you do it ALL!!! How do you ever fit it all in?
God has blessed you with many, many talents…thank you for sharing them with us.
Yeahhh! I will look forward to reading this Marian.
Can’t wait for the new book to be published! I have Feels Like Home, and love it. Looking forward to some inspiring and creative reading material!
Wonderful news!
Well done, Marian. Great news. Best wishes for this project to go incredibly smoothly for you.
Congratulations! So excited to hear this news!
Congratulations, Marian, that’s wonderful news.
Congratulations!!! That is sooo exciting! Can’t wait to get it to add to your others! I enjoyed both of them.