Christmas · Memoirs · My Books · My Thoughts · My Writing · Writing

An Author’s Dilemma: Which of my Ten Books Do I Promote?

I have published ten books since 2014. Every day I face the question: which of my ten books do I promote? Or do I promote my new book with snippets of my writing process, book cover reveals and such? Because it’s November, I face Black Friday and Cyber Monday and then Christmas in four weeks. So, I have decided to mainly focus on two!

First, My Christmas Memoir

Hair on Fire meme - ten books

Wins & Awards

In 2023 while we enjoyed our first Germany trip, I released Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Christmas Memoir. Orchestrating that beforehand to come off while we traveled the beautiful landscape of Bavaria took some organization on my part. While the e-book was free on Amazon, I had 2899 downloads—the best ever for me. It went to #1 in several categories on Amazon:

E-book categories

  • #1 – Christmas
  • #1 – Historical U.S. Biographies
  • #1 – Christian Inspiration

Paperback categories:

  • #1 – Christmas
  • #1 – Holidays
  • #1 – Inspiration

Since then, it has won awards:

  • 1st Place – March, 2024 Nonfiction Book Cover Contest on AllAuthors.com
  • Silver Medalist – 2024 Global Book Awards in Christmas Books Category
  • 2024 New Mexico/Arizona Book Awards Finalist in Two Categories:
    • Parenting & Family
    • Philosophy/Religion

What is It About?

Hair on Fire started as blog posts right here. I shared my favorite Christmas memories—poems and prose I wrote about them. I loved to play with the idea of “What would it have been like to have been present that first Christmas? From different perspectives—Mary’s experience of traveling to Bethlehem and nine months pregnant was one.

But my editor told me when I finished Coronavirus Reflections: Bitter or Better? that I needed to add more to it because I wrote a lot of it as blog posts on here too. I knew I had to do have more for Hair on Fire, so I did.

I love this book because it celebrates my Christmas experiences as a child growing up in a small ranching community in southeastern Colorado. From cutting down trees on our ranch to the Horner Family Christmas Eve celebration, I take you a long with me to those precious memories.

Also, I took you into my adult life and Christmas caroling in Loveland, Colorado and then into my teaching experience in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I gave away a fresh cut tree from our ranch to a lucky student and saw the joy he felt.

Also, it celebrates my Christian faith with Jesus’ birth front and center.

So yes, it’s a feel-good book. It could be used like an Advent read with thirty-three chapters. The chapters are short and could be read in one a day. Also, it could be a special gift for that family member who loves family traditions or needs an uplifting read for the holiday.

It’s available in e-book, paperback or audiobook format. And yes, I am the narrator for the audiobook. So whatever format, you like, it’s available for everyone.

For more information, visit my website at

Also, here’s where to buy your copy: https://mybook.to/mxK9


Second, My New Book—An AutoFiction

Eyewitness to Healing - ten books
Not the real cover!

Status

Currently, I await the return of my new book, Eyewitness to Healing, from my editor. I finished the revisions she suggested and hope she likes what I did. I won’t get it back from her into November 18.

Publication Date

Originally, I had hoped to release it in 2026 sometime. Then I kept having to push back the date more and more, so now we’re running out of time in this year. By getting it back mid-November, I won’t have time to do all the promotions for it alone. Also, I won’t have time to lay it out and get it published because I do all the work on it. I have to do the book description, solidify the subtitle and then have 100Covers.com do the cover. That all takes time.

So, I’m thinking it will be January or February 2027 before it comes out, but I feel good about that. It just needs to be out.

Why Did Feel an Urgency to Release It?

After so much hype around the Epstein Files in 2025 and my heart going out to the survivors, I pulled out my 50,000-word manuscript and wanted to get going on enlarging it. Then we moved in September 2025, and that took all my focus.

After settling down after our move, I added to the manuscript and felt good about how it turned out. In fact, I had a serendipity in writing it. I might share that in a couple weeks—keep an eye out for that story. Recently the Cornell 7 (really 57) broke in the news cycle, confirming to me the need to get it out.

I strongly feel that early 2027 or whenever will be right. Our world has to deal with the issue of sexual abuse and the believability of survivors.

My book, Eyewitness to Healing, offers up my incest story in a fiction genre, but also the healing available to anyone who seeks it. I know it’s not for everyone, but it is for anyone who has gone through the horrors of sexual abuse.

Finally,

Having ten books to promote every day, I face this question: which book do I promote now? It’s an ongoing dilemma. Because I knew I needed to get organized, I created a book promotion plan. It has guided me more this year than ever, but I need to update it for next year.

PS—I will have discounts on Amazon for all my books on Black Friday, Cyber Monday and during the Christmas holiday, so stay tuned!

Larada Horner-Miller meme
Have you bought Hair on Fire yet? If not, what are you waiting for?

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My Newest Books

Time Measured Out!: Navigating Life’s Journey Through Poetry, Book #2 e-book

ISBN – 9798989688654

$3.99 for limited time

is my truth universal? book cover

Is My Truth Universal?: A Woman’s Poetic Odyssey e-book

ISBN – 979-8989688623

ALWAYS FREE

Was It a Dream? book cover

Was It a Dream?: Navigating Life’s Journey Through Poetry, Book #1 – e-book

ISBN – 979-8989688630

 $3.99


Buy My Audio Books:

This Tumbleweed Landed

Let Me Tell You a Story 

Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Memoir Audiobook


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