Writer's Workspace with Sherri Shackelford

Today The Pink Heart Society visits Harlequin Love Inspired author Sherri Shackelford's Writer's Workspace.

Okay, I have a little confession to make: I don’t spend as much time in my office as I should. This year, I decided that was one of my goals. I will spend more time in my office. That probably sounds a little strange, but there’s a logical explanation.

I get more work done when I’m sitting at my desk.

Quite often I camp out on the couch or take my laptop to the coffee shop, but last year I mapped my most productive times. I think you know where this is going…I get the most work done when I’m happily ensconced in my office.

Although, I have a sitting area in my bedroom, and lately I’ve been getting a lot of work done there as well.

The space I’ve claimed as an ‘office’ is a small loft area that measures about 8X10. It’s about the size of a comfortable walk-in closet. I use a trifold screen as a ‘door’. I’ve tried to make the space cozy, warm and inviting. I surround myself with the most obvious object of my trade: Books.

This year I made a conscious effort to add mementos of my successes. Always before I felt like this was an unattractive sort of ‘bragging’. I finally realized that celebrating our successes is a vital part of staying positive. It’s so easy to focus on the negative, to put ourselves down.

This year I dug out the certificates from my contest wins, the name badges from conferences I’ve attended, and other memories of things I’ve achieved. I even made a little craft project.

All in all I love my office. Which is good, because I plan on spending a lot of time there this year! 

I’ve got a book due in June and book due in December. Not to mention all the line edits and promotions for my August and February books. I sometimes can’t believe how lucky I am to be doing what I love. 

Sherri Shackelford is an award-winning author of inspirational, Christian romance.

A wife and mother of three, Sherri’s hobbies include collecting mismatched socks, discovering new ways to avoid cleaning, and standing in the middle of the room while thinking, “Why did I just come in here?” A reformed pessimist and recent hopeful romantic, Sherri has a passion for writing. Her books are fun and fast-paced, with plenty of heart and soul.

Sherri is putting the final touches on three more books for her Cimarron Springs series. Her books include Winning the Widow’s Heart and The Marshal’s Ready-Made Family. The Cattleman Meets His Match releases in August of 2014.

The Marshal’s Ready-Made Family:

Gentlemen don't court feisty straight shooters like JoBeth McCoy. Just as she's resigned to a lifetime alone, a misunderstanding forces the spunky telegraph operator into a marriage of convenience. Wedding the town's handsome new marshal offers JoBeth a chance at motherhood, caring for the orphaned little girl she's come to love.

Garrett Cain will lose guardianship of his niece, Cora, if he stays single, but he knows no woman could accept the secrets he's hidden about his past. The lawman can't jeopardize Cora's future by admitting the truth. Yet when unexpected danger in the small town threatens to expose Garrett's long-buried secret, only a leap of faith can turn a makeshift union into a real family.