Jo-Anne Vandermeulen

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By DEVIN WILGER
N-R Writer – Yorkton Newspaper – The News Review

Local Author, Jo-Anne Vandermeulen, has just released her first novel, a women’s fiction called “Conquer All Obstacles”.

Local author Jo-Anne Vandermeulen describes the publication of her first novel, Conquer All Obstacles, a journey. The novel is the end result of Vandermeulen’s quest to become an author.

The novel itself is romance between two characters, as they struggle to deal with their feelings for each other and complications in the world around them.

“The term ‘Conquer All Obstacles’ comes from each character in their dilemma learns to overcome whatever obstacles they had in their life, become strong and sort of their own heroes and heroines in the end,” Vandermeulen says.

Vandermeulen started writing in her 40s, after teaching for 20 years. She says it was a case of taking an opportunity from something most people would consider a setback. She was diagnosed with an illness which prevented her from continuing in her career, and she decided to spend her time writing, which she had always wanted to do.

“It just happened that I had the time and it was always something I wanted to do for myself... It was a healing time for me, and I got a lot out that was inside of me that I didn’t realize,” Vandermeulen recalls.

“I’m sure people who feel sick or ill, or have time on their hands like that feel an emptiness or a loss there, and to know that there’s still something else I can do, and something I can do well...it was a major feat for me.”
“The process of writing the novel was a learning process,” Vandermeulen explains.

She realized early on that it was a passion for her, but in order to get serious she had to learn the craft more. She took many courses in order to learn how to properly develop and grow her characters.

“I needed to learn a lot before I could succeed in producing a book that was worth publishing. It turned into a journey, an adventure for me. It broadened out from being a dream to a passion, and a challenge, and my publishing it was like a hurrah,” Vandermuelen says.

In order to get her name out and people reading, Vandermuelen decided that the best way was to embrace new methods online. By using blogs and other online promotional tools, Vandermuelen reached more people than would have been possible to reach otherwise.

“It’s a lot different than what it was even two years ago, a lot of the publishing firms have shut down, and there has been a shift from the traditional publishing firms to more of the small press companies that are publishing the books now,” Vandermuelen describes.

Her explorations of new technology and methods of publishing, along with a business promoting authors, has lead to a second book, Premium Promotional Tips for Writers. Vandermuelen says anyone can get their name out by using things such as Wordpress blogs or other similar means.

“Just a year ago I started blogging, I didn’t even know what a blog was. I’m very successful at it now, I’ve been a guest blogger on a variety of published author’s blogs and they categorize me as an “expert blogger.” Here I am, a person in rural Saskatchewan who had a dream, and suddenly is making it reality, and it’s actually flourishing further, more and more opportunities are coming about,” Vandermeulen says.

Since she can be successful, she believes it should be an inspiration to others who might have a similar dream who do not know what to do with it. She recommends that people go to wordpress. com or blogger.com if they are interested in trying to get their name out, and starting from there.


“Conquer All Obstacles” and "Premium Promotional Tips for Writers" NOW AVAILABLE from the author at: http://vandermeulen.laurusbooks.com
Saskatchewan Bookstores:
- McNally’s (Saskatoon)
- Indigo (Saskatoon)
- Books & Briar Patch (Regina)
- Coles (Yorkton)
- Broadway Stationary (Moosomin)

Or anywhere online.

Now What?