Author: Denisea Kampe

Author Denisea Kampe is with us today.  Welcome Denisea!

Lessons in Humility

It’s been over five years now since my first book was published in its first edition. At the time, there was minimal fanfare compared to what would come much later, although back then I perceived trumpets blaring and cannons firing in the distance. (Yes, I have since climbed down from that unicorn, not to worry dear readers.) In spite of my misperceptions of what was really going on, it actually was quite the celebration. A few of my friends and I had a toast to our mutual success as they also had their first releases around that time and a beautiful bouquet of flowers showed up at my door as a congratulatory offering.

Then I discovered the real world writers live in and advertising efforts consumed me through the next several releases. I was doing everything from buying ad spots on websites to newsletter advertising to blog tours and bombarding my Twitter feed, Facebook pages and groups, and Yahoo groups with plugs for my latest and greatest. Each release day found me on top of a very tall mountain (trusty unicorn by my side) shouting until I was hoarse.

I don’t recall telling the most important force in the universe thank you once.

I did constantly reiterate my gratitude to my press and readers, but the one entity which deserved my praise above all was left wanting. Sad.

As my regular readers know and I’ll now discuss with all of you here today, my life has come back full circle and I find myself centered once again in my family and faith and while I’m still immensely grateful to my readers and fans, my Maker is constantly at the forefront of my thanksgiving. I’m just a miniscule dot on the face of an immense cosmos and something greater than me is in control and has afforded me the courtesy of the opportunities I enjoy. Fate, karma, God, Goddess, whatever you call this force in your world, it IS in complete and utter control, make no mistake. For me, professing as a Christian, God sits at the control panel in my world.

It was that complete and utter control which turned my world upside down not weeks prior to the release of For His Country last year. I won’t get into any of the gory details, but let’s suffice it to say, serious illnesses suck and our mortality is never clearer as when threatened through the sufferings of another, or the terror of it happening to you as it would only weeks after Gran’s suffering ended. I found myself packing a bag last April as quickly as possible in the middle of the afternoon and my dear and loving MarshFox packed me into the car along with my office in a box and my dogs to drive me thirty-five hours so I could be home with my family. I spent three months there then came home for three, and returned home where I stayed until my beloved Gran’s passing.

It was in the midst of those happenings I realized I had forgotten my own release day. Once that one minute detail of my otherwise harried life at that point became a minor detail, that otherwise harried life suddenly became a lot less hectic even in the face of terminal illness.

I discovered humility is as much a part of writing as anything else. Humility trumps reviews, advertising forays, blog blitzes, and sales. It’s a most humbling experience when you realize you’ve let go of your own world, needs, and desires, and replaced them with things so much more important. My faith teaches me that in order to grow in love and grace, I must let go of me and embrace something bigger. It teaches me when I do so, the stresses of this world will fall away to be replaced by peace.

I’m not sure how much peace there actually is in having an extremely ill family member then being faced with the same class of illness yourself, but I found where peace can reside if I let it. There is peace on release day when I let go of myself and my greedy ego. I used to be completely manic about the whole affair, sitting on pins and needles, fretting, checking numbers every hour on the hour, making check lists of things I needed to do and places I needed to be and advertise at.
When something bigger than me took center stage and I forgot all those things, peace settled in my heart and I found none of that mattered as much as I once thought it did.
And I was quite content to be in that space. I’m still content in that space.

The fact of the matter is, only a handful of people make it in this crazy publishing world. I do this to entertain my faithful following and my family. I do it because it’s what makes me happy and is a creative outlet for me. If I never know fame and fortune, I’m perfectly okay with that. After knowing how peaceful this existence can be if I let it, I don’t want to give up that peaceful place. I won’t be returning to the madness that used to be release day. A humble heart fertilizes moderation. Moderation is a good thing. Anything above and beyond the initial surge which may come my way I’ll consider a gift from above and accept with grace…and humility.
Humility is often a lesson hard learned. While I’m sad a series of family emergencies brought me to this place, I’m also grateful for it.
Thanks you, Debi, for allowing me time on your blog today and thank you, readers, so much for spending a few minutes with me today…

Denisea Kampe

Born and raised in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains, Denisea Kampe was spinning tales before she could even spell and once her sixth grade creative writing teacher encouraged her by leaving a most prophetic comment on one of her assignments, the wheels of destiny were set in motion. But those wheels would need greased again and again as her writing would take a back seat to life and her jobs of mom and wife many times over before she’d finally see her dream of becoming a published writer come to fruition in 2010.

Denisea is a military wife who’s traveled the world over. She’s lived in four states and Okinawa Japan and held more driver’s licenses than she can count. Her nest is empty save one furry and quite mischievous Siberian Husky and one spoiled rotten Rat Terrier mix. Denisea takes much of her inspiration for her heroes from the marines she’s lived around since marrying her very own fairy tale prince in dusty cammies.

Coining the term realmantica, she strives to produce quality romance in a realistic setting. Her genre of choice is contemporary romance and when she’s not writing, she enjoys reading everything she can get her hands on, trips to the museum, taking field research trips, crafting, and sewing. Her works include One Tear, The Executive Officer’s Wife, Bridge of Lies, For His Country, and the Slower Lower series. You can find Denisea at her BLOG, AMAZON, SCRIPT CHICS, and on Facebook HERE and HERE.