5: Business Ventures

I love mixing hobbies, passions, talents, and dreams. And it's great when that mixture can create a product that you can look back on for years to come. A product you can be proud of. It's also a blessing when that product brings in a little extra money.

Photography - Derrick and I both enjoy photography. I love warm, cute, capture-a-private-moment photos. Derrick is great at the magazine-editorial shots. I enjoy editing, making something good even better. He is meticulous about editing and knows a bit more than me.
It's something we both love - and something we can do together. Last year I was blessed to do three photo shoots: a wedding, a couples' christmas pictures, and individual shots...I hope to grow even more this upcoming year and have the opportunity to do some more photo shoots. Of course, it seems like everyone is getting into photography these days, and I'm definitely not the best out there. It's just something I enjoy.

Music Videos - I have always told Derrick that he would be good at music videos. We both have a passion for music. All kinds of music. And we both love the art of music videos. In fact, when we first started dating, we would spend Monday mornings (before we had class that afternoon) watching music videos. Now, he has the opportunity to work on a few Meet the Band pieces, and we're hoping that he can start doing more in the music industry. If you know a band or artist who would be interested in having anything from a 30-second concert/cd annoucement to a music video to a behind-the-scenes meet the band documentary done - let us know!

Book Series? - I published a book three years ago and haven't done much since then. It was a great experience, but the book had no deeper message that I was passionate about. It was a story. Not a message. Since 6th grade I have written probably a couple dozen short stories and novellas, many of which I had forgotten about until recently. Those stories, those characters, those messages are something that I was passionate about, and I hope that I can be passionate about it again.
There could, very possibly, be another printed book in the near(ish) future. I have been working on the first book in a series. A book about redemption. A book about finding your way back home. A book about regrets and heartache. A book about secrets. A book about God's forgiveness, grace, and mercy. There is still much work to be done - but stay tuned!

Here's a very small morsel for anyone who is interested. I'll be keeping you updated!

"Victoria Ryan had been driving all night. No one knew where she had gone. That had been her plan all along. The dusty Texas road was laid out before her. A path to anywhere she wanted to go. Anyone she wanted to be. Now, in Northern Texas, she was as far away from herself as she could run."