Tag Archives: BookBaby

Get Blown Away with Cosmic Dust

June 2, 2025 By in Cosmic Dust Tags: , , , 2 Comments

It’s finally here, Realmers! The long-awaited second book in the Realm series, Cosmic Dust, is now available at BookBaby in the Bookshop, available in soft- or hardcover for your reading enjoyment.

The journey continues . . . or has it just begun?

Jogo is the ambitious youngest son of a herdsman in the Realm, eager to prove himself to his father and brothers. When given the responsibility of delivering animals for trade to another Clan, his headstrong personality, along with a prank by his siblings, leads him into a dangerous encounter with sojabosne that results in being sent through the portal to Earth.

But this is just the beginning of a journey that will change his life forever—and perhaps his people as well.

Meanwhile, alone on Earth and pregnant, a troubled young woman named Melanie is searching for someone to love and to love her in return. When she meets a charming, charismatic young pastor named Lucien, she thinks she has discovered a place to belong . . . but her problems are just beginning.

Together, Jogo and Melanie hold the key to each other’s survival. But their friendship means much more to the people of the Realm: the discovery of their most sacred artifact and the secret to a vision that will reunite the disbanded Group of Four that seeks its return.

Gripping and emotionally resonant, Cosmic Dust introduces readers to new corners of the compelling world of Realm, answering questions even as it leads them to far more revelations about its universe.

Second Children Are Easier

April 2, 2025 By in Realm Tags: , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

I’ve been told repeatedly that second children are easier. As the mother of an only child, I must assume that’s true. Perhaps I’ll have the privilege of witnessing this phenomenon when I have grandchildren.

While being a grandmother is one of the highest goals on my life list, the statement about second children is the lead-in for what this blog post is actually about. For, you see, I have birthed another type of child. One that took me eight years to incubate, so to speak, until it was ready to be presented to the world.

I’m talking about my first novel, Realm. Oh, how I fretted and paced and cried over that book while making it reader-worthy. BookBaby, through whom I published Realm, was with me every step of the production process like a publishing doula. Many of the encouraging e-mails I received from them had the subtle message, “Breathe, just breathe. You’re doing great. We’re almost there.”

I can laugh about this now even though the memory of presenting Realm to the public was not unlike placing my beautiful newborn on a table and saying, “Okay, people. Tell me what’s wrong with my perfect baby.”

There were pre-publication blog posts, cover reveals, teaser videos, and a book launch party that satisfied me as much as my baby shower. It really was spectacular, but hey, I’m not bragging. Grandma just wanted her first child’s first book to come into this world with a bang! And we did have such fun that day. The memory still brings a huge smile to my face when I relive every special moment.

Realm was well received at every book signing, and Realmers, fans of the book, were incredibly supportive. I advertised on social media throughout the first year with posts tailored to the month, especially if a major gift-giving holiday occurred. It was so much fun passing these milestones with my first novel.

One of the best parts was taking a small break from writing as I basked in the glow of my first publication. But as Realm gently aged, I returned to writing because I had a desire to satisfy and a longing for another baby. I mean novel.

It turns out that the story I began in Realm wasn’t over. In fact, in many ways, it had just begun. What an exciting fact to discover! I had more energy and creativity within me just bursting to come out. Such a blessing from Adonai, especially when He had already answered my prayers concerning Realm.

And so, slowly, another written work began to take shape. The funny thing is that I always knew the story even before I believed it would become a reality. There were no big announcements, no pre-publication activities, and only a handful of people even knew of its existence. Still, it was no less special in my heart than Realm.

But it has been a whole lot easier this time around.

Don’t get me wrong; I have had a couple knee-jerk moments where my primary beta reader had to give me a hearty shove between my shoulders via a text message. He’s really good at that, which is probably why I admit to him when I’m freaking out about something.

The thing is, I might have forgotten to mention to everyone asking, “When is your next book coming out?” that it’s right around the corner. Literally any day now. Maybe any moment. BookBaby has been working on it for several weeks, and that was after the years of initial creation, four beta readers and my editor combing through it, and two additional read-throughs by me.

I don’t love this novel any less, but I can’t pretend it isn’t a second child. I’m a lot calmer this time around with fewer panic moments. Sure, I questioned my parenting—I mean writing—behind the scenes as my husband can attest, but balancing those few down moments with the multiple pleasant surprises I’ve had with this book has added to my writing experience in a positive way.

I’ve learned quite a bit too. And I’ve grown as a parent—writer! I’ve grown as a writer. Anyhow, this analogy has been enjoyable, so without further ado, I present to you . . .

Yeah, if you want to see the cover of my new novel, you’re going to have to like and share this blog post. I’m thinking at least one hundred hits across all my social media should just about do it. We can’t let the second child feel unappreciated, now can we?

Journey on, Realmers!

January at Realm Central

January 25, 2024 By in Realm Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 2 Comments

The bleak days of January are upon us, and even though it looks as if I’ve abandoned my loyal followers, nothing could be farther from the truth. I will admit that this month has been a little off, but I finally managed to find my groove.

I completed the holidays basking in the glow of fond memories as well as the welcome relief that arrives once they’re over. That’s not to say that we didn’t have a wonderful time celebrating with friends and family, but let’s not pretend the holidays aren’t a lot of work.

I slipped into January and the new year on quite a high, and I assumed I’d channel that into my writing. In all honesty, I absolutely have no idea what knocked me off course to the point that just this past week, I sat myself down and commenced working.

But January has been full of good things, so don’t think I haven’t been productive.

First, my primary beta reader and good friend, Doug Nelson, is very close to completing his first novel. I’m so excited to be beta reading for him because I absolutely love the concept of his story. I don’t want to give it away, but permit me to say that it’s a labor born of love for his children, who are now adults, and the novel has its origins rooted deeply in a tradition he started with them when they were just pups!

Second, I’ve acquired a little writing mentee, AKA protégé or mentoree. She’s adorable, vivacious, and brilliant. The connection came somewhat out of the blue, but when offered the prospect of working with this wonderful young lady, I welcomed the opportunity. Now, I look forward to our bi-weekly meetings where we brainstorm, write, and edit, and I have the blessed occasion of giving back and paying it forward all at once. Baruch HaShem for young writers coming up through the ranks!

Third, I’ve been asked to work with the sweetest little fella to prepare him for kindergarten. I’d forgotten how fun teaching ABCs and writing can be as my own precious son is a young adult. The best part is the relationship I can see budding between me and the preschooler. And I’d be fibbing if I said I wasn’t developing a deep affection for the little guy.

Lastly, I’ve received several requests for the next installment of Realm. Perhaps I’m naïve, and please don’t interpret this as false humility, but I was rather shocked and not a little pleased to hear such comments. Truth be told, the next book has been written for well over a year. Here’s the thing: I don’t do anything fast, and I can’t be pressured into making a move until I sense the time is right, which, admittedly, is a small part of me getting my act together but also a large part of seeking HaShem’s guidance.

All of 2023 was devoted to Realm. I also have a goal of finishing the third installment of the series before moving toward publication of the second book. Then there is my involvement with my friend’s novel and whether or not he’ll publish this year, and if so, when. It’s important that he receives the attention and support I was blessed to enjoy during the publication of my first novel, Realm.

In closing, you can see that while the writing has been slow in coming, and is more like editing at this point, I have been productive during January. Keep in mind that the writing life isn’t something that produces measurable results for everyone to see, which is why there have been three Quotation Stations in a row and nothing in the way of a new post until this one coming to you at an odd hour on a Thursday.

Still, I’m excited to see what Adonai brings into my life this year, overall and in writing. As always, my novel is available at BookBaby in hardback and softcover. If you haven’t journeyed through the Realm, you’ll need to do so before the second book arrives.

Until then, stay tuned, Realmers!

Judging Covers

September 20, 2023 By in Realm Tags: , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

One of my favorite memories during the publishing process for Realm was when BookBaby nailed my cover on the first try. I could not have been more surprised and prouder of how they correctly interpreted my combination hand-drawn/Word printed picture diagrammed like a science project complete with descriptions as I envisioned them.

Armed with such perfect cover art, naturally I wanted to share it on social media via a cover reveal. And because I was a new author experiencing the world of publishing for the first time, I asked BookBaby if I had permission to do so. My Publishing Specialist was so patient with me as she explained that I owned this cover and was free to do with it as I pleased.

All that to say, my cover reveal was incredibly well received. One of my favorite comments came from a fellow writer who said, “That will sell, my friend! Congratulations!”

I launched Realm in April, and it was probably because my launch party was so positively charged with energy and activity, and I was fast and furiously signing books, that I did not have the opportunity to assess people’s reactions to my fabulous cover.

But I have since.

Realm is tricky to place in a genre. Fiction, Speculative, Futuristic, Fantasy, Sci-fi, and Christian have all been used to describe Realm depending on where you shop for it. Ideally, these genres/subgenres appear in some sort of descending order to assist a potential reader with zeroing in on the exact book he or she wants to read. That is, the purpose of the labeling is to eliminate all risk.

Life without risks? What a horrible way to live.

I guess what really surprises me, and I’ll do my best to not get on my soapbox here, is that people who spend upwards of seven dollars on a cup of coffee without blinking an eye cannot purchase a book unless they are one hundred percent assured that they will absolutely love it. Seriously? Again, who lives like that?

Well, you might be surprised. Or maybe not if you’re an artist.

I don’t have an exact tally, but I know that I have not loved every book I’ve ever read. It would be easier to list the ones that I adored and could read repeatedly and gush about for hours. The others I enjoyed to varying degrees. But one thing I can honestly say about every book I’ve ever finished reading. I was not afraid to take a chance on the story; each one was worth the risk.

So, back to the cover of Realm. What I so dearly loved has given many people pause because it simply did not look like what they were expecting even when paired with one of the genres listed above. In short, people weren’t willing to take a chance on Realm. They deemed it too risky.

They missed out on an incredible story because they were afraid to invest not just their money or time but themselves.

Every book I have ever read is a part of me. They have influenced me positively and negatively, teaching me what to do or not do, inspiring or cautioning me. And that’s just the tip of the proverbial iceberg.

The sadder fact is that beyond failing to treat themselves to an amazing journey through the Realm, such people use the same method of categorizing and assessing other people. And thus, they miss out on what could have been a wonderful journey through friendship.

Avoiding someone simply because they don’t measure up in appearance to your expectations is the narrowest way to live. Seemingly innocent comments such as “She doesn’t look like a Christian” or “He doesn’t look like a believer” can quickly deteriorate into “There goes ole so-and-so up to the altar to be prayed for again.” And this is said without anyone taking the time to find out what ‘ole so-and-so’ is going through because everyone was too afraid to get past the cover.

Do you understand?

The cover of Realm will never fail to please me, but more than the artwork on the front of my novel, what’s inside still thrills and inspires me—and I’m the author! That’s because I took risks that thrust me into the world of publishing. I placed the entire Realm project into the hands of Adonai. I conquered my fears and handed my manuscript over to beta readers, my editor, my publisher, and finally to you, dear reader.

Realm is your story. It was written for and about you. It is every person’s journey to themselves and back. It’s a risk that you’ll never be sorry for taking and a challenge to which you can return again and again.

But you’ll never know if you can’t make it past the cover.

Reaching New Heights in the Realm

September 11, 2023 By in Realm Tags: , , , , , Leave a comment

Hello, Realmers! I have such exciting news to share with you. This past weekend, I had the pleasure of attending a book signing with three local authors. It was my first experience at a multi-author event, and I’m so glad I participated.

A big thank you shout out to Kern’s Home & Garden and Christian Book Store for hosting the event. Owner Heidi Flack and her crew went out of their way to make us feel so welcome by setting up individual tables decorated in fall colors complete with little baskets of candy for customers.

Another huge thank you to Shell’s Confections for making the most delicious mint chocolate covered Oreos to represent the triple jade moons in the Realm. Owner Michelle Kostich took the time to put the title of my novel, Realm, on each cookie creation! All the new Realmers were quite pleased with the unexpected, tasty favor upon purchase of Realm.

Both days of the event were gorgeous, and we had a good turnout of customers. I learned some new approaches that I’ll be implementing at my next book signing, and hopefully I was helpful to those involved. The best part of the event for me was the lovely discussions and conversations I had with those who came out to support me and Realm. Every moment was truly a Divine appointment ~ Baruch HaShem!

Couldn’t make the event? No worries! Realm is always available at BookBaby. You can also find my novel at Barnes & Noble, BAM, and other online retailers.

Softcover
Hardback

My Summer Vacation by HL Gibson

July 28, 2023 By in Lightning Juice Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Summer is slipping by at the speed of light—which is quite fine with me because I prefer fall, spring, and winter—and I owe you some content. So here it is, Realmers!

When I mentioned my bread baking goal to a friend, Robin Luton, she asked if I’d ever made challah. I replied that I had observed the process once, so Robin graciously invited me to her home to learn how to make it for myself. I had a lovely time and learned a simple yet elegant technique to braid the three strands of dough resulting in a beautiful loaf of challah. As expected, Robin’s loaf was prettier than mine because she’s an expert at it, and I’m a beginner who made one strand fatter than the other two. Still, my loaf was tasty. Enjoy the pictures of our efforts and click the link for Robin’s Challah.

I don’t recall if I’ve mentioned this or not, but my passion for farmers markets has been reignited this summer. It probably stems from my campaign to encourage people to shop locally, shop small businesses, and build community. Springfield Township Farmers Market on the Lake and the Hartville Marketplace & Flea Market are great places to get fresh food at great prices. So, the Gibson Household will be enjoying corn on the cob, fried zucchini, and challah for Erev Shabbat.

Another great thing that happened this summer was a visit from my grandbaby, Jacob. We started our day at Chick-fil-A and the indoor playground; hit Kohl’s for a new food processor to make treats; indulged in ice cream at Therapy Ice Cream & Coffee Bar; baked our version of goldfish crackers but opted for a hippo, possibly a stegosaurus, cutter; stopped by an outdoor playground; whipped up a batch of homemade Play-Doh; had dinner at Grinder’s; and rounded out the day with a game of SORRY! Keeping up with a five-year-old is great exercise. Dealing with post-Jacob blues the next day is rough.

As for my study sessions on The Rivkah Remnant with my friend, Sharon, we spent a total of twelve hours across three sessions, and it was amazing. Eight of those hours were devoted to Chapter 1, which took a deep dive into the definition, essence, and explanation of prophecy. Although I realized how little I actually knew, I didn’t come away feeling condescended to. In fact, Rabbi Shapira’s book is very accessible, and Sharon’s instruction is thorough.

I did promise you some teatail recipes this summer, and while I’ve definitely been crafting and drinking them, I’ve been a lazy girl about posting them. Bear with me as I find myself spending more time away from the laptop. I’m sure, based on everything I mentioned above, that you’ll not only understand but approve of my reconnecting with people. Writing is such a lonely job!

But fear not, Realmers! Throughout everything I’ve detailed here, little story ideas have been coming to me, and I’ve been tucking them away like so many pearls to string together at a later date. The itch to write has been sneaking up on me. It’ll probably return with the cold weather, which can’t happen soon enough for me.

Remember, Realm is always in stock at BookBaby, and your review of my novel is most welcome at BookBaby, Goodreads, or even here on my blog.

Shabbat Shalom from

our home to yours!

Beyond the Realm

July 17, 2023 By in Lightning Juice, Realm Tags: , , , , , , 2 Comments

As I mentioned in my post, Of Bread & Study, my journey toward rejuvenating my creative forces began with stepping away from the unproductivity in my life and seeking other resources of creativity until such a time as the writing muse returned. I will admit that I still have a bit of trepidation about this decision because so much writing advice has little to no room for slowing down or—clutch the pearls—stopping altogether. It’s all: write and produce word count or die!

But I did step away from my current WIP, and the release I experienced has been amazing. I decided to bake bread as a non-writing hobby, and I started with good ole Irish soda bread. This is a favorite at the Gibson Household, and the recipe can be accessed by clicking this link: Irish Soda Bread with Caraway Seeds

I also embarked on a course of study with my friend and mentor, Dr. Sharon Stern. Sharon recently retired, and unbeknownst to her, the minute she announced her retirement, I decided to vie for a small amount of her time so I could pick her brain. Monday, we spent four hours reading and discussing Rabbi Dr. Itzhak Shapira’s book, The Rivka Remnant. Mind . . . blown . . .

I’m also crafting teatails because it’s summer and nothing tastes quite as refreshing as iced tea with the ability to take the edge off. I have two in the works, so stayed tuned.

My last newfound interest this summer has been farmers markets. I have developed a passion for shopping locally. The benefit of not allowing one’s purchasing options to be funneled to one location, as well as putting money back into one’s own community, are huge. Then there is the good work of undoing all the harm done by the plandemic. People are coming out, building community, talking, touching, smiling, and living life to the fullest. I want to be part of that.

Just so you don’t worry, I am writing, which is obvious based on the fact that you’re reading this post. Funny thing is, when I stopped forcing myself to work on my current WIP, the blog post ideas started showing up. I’m curious myself to see how many of them I act upon.

As always, Realm is available at BookBaby, my publisher, as well as other online retailers. Once you’ve journeyed through the Realm and fallen in love with the characters and story, please leave a review wherever you purchased my novel, on social media, or even my blog. Thank you, Realmers!

Realm Central – Braced for Impact

May 8, 2023 By in Realm Tags: , , , , , , 2 Comments

If you’re a writer, perhaps your initial reaction is to cringe at the thought of someone, possibly a total stranger, writing a review of your book. This individual probably has no idea who you are as a person or a writer, isn’t familiar with your artistic or personal struggles, and may not possess the qualifications to review what you’ve created.

Or maybe you’ll chill out about the thought of someone writing a review of your work because, after all, your mom gave you a five-star review, and who’s stupid enough to argue with your mom, right?

Or maybe reviews roll off your back because you’re truly confident that your work not only satisfies you and your goals but is really darn good, and you’re rightfully proud of it. You don’t live in fear of reviews and reading them doesn’t faze you.

What if the review is good? What if it’s bad? What if it’s mediocre, and you’d have appreciated a stronger loved it or loathed it reaction?

It wasn’t until I realized that readers could leave a review on BookBaby or Goodreads for my novel, Realm, that I began to think about reviews. Reviews are coming, and that’s great because it means people are reading Realm. Do I want readers to love my novel? Of course, I do. That’s why I wrote it. I’m hoping people will get the same experience when reading Realm that I had while writing it.

But do I want to use this post to influence reader reviews? Absolutely not. The critiques have already occurred, so I’m using the easy ones to soften the blow of the harder ones that may come. And I’m not living in fear of reviews.

In my experience of reading reviews for books, I have found that they fell heavily in the five-star or one-star ratings with a sprinkling of two-, three-, and four-star reviews in between. People who left five stars quite often made the mistake of writing a lengthy synopsis and one line stating they loved the book. One-star reviewers simply said they hated it.

Despite reviews, I always make up my own mind whether or not I’ll read a book, but I’m still curious what other people thought about it. Truer reviews seem to be found in the two-, three-, and four-star comments. These people explain the why behind their statements, and that’s where I find a connection with other readers because, quite frankly, I’d like to connect with someone else over a book even if we disagree!

This is also where people will explain things such as why they awarded the number of stars they did as well as admit that what they didn’t care for did not ruin the entire book for them. That’s honest reviewing.

Some reviewers apply their own stars in their comments, which I find extremely helpful. They rate characters and their arcs separately from dialog, prose, description, and overall storytelling. It takes a bit of time, but one can tell these readers really care about what they’ve read and what they provided in return. I find these reviews to be most sincere.

Often, I must scroll through a lot of bad reviews to find the ones written by people who understand the value of a well-written critique. Most importantly, I try very hard to be the type of person who writes the kind of reviews I enjoy reading.

So again, am I trying to influence your comments? No, I promise I’m not. Rather, let’s see if we can generate something akin to a real conversation within reviews for Realm.

We Interrupt This Broadcast

April 19, 2023 By in Realm Tags: , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Happy Wednesday, Realmers! This post is coming to you a little later in the week because Realm Central needed a couple days to catch our breath after a most amazing book launch this past Sunday. More info on that coming soon!

Realm Central is pleased and proud to announce that BookBaby contacted us for permission to use the cover of Realm in their advertising campaigns. So, don’t be surprised if you see that increasingly familiar picture of an open portal popping up on social media and, quite possibly, in your e-mail inbox.

Realm is available across the globe. It’s true! I had fun with a quick search of “where to buy Realm by HL Gibson” and found my novel popped up in online stores in England and Australia. Don’t be surprised if you hear fellow Realmers say, “G’day, mate,” or that they’re “chuffed to bits” about Realm.

And lastly, a tidbit of—what shall we call this?—maintenance. Don’t be dismayed if, when you attempt to purchase Realm at a big online retailer, you’re told that it’s out of stock, on backorder, or only a few copies are left. This is nothing less than a numbers game that big online retailers like to play to manipulate buyers and artists. It’s also the reason why I published through BookBaby.

Go ahead and place your order at your favorite point of purchase. It will arrive . . . eventually . . .

Or you could head over to BookBaby where Realm is always in stock and ready to ship to you in a timely fashion. Hardback, softcover, and eBook are all available at BookBaby whether you order as soon as you finish reading this post or in the year 3039.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming.

Communication from Realm Central

April 10, 2023 By in Realm Tags: , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Hello, Realmers! It’s time for another update from Realm Central. This past week was Passover, so there isn’t as much to report.

All is going well here, and the reception of my novel, Realm, has been great. Sales are steady, and the trend has been to either post a picture of yourself receiving Realm or send me a photo of you receiving Realm for me to share on social media. Such fun!

April 7, 2023, marked the official launch of Realm with major booksellers such as Barnes & Noble, BAM, Walmart, and Amazon. So, you have even more online options for where to purchase your copy of Realm. Of course, it’s always been available on BookBaby and will always be available there.

As for the new trailer, it’s still in the works. A little more shooting was required, but the initial edit that I had the opportunity to view just so cool. I’m excited to share it with you. Another round of editing is required as well as recording the voiceover and applying the background music.

That is all. Realm Central out.