I’m so excited! I received my first review for my romance novel Signs of Love and Deliverance! The reader gave me 5 stars and wants me to hurry up and write the sequel. Yes, I am working on the sequel, but it will take a while.
I’m also excited that I have actually sold the book and that people are reading it. Ok, so I didn’t sell that many, yet, but a few is better than none and more than I expected. When I set out to write this story many years ago, I never expected to get it published, let alone for anyone to read it other than myself. So for me, this is a big deal.
I have always loved writing. I dreamed of being a writer since I was 12 and read my first teen romance novel by Beverly Cleary. I have always made up stories for as long as I can remember, mostly about the dolls I played with, big Barbie fan, and the make believe I played with real and imaginary friends. So when I started reading romance stories, I was hooked. Before that, I read things like Little House on the Prairie and Ann of Green Gables and Black Beauty, etc. All good books, but they didn’t inspire me or catch my interest as writers like Beverly Cleary and Judy Bloom did. With them and writers like them, I found my love of reading and I was hooked.
So, what has that got to do with anything, well that led me to writing snippets of this story and that story, an idea here, an idea there. I was always scribbling down phrases and names and ideas. And my mind just doesn’t turn it off, ever. I wake up in the morning thinking of stories, I drink my coffee while thinking of stories, I shower while thinking of stories, I work while thinking of stories, I play while thinking of stories, I watch T.V. and think of stories, I go to sleep thinking of stories, and even dream of the stories I’m thinking of. I believe most story tellers can relate.
Needless to say, Signs has been a long time coming. I started creating the characters for this story when I was about 18 years old. When I had bits of time, I would jot down my ideas. There was never that much time as I had other goals to accomplish, school, and work and paying the bills etc. Writing a novel was just a dream, and those that I shared that dream with, always referred to it as my hobby. But something incredible happened 13 years ago, I got married, moved to Canada, and found myself without a job because of immigration laws that caused me to wait for three years before being employed. I had a lot of time on my hands, so I did what I do to fill up time, I create stories. So while learning to be an instant mom to my stepson, not something I expected (long story there) and learning to be a wife, I worked on my stories – little by little, this story and that story. I have about half a dozen stories half written. I have a hard time settling on just one to work on. Typical Libra. Then I got a job, and again, focused my energies elsewhere to something more realistic. Yeah, not so much.
I was laid off from my job, and again, left with a lot time on my hands. I decided to finish Signs. It was time. Within a year, it was finished. And I put it aside. I don’t have the money to spend on publishing it, on a hobby, something so frivolous as my dream. (That’s what I told myself.) That same year, I also became a member of the Canadian Reiki Association, became a Crystal Therapist and an Akashic Records Consultant. And opened my business. Yup, I spent money on that, a lot of money. It has had small successes. I love my healing practice and don’t regret the time and energy spent in learning and practicing the different modalities. I loved the time writing about it the most. That’s right, back to writing. Everything leads me back to writing.
Two years ago, I found I was really not happy. I was stuck and I couldn’t say why I was unhappy. So, I went on a quest to have a year of fun. And I did. I started having a girls’ movie night with a few of my friends once a month. I dragged my husband here and there every weekend, cooked and baked up new recipes (another favorite thing I like to do), and I even started a new hobby of painting ceramics (something my mother taught me when I was a kid). I did a lot of soul searching.
Last fall, I turned 49, ugh! And I hadn’t accomplished my biggest dream yet: publishing a book. I was talking about it with a friend, not a close friend, but still a friend, and she said, “Just do it already. What’s holding you back? Let it go and see what happens.” I gave that a lot of thought. I brought Signs back out of hiding and started reading it and editing and editing and editing. I talked to my husband about it a lot. Then we agreed: let’s do it. Put it out there and see what happens.
It’s out here! And I have sold a few copies and someone has reviewed it. And I think I’m still a little in shock. I’m excited and I can’t wait to see what happens next. Of course, the paper version has to come out which hopefully will be in a few weeks if all goes well. I’m stumbling around the marketing part of this. I really don’t know how to do it and I don’t have the extra funds to buy adds etc., so I have to rely on the freebies and the few things I can afford, such as this website. So, in the dark I go, trying to figure this publishing and marketing thing out, while writing the next story in the Deliverance Series.
The next book in the series will be Raven and Gretchen’s story. I don’t know how it will play out, but it should be interesting with a lot of drama and mayhem, with some sexy scenes thrown in there.
So, why did I tell you all of this. I thought perhaps my readers would like to know a little more about me and how Signs came to be published. Give you a little peak into my life. On the most part, I consider myself a confident woman. I’ve accomplished most of the things I have set out to do. Sometimes I have success and sometimes I don’t. Why I didn’t have confidence in my writing, I can’t really say. Perhaps it was that voice that we all have that says: you’re not good enough, don’t risk it, do what’s safe, do what you know, don’t cause waves. Well, screw it! I’m causing waves! And I’m just getting started!
You all have a great day and follow those dreams. You might be surprised at what it brings you!
Tracy
P.S. Another excerpt from Signs will be posted on Friday! Make sure you come take a gander.
Tracy Kay 