Welcome back. We’re on a three-day roll of absolutely awesome weather here, although it will all come to an end on Monday, and we’ll be plunged back into regular spring, complete with April showers and single digit temperatures. In some ways, I don’t mind it, since it does make it easier to sit at the computer and work.
Today, we are at the mid-point in the challenge with the letter M. For my Did You Know? this morning I’m going to talk about memories and motivation. What motivated me to write, and how do memories come into it?
When I first started my career as an author, my motivation was actually quite simple. I was bored. I’d retired from education after 35 years in the classroom, most of it spent as a secondary school English teacher. My days had been full, many of my evenings too, with marking and lesson planning. I’d spent weekends doing laundry and housework, and suddenly I had long empty days ahead of me. Since my husband wasn’t retired and had no plans to do so, I couldn’t even travel.
Cooking really isn’t my thing, I tried crafts. I did some scrapbooking, but the arthritis in my hands made it hard to use scissors properly. I could only do so much housework, especially with my knees, hips, and wrists getting so much worse. I spent my afternoons reading or reading Facebook posts.
One day, I happened upon a post from Harlequin, a chat room where unpublished authors could post their writing each week. I found that the editor of one of their lines was running a contest, looking for new authors. Since writing a book had always been one of those bucket list items, one I never expected to tick off the list, I figured, why not? I had a computer … wasn’t that really all it took? After all, it wasn’t as if I hadn’t tried and failed before.
Long story short, I wrote the book, didn’t win the contest but made some incredible friends that I still have today. Those friends encouraged me to submit my book to a pitch fest. I did and got a request from another editor for the book. The novel was Fire Angel, and the publisher was Crimson Romance. After copious editing that changed a significant portion of the book, they published it. From them, I learned the importance of POV, the need to avoid head hopping, the importance of a well-thought out plot, without holes, the need for a strong vocabulary, without repetition, the difference between my English spelling and word use, which as a Canadian differs from that of my American readers, and how to write a synopsis. I also learned to forget my vision of the story and accept theirs because as a publisher, they knew best, right?
Over the next three years, I wrote more books for them, as well as for four other small publishing houses. Sadly, this is where the memories come in and where I learned a valuable lesson as an author. Publishers don’t give a damn about you. You are only a means to make money for them, and the more they can make the better. So, when Crimson decided to sell to a bigger company, all of its authors got the shaft. The new company wasn’t interested in us. They simply wanted to eliminate the competition, which they did within two years. The other small houses I wrote for didn’t make it. For a couple, the competition was too stiff, for a couple more, it was a case of take the money and run, screw the authors in the process.
Rather than quit, my motivation switched to “prove you have what it takes to be a successful author.” I opted to get back all of my rights to my books–some took longer than others– and then, wiser in the ways of the world, I decided to look into self-publishing. During my early years, I’d made friends with other authors who’d also been shafted by the publishers. They helped me learn to format my work, designed covers for me, and encouraged me to continue writing. I began the long journey toward re-establishing myself as a writer. It hasn’t been without tears, but I’m slowly climbing out of obscurity and getting noticed.
When I got my rights back, the first thing I did was got back into the books and edit them. On My Watch had been a good seller for me as had most of the Romance Suspense novels I’d sold through Crimson. It required very little editing, so it got a shiny new cover, one that spoke to the story, and was released on my own through Amazon, making it eligible for Kindle Unlimited.
Here’s the blurb.
A helpless victim with amnesia. A jaded FBI agent sworn to protect her. A killer for hire out for blood.
After an incident that leaves him questioning his worth as an FBI Special Agent, Jason Spark fills in for his brother at the local sheriff’s office. He’s sent to check out an odd 9 1 1 call, unwittingly stepping into a horrifying bloodbath straight out of a Hollywood slasher movie, complete with cryptic clues scrawled on the wall.
The investigation turns up one suspect: The Butcher, an elusive killer for hire linked to the Sicilian mob. What can the mob want with a doctor and his family? The answers lie with the wife, clinging to life.
When survivor Nikki Hart awakens, her memory is a blank slate. She doesn’t know her name, can’t recall anything about herself, or what happened to her. Even her young daughter is a stranger. Terrified, she clings to the memory of the angel who comforted her in her darkest moments. Was he real or just a figment of her imagination?
As the news of Nikki’s recovery spreads, Jason fears they’ve put her in the ruthless killer’s sights once more. He’ll do whatever it takes to protect her and her daughter, the family he wishes were his.
In protective custody, love grows, but danger lingers. The assassin won’t quit until he fulfills the contract. When Nikki learns the truth about the worst night of her life, she’s horrified. Will she make the right decision or put herself and her daughter in danger once more?
Read the free preview for more.
Now, what motivates me? It’s wanting to share the products of my imagination with others. It’s hearing from readers how much they enjoy my books, reading reviews, and most of all, it’s knowing that I may have brightened someone’s day.
That’s it for me today. Find other bloggers and their posts here. https://tinyurl.com/3we8aa84
Come back Monday when I’ll give you a Did You Know? for the letter N. Enjoy your day.
Living the Dream 