If you never step outside your comfort zone, you will never grow. If that sounds ominous, it is! I have always dreamed of writing professionally, and have been told by several people “do something about your writing?” I have so far self-published 12 books and they are available on Amazon.com.
Last month I was invited to do a reading from one of my books by El Charro Hipster Restaurante located just off Grand Ave. with plenty of parking. The address is 1325 Grand Ave, in the heart of a beautiful Art Hive! This is a new program, conceived to “Bring Back the Art of Conversation!”
I said yes before I thought about all the reasons not to step outside my comfort zone. My hubby encouraged me and listened to my reading many times and make helpful suggestions. I loved reading the excerpt from “The End of the Road” and had a great time. I was thrilled when a woman approached me and said she would propose it for her book club.
The Peralta family made us all feel at home. BTW, the food is fabulous, the wait staff is friendly and helpful. El Charro Hipster is environmentally friendly by using only 100% compostable items. I brought home half of my sandwich and had no qualms about putting the container in the microwave to re-heat it for a late-night snack. Anyone that knows me knows I will not use ANY plastic to re-heat any food, ever!
I enjoyed the experience so much that I am reading an excerpt from “Immortal Enemies” my Sexy-Sci-Fi book, March 18th. This is the book that my Daughter edited and said, “Reading about sex that her Mother wrote, she had to read it with her eyes closed!” BTW the “readings” are only 10 minutes long and start a 6:00. Come early and stay late for music and fun. It is a chance to meet new and experienced authors. I am a newbie author. My first book was self-published in 2016. Since then, I have self-published 12 books, Sci-Fi, Mystery, and Young Adult. I will have several Immortal Enemies books available for purchase and will be happy to sign them.
Biography
Creating worlds, characters, and wielding power like a madwoman, making my characters happy, sad, angry, and some of them with no redeeming qualities. I probably shouldn’t admit this, but I sometimes laugh out loud when I am writing a scene, and I have been known to cry when one of my favorites has to die.
I am a left-handed Gemini, what do you expect?
Reading bedtime stories to my two children until they fell asleep or until they just told me to go away, was fun. Making up wild stories for my grandchild, and creating Halloween costumes from Cowboys to a Dragon, was another favorite thing to do. I missed that so much when they were grown, that I started writing.
My yearly newsletters frequently were drafted third-person by my Love Birds, Miranda our motorhome, and by Sir Fit the White Knight, our faithful Honda.
Throughout the years, some of my creative talents centered around writing letters of complaint expressing my displeasure with services or products. One crucial, at least to my Son, was a note to our local school bus driver petitioning her to allow him back on the bus. He was kicked off for making an obscene gesture at his buddy. I reminded her that it was not directed at her, and that “obscenity can be in the eye of the beholder,” kids use that gesture as a greeting. He rode the bus until he graduated.
I loved driving my English teacher crazy. Leaving a “continued next week” at the end of my five handwritten pages required each week. He was one of many people that suggested I “do something about my writing.”
I graduated from the School of Hard Knocks at the top of my class.
After 30 years, in the trenches as a Real Estate Professional, I have found that truth is stranger than fiction. My books are filled with characters I met in that profession. Their names were changed to protect the guilty. Others were from people we met traveling around the country in Miranda, our Motorhome.
I am married nearly 60 years to the love of my life, Shirl, and partner-produced two exceptionally talented children, and one grandchild who is our pride and joy.
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One thought on “Outside Your Comfort Zone”
Well look at you go! So excited and happy for you on your accomplishments! 💕
Well look at you go! So excited and happy for you on your accomplishments! 💕