Rebel Author... At It Again

“Men seldom, or rather never for a length of time and deliberately, rebel against anything that does not deserve rebelling against.”
                                                                                Thomas Carlyle.

Yes, I'm a rebel author, and yes, I'm at it again.

I'd like to talk about trends and the ever evolving world of writing and publishing.

"The world of writing is changing." We hear this (or something similar) all the time.

Yes it's true, there are many trends currently effecting the world of publishing; the need or lack of need for literary agents, publishers dealing directly with authors, the ability of readers to interact (through social media) with their favorite authors, online vs. brick and mortar stores, and of course self-publishing. I believe the self-publishing trend has had the most impact on the writing/publishing world.
There are probably more I could mention too. However, I don't want to talk about any of those trends.

In previous blogs I talked about the fact that I have a rebellious streak when it comes to my writing. I sometimes go against the grain when I feel it's justified. I don't (or try not to) do this out of ego. But if I feel that my stories will be improved in some way by going against the norm, I'll do it. For example, I think that in a suspense story, having multiple perspectives (including your villain) adds a tremendous amount of suspense. For instance, if I know the bad guy is right around the corner, and my hero has no idea what's coming, I find myself getting nervous for him (or her). I start fidgeting, my palms get sweaty and my breathing gets erratic. I love that. That's the effect a good suspense story should have. In my (humble) opinion, you don't get the same effect from only two perspectives (which is the "rule" for romance novels). Therefore, I break that rule.

But now, I'm taking my rebellion to a whole other level. The rule I'm talking about breaking is so severe, that authors have changed their name to avoid breaking it. Know what it is yet?

I'm talking about... changing genres... GASP!

Relax! You can uncover your eyes and stop holding your breath. Take a few deep breaths and just hear me out. I realize that basically forever, this has been a big no-no. Authors just didn't change genres. If they were "crazy" enough to try it, they wrote their other books under a completely different pseudo name to preserve their career. Many even continue to do this when the general public and no doubt most fans, are fully aware that it's the same person writing the books.

I'm going to step out on a limb here and make a prediction. I believe in the coming years, it'll be a common occurrence to have your favorite authors switch genres.
I know of a few authors who successfully do it and don't think twice about it. I also know that personally, I'll read ANY book by my favorite authors. For example, if Matthew Reilly has a new book out, I get it. I may not even read the title, and definitely wouldn't check the genre. When I get word that he's got a new book out, I simply go to Amazon and buy it. He's never let me down before so I guess I trust him.

Maybe I'm way off. Perhaps I'm the exception, who knows. I do believe that as a romance author I have an advantage. The way I see it, the majority of movies and books are love stories. Well, I write love stories. I just have my love stories "wrapped" in suspense. The book I'm currently writing will be a love story "wrapped" in a thriller. I think (or at least hope) that my readers will enjoy either style of storytelling.

I'm admittedly still a rookie in the writing world. I fully recognize this fact. I am therefore an information sponge. I attend workshops and writers conferences whenever I can. I also read and study the writing and publishing world almost non-stop. As I go over this vast amount of information, there are consistencies that emerge from almost all the different and varying source. To me, these are the precious gems of knowledge to which I pay the most attention. One constant information gem is the advice to write the book you "need" to write. Yes it might sound a little hokey but when you hear literary agents, bestselling authors and publishers ALL suggesting this strategy, it's tough for little old me to ignore it, and it would most likely be a mistake.

So, if I feel as though I "need" to write a story that's in a different genre than my current one, you can bet that my rebel spirit will rise up and I'll press forward courageously (or with blind faith, or childlike stupidity, you can be the judge) and write that story.
In reality, I'm only changing sub-genres since I'll still be writing romance... at least for the moment, (rubbing my hands together sinisterly).

Even in our ever changing world, the hopping of genres is still something that's frowned upon. However, I think the ultimate answer is that if you're a talented enough writer and can write great books, you'll be successful in whatever genre you write. Yes, some people may not read one or two of your books because they genuinely don't enjoy those types of books, however the majority of readers will enjoy your stories wherever the wind takes your writing.

Okay, I've given my opinion, now I'd love to hear what you, the readers think. Let me know if you've run into this before with any of your favorite authors. How did you respond? Did you still read their books, or did you burn them and disown the author from your library?
Let's hear it.

In the immortal words of Dr. Seuss:
"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose."

Until next time...

The (bumpy) Road to Your Happily Ever After

 This quote by C.S. Lewis is one of my favorites. I’ve always liked it but in the last few years, it’s developed new meaning for me. Now, don’t think that I’m being arrogant. Yes I’ve had some “character building” moments but I want to make two things very clear.

1.       I realize that just because I’ve faced some trials that have been extremely difficult for me doesn’t necessarily mean that I’m destined for greatness. And besides, greatness can mean many different things to different people. A teacher who gets paid very little but works hard to make lasting impressions on the children in her class, in my opinion has achieved greatness. There are many other examples, but you get the idea.

2.       I also fully and completely recognize that there's always someone who’d love to trade their trials for mine. We’ve all faced death, sadness and loss of some kind. As bad as it may seem at the time and no matter how big my pitty party is, I know there’s someone who’s suffered more than I have.
 

It’s my belief that our trials neither make nor break our destiny. I believe it’s HOW we respond to those challenges that determines whether we go on to greatness or not; whether we grieve, learn, adapt and emerge stronger and more determined, or simply get by day to day or even worse, never recover and become a shell of the person we once were.

I know of people who've  gone through things in their life which would probably have crippled me. I respect them for being able to get out of bed in the morning at all. I realize sometimes that’s the best we can do. I get it, or at least I’ve tried to understand. However, there’s another group of people who are able to face their challenges in a different way. Their goal isn’t to survive their trial, but rather to conquer it! To learn from it, to look inside themselves and, like a caterpillar, emerge from the cocoon of their tragedy a bigger, better, stronger “caterpillar” of determination. Armed with the knowledge that they might get pummeled and might doubt themselves for a time, but that in the end, they’ll survive and even persevere.

I think people who are greatly tested AND respond as I’ve described above, MUST be rewarded. Call it justice, Karma, or blessings from the Lord, whatever you want, I think it’s the truth. Maybe I still believe in a universal Santa Claus. You know, if you’re good all year, it’s only fair that you have presents under the tree kind of thing? Perhaps I just have blind faith? I don’t think so though. See, I’ve read too many books by people much smarter than me who believe the same thing. And more importantly, I’ve seen it over and over again in my life and in the lives of others.  

In my humble opinion there is a huge section missing from many stories and movies about people who’ve had trials or great difficulties. Many of them skip past the part where the individual doubts themselves, want’s to quit, believes it’s unfair, is full of rage and anger, etc… I think too many shows fast-forward past that part. You get the old, “within six months, John Smith had recovered from complete devastation and was happily married, had a baby on the way, and millions in the bank.” Don’t get me wrong, that’s very inspiring and I used to love those movies and stories. However, since I’ve experienced a few challenges now, my weakness are much more evident. I thought I was stronger, I always thought I’d bounce back like those people who used to inspire me, but that hasn't been how I've felt while going through my challenges. 
However, as I've gained some perspective, I’ve recently realized that perhaps I am just as strong as those people. Perhaps you are too. Maybe we’re just in the part of the story that was skipped when they made the movie and before we know it, we’ll be living our happily ever after?

The point is that if you’re struggling, if you look in the mirror with disappointment, if you marvel at how “they” can do it when you’re still harrowed with guilt or sorrow or remorse or anger or whatever it is that plagues you, here’s the reality; you are so much stronger than you think. Everyone else who has faced your trial is probably struggling just as much as you are, you just can’t see it. You don’t see them when they lose control and completely breakdown. That part is most likely not shared with you.

Here’s the other reality; You don’t know about the conversations people have about YOUR strength. You don’t see the looks of disbelief from others when you pass. You don’t hear the whispers of praise at the inspiration you are to them. You have no idea, but I promise you it’s happening. All you know is how hard it feels to you, but all others see is your strength.

I used to think I was weak because of my need to read inspirational books to keep my attitude up. If I don’t, my positive outlook fades fairly quickly. I’m like a bucket with holes in the bottom. I have to constantly refill my mind with positive affirmations, quotes and inspirational stories. Now, over the last two years, I’ve had two surgeries on my left knee. It’s all but healed now and I can do most everything I could before the injury. However, as I rehabilitated it, I quickly became aware of just how much strength, flexibility and endurance I’d lost. I liken this experience to my attitude. Just as my body lost strength without constant exercise, my positive attitude suffers and declines without frequent feeding.    

I viewed my need for constant “feeding” as weakness my entire life. It wasn’t until a person came into my life who saw and pointed out these things, that it occurred to me (yes, I’m that slow). She saw perseverance where I saw weakness. She allowed me to give myself some credit. She showed me that this isn’t weakness, it’s self-awareness, and she was (as usual) 100% correct! A world champion weight lifter or runner isn’t weak because they have to constantly train to keep their level of strength or endurance. They are winners! They are champions who know what they have to do to keep on winning and they do it day-after-day. They train when their sick, or tired or don’t feel like it. I now see my determination to keep a positive outlook. I recognize that in some small way, I’m like those champions, in that I see what I want to accomplish and do what is required to achieve my goal.  

My hope is that as you read this post, your reaction was “duh,” or you thought to yourself something like “thanks for pointing that out Captain Obvious.” That would make me so happy. I hope that you’ve given yourself credit for your strength and fortitude your entire life. BUT… if you happen to relate with some of the things I’ve thought or felt about myself, then I hope you’ll begin to recognize just how much stronger you are than you think. It’s not arrogance to see and recognize your tenacity and resolve. Take a step back and look at how far you’ve come. And most importantly, if you’re currently struggling to even keep your head above water... you can do it.

A great man told me something when I was really struggling and lacking faith. He said, “If you don’t believe that you’re strong enough to handle this trial right now, I want you to know that I have 100% faith that you CAN. And if you need to borrow that faith for a while, then do it.” Those were priceless words to me at the time. When I felt like giving up, I remembered his words and it gave me hope. It’s not weakness to “borrow” someone else’s faith in you for a while if you have to.

Lastly, remember that almost all the people who’ve achieved great things, at one time or another felt just like you do right now. As long as you don’t give up, you’ll get there and come out better and more resilient than you were before. You can be a champion too. You have it in you and you’ll find it when you need it most.

In the immortal words of Doree the fish, “Just keep swimming, just keep swimming.”

Until next time…  

Annie

This blog was difficult for me to write and it took me a long time to decide whether or not to actually post it. In fact, I'd made the decision not to, but then something happened yesterday that changed my mind. I must warn you, this post is deeply personal and borders on TMI. I won’t apologize for that. The reality is that it’s probably more for me than for you, but if you keep reading, remember, you were warned.

You see, very recently a dear friend was killed in a car accident. Her name was Annie. In reality, she was so much more than a friend. I was head-over-heels in love with her. We’d been dating for almost a year and she was a very special person in my life.

As a single father of four amazing kids, it had been difficult to date again. After a failed marriage of almost fifteen years which ended in a cloud of betrayal, my self-worth was non-existent. My life had been turned upside down in a flash and my situation had gone from what I’d always wanted, to flat-out depressing. Without going into a pitty party, let’s just say I was at the lowest I’ve ever been in my life.

Picture courtesy of J K Broadwell

A long year later, I met Annie. She was full of life, a perfect balance of fun and reality, and a person who made everything better just with her presence. She was someone who told you what she thought and didn’t sugarcoat anything, yet had an unbelievable ability to make you feel as though you were the most important person in the entire world. She was beautiful inside and out and I instantly fell in love with her.

In time, she was introduced to my children. They also fell prey to her infectious personality and almost overnight, she became an incredibly important person to them as well. She was at any and all sporting events, dance competitions or recitals and loved them unconditionally. Annie was the kind of person who made you feel special on an everyday basis, always doing the little things to make sure you knew how much she loved you.

Picture courtesy of J K Broadwell

I could go on and on about the kind of person Annie was but I’d never be able to do her justice. No, she wasn’t perfect but she was pretty darn close. An example of her unselfishness was one of her final acts here on earth. Two days before her death, she excitedly told me that she’d just made arrangements to pay a large percentage of a church mission for a young man who wanted to go but couldn’t afford it. It was a lot of money but she was so thrilled to pay for something she believed in so much. Annie was the happiest when she was serving others.

And then there was yesterday. See, my birthday was three days ago. Well, yesterday when I got home, I found a package on my doorstep. The name on it was Annie though the address was mine. When I opened it, I found that it was a birthday present she'd ordered for me weeks ago. It was an Atlanta Falcons t-shirt (my favorite football team). There was also a personalized message on the shipping slip that said, "Hey Babe, I know you'd never actually buy anything for yourself so I have to do it for you. Just say thanks and enjoy. Happy Birthday. Love you always, Annie." Of course, this was an extremely emotional experience that I won't go into detail about. I will say that it was precious to me. Annie had mentioned a few weeks prior that she'd bought something for me but I'd forgotten all about it after her death. 

Photo courtesy of J K Broadwell

Receiving that package was a bitter sweet experience. Annie's gone and she still found a way to make me feel loved. Yesterday was a reminder of the beautiful person who is no longer in my life, however I wouldn't trade it for anything. Leave it to Annie to find a way to comfort me and make me smile even after her death.    

I don’t know why she was taken from this world but I take comfort in the knowledge that I’ll see her again. I believe she was put into my life and the lives of my children at the time when we needed her most. Yes, I wish things had ended differently. I wish she was still a phone call away. I wish I could still kiss her and wrap my arms around her. I miss her insights and advice (Lord knows, I need them). Annie was wise beyond her years and always offered a completely different perspective from my own (yes, she was usually right).

I’m sure many of you have known people that you felt were placed in your life at precisely the right time. Hopefully, they weren’t taken away from you. Perhaps they either faded when they were no longer needed, or better yet, maybe they’re still in your life. I’d love to hear about those special people in your life and how they affected it.

Have you ever had someone love and accept you unconditionally? Ever had a person in your life who had complete faith and confidence in you? Someone who made you feel as though you could do anything just by looking at you? If so then you've had your own personal "Annie" in your life. If you'd like, please tell me about them. People like that need to be shared. 

I do know I’m a better person for having known Annie. She restored my belief in many things including myself. She made me a better father and friend and allowed me to love again. I’ll always be grateful to her and to the Lord for blessing my life with her, even if it was only for a short time.

Annie will be missed by many, but my children and I will always have a special place in our hearts for her.

 

Picture courtesy of J K Broadwell

 

In the immortal words of Forrest Gump, “That’s all I have to say about that.”

Until next time…

 

My Confession

Today will be a bit of a confession from me with a healthy dose of justification. See, in the world of romance writing, I’m a bit of a rebel. What can I say, I see a rule, I just have to break it. Maybe it’s because I’m already a renegade simply being a man writing in the romance genre.

What kind of sin are we talking about?

“And it came to pass that JK greatly sinned against the gods of romance writing.”

Okay, that might be a bit dramatic. Let’s try a different approach. See, as many of you know, there are some things the average romance reader expects out of a romance novel.  One of these is a happily ever after. Another is a story told from only the hero and heroine’s perspectives. And of course, depending on the level of “heat” in your story, readers have a certain level of expectancy when it comes to the bedroom. By the way, my stories are “sweet,” meaning any lovin’ happens behind closed doors.

Let’s start with the Happily Ever After, or a HEA as it’s referred to in the romance writing world. It’s not that I don’t like or write HEA’s, in fact, I prefer them most of the time in the stories I read. I just don’t guarantee them in my stories. Maybe this goes back to my rebel side and not liking being told I have to do something. Also, a HEA to one person may mean something else to another. I’m just not comfortable with this restriction. Again, this doesn’t mean it won’t happen, I’m simply not making you any promises.

Next, we have a story written from only two perspectives. This is a bit of a problem for me. Perhaps this is because of a lack of talent on my part. I know it’ll sound arrogant but I don’t think this is the case. As I mentioned in an earlier blog, I grew up mostly reading action, suspense and intrigue novels. Tom Clancy is one of my favorites and he’s a perfect example. If you’ve ever read his stories, they have multiple plot lines with many characters. Usually there’s one or two who are the “main” characters and the others play more of a support role. This is more my style. Personally, I enjoy stories like this and in my opinion, this way of storytelling allows for a much more suspenseful ride for the reader. Of course there are different views on this and there are many authors who can write from just one or two perspectives and do it well. That’s just not me.

The ladies in the Romance Writers of America taught me early on to learn the rules. They fully admit that many very successful authors break all the rules and are massively successful. The example who most directly relates to me is Nicholas Sparks. He’s a big fat rule breaker (who’s sold over 50 million books). “But first they learned the rules of their genre and then, and only then, consciously broke them,” I was told. See, there’s a BIG difference between someone who inadvertently writes in contradiction to the norm and someone who knows what they’re doing and the end result will differ greatly!

I know the rules but you know what they say about them. So that’s my excuse… um, reasoning for writing how I do. This is the way I’ve chosen to tell my stories. I think it’s important to be upfront and honest with you… my readers. I’ve always been that way and I don’t expect that will ever change. I also believe that you’ll enjoy it. Yes, this style is much more intense and there will be times when you’re left dangling for a little while. Just breathe and keep reading. Everything will be revealed in time.

The first person in the world who ever read Shattered and Second Chance was a friend of mine who’s very kind but also very honest regardless of anyone’s feelings (a quality I greatly respect by the way). When I asked her what she thought, her answer perfectly described what I’d been trying to accomplish. I must admit, I’m very proud of her reply. She took a deep breath, put her hand on her heart and said, “I felt like I just got off the Tower of Terror.” For the few of you who don’t know, The Tower of Terror is an intense ride at Disney’s California Adventure theme park. I couldn’t have asked for a better response.

Now tell me what you think. Many people I’ve discussed these rules with have responded with something like, “Huh, I’ve never paid attention to that.” Many others have agreed with my opinion and prefer that style of story telling. I’d love to hear if you notice when these are broken and how you feel about it so please let me know.

Until next time...

 

Can Men Write Romance?

Well, can they?

Coming to terms with the title "Romance Writer" was not an easy pill to swallow. Growing up on authors like Tom Clancy, Michael Crichton, Clive Cussler and of course, my all-time favorite, Matthew Reilly, I expected my first story to fall under the action packed, suspenseful category. How does one go from being a gun, sports, and survival fanatic, to being the voice of Avalon and Kate? After several comments from readers, it quickly became clear that I spoke "woman-eeze" better than I'd like to admit.

So this is me coming out of the closet (so to speak). Hi, my name is JK Broadwell and I write romance. There, I said it and I feel SO much better! Actually, I came to terms with this some time ago. Once acceptance came, I learned to embrace this new title. Instead of dreading the question, "What kind of books do you write?" I began to enjoy the puzzled look on the inquirer's face when they heard my response.

So how is it I can take my readers on a journey so accurately through the eyes of a woman? After all, in my personal life, I'm the guy who's more likely to say the wrong thing at the wrong time. So how is it that a man like me who grew with football, wrestling, martial arts and action movies, can so accurately depict the inner thoughts of women in my stories?

Well, I have a theory. Be warned, it may seem a little anti-climactic. Here it is… I believe many men, if given a LONG time to think about what to do or say in a given situation, will eventually come up with the right answer. They'll be able to see things from the woman's perspective and use that information to come up with the correct response, answer or action. But let's be honest, the male animal is more likely to say the first thing that pops into his head. This is what usually gets us (especially me) in trouble. This ability to see through a woman’s eyes is what allows (a few) men to successfully write romance.

I'd like to think I have a talent for understanding the opposite gender and perhaps this is the case. I really wish that was the answer. However, the reality, more than likely is like most men, if I think about all the possible reactions and weigh the consequences of each, I can eventually determine the correct response. Not that this guarantees my characters will react this way, in fact more often than not, they'll screw it up too. See, I like it when characters act realistically. One of my peeves is when someone in a book or movie does something a real person would never do. This drives me crazy! Give me a story about real people or at least someone who acts real. You know what I'm talking about. "Hey there's been a string of serial murders in our city, let's throw a costume party this weekend and invite the whole town. What could go wrong?" I could give dozens of examples but you get the idea. I can't stand that kind of thing.

Oops, enough of that rant. Sorry, back to my original topic.

In my opinion, men can write romance and do it very well. It takes a lot of thought and work but it can be done.

Now tell me what you think. Can they?

I’d love to get your feedback.

 

Why Don't We Get to Know Each Other Better... Part 2

This is the continuation of my journey to becoming an author.

 

Now that I'd made the decision to write a novel and set some goals for story, it was time to figure out what the heck it would be about. At this point, I began to pace around my living room, talking to myself. I tried to think of a story I’d like to read. I can’t remember exactly how long I wandered around most likely looking like a fool, before an idea entered my mind.

What if a man had to get his wife to fall in love with him again without her knowing he was her husband? What if she thought he was dead? Huh? That’d be an interesting story. Yeah, I’d like to read that. Now I just had to figure out a scenario where this might happen. Under what circumstances would this seem plausible? I’m not into paranormal and read very little science fiction. One of the goals on my list was to write a story that was “real,” or at least seemed within the realm of possibility to a reader.

So with that one simple thought, I began to create characters and weave a story around my original idea. I told no one I was writing a book. Anyone who knew me would either laugh or think I’d gone completely crazy. Later on, I’d liken my decision to write a book to my daughter, Mercedes, (who is all girl) coming home and declaring her decision to become a professional fighter when she grows up.

I was more than surprised to find that as soon as I began writing, the story developed at an incredible pace. The words flowed from a place in my mind previously unexplored. I continued to write in the wee hours of the night when others slept. There were a few times when my wife would wander into the kitchen in the middle of the night wondering what I was still doing awake. When this happened, I’d give her some casual excuse.

Reading exercise or nutrition articles, preparing a new workout program for a client, or a similar excuse was used. There was never a time when she gave my excuses a second thought, which both surprised and relieved me.

I worked a full time job which required between forty five and fifty five hours each week. In addition, I trained two or three clients as well. Each of these had sessions three times weekly. Of course there were also my four children who I tried to spend as much time as possible with. On average, I slept two to three hours a night. Despite my hectic schedule, when I sat down to write in the evenings, I was passionate and full of energy and excitement. For the first time in my life, I’d found something that seemed to encompass me.

When I was awake, I couldn’t wait to write, when I slept, I dreamt about my story and often awoke with a new idea fresh on my mind.

I did my best to remain balanced with work, family and writing, although I’m sure there were times I failed. I chose to cut out things I felt wouldn’t affect my relationships. I continued with family walks every day, family night and movie night each week. Instead, I didn’t watch television or read for pleasure. I stopped going to the gym and lifting weights. Many times, I’d forgo a meal so I could get more writing done. During the time it took me to write my story, I lost twenty pounds and I’m sure my desire to write sometimes bordered on obsession.

After four months, I confided in a friend, had her read what I’d written so far and asked for truly honest feedback. I gave her full permission to tell me exactly what she thought of my work. I didn’t want to give my all to something if I lacked the talent necessary to achieve my goal. My friend also had many talents closely related to writing. She has a degree in journalism and broadcasting.

After reading the fruits of my labor, she was enthralled with my story. Her greatest disappointment was that it wasn’t finished yet.

There were many technical corrections to make but overall, it was good. Most importantly, (at least to me), she said the story was fantastic. In her opinion, it was better than many books currently in stores.

She also instructed me on some of the vocational mistakes I was making which helped me a great deal. However the most important things she gave me was confidence; a belief that perhaps I had the talent to write a novel. She also helped me have faith and to begin to believe that perhaps this was something I was supposed to do.

After six months of spending almost every night glued to my computer, I told my wife I was writing a novel. I feared she thought I was spending all those hours surfing provocative videos on the internet. Looking back, I shouldn’t have been surprised at her reaction, however, at the time I was. I’d expected surprise. However, I didn’t expect her to have an attitude of indifference. There was also little desire to read what I’d worked so hard for half a year to create. It was like, “Oh, that’s nice.” From then on when I brought the subject up, it was met with either distain or negativity. Many times she felt the need to educate me on the statistics of successful authors compared to failures. It was disheartening, but I tried to let it strengthen my resolve to become a successful author, and was determined to work even harder than before. Writing a love story while in the midst of a deteriorating marriage was ironic to say the least.

Thankfully, I continued to receive support from a family friend, who gave me encouragement on an almost daily basis. As soon as I finished a chapter, I was required to email it to her immediately.

There were many nights when all I wanted to do was sleep, but her insistence kept me writing. I lost count of how many times I was fast asleep on my kitchen table when the sun came up.

Along the way, I told others about my “project.” Soon, I had a dozen people waiting to find out how the story ended.

I understand when the people I knew growing up were shocked to learn I’d written two full-length novels and was currently working on my third. I know they were more than a little apprehensive about the quality of book I could have possibly written, but there was nothing more satisfying than hearing those same people, after reading some of my work, throw out comments like, “This is really good! You wrote this?”

Yep, it’s true. I wrote it. Believe it, or not.

It took me thirteen months to complete the first two books in my Second Chances series. Once I was finished with my story I had no idea what to do next. After it was all said and done, my book was just under five hundred thousand words. I was so naïve, I had no idea how many pages that equaled. I didn’t even know what genre my story fit into. In addition, my story had no name at that point.

I began to research what to do next. I discovered, (to my initial embarrassment), that my book belonged in the romantic suspense genre.

Desperately seeking guidance, I explored many different professional writing organizations and joined the one I thought would offer me the best opportunity to gain the knowledge I needed to continue to follow my dream. With more than a little apprehension, the organization I chose to join was the Romance Writers of America. It was one of the best decisions I could have made.  

It was no surprise that at the first monthly meeting I attended, (which was four hours away), I was the only male in the audience. Great, as if I didn’t already feel out of place in a room of writers. The looks of confusion were many and I was asked if I was in the right place more than once.

I didn’t talk to many women that first meeting. Uncomfortable doesn’t begin to describe the way I felt. To make matters worse, apparently there were two meetings each month, one right after the other. The early meeting was for those who were professional writers or those seeking to become full time writers.

“Are you published? Have you submitted to an agent?” I was asked these questions and more as they tried to determine why I was at the “Pro” meeting. I thought only athletes and actors had agents, so when I responded with, “What’s an agent?” at least three sets of eyes rolled simultaneously at me.

By next month’s meeting, I had fulfilled the requirements which allowed me to become “Pro” and therefore qualify to attend the first meeting. Eventually, these women realized that although I was very much a rookie, I was a talented author who possessed a strong desire to learn the trade of writing.

The more I learned, the more I realized I had no idea what I was doing. I found an editor and began working hard alongside her. It was her job to find all my mistakes. It quickly became evident I’d given her a lot to work with. I split my story into two books and cut out over two hundred thousand words. I came up with a name for my two books, designed (with the help of a designer), a cover, got a website, author facebook page and even a twitter account under my author name. It was a lot of work.

As a male writer of romance, I was also advised to use my initials instead of my name. In doing so, I'm able to avoid any discrimination readers may have based on my gender as a male romance writer is such a rarity.

I had to write blurbs for my books to go on the book jackets, tag lines and even an “about the author” page for my website. I still think writing the story is the easiest part of the process.

Still, I was a hungry student of both writing and publishing and within a year, had my first book published. I’ve even been the guest speaker at a Romance Writer’s monthly meeting.

It has been both a fun-filled and trying experience, and I’ve been tested extensively in my life since I started this new career path. But, by discovering a talent I never knew I had, I’ve found a new passion which will be a part of my life for as long as I live. I don’t know where this road will lead. I hope to someday be able to make a living as a full-time author. I can’t think of many more rewarding pursuits than doing something you love every day of your life.

To anyone who has ever dared to chase a dream, I leave you with this quote that I have in my living room.

“Only by daring the ridiculous can you achieve the impossible.”

 

Why Don't We Get to Know Each Other Better.....Part 1

It happened again the other day. I’ve lost count of how many times that makes. It starts out the same. “Hey how are you? What’s new?” they ask me.

Here it comes, I think to myself. Even when I mention I’ve written two books and published one, as casually as possible, I get the same reaction.

“You wrote a book?” they say with both astonishment and fear.

I can’t really blame them, especially the people who’ve known me for many years.

Please allow me to explain. My journey to writing is much different than other authors I know.

I was the kid who rarely did his homework and almost never studied. Although I was a voracious reader and loved to learn new things, after high school, the last thing I wanted was more school. I’ve always had a passion for everything fitness related. I spent a year earning my personal fitness trainer’s license from the International Sports Sciences Association. At the time I got my license, the ISSA was the number one certification in the world. As a personal trainer, I enjoyed helping others become healthier and feel better about themselves at the same time. During the next few years, I worked with and consulted people from all walks of life. I trained military personnel, police officers, fitness and strongman competitors, high school athletes, as well as housewives and everyday people, just wanting to improve their health and lose a few pounds.

It was rewarding work which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Through the years, I worked as a gym employee and as an independent contractor, renting space at gyms in order to train my clients. However, in a small town, it was difficult to earn a good living from training alone. I always had another job on the side to supplement my income. Personal training and fitness consulting would be the first of many career paths I would pursue in the following years. Eventually, my side jobs turned into careers which earned me much more than training could.

A few years ago, like many others, I found myself working in a day-to-day job that I did not enjoy and couldn’t imagine doing for the rest of my life. I felt I was at a crossroads and had to decide if I should finally take a leap and further my education, try a different field of work or just stick it out at my current job, which paid okay and had a great benefit package.  Very important when you have four children.  

After months on my knees, seeking guidance, the idea to write a book came into my mind. Write a book?! I was sure I’d received an answer to someone else’s prayer. But the idea wouldn’t go away. With a background in fitness and years of training under my belt, I assumed if I were going to write a book, it would be a non-fiction book on personal health, nutrition or exercise. I started to collect ideas.

Eventually I began writing a book which would help an individual select a good personal trainer. The book would also be a “how to” manual for trainers. As I began to follow what I believe to be heavenly instructions, I had an uneasy feeling. Writing a fitness book just didn’t feel right.

Now even more confused, I once again prayed for guidance. It didn’t take long before the feeling hit me that I should write a novel.  A novel!? Imagine my surprise.

Well, really it was shock and disbelief. I had NEVER written ANYTHING creative in my life! No short stories or poetry. I’d never jotted down an idea for a story, or documented a dream like a few authors I know have. Nothing! The urge or desire to write anything had never even entered my mind.

Yet, the urgency I felt to write would not subside. Eventually, the idea began to almost haunt me, and I began to feel as though I had to write.  Going to a job I strongly disliked each and every day, only added to the desire to change my situation.

One night at well past midnight, when everyone else in the house was fast asleep, I snuck out of bed and sat down at my kitchen table. Resigned to the idea that I’d at least try to write a story that made some kind of sense, I found a yellow notepad and began to write.  

I made up my mind. If I was going to write a novel, it would have to be a great book. I know this may seem like a silly thing to decide, but I still wrote it down as my first goal in this new adventure. Other goals on my list included the fact that it would have to be unique, unpredictable, and real.  I hate it when characters react to real-life situations by doing something unbelievable or far-fetched. I also determined it would need to be fast paced, have characters which were both likeable and relatable, a story that would keep readers guessing until the very end, and would--at some point--make them want to throw the book across the room. Let me clarify that last one.

My favorite author, Matthew Reilly, is the master at messing with his readers, like when he kills off a favorite character, for example, then later on, you find out that the character is not dead. You think “Oh, that #&*@$, he did it to me again!” I love that!!

After I made my goal list, I sat there for a long time. It occurred to me that I’d set a goal to write a “good” book without having any idea what my story would even be about. I wanted to write an unpredictable and unique story, but what the heck was it about? I had no clue.

          Since I tend to ramble, I'll finish the rest of the of my journey in the next segment.