Eureka!

Through the years, I have worked on honing my writing talent.  In high school, I excelled in my craft.  I entered several contests and won one or two.  Ribbons, trophies, certificates of accolades, all the tangible proof of my ability are stored away but still recollected in my heart and my mind.

Then I graduated, married and had two beautiful baby boys.  I put my writing projects on hold for a few years to concentrate on enjoying motherhood. 

Later, I began to write novels, poetry and short stories again.  I even started a children’s book series.  I submitted some of my novels to several publishers.  But in return, I received a lot of form letters that said that I was a talented writer but my work was “just not what we are looking for”.  They were always kind enough to add, “Good luck in your endeavor.” Over the years, I have gotten enough of those rejection letters to wallpaper my living room. 

Disappointed but not deterred, I continued to write.  I had to.  

I have to write. The words keep coming into my mind and I can’t ignore them.  I wouldn’t call my desire to create fascinating plots and to develop well-rounded characters an obsession, but, for me, it is more like an addiction.  The all-consuming need to put words together to form a plausible, if not entertaining story is essential to my existence.  And the satisfaction of finishing a novel, short story or a poem is a feeling of accomplishment that borders on intoxication.    

And so, I have indulged in my addiction.  While still crafting narratives and poetry, I concentrated on an alternative avenue for my creativity.  I wrote articles for a local newspaper that described how I came to be a citizen of Maryland, extracted from Texas by my new husband, and how I began to love my new surroundings.  This endeavor lasted for a few months, until the newspaper was sold and was moved to another town.

Five years ago, I hired an agent to represent the novel that I had just finished. “Golden Dreams” was entered into a national data base where publishers go to find prospective projects, but it got no bites.  Two years later, hard copies of the novel were sent to some of the publishers that the agent works with.  After several months, I received a report that none of them had accepted it.  A year later, she emailed me and suggested that I try vanity press, where an author pays for the printing, the promotions, well, virtually everything.  By then, I’d had enough of waiting for my “Golden Dreams” to come true, so I wrote a letter to the agency to “fire” them.  The letter was returned with “No Forwarding Address” stamped on it.  So, Literary Agency not mentioned here, if you still exist and you are reading this, please refer to the statement above.  

Dejected about the response that I have gotten from publishing companies, I have given up sending out query letters but I am still writing.  I have several poems, short stories, a series of children’s books and 6 novels rambling around in my computer including “Golden Dreams”.  And the writing projects keep coming into my mind.  (My addiction is eternal)

Wondering what to do about all those projects waiting to be shared with readers, I searched for ways to publish them for little or no start-up cost. And then, Eureka!  I discovered Amazon.com and the Kindle publishing program.  Last year, I published one of my novels digitally at Amazon.com, which downloads books to Kindle electronic readers or to a PC and other mobile devices.  I picked one of my novels that would appeal to Young Adults and “Ripple Effect” was published!  I listed it for $2.99, which is not a bad price for a first-time author.  That’s less than a gallon of gas, depending on where you live.

I’d like to take this opportunity to invite you to click on the link above and read the summary of “Ripple Effect”, a Contemporary Romance slash Action/Adventure.  If you decide to buy it, which I hope you will, please leave a review.  I appreciate constructive criticism.

If you like it, tell your friends.  If you read the summary and you don’t really like that kind of story, please tell someone who might enjoy reading it.  Thank you in advance for your help in spreading the word about it. 

Next, I published another novel, “Catch a Shooting Star”, which is set in the post-Civil War era.   I wrote this Historical Romance two years ago.  I  listed it on Amazon/Kindle for $3.49.  I hope you will click on it and see if that novel is to your liking. 

I am working on another Historical Romance that will soon be published there too.  Hopefully, “Enchanted Heart” will be up and running by Spring.  And then, I will add my “Golden Dreams” to the collection.

I look forward to bringing several genres to those of you who are looking for a different “voice” in my style of writing.  Some of my works will be posted here on my blog, free of charge but with the caveat of my copyright.   Others will be for sale on Amazon.com through the links on the top of my home page. 

I’ll keep you posted…

~Brianna~