How It All Began… Take 2

I belong to a lot of Facebook groups for aspiring self-published authors.  As a committed introvert, I stay mostly in the shadows, spending some time admiring other authors’ work and gleaning many great ideas.  But I must admit, I have also spent a large amount of time being jealous of the few really successful writers who are selling a whole bunch of children’s books.  They have dedicated themselves to honing the skills of marketing and advertising, posting about their latest Kickstarter campaigns, and writing about the 10,000 units of hardcover books they ordered to be printed in China.

After several months of musing, I’ve come to the conclusion that:  A) Facebook is not always a good thing; B) jealousy is an ugly trait; and C) my journey as an author is my own.  I have faced the fact that while I would like to make all of this into a business, I lack the knowledge, skills, and perhaps most importantly the interest in marketing and advertising.  Perhaps my purpose is different.

In my first blog post, I explained in a less than personal manner why I started writing the “Murray” books.  It’s a cute story and goes over well in general conversation.  Today, I will share the more personal version.  I wrote these books because I needed to create.  Like any normal human being, I have faced many losses in my life, mostly bouncing back pretty quickly.  In the last decade, however, two losses hit me more deeply, and the struggle to bounce back has been intense (although, I seem to hide it well).  One loss occurred in my husband’s career, and I will not say more, as I actually still work there.  The other is related to the loss of a daughter through estrangement and two grandchildren I have yet to meet.

I started writing to find joy.  And perhaps to share some.  I wanted my stories to be funny, true to life, and inspiring.  I wanted my characters to be strong and fallible.  I ended up writing about a lovable but deeply flawed cat who just keeps on trying.

The children in our lives will unfortunately also face numerous losses and disappointments.  I would like to join you in helping them to find creative ways to cope and to keep bouncing back.  I hope I can make a difference.