Today, I decided to look back at my blog posts to see where I was a year ago.  I was still working on my first book, PENANCE. That book was a learning experience and I grew immensely from it. It is interesting to read THIS post from a year ago. I was editing and I was spending a great deal of time on it.

Now, a year later, because of that book, I’ve met some amazing people. One in particular has now become a very close and awesome friend as well as my editor. (Love you Michele!)

I was reflecting on how I’ve changed since then. I’ve changed because I’ve let go. I’ve let go of the worry of making sure everything was perfect and if the story was going to resonate with people. I’ve learned that my writing isn’t for everyone and that is okay. As an author or as as any person really creating things, there comes a time when you do worry about how you will be received. But, I’ve reached the point where I’ve stopped reading reviews and letting the negative ones affect me.

Then, if someone reaches out to me to tell me about how my book resonated with them, I respond and I’ve met some amazing friends because of it.

I had happen, what I wanted to have happen, and I didn’t even know it at the time. I wanted to connect with others via my writing. I wanted to connect with myself via my writing.  If you’ve read my books, I’m sure you’re fully aware that I do focus on the individual and growth more so than the “completion” via another person. I have to be honest, I’m very anti the Joe McGuire quote… “you complete me.” The way I see it, we should be a complete person ourselves before any relationship with another person. Granted, my characters have to grow, they have to learn something, but they don’t look to the other person to complete that part of them. And, the BIG part, they do HELP and support each other, but they don’t become the end game. That is real love. Everything else is lust and infatuation.

Two whole individuals walking side by side in the great journey of life. That  sums up my ideals for my characters. Whether that is pretentious… I’m not sure, but if it is, so be it. I believe that it is my duty as an author to breathe something new into life and the world. If that’s pretentious, then I suppose I’m pretentious.

Here’s something about me–I will not write something just to entertain. I cannot do it. Ever since I was a little girl, I wanted to do something more. I knew I was meant to. I was not meant to just meander through life. In everything I’ve done, I always knew there was something more to it. I’m not speaking in an unearthly way here, I am meaning that I had to have a connection with other people via it. A real connection, not some kind of sugar coated rampage that feeds the ego. No. I’m talking about TRUTH.

Just like my post from last year stated, THIS IS MY TRUTH. My truth is to create stories that touch people and make them think. I write stories for my characters and for what they are showing me about myself. As an author, I’ve learned that those characters are the ones that have shown me more and more about myself. It’s like a character study… well it isn’t like anything… it IS a character study.

Not everyone enjoys that. But, for those of you that do, I applaud you and I’m thankful for you. I’m thankful for your heart and for your passion in life. I’m thankful that you are out there following your own dreams. Each of us have them, we just have to stop being afraid of them and what others may think of them. Find YOUR TRUTH and chase the hell out of it and once you catch it, hold tight to it and keep going–walking side by side with it.

What makes you feel alive? That’s the question I love to ask people. What makes you feel alive? What connects you to life and living?  Whatever it is, that’s your truth.