And that’s good enough for me.

I tell stories. I have a few awards so I suppose that means I don’t suck at writing. However, even with six novels and a novella to my credit, as well as hundreds of blog posts, I do not nor would I ever call myself an expert in anything. Nor would I dare to offer advice on the best way to do this or that, simply based on my own experience. I worked hard and I wrote from my heart, soul and gut. I was published. I went from being a writer to an author in the span of less than a year. How did I do it?

I wrote. I focused on my goals and did it my own way. That’s exactly how you should do it too; regardless of what your own way is. Just please, the only rule I stand by 100% is EDITING. If you are transitioning from writer to author and actually publishing a novel, pay someone to edit for you. Please, for all our sake’s.

Every situation is different. I’ve made mistakes but I’ve learned from each and every one; some bigger lessons than others. Regardless of what writing technique you use or formula you choose to follow, if you don’t approach that formula with a positive attitude and maintain the ground rules firmly at the heart of it with honesty and humility, you can really end up unhappy with the results of your work. Try it your own way first! Experiment! You may be creating a formula that only works for you and that’s perfect!

Every time I begin a new project that will hopefully evolve into a novel, my knees knock, my mouth waters, my heart races and hands tremble. That my friends is fear – fear I’ll write fifty thousand words and suddenly decide I’m unhappy with the story. Fear that my loyal readers will not like the behavior of my characters and even my main character. Fear that a beloved character may die a horrible death and my readers will wish the same for me…figuratively of course.

NEWS FLASH: Readers will love your story and readers will hate your story and it really has nothing to do with you. How they feel is about their own taste and that’s fine. 🙂 That’s how it should be!

I would never presume to tell anyone what is right and what is wrong with how they approach a project. Doing what you are comfortable with and what you see as a plan and system you can live with and work well with is to me, far more important than following some text book guideline laid down by someone or someones who think they are the expert.

I’m not an expert on anything – I’m a writer. I ONLY want to be a writer when I write. I don’t want to offer you advice, let you cry on my shoulder and most importantly, I won’t tell you how you should do anything. My experience is mine. Go get yours. Don’t be be afraid to spread your wings and fly!

“On giving writers advice, offering “rules.” I’m asked a lot about this, and people bring great lists of rules for writers to the page all the time. What do I think? I can’t say it loud enough. There are NO RULES for all writers! And never let anyone tell you that there are. Writers are individuals; we each do it in our own way. Don’t ever let anyone tell you that you’re not a “real” writer because you don’t follow their rules! I can’t tell you how much harm was done to me early in life by others judging me in that way. I was told in college I wasn’t a “real” writer because I composed on a typewriter; I was condemned later on in damn near apocalyptic terms for “not writing every day.” “Real writers” are those who become “real writers.” That’s all there is to it. And again, we each do it in our own way. For me, stubbornness has been as important as any talent I might possess. I ultimately ignored the people who condemned me, ridiculed me and sought to discourage me. I laughed or cried over it in secret; and went right on writing what I wanted to write, the way I wanted to write it. I knew of no other way to become the writer of my dreams. If you want to be a writer, go for it. Critics are a dime a dozen, and people who would love to see you fail are everywhere. Just keep on going; keep doing what works for you. Keep believing in yourself.” ANNE RICE

I’d listen to this woman before I’d listen to anyone else. She’s 100% right.

A few weeks ago I was feeling a little low because my life had gotten a bit out of control and I had too many things going on that required my complete attention. To be honest, this has been going on much longer than I cared to acknowledge but that’s how life goes.

I was in a slump. Unable to read or write much of anything and the only light I could see at the end of the tunnel was a train coming. Then it hit me; writer’s block combined with disappointment in my sales due to my lack of interest in my own life and happiness. Book reviews had tapered off. I’d become lax in my marketing and I couldn’t decide which direction I wanted to go.

I’d held on so tightly to all of my books for three years and feared without an agent and a major publishing company, I’d never sell enough books to achieve the level of success I need and want in order to finally quit my day job and write full time…my ultimate dream.

In the throws of all of this brain scramble, my original plan came roaring back to the surface like a wave crashing over me. My original dream while I was writing Fireflies was just to be read. I just wanted people to read my books and hopefully enjoy reading them as much as I enjoyed writing them. It was never about getting rich quick (thank goodness right?) or overnight fame. At its core, this journey has been about sharing my work with the world and finding readers who’d want to join me on this voyage.

“Give them away.”

That was the voice I heard. Since I started giving them all away yesterday, I have already received some wonderful feedback from people who have started reading the books. As of this writing, I have given away a grand total of 6,444 books. I am not naive enough to believe that all of these downloads will be read and even fewer of those will be reviewed. However, had I not opened the gates and invited so far almost 6,500 people in to try out my books, my odds of ever reaching these people would have been near ZERO.

Here we are into day 2. We have until Friday midnight to reach as many readers as I can. I’d love it if you would assist me with either sharing this blog post anyway you can and/or downloading my books and hopefully, reading one of them. 🙂

Thanks so much for your time! “The king may rule the kingdom, but it’s the queen who moves the board.” – D.M. Timney The Bright Spot – A review of the novel ‘Demons and Pearls’

Author P.S. Bartlett’s novel ‘Demons and Pearls’ follows the adventures of a woman pirate Ivory Shepard and her three cousin sisters as they battle various human demons to secure their safety & freedom. An innocuous night on board a pirate ship, if there was any, soon turns into a life altering event for the cousins after Ivory ends up killing the pirate captain. The consequences are nightmarish and Ivory has to quickly learn all that’s needed to survive in this hellish world. But with a little help from a couple of good men, she soon realizes her purpose and succeeds in securing the release of her cousins.

For years on end the ocean was seen as a male only domain, filled with heroic stories involving sailors and captains. But through this illuminating fictional narrative, author P.S. Bartlett shows the astonishing roles women played in the high adventures on and off the sea. Women have made significant contributions in maritime history but they often had to disguise their gender to work alongside men because of the prejudices prevalent. So while staying well within the framework of a fictional literature, this book without going overboard on a feminist tract still manages to portray some powerful women characters.

Although the plot and the characters are given equal importance, it wouldn’t be wrong to call it a character driven story. And what a wide and colorful array of characters does the book have! Ivory is smart, brave, independent and slick with her fighting skills, yet she imbibes the gentle feminine spirit. Her struggles and travails to attain a level playing field in an area dominated by men is something women everywhere even in today’s times will be able to relate with. Rasmus or Big Red is another equally strong character (literally too!) who stands out from other men because of his genuine masculine spirit and it’s no wonder Ivory falls for him. Theirs is not a standard love-at-first-sight kind of romance and there is more depth to their love story. The secondary characters too stand out for their genuineness and each has been given their own unique voice.

The scene in the cabin with Rasmus cutting Ivory’s hair has to be one of the best planned, conceived and written scenes that I’ve read in a contemporary fictional book in a long time. The gamut of varied emotions that strike you from these pages have to be experienced firsthand and it also shows the wide range and skill of the author.

Though not an out and out pirate thriller, there’s still enough in this book to help you relive the explosive period of pirates and pirate raids. There’s an interesting end to the book and there may well be a sequel in the works.

Paperback: 258 pages

Series: The Razor’s Adventures

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; 1 edition (April 6, 2015)

ISBN-10: 1511572558

ISBN-13: 978-1511572552

Buy From – http://www.amazon.com/dp/1511572558/ref=rdr_ext_tmb

All of these things apply if you LET them. I choose to be the woman I WANT to be and so far I’m doing a damn fine job of doing it MY way. If believing in myself is thinking like a man, then I agree.
If acting like a lady means I have manners, respect for others and class, then yes, I act like a lady.
If looking like a young girl means I smile a lot and my spirit shines through then yes, I look like a young girl.
I’ll admit I do work like a horse but it’s because I want to.

Lately nothing fits

Everything expands and contracts around me

Like a balloon going from hot to cold

Cold to hot

Full to empty

Where is the light?

I know it’s hidden there behind the clouds of doubt

Growing roots beneath the surface

the seeds of doubt and the seeds of confidence germinate

side by side

Their roots intermingle and sprout,

both reaching for the light.

Whose leaves will roll out  and catch the golden rays?

Whose buds will bloom?

Which will attract the buzzing bees?

To which will the bee fly and pollinate?

Which will shrivel and die and which will drink that light?

Lately nothing fits.

Everything is too tight or too loose.

The chair too small.

The bed too hard.

The porridge too hot.

The world…too big.

You don’t have to give it all away…
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