One moment can change everything.
For most, death is the eternal end.
Bryan Caleb has unfinished business. Even as he struggles with his own mortality Bryan must find the compassion within himself to help guide Lisa Zane, an emotionally and spiritually drained young girl, through her troubled life to find her purpose. For it is only with Lisa's help that Bryan can rescue his very own son from the life of crime he has fallen into before Kriticos Caleb's fate mirrors his father's...in death.
Thanks, Cynthia, for inviting me to your blog. Your readers are lucky to have found a niche in the blogosphere with the mission of counteracting negativity with fun, creativity, and inspiration!
I’ll bet for every hundred authors, ninety-nine have experienced significant negativity. Writers hear about the number of rejection letters even very famous authors have received. Publishers rejected the works of James Joyce, Stephen King, and J. K. Rowling multiple times so at least you’re in good company if rejection letters are piling up in your mailbox. I don’t know if it’s a record, but William Saroyan received 7000 rejection slips before he sold his first story!
Negativity sometimes creeps into my own experience. For example, three friends and I were out to lunch when I announced that I was writing a book. Two of the women were very interested in the plot of Call Me Kate as I described it, but the third sniffed and said, “Your book better have a great cover.” Thank goodness I’m not an easily influenced juvenile because that remark might have squashed my plans. After all, friends are supposed to be supportive, right?
Other people, trying to be helpful (I guess) told me how hard it was to get published, and about how no one reads books anymore. Luckily I have a “constant reader” and supporter in my aunt who, from the beginning, pumped up my excitement about writing. Joining a writing group was another effective writing motivator. Without too much coddling, the gang at Endless Mountain Writers set me on the way to better writing. My most amusing rejection came a few years ago, from an agent. Without knowing it, this agent had Joe Hill, son of Stephen King, as a client. He was not interested in a young adult historical when he was on the brink of a significant coup in the publishing world. Due to a glitch in my computer clock, I received a courteous form letter of rejection two minutes before I sent the query e-mail! Now, that’s rejection!
As a teacher, I see how a person’s psyche can be influenced by what other think about them, even if their opinions are unreliable. No matter how unlikely it is that a student will be the next Tony Hawk, Michael Jordan, or Lady GaGa, I would never trample those dreams of reaching the stars. I didn’t plan to be a writer, but I’m sure glad I started writing; Thank you to those who support me. There’s still a lot of room for new writers out there. Write on!
- Molly Roe
Molly Roe Bio: Molly Roe is the pen name of Mary Garrity Slaby, a veteran language arts & reading teacher at Lake-Lehman Junior Senior High School. Mary holds a Ph.D. in education from Temple University, and Pennsylvania teaching certification in six areas. She has pursued the hobby of genealogy for the past decade. Mary was born in Philadelphia, raised in Schuylkill County, and currently lives in Dallas, Pennsylvania with her husband, John. They are parents of two grown children, Melissa and John Garrett, cover illustrator of Call Me Kate. Digging into the past has given Mary newfound respect for her ancestors and a better understanding of history. Call Me Kate is the first in the author’s trilogy of historical novels loosely based on the lives of the strong women who preceded her.
