Today we have a guest blog by the fabulous USA Today Best Selling Author JEAN BRASHEAR!
Jean's website is here: http://jeanbrashear.com/
You can find her on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/JeanBrashear?sk=wall
A few years ago, I took a crazy gamble and tried to write a book. Unlike most writers I know, I never thought being a published writer was remotely possible for me. Never scribbled little stories as a child. I’ve loved reading all my life, yes, and spent a great deal of my childhood in the tiny library in the small town where I grew up. I’m never far away from a book, would just about as soon read as eat. My kids learned early on to discriminate between the times I was actually listening and the murmured responses that meant I was still deep in the story. I propped books up on the counter while I made bread, while I folded laundry…and if my current book wasn’t nearby, I’d scavenge for any reading material at hand.
But have my name on the cover of a book? A pipedream, pure and simple. One of those gee-wouldn’t-it-be-wonderful ideas…but things like that don’t happen to people like me, do they?
Then one day, in the middle of one of those “what are we going to do with the rest of our lives?” conversations, I mused to the man I love, making that gee-wouldn’t-it statement. To Mr. Get Things Done. Mr. Don’t Talk About It-Do It. Mr. Bottom Line. And the man went a step further-put his money where his mouth was and encouraged me to come in a couple of hours late each day to the business we were running together, so I’d have the time to try.
Uh-oh. Busted. No reason not to proceed except…well, cowardice. Common sense, maybe. But I lived in a state of blessed ignorance at that point-knew nothing about the craft of writing, no idea how to proceed and, Most Important, no idea how enormous the odds were against me. If I’d known then what I know now…I’d guess the fear thing would have won. Because I didn’t know then how important writing would become. What it would mean.
So my master plan, my technique (you should laugh here-I am) was to read what I’d written the day before, then do the ingénue thing, tip of finger twirling in imaginary dimple in cheek: “Golly, where shall I go from here?” And somehow, at the end of six weeks I had-more or less-a book. Just under 300 pages, a beginning, a middle and an end and maybe, just maybe…a real story.
And the beginnings of a new love affair, for writing is now as important to me as breathing. I can’t imagine not doing it, can’t envision my life without it. And could kick myself around the block for not trying sooner.
But you know what they say about hindsight.
I proceeded to make just about every mistake in the book-not understanding the market, firing that book off to the agents of every author I loved, not having a clue about appropriate publishing houses for what was a decidedly amateur effort…etc., etc.
But fortunately for me, embarrassing as that book is to me now, somehow those who knew more than I did saw a glimmer of talent in it. As the scales fell from my eyes, one by one, I received just enough encouragement to keep me following those kudos like breadcrumbs as the rockslide of publishing realities thundered down on my head…and I didn’t quit.
I wanted to-a million times, at least, but I didn’t. And the man who dubbed himself The Shovel Man is the biggest part of why. He gave himself that name to describe the rollercoaster his life had become. As he said, he never knew when he came home at night, if he’d be scooping me off the floor or scraping me off the ceiling. But bless him, he persevered, having faith in me when I so often had none in myself. My first book is dedicated to him, but they’re all really his. Without his love and faith and unflagging support, I wouldn’t be here, conversing with you.
I’m far from a finished piece-a work in progress, to be sure. I’ve been fortunate to win a number of awards and receive a lot of great reviews, but I’ve got a lot of lost time to make up for-though I can’t really call them lost, because I don’t regret at all the years I focused on my family. Family, as you can probably tell from my books, is everything to me. But I’ve got a lot of stories to write, a lot of work I’m still building the writing muscles to tackle.
I’m not through taking crazy leaps.
I hope you’ll be around with me-to watch, to maybe shake your head, but in the main, to let me tell you a story now and then, and be a part of this wonderful pipedream.
I loved this book of Jean's - I want to give it a plug even though it's not a mystery:
A grieving woman travels across Texas on a whimsical search for her reincarnated sister, using oddball historical road markers as a guide.
Every life has signposts
Every traveler has a history.
Sometimes a detour is the only way home.
Six-foot redhead Eudora “Pea” O’Brien, convenience store professional, sets off from Austin with everything she owns in a beat-up car searching, on the advice of a psychic, for the reincarnated soul of the sister who raised her. When Sister was alive was the last time Pea felt safe and whole; she yearns for family and a place to call home.
She travels the back roads of Texas, alert for signs to lead her to Sister while passing the time reading roadside historical markers. Along the way, she rescues a starving kitten and a pregnant teenager, takes on a con man trying to go straight and meets a gun dealer named Glory who introduces Pea to the sword-wielding women of Robert E. Howard, creator of Conan the Barbarian. Glory and her nemesis, a grandmotherly café owner named Lorena, along with Howard’s Dark Agnes, become Pea’s unlikely gurus as she seeks to master both swordplay and the art of perfect fried okra on her way to finding both her own strengths and her place in the world.
THE CHOICE
She’s driven by vengeance; he’s driven by guilt. She’s out to kill the man he’s sworn to protect. White-hot attraction…dangerous secrets. Only one can win, but both could die, depending upon…THE CHOICE
New version–with new ending–of Jean’s previously published award-winning bestseller, The Bodyguard’s Bride.
“He’s dangerous and sexy, with the soul of a love and the heart of a hunter…Ms. Brashear’s fresh writing style offers the reader a stylish love story imbued with high drama, substantial conflict, a strong heroine and delectable hero.” ~Romantic Times BookReviews 4.5 stars (Exceptional) Top Pick, WISH Hero
“Author Jean Brashear evokes an atmosphere of unrelenting danger that is further enhanced by the explosive chemistry between the hero and heroine. This fast-paced, sexy page-turner draws the reader into a world of shadows and intrigue. It is top-notch romantic suspense.”~Gothic Journal
“Jean Brashear will knock your socks off!” ~New York Times bestselling author Stella Cameron
“A stunning debut! Filled with passion and intrigue, it SSSizzles with sensuality and suspense from beginning to end!” ~New York Times bestselling author Sharon Sala
A letter to Rod Stewart resulting in a Cinderella birthday for her daughter sowed the seeds of USAToday bestselling author Jean Brashear's writing career. A lifelong avid reader, at the age of forty-five with no experience and no training, she decided to see if she could write a book. It was a wild leap that turned her whole life upside down, but she would tell you that though she's never been more terrified, she's never felt more exhilarated or more alive. She's an ardent proponent of not putting off your dreams until that elusive 'someday'—take that leap now.
Twenty-eight books later, the three-time RITA finalist and Romantic Times BOOKReviews Career Achievement Award winner has accumulated a whole passel of war stories to swap and loves nothing better than talking writing and books with readers and fellow writers.
And she'd still take that leap, war wounds and all.
A letter to Rod Stewart resulting in a Cinderella birthday for her daughter sowed the seeds of USAToday and Amazon Kindle bestselling author Jean Brashear's writing career. A lifelong avid reader, at the age of forty-five with no experience and no training, she decided to see if she could write a book. It was a wild leap that turned her whole life upside down, but she would tell you that though she's never been more terrified, she's never felt more exhilarated or more alive. She's an ardent proponent of not putting off your dreams until that elusive 'someday'—take that leap now.
Twenty-eight books later, the three-time RITA finalist and Romantic Times BOOKReviews Career Achievement Award winner has accumulated a whole passel of war stories to swap and loves nothing better than talking writing and books with readers and fellow writers.
Hi Jean and welcome, it's so nice to meet you
I read and reviewed
here's the review
http://thereadingfrenzy.blogspot.com/2010/12/revie
and I've been dying to read Goddess of Fried Okra but my TBR pile falleth over, I will get to it.
I review a lot for Harlequin and especially Mira so I'm sure I'll come across one of your works soon.
I personally know a lot of authors who are re-releasing their previous titles on digital format and glad to know you are too.
Thanks for stopping by and good luck on your upcoming releases
