THOUGHTFUL MONDAY

 Good morning, friends!

Weather is going to be sketchy again this week. Bob leaves tomorrow then I can swing into full writing mode.

In the mean time...

Be Prepared, Be Safe...

All my best

~Angela

THOUGHTFUL MONDAY

 Good morning, everyone!

All my best

~Angela

THOUGHTFUL MONDAY

 Good morning, friends!

All my best

~Angela

THOUGHTFUL MONDAY

 Good morning, everyone!

Wow! This has been a banner year so far. 

While I've not been working on Book 2, I have had an idea for a new story I just wanted to get some bare bones down before I forgot what they belonged to. I'll tell you more about that later this week.

For now, I want to introduce you to my Monday posts - Thoughtful quotes to kickstart your week. 

I still haven't had the opportunity to set up my social media/ blogging planner yet. I've been trying to finish a paper project that is taking MUCH longer than anticipated. We'll get a flow going here soon.

In the mean time, please tell me what you're working on?

All my best!

~ Angela

HOW MY WRITING BEGAN - Part 2

 

Good morning.

Today, I thought I'd share how I got into writing romance. Like most of us, the journey began with a book - LOTS of books.

I read books as a little girl. I still have a massive tome of Children's stories my mom purchased from a young man selling books door to door. She bought that and an entire set of Bedtime Bible Stories. I think there were 12 books in the set. (Before we moved to Missouri 15 years ago, I gifted those books to dear friends who were Methodist ministers with six kids to enjoy them).

I also remember reading The Bobbsey Twins and Nancy Drew. Remember The Red Trailer Mystery? I remember writing my own spells when I was about ten. Even then I know I was a witch but that wasn't something you said out loud.

But I didn't discover romance novels until about the 9th grade. My English teacher, Mrs. Reeves was very contemporary (this was the late 1970s). Her sister had a book store. When they had to swap out books for current published, they were only required to send back the covers to the distributor for credit, the remainder of the books were tossed. But in this case, she would hand them off to her sister. 

Mrs. Reeves would bring flats of them back to the class room. When I close my eyes, I can still see those long tables (similar to our 8' folding tables now) laden with flats of books. There were Silhouette Special Edition, Second Chance romances, as well as westerns and sci-fi to interest the boys.  We could borrow whatever we wanted as long as we didn't shirk our studies. I was really good in English so I seldom had homework - except for reading the books I brought home. 

Except for a couple of collaborative stories with my best friend in 8th grade, this is when I started writing fiction. I was the target for lots of teasing and physical abuse in school from the 7th grade through 11th. So you can imagine my horror when, on one of the many bus rides from school, my binder wound up in the wrong hands and the kids were reading my stories, passing the pages around. I was horrified, sure this would only lead to more teasing. That did not happen.

Soon, kids were asking if I'd added to a story. Could they read it. I was baffled but kept writing. The teasing lessened (never completely stopped) and I had found my niche - even if that niche was outside of the cliques I so wanted to be a part of. 

I still love writing sweet romance... stories that readers can connect with in some way, and maybe... inspire those readers to follow their dreams.

How did you get into writing? I'd love to hear in the comments below.

All my best

~Angela

HAPPY NEW YEAR - How My Writing Began

 

Good morning, everyone!

I normally don't like to apologize for not doing something. Life happens is the best I can offer. I just couldn't write much of anything. My brain was in art/ creative mode. Looking back, I think I needed that time. 

I'll be bringing you up to speed on where my writing is right now. I can tell you, I'm working on Book 2 and I'm getting new ideas on a regular basis. 

So where did my writing really begin?

Last week, Barbara Walters passed away. She was an idol and inspiration for a lot of women wanting to get into journalism. I saw everyone of her specials from the late 1970s to early 1980s. I wanted to be an entertainment writer and ask the 'tough questions'.

When Mr. L, the guidance counselor at Gilcrest Valley High, asked what I wanted to do with my life I told him I wanted to be an entertainment journalist. Granted, at that time I was thinking Shawn Cassidy and the Bay City Rollers as my target and wanted to write for Tiger Beat Magazine. I figured it was a great place to start and work my way up. 

"You can't make a living as an entertainment writer. You need to refocus on a career."

I was stunned. I thought if Barbara Walters could make entertainment journalism a profitable career, why couldn't I. From that moment, (not knowing any better), I let my dream of being a journalist die.

In the 1980s, I began working in music promotion. I worked for local bands, getting paid in free entry to concerts. Hey, music was in my soul and I didn't have a lot of money so that was a perk I could get on board with.

I also discovered that most entertainment rags had a stable of writers and didn't pay freelance. In the late 1990s I found blogger and began doing interviews and writing there. From there, my music writing grew. I interviewed musicians in the Country Music, Bluegrass genres. But it wasn't until the early 2000s when I started doing CD reviews. (Thanks to Duane Allen from the Oak Ridge Boys). I started promoting concerts & venues, meeting talented people and making a few friends along the way. 

While I've stepped away from that to focus on the business side of being author (there just are not enough hours in the day), I still have the occasional pull to do a post or two. That blog is still alive. It's called KellysCountry

So where did romance come into the picture?

Stop by tomorrow and I'll introduce you to one of the most influential women in my life.

All my best

~Angela