Of Demons...and Angels

I came late to writing as an expression of creativity. My husband will tell the story of how I simply went to another room one evening several years ago and began writing the stories that had been clattering around in my head for a long time. He still cannot figure the why of it but...I digress.

As far as writing goes, the Demon Fear has always been hanging around nudging me to quit, questioning my ability. My challenge each and every day has been to overcome the notion that my books are not good enough. (Yes, they are all good books!) Or that they would never get published. Or any of the other “fears” many, perhaps most, writers suffer. Those of you who write know of what I speak. I always used the excuse that my joy was in the writing and that the “business” of writing took too much time and aggravation to pursue publication. But as soon as I attended a presentation on self-publishing by author Sarra Cannon, I knew deep down that this was the way for me.

As I trod that path—doing everything that needed to be done to edit, prepare and design the first book of the series, the Demon Fear began once again to rear its ugly head. It is apparently in my nature to summon such “demons” yet I knew I was at the point of no return. Do it or not. Courage was in short supply and I was in dire need of something...anything to push me forward on the journey to achieving my dream.

The push I needed turned out to be a gentle shove of a very special kind.

On September 29, 2011, I realized that it was the Feast of the Archangels—Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. Having been educated in Catholic schools, angels are part of my life and are also integral parts of the first two books, “Children of Angels” and “Angels Flying with One Wing.” This had to be a sign. By the end of that memorable day, I had uploaded “Children of Angels” to Kindle, Barnes & Noble and Smashwords. September 29 was the day I published without hesitation and without fear. The next day my website was up and running. I now pursue my dream with no fear, no hesitation and no doubt, thanks to my three Angels. I don’t expect to sell a gazillion copies of my books. That would be nice, of course. What I do know is that the people who need to read the stories my books tell will come to read and enjoy them.

“Demon Fear” is nowhere to be found now and my writing life as well as life in general is indeed pretty darn cool. I’ve got Angels—Archangels—in my corner.

Small Acts of Kindness...

There are encounters with unexpected generosity that are powerful enough to change one’s life. It happened to me on September 8, 2011. I have agonizing for months as to whether or not I should proceed with self-publishing my books. Oh, I went through all the motions - I proof-read and edited the manuscript for “Children of Angels,” built a website, designed the cover of the book, made a Facebook page - all as if I were moving forward with my dream. Yet still, even with all the right things in place, the courage I needed to proceed was nowhere to be found. Until September 8. When I casually checked my email I found an email that a person from the Heart of Carolina Romance Writers group was now a follower of @SuzanneKimball on Twitter. My first! She was not aware that I was also a member of HCRW writing as Suzanne Kimball. My pen name is not yet on their roster as such. Whether or not she knew it, her kindness meant the world to me so much so I came to tears. That one email, that small kindness on her part - following a new writer she didn’t even know, sparked a well of resolve deep inside me to forge ahead with the pursuit of my dream. It is so very easy to give up when the road ahead seems so fraught with obstacles. I was on the verge of doing so.  But after that small email, my resolve has strengthened and each day I take a few more steps forward toward that dream. Yet were it not for this small act of kindness, I may have given up prematurely. I may never be a rich and famous author but I will be a person who, thanks to this small kindness, is living her dreams. One can ask for no more that that. Thank you, Beth. You made a big - huge - difference in my life.

Welcome to the beginning of a dream...

This blog is part of my new venture...publishing my books. Doing so is my dream coming to fruition. The dream has lain dormant for several years but age and experience have proved one key truth to me: Life is way too short not to follow your dream. For a number of reasons, I choose to self-publish, which works for me mostly because it lets me control my own “fate” in the world of publishing. It is a privilege for me to share my thoughts through this blog. If I can inspire you to follow your particular dream, then I am successful.

My work currently features the three books of The Stonebridge Trilogy. The first of the trilogy, Children of Angels, will be published on Kindle, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords by late September. The second and third books respectively, Angels Flying With One Wing and Dreams & Nightmares, will follow at regular intervals over the next months.

You can also find me on Facebook at Suzanne Kimball, Author as well as my website http://www.suzannekimball.com/. Until such time as the website is up, you can contact me at suzannekimball@hotmail.com.