An oxymoron, I know.

But the last post was just an introduction. It was the initial swipe of the profile pic (I think that’s how it works; I’ve been married since before swiping was a thing, sooo…). This one is like our first date. You know, where we really get to know each other. Maybe hold hands or kiss at the end of the night.

I added book jacket descriptions for my novels; go check them out under the Books tab. That was kinda messed up of me to post the covers and then leave you hanging as to what they’re about. Or maybe I did it on purpose. Maybe that was how I got you to swipe left. Right. Hold on…

Which way do you swipe if you like the person?

I know the next question is about reading them, and here’s where I become the super-uncomfortable date because I’m talking too much about my two novel-children on our first date because you gave me too much wine.

I wrote my first novel about ten years ago, when Tarryn Fisher was writing The Opportunist and she told me to write a book, too. “Okay, Tarryn,” I said. “Okay.” And I did. Only it was 180,000 words of pure garbage.

I ditched it and read a lot of books, studying the science of writing (I get it that writing is considered an art, but there is also a science behind writing a publishable book). I wrote another manuscript called The Rules of Burken. I got it professionally edited, which surprisingly received high praise, and that was my validation—my first indication that I may be a decent writer after all. I was invited to a writing seminar given by Joyce Sweeney, and that was the jackpot for me. I went to tons of her seminars and learned how to plot, how to develop characters, how to raise stakes and write gripping stories, and I was even invited to a critique group full of already-published authors. The thought of that terrified me, but I was so honored to be included with such great writers! It was during that critique group that I pulled out the first manuscript and completely rewrote and remastered it. After eight thousand edits, it eventually evolved into Wind Chime Poison.

Publication. Sigh. I’ll be honest—I’m insecure. While they are considered “complete manuscripts,” to me, they are live documents that always need editing. Just when I think I’m finally gonna pull the trigger and publish one on Amazon, I take one look at it and decide it’s not good enough and needs to be rewritten. I have had some agents interested, so for now, I’m leaning toward the trade route and seeing where that takes me. When I give you guys a book, I want it to be perfect.

And in the meantime, I want to help everyone else write, too. I can edit. I can brainstorm and develop stories. I can identify plot holes and character flaws. And I don’t need anyone’s validation for that.

See, this is where my confidence intimidates you on our first date, and now my need for validation seems endearing. You might like to know a little more about that. Now you’re accepting my invitation to come in for coffee, and you’re glad that you swiped in whatever direction you swiped that led us here.

Is swipe the right word? It’s starting to sound weird. Swipe. Swipe.

Swipe.