Almost One Year Later!

Sales of Wilson Mooney, Almost Eighteen are growing at a steady pace. Almost a year after it was released it seems word of mouth is working its magic. Yeah, at times I wonder if it is because I am getting close to releasing the second novel in the series…maybe. Or it could be that people are finding it because they are looking for a steamy read with a storyline and character development.

I understand readers want to invest in the characters; it is important to feel the different emotions that the characters evoke in their hearts. Let’s face it, we all want to love, hate, get angry, and laugh at characters in a book. We want to be entertained and transported to another world, even if it is only for a couple hours in a day.

When I decided to self-publish Wilson, I went about it with blinders on. When I stumbled or came across a roadblock, I would hit the internet and searched out how to overcome it. Yeah, sometimes I had to take a pretty big shovel and tunnel under some real huge barriers. Sometimes I would fall off the confidence wagon and question the choices I made. But I eventually found my footing again, fixed the axle of the wagon, and gave it a running push before I jumped back on.

The biggest roadblock I still work at overcoming; the biggest mental hurtle I work on the most (sometimes multiple times a day), has been my own self-defeating talk in my head. You know that little irritating, nonsensical voice that shows up in the back of your head when you believe everything is heading in the right direction.

Do I listen to the little irritating turd in the back of my head? Sometimes~ But my saving grace has been the people who support me and want to share in the success of my stories. See, I learned early in life, the people you attract in your life, the people who surround you will shape your experiences. Now, fortunately, I have some really amazing people in my life; people who share the same philosophy as I do. I’m not saying that we are a bucket of rainbows all the time. But we don’t focus on the negative situations for very long when they seem to come up and bite us in the rear.

Now, I’m not saying my journey been perfect. But it’s my journey and how I react to it, creates my experience. I work every day at perfecting my craft, marketing my books, and most importantly making sure to live in gratitude. Every person who has invested in me and my stories, every new sale I get, every letter or email I receive, and every moment I am given to write and create…I consciously and verbally give thanks for…everyday.

Thanks for visiting~

Make sure you check out the Wilson Mooney Facebook page~ HERE

 

Are We There Yet?

It’s funny, people who are close to me and my process can tell when I am coming to the end of a story. I start looking for the reassurance that what I wrote isn’t sh*t. I begin to question what I have written. It’s a bizarre feeling when my thoughts begin to morph into different advocates that cheer or hiss in my head.

I have to admit, when I decided to publish Wilson’s story…I felt like I took every stitch of clothing off and ran butt naked down the median on the highway. Every flap of skin, every pocket of cellulite, mole, and gnarly scar exposed for anyone who wanted to look over and point a finger (Pay attention, traffic is stopping up a head!). And yet as I awkwardly tried to run with my hands over my no-show parts, I felt the need to just free my arms and start waving at all of the rubberneckers checking me out.

Because, now that people are taking a chance on me and read my writing; they are beginning to wave back instead of point. They smile instead of scowl, and they actually roll down the window to cheer me on. They don’t notice the flaps bouncing with every step and somehow my moles and scars seem to disappear. Suddenly the shift from apprehension to confidence has taken place. Don’t get me wrong, I live the teeter-totter of cheers and jeers daily.

Everyday I’m learning that being an author is a game of patience and gratitude. I am completely aware that some people search their entire life to find something that drives them and they never discover what it is. I realize how fortunate I am to have found what drives me. There’s something deep in my heart…actually it’s in every cell of my body that tells me that I have to write. It’s almost like breathing. It is so personal, and yet at the same time so communal. 

It’s as if the huge metal claw in the grab-o-matic game hovered over me before it dropped down and snatched me up by the head and waved me precariously over the sea of prizes. And before I knew it, I was in the arms of the people who celebrated who I was and what I wrote. It's been the most humbling experience and continues to be!

So I guess I want to tell you, my wonderful readers…Thank you! Thanks for your support, your loyalty, and your patience as I edit, re-work, and revise Wilson Mooney, Eighteen at Last. Thanks for all the emails and letters you send me about Wilson and how her story has resonated with you in your own life.

From the bottom of my heart I am truly grateful.

Please keep checking back for updates and little teasers as I get closer to releasing the second book in the Wilson Mooney Series.

Want more?

Visit my website: www.gretchendelao.com

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Send me an email: gretchen(at)gretchendelao(dot)com

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