by Patricia Bradley, @PTBradley1
Why is it that so many people who write find it so hard to say they’re a writer? I don’t have a clue…unless I go back to my pre-published days. I remember the first time someone asked what I did and I got up the nerve to respond with “I’m a writer.”
They were intrigued and didn’t look at me as though I was an imposter. Then they asked if I was published, and I stammered around because nothing I’d written had been published…but I did manage to say, “Not yet.”
Did that make me less of a writer? Or did it make me a wannabe writer?
No!
And to address that wannabe label—if you are putting words on a page, you are NOT a wannabe writer. You.Are.A.Writer. Wannabe’s only think about writing. They don’t read every craft book they can find or go to workshops. Wannabe’s don’t actually sit behind a computer or hold a pencil in their hand and commit words to the page. No, they only dream about writing—they don’t actually do the work.
Writers, published or not, must write. They actually cannot not write. So, if you have this drive in you to sit down and put a story on the page, a drive you can’t say no to, then OWN it. Say it out loud: I am a writer.
Doesn’t that feel better?
Not everyone can create stories so realize that God has given you a gift, one you must develop by reading those craft books and taking classes and applying what you learn. And write. If you use this gift God has given you, you will be pleasing to Him. If you don’t then, you’re saying no to His gift.
So, as Susie says, NOW GO WRITE SOMETHING AMAZING!
Natchez Trace Ranger and historian Emma Winters hoped never to see Sam Ryker again after she broke off her engagement to him. But when shots are fired at her at a historical landmark just off the Natchez Trace, she’s forced to work alongside Sam as the Natchez Trace law enforcement district ranger in the ensuing investigation. To complicate matters, Emma has acquired a delusional secret admirer who is determined to have her as his own. Sam is merely an obstruction, one which must be removed.
Sam knows that he has failed Emma in the past and he doesn’t intend to let her down again. Especially since her life is on the line. As the threads of the investigation cross and tangle with their own personal history, Sam and Emma have a chance to discover the truth, not only about the victim but about what went wrong in their relationship.
Award-winning author Patricia Bradley will have the hairs standing up on the back of your neck with this nail-biting tale of obsession, misunderstanding, and forgiveness.
Winner of an Inspirational Readers’ Choice Award in Suspense and a 2018 Carol finalist, Patricia Bradley lives in North Mississippi with her rescue kitty, Suzy. Her romantic suspense books include the Logan Point series and the Memphis Cold Case Novels. She also has written sweet romances for Harlequin Heartwarming available as e-books.