I was going to write a book...

I was going to write a book. Honestly, I don't even completely remember the original plan outside of that. I do know, I definitely was NOT going to write a love triangle. Definitely, freaking not. There's just no way to write those and make everyone happy. Ever. I was NOT going to try. 

Wait. I do remember. I remember I was going to write about a guy who lost all of his memories. Forgot everything about his past, his life, his family. Everything. Except Her.

God, does it get any more romantic than that?!

That's what I was going to write.

The tragic story of a man who struggled to remember the love everyone wanted him to forget. Because, how dare he remember a girl...a girl who as all wrong...when he couldn't remember his parents. His carefully crafted future. His obligations. His history. 

Then, as I sat there, typing away at this new story I found quite exciting, the words were just rolling. 

One chapter. Done.

Second chapter...looking good.

Wait.

Who the hell is Gunnar?

What the hell kind of a name is Gunnar?

Why the hell is this GUNNAR in my story??????

That's when I heard it. The taunting giggles. The quiet whispers. And then, the chirping sounds of mean little elves as they sang,

'Gunnar is here to stay - he won't go away. 

And Gunnar's his name, no one cares if you think that it's lame. 

Suck it up, butter cup and find your story's new angle,

 because Gunnar is here to welcome you to the hell that is writing a love triangle'.

And that's when shit got really complicated...

So complicated in fact, I no longer wanted to write a book. I wanted to write two.

There you have it. Forget Me Not now has a buddy, Memories Made...out NOW and set to get you all confused and ready for FORGET ME NOT which will release on April 2nd (which also happens to be my birthday...which makes it sound like this is a coincidence, it's so not. I planned it. The whole thing. Well, not the date of my birth. That was my mother. Release date - that one - all me.)

Anyway - Memories Made - Free and exclusively available at the link below (I'd click it, but I already read it.) 

THIS IS THE LINK - CLICK ME TO READ!

Good Writers Are Good Listeners

I'm an introvert by nature, an exceptionally shy one at that, so I've always been more prone to placing attention on others rather than myself. I'm more than happy to have you talk about yourself for hours on end if that means no one's looking at me or expecting me to form sentences. Out loud.

I'm also a seasoned bartender (which many have confused for therapist over the years) AND because this shit runs in the family, I'm also the daughter of a professional Life Coach/ Counselor. My whole life, people have been coming to my front door (literally and figuratively) to spill their guts. Before it was to my mother, now, it's to me.

You can't begin to imagine the things people tell me. The stories I've heard. The things I KNOW about people I can never un-know. It's an honor to be allowed in and to be shown this intimate side of people's souls. A gift I never take lightly or for granted.

But, it's also an awesome responsibility, honoring people's trust, keeping their secrets. Especially when you're a writer and everything you come in contact with is potential writing material!

And it is. Writing material.

Hear me out.

To write honestly, to write emotionally and profoundly, you must be a good listener. You can only create multi-dimensional characters if you understand the multitude of dimensions human beings are made of. If you've seen below the surface. Heard their most personal stories and witnessed their private thought processes.

I don't share people's secrets in my writing. But, I harness their experiences in my own way, taking the emotions and consequent actions I've witnessed and recreating new characters and situations to apply them to, helping me create more genuine, more relatable stories.

I've been blessed with an extraordinary life. In my thirty-plus years, I've experienced more than most. Much of which has been heartache. Loss. And abuse. I've witnessed first-hand the damage of addictions and mental illness. I've become familiar with death and grief. I've been practicing since childhood. But, I've also traveled the world. I've driven across this country many, many times. I have been exposed to people of all cultures and beliefs. Have eaten foods in the countries they originated. I'm fluent in two languages and can muddle my way through more in a pinch. Lived in nearly every terrain. Been at home slinging drinks in the city of Las Vegas and felt completely in my element living life on a ranch riding and training horses day in and day out. I've been blessed. I can write about A LOT of stuff. BUT, I don't only want to write about me. My thoughts. My feelings. Diverse as they may be, they're still only mine.

So, consider this my warning as well as a thank you. Share. Vent. Cry. I'll listen. I'll support. And this is always a judgement free zone where secrets are treasured and trust is valued. But, those parts you share of yourself stay with me. They become a part of my human experience, twine in with my thoughts, my heart and my passion. My writing.

I craft stories by nature. I create from my heart. And what you've put there, comes out in a new form, with new life. I'll always be a listener. A watcher. An observer.

But I'll always be a writer, too.