Being a Writer: Guest post by debut author PS Bartlett

Debut author PS Bartlett has just had her novel, Fireflies, published by Mythos Press, an imprint of GMTA Publishing. She is a guest on my blog today to talk about being a writer and share information about herself and her book.

Being a Writer
By PS Bartlett

I started out with the idea that I would give insight into my writing process and eloquently explain my “point A to point Z” but that isn’t what came to mind tonight when I opened my laptop. What did come to mind was writing in my little pink diary with the tiny silver key that I wore on a string around my neck to keep out prying eyes. Then it moved onward to journals, spiral notebooks and personally illustrated stories.

From there it wandered to greeting cards and hand-made books, bound together with colored construction paper tied together with yarn, woven through holes on the folded edge to hold the pages in tight. It really was a great idea in theory, until you actually read the book a few times and the pages began to tear out. No matter, those were the first books and those were the stories that placed that “A” on the map which laid down the path to where I am today.

Many years passed between that locked pink diary of make believe and June of 2012 when I sat down one warm summer night to begin my research for “Fireflies” but all through those years, I met, befriended, loved, separated from and lost some of the greatest characters anyone could ever have the privilege of knowing. Each situation and relationship left their indelible mark on my spirit, be they good or bad and taught me repeatedly that experience and all of the joy and pain we navigate our way through, is where true knowledge of all beings and most importantly ourselves is found. That journey my friends, has been my writing process.

Being engaged and completely embedded in life’s journey doesn’t necessary make you a writer but it gives you more material, bolder characters and the strongest images to draw from to enrich whatever talent you possess. If you are a writer, then you already know you need to commit yourself to hours behind a keyboard or with a pen in your hand. You know that making excuses for why you don’t have time will only prolong your agony and your ultimate goal of sharing your passion with the world but by all means when you’re not writing, just live. Jump into the world with both feet and feel it, no matter how much it hurts. I promise you that when you are ready to commit that time and stop finding reasons not to write, those words and concepts will wash over you like warm maple syrup and taste twice as sweet.

BLURB:

Dr. Owen Whelan and his wife Sarah have seven bright and expressive children. However, one of them is very unique; he’s been followed since birth by lost souls. However peculiar Ennis Whelan has been for the first six years of his life, not until the day he found the bird did the degree of his strangeness become so tangible. When Ennis also reveals the gift of sight, he questions his father about visions of his past, including his voyage to America in 1844. Owen prayed he’d never have to share those tragic memories but he will share them, when he realizes he has no choice. Ennis’ life depends on it.

“Fireflies” will be available on April 3rd at the following stores:
Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple, Kobo, Smashwords, Diesel, Baker & Taylor Blio, Baker –Taylor Axis360, Page Foundry, Library Direct and in print on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Createspace.

BIO:

I was born on Valentine’s Day a long, long time ago in South Baltimore, Maryland, less than a mile from Fort McHenry and Federal Hill. I’m a very simple person. I love my life and am always striving to make it better for myself and my family.

I write, I draw and I work full-time as a sales and marketing office manager herding cats – I mean taking care of a loveable group of sales people all day long. I also paint beautiful watercolors with my two and a half year old granddaughter.

I’ve been married for nearly 19 years and together we have two sons and a daughter.

I’d call myself a football fan but I mostly only watch my home team, the Baltimore Ravens.

I love super heroes and Superman has been my favorite since I was a little girl. June 2013 cannot get here soon enough for me.

I’m fascinated with anything paranormal and have been since I was a little girl and would sneak into my parent’s room almost every night to sit on the end of their bed and watch the “kids playing” as I explained it to them.

I finished my debut novel “Fireflies” in about six weeks, over the summer of 2012. Needless to say I don’t sleep much. After several rounds of edits, feedback and more edits, I began submitting “Fireflies” to literary agents and publishers in groups of five at a time. Through my diligent efforts, persistence and fabulous luck, I am blessed to now be a part GMTA Publishing’s fold and look forward to releasing my first novel soon!

I’ve been reading everything I can get my eyes on as to how this whole process works and I confess that I still don’t understand it and the social media aspect is just as perplexing. However, now I have the guidance and support of GMTA to help me succeed at doing what I love and I’ve told myself to above all, just keep writing. I’m so excited because I’m about 30,000 words into my second novel which I have already begun to map out a sequel to. I don’t even know where these thoughts came from but I’ve never looked a gift horse in the mouth that hasn’t kicked the crap out of me, so I place my hands on the keyboard and just let go.

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