Into the Fire

I'm not that smart. I could give you lists of things that don't interest me. And, if they don't or didn't, I rarely retain(ed) the information beyond the minimal. I never liked classical or country music – and, yes, complete opposite types of music. Therefore, although I might recognize the music or a song, I cannot identify the composer or the singer of either. Now if you're talking "classical" rock? Different story. I can still remember the lyrics to myriad songs and who did them. 

The point being: I limited my intake of memorable knowledge. I've always had "tunnel-vision", been "single-minded." I've read many novels now considered classics, most of which I enjoyed. But I also didn't read a lot of what are considered classics. And my tastes in reading and writing have been contemporary literature for years now with very few exceptions. 

I did well in school from the beginning to the end, but, as fun as it was to enjoy my friends there and some of my teachers, I never truly liked school. I didn't want to go to college, but I went for a year because my parents wanted it for me. I took as many literature/writing classes as I could – that first year they give you irrelevant review classes which you should not have needed, but you had to take them anyway. 

When I got to the racetrack (Thoroughbreds) at the age of 20, I abandoned learning anything other than horse racing, breeding, and everything to do with all of it. Soaked it all in. I had written a lot before then, but the 7-day-a-week work curtailed much of that only eliciting a rare return to an occasional free verse. 

Most people love to learn new things. Generally speaking, I don't. There are very few things that inspire me to apply my learning skills to them. I took some time to enjoy and experience my Konica 35 mil camera with film back in the day until I became comfortable with it. Took some fabulous snapshots during my trip to Europe and beyond. Many years later that camera was stolen. I have a nice Rebel now, but it's digital and it frustrates me. 

My serious writing – as in novels – began later in life than many authors. I'm not one to enjoy research, but I've had to do some to enhance my characters and make them realistic. Email conversations with people in the professions my characters chose to be (i.e. film critic, architectural designer, computer forensics/etc., police detective/procedures, etc.) proved to be fascinating and beneficial. I would say it was because I dealt "directly" with those people who were willing to subject themselves to my questions and respond in detail. I loved that part. 

All that to say, many authors are fluid in so many areas and subject matter. Not me. Many authors are disciplined in their writing habits – some because of deadlines and some because that's who they are. Not me. In no other area can I be called what's inferred by the term "free spirit", but in writing my novels I guess it fits. Once I wrote three novels in one year, and these weren't those 80K word counts. These were all over 100K in word count. During another segment and more recently, it seems one a year is the most I can do – although while writing Race, I started two others so I basically had three going at once which is definitely not normal for this sequential lady. 

Now you know a part of who I am and was. Definitely nothing special. But still an author of novels. Raw Romantic Redemptive

Father, you've watched over me the entire time both before and after meeting you. Jesus, you rescued me. Holy Spirit, I will never forget the creative ways you showed me Jesus. Thank you is never enough. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.