This month marks my tenth years as a published author.
In that time, I have had 40 books released-both traditional and indie-and there are 3 more on deck for 2021. Yay!
Since it's been 10 years, I thought I'd share 10 random thoughts about my experiences. #WritingCommunity

1. I always feel like a newbie. I always feel like no one know who I am, or what I write, or anything about me. I have to remind myself almost daily to own my expertise. #WritingCommunity

2. The ideas never stop coming. This is one of the things I love most about being an author. To me, there's nothing more fun than letting the "what if..." spin out for a while. #WritingCommunity

3. My enthusiasm will always exceed my ability to produce. It's taken me ten years to come to grips with this (mostly), but overall, I think it's better this way. Keeps me hungry for more. #WritingCommunity

4. There is always a moment at about the 67% through where I'm convinced that I've used it all up, I have nothing left, and the book is complete crap. That's when I go back to the start and read to remind myself that none of the above are true. #WritingCommunity

5. When I am deep in the writing, I cannot read books in my own genres. I never want anyone else to voice my characters. #WritingCommunity

6. You gotta have friiieeeends. Seriously. We spend a lot of time in our turrets. You must have writer friends who are at about the same place you are career-wise and be able to speak openly and frankly with them. #WritingCommunity

7. The joy of seeing your book on a bookstore shelf = tears on a Tuesday morning in B&N. #noshame #WritingCommunity

8. Rejection never stops. It doesn't get easier. Your skin never truly thickens. What happens is, you realize it's not personal. This is a business, and sometimes being on the creative end of a business endeavor sucks. That doesn't mean you or your work does. #WritingCommunity

9. Your books are not your babies. It's okay to love some more than others, but know that each one is an accomplishment in its own right. #WritingCommunity

10. There are no magic beans. No pathway or program can guarantee commercial success. But you can determine what YOU consider success, and as long as you are keeping it real and enjoying the ride, I bet you get there. #WritingCommunity