First pieces tend to be a writers facepalm moment. Looking back and asking “What was I thinking?”

I had the distinct pleasure and displeasure to try giving my first novel another look.

It was chaos…

That specific piece will never see the light of day, but bits and pieces of it will. There were just things that seemed to work within the disaster that didn’t as a whole.

However, I am extremely proud of the fact that no matter how bad it was… nothing I write will ever be that frighteningly bad again. I poured everything I had, at the time, into it.

I was clearly green to writing and the writing process. There is nothing wrong with this though. We all had to start somewhere!

One degree, a blog, short stories showing my growth, and a good handful of pieces in my editing pile later… here I am.

I am much more confident in myself and my writing. I can see the difference between pieces. I can see the difference in myself. I can ask myself, “What the hell was I thinking?” without being embarrassed.

The thing I can see that never wavered… my passion to do what I love. Then and now my heart lives to be put on paper and read around the world.

–AB