Queen: That is a great idea. Thanks! I look forward to meeting Ms. Evie

Smilinize, thanks for your explanation.

[ July 26, 2004, 02:00 PM: Message edited by: Songbird ]

Well, mine is a simple story really. I was in advertising sales a good portion of my life and had to make-up and layout ad copy that would attract the reader to buy or visit whatever the case may be. I also began doing phone sex and the company said my stories were magical and my call back rate was extraordinary so I began writing a newsletter of sexual stories that when mailed to callers and other customers would rev them up and make them call in. It was a smash success. I never thougt of writing anything else until I saw a contest for a Mystery and entered, and won. I took a writing test for Long Ridge Writers School and was accepted. I am now 64 (yikes, I am??) and began writing seriously at age 61. I do psyhological thrillers, health and nutrition articles and have a completed cook-book. I play around with poems as well. I want to do a childrens book illustrated by my dear friend and cousin Lala..she is a major artistic talent.....

Chatty, I'm with dotsie. You have to write those sex stories into a book. There is an epidemic of loneliness in America and it is not just among single or elderly folks either. You could call attention to the loneliness among married men and do a lot of good.
Besides it would be exciting. I would buy a copy for srue.
smile

Ok, here's my confession of a closet writer. I was raised on a college campus ans was alway intrigued by the arrangement of words and their varying meanings. Finally, in high school, I let it all out. During English assignment that required creative thinking/writing, my stories were always anticipated most. I loved writing twisted and emotional and even humorous stories. The emotional ones, unfortunately were based on many true personal experiences.

Soon, many of my classmates would come to me and ask just how I came up with stories like I could, so easily, quick. I'd just smile and cringe within knowing the real reason was that I'd somehow experienced what these interesting characters they loved/hated so much were very close.

I started keeping a diary. Sometimes I would revisit some of the issues in them. The entries were difficult for me to read. They were surreal alomst. Many were like reading what someone else had written about a girl far away somewhere.

I got married. My husband and I were sitting on my bed when he noticed my little red book sticking from benaeth my mattress. He did not respect my privacy and faught very had to get it from me. He would have divorced me for sure had he actually gotten the opportunity to read it (in hindsight, that wouldnt have been a bad thing, LOL)

We were getting ready to leave for a flight out of state the day he attempted to disrespect my wishes to read it. We were running late. I ran back inside of my house pretending to have left something. I went out the back way and set the book on fire. The pages wouldnt burn fast enough.

I had to stomp it out and take it back inside, then run back out to leave. It was years before I'd return back there where my diary was.

My brother told me that my grandmother was curious about some of the chain of events that took place in my life. He said that she opened the book, read and cried for hours and then some. He said that he had to take it from her and plead with her to get some rest and never open it again. I asked him to finish burning it for me. To my knowledge, he did.

Since then, I always felt like I was deprived all of the vital details describing my emotions as I lived the traumatic life. A teacher that had no control over my situation told me to do journal these experiences. She was the head of the fine arts dept on campus.

I cried when I thought about all that my grandmother had to endure as she found the details of what I'd experienced. I know that she must have felt guilty and very sad. I wish that she was here so that I could tell her that I didnt tell her the details because I loved her too much and I knew that she loved me too much and it would have only hurt her, maybe fatally with her diabetic condition.

Since she is no longer living, I would like to finish this life long book because the one that would have suffered will not now.

Wish me luck! I'm writing away on my first novel, finally!

Sugaree

JJ- Where is Evie?

Sugaree: I wish you the best with your book. Seems you've been through so much Does writing help you heal?

Chatty: Is it true? Do men turn to phone sex cause they are sooo lonely? How is your book coming along?

Songbird,
I forgot to mention that Evie is on vacation! She is, however, checking her email from time to time...so go ahead and write to her. I replied to your private message with the details, k?

Hugs,

JJ

Yuhoooooo....mouth of the south here!

LALA pic is on the picture page! Another boomer beauty has been added!!!!!!

I've got to ask ya...is this not the most lovely, inteligent looking women you ever did lay your peepers on or what?

whoooo hooooo! Boomers rule! <especially da Queen...teehee>

JJ

JJ: Thanks for the message. Thanks for telling us about Lala's picture. Another beautiful boomer!

When did I know I was a writer? I always knew, I just hid it for a long time. I didn't get a lot of support as a child. I was told to find something else to do with my life because writing wouldn't be a good career.

I ended up becoming a computer programmer who didn't like to program. So, I used my skills to become a technical writer. I finally found my niche. I wrote computer user manuals for nearly 15 years until I let the fiction bug bite me good and hard. I retired from tech writing around 1999 and started writing fiction. I had my first novel published in 2001. I haven't turned back and my 3rd novel was published in Jan of 2004.

I write women's fiction and enjoy the room to stretch my characters. Especially the strong women lead characters.

Peace.

Vicky: Isn't that great? You always knew you were a writer! Well, seems like you're an expert author, girl . Good going!

Maybe you can share some tricks of the trade with those of us who are just starting to travel the writing path, huh? Pretty please?

JJ- I e-mailed you. Thanks!!!