Hi! Thank you for showing up to the party! So glad you’re here!

Welcome to my home. My world of the weird and the whimsical. Grab yourself a drink and introduce yourself, why don’tcha? I’ll let you know a little more about myself while I show ya around. Sound good?

What’s that wall right there? Oh, those are the ‘Goddess of Flames’ characters. I wrote a book about them seven years ago, but I had an internal crisis and unpublished it a year after releasing it. It’s a long story… I’ll talk about it some other time. 

But I do plan to re-release ‘Goddess of Flames’ version 2.0 later this year, hopefully in the fall.

Did you come here to be entertained? ‘Cuz I love to feed readers who are hungry for stories that take them out of their physical world and into worlds where the physical boundaries of our world don’t apply. I find a lot of freedom there, in those metaphysical realms.

That there? Oh, this is one of my favorite rooms. My own personal little art gallery. It’s where I gather and display all of the artwork that’s been drawn for my characters. Where I can celebrate different artists and their styles of creating. One of the artists, Eleteall, once remarked: “I love seeing a character drawn by different artists, each with their own vision.” I feel like I’m achieving that goal with this space.

Are you a tortured writer who is here to connect with a writer who is also seeking redemption? Cool. Then you and I will get along really well. 

I gotta finally admit a truth – a harmful secret – that has weighed on my soul for over 20 years – one I’m finally done running away from.

Those rooms over there, you ask? The ones still under construction? 

Okay, that one on the left is going to be a meeting place for writers and readers to just chill. Not critique or share… just a place for us to actually connect and talk, since writing can be such a lonely profession at times. Sometimes as writers, we’re afraid to just say, “Hello!” and talk without trying to promote ourselves. I’ll let you know when it’s finished and all decorated so you can come to the shindig.

That other room where you see all of the bookcases is my Resource Library. It’s where I’ll be sharing all of the resources that I use that help me become a better writer, stay motivated, and connected with others. The movers are still lugging all of the books and stuff in, so bear with them. 

That “secret” I referenced earlier? Oh, you’re a sharp one. I thought you’d forgotten. 

Okay, here it is: I love my writing, but for the past 20 years, I have been SO AFRAID to put my work out there. 

Sound familiar? Yeah, many writers suffer from the same fear. But here’s my kicker: it wasn’t like I didn’t write. I never had a problem producing written works. I actually had an okay career as a ghostwriter (and digital publisher), then as a technical writer. I didn’t get rich, or anything… which is kind of ironic since I was essentially chasing money the entire time (or “financial freedom”, passive income, whatever you wanna call it), but I was content with helping others make their dreams come to life.

Oh, that room over there? That’s where I store all of my short stories. The characters and worlds in those stories are always connected to a larger book in some way. I just like to use these short stories as a way to develop characters, worlds, and explore background adventures that probably won’t make it to the book. Check it out when you get a chance. Fair warning: if you lose track of time up in there, I take no responsibility. 

Okay, so what’s my deal, you wanna know? Who am I, really? Well, I can start by telling you who I’m not.

I am no longer the “writer who doesn’t write for herself”. I don’t hide behind ghostwriting anymore. As much as I enjoy helping other writers bring their vision to life, I realize I was using that career as a comfortable little hiding place. Safe from rejection, critiques, and that dreadful obligation to “share my work”.

I am no longer the writer who doesn’t claim that title. From here on out, every day I tell myself, “I am a writer. This is what I do for a living.” 

As someone who is (was?) a proud “slasher” (ghostwriter/publisher/editor), this is a hard transition for me. Tamara the Writer is a completely separate entity from Tamara the Publisher (who sometimes gets in the way, but she doesn’t mean to). And Tamara the Writer is starting from the very beginning. 

But the awesome thing is that you can come along for the ride with me! 

Every submission I get up the nerve to send out, I’ll share the experience. And I expect like-minded writers to submit and share as well! 

Every rejection (… so we can bitch and moan together LOL), every collaborative experience, short stories, and book releases… everything! All so we can share our same-genre books and show them off together.

I’ll share more about my “reading” self in another post. That one’ll be for the readers and book lovers because I’m an avid reader and admitted book snob. LOL Yep, I said it. I love talking and interacting with other readers, and I love being a hungry reader. 

Pull up a chair, get comfortable, and make yourself at home. Want another drink? Take a moment to familiarize yourself here. I recommend checking out some things to entertain yourself, like the short stories and book excerpts. 

Or you can get to know some of the characters. They’re lurking all over, so don’t be surprised if one jumps out at you. They’re cool – they don’t mean to startle you.

Not your cup of tea? No problem. Feel free to peruse the artists’ gallery. If you see an art style you think would be good for your characters, there are contact links to the artists for you. And if you’re interested in submitting some art, feel free to email me. 

Thanks again for stopping by. I’ll circle back around to talk to you again, okay? I just gotta check on those wallflowers over there and make sure they’re good. But I’d definitely like to know more about you, okay? 

Until next time.

Praise Yah.

_______________________________

Retro Write #1: “Honestly Introducing Myself“

Date: 6/16/2021

TRUTH: Date penned – June 22, 2021