Who do you trust?

I lead a group of local writers who meet once a month to read and critique each other's unpublished works. Some have been together for over 12 years and have become close friends. They make copies of their presentations  - 1500 words or less and pass them around the table, so each member can follow along. But when finished with the reading and the listening and the critiquing, each participant grabs their copies back. They count them and surreptitiously tuck their stories away in their protective folders - lest someone in the group steal their creation; plagiarizing every precious word put down on paper. They don't completely trust each other.

I remember when I first started taking writing seriously, harboring  those same fears. In all honesty, these fears are fueled by an inflated ego that led me to believe that my creation was so unique, so brilliant ,so valuable; that every other writer setting eyes on it, was bent on robbing my precious copy; claiming  all the fame and fortune that was mine  - for themselves.  So I kept my treasures to myself - out of harm's way; until I realized that none of that hidden away material will ever be seen or appreciated. By keeping my work locked in a sock, it would stagnate in its own cocoon, never to burst forth and fly on its own. It was safe and secure - immune from the dreaded rejection slip - the ultimate fear. "OMG not everyone appreciates my masterpiece! " On the other hand I could never  hope to enjoy the thrill of seeing my name in print either. For me, the need to get my story out  trumped the security of safekeeping.

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In 1985 when I was forty-nine, I decided I wanted to write a book. I wrote some of it but my job and life took over so I put it aside. Finally in 2003 I retired moved to Alabama. I did some writing and then in 2006 I moved to Arizona where I now live. In 2008 I joined the Tucson Saguaro Chapter of RWA. It is a great Chapter and I enjoyed meeting other authors like myself who were only beginning.

In 2010 I started doing the Chapter’s monthly program called Book-In-A-Week. That year I wrote over 1,000 pages. It was fun and in that time I started several novellas. I also worked on the book I started in 1985. In October of 2010 I entered a contest sponsored by Keith Publications and won. The prize was a contract to publish my entry.

I write under the pseudonym of Jackie James and Masquerade was released on Kindle in November of 2011, my very first published book. I was 75. In 2012 two more of my books, Love Sport and Vengeance were published. In 2013 Ghost of Walker’s Run and an Anthology called Persephone’s Song a compilation of stories by six different authors was published. My contribution is called Defeating Evil. These books are all available on Kindle.

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