I just wanted to express my gratitude to all those who have been reading my books. When I first started out in the business, I thought it was going to be easy. I posted book signings and visited many libraries to get exposure. Like anything new, it wasn't something that worked. I just had to try harder.
I was the over achieving girl in school that no one liked. I was creative and it was hard to make friends. All the popular kids seemed to have their own cliques and groups they felt comfortable with in school. I guess I was involved in my own world, hoping to be a famous writer or work for a newspaper having my own column. Dreams, aren't they funny? Nothing happens overnight and sometimes, it takes years to get recognized. Nevertheless, hope is always kept alive no matter what roadblocks are in my way. I remember reading Judy Blume as a kid. She really got where young girls wanted to go in the day. If no one understood, Judy Blume did. My mother didn't approve, of course. She had her reasons. If I found something interesting to read, I read it no matter what anyone thought. I had this comic book about camp life for middle schoolers. It was a funny take on puberty and boys and girls and how they think. I LOVED that book. When I came home from school one day, I found it missing. I suspected my mother threw it away even though she said she didn't. All I wanted to do was explore the different aspects of reading material and what's in it for me. I became disinterested in reading when I was in my late teen years and after I got married, I started reading again to my children. My daughter's favorite book was Little Nutbrown Hare. He was cute and she related it to our relationship. I would make up stories to my kids and make them laugh. I told them the story about the socks that smelled like blue cheese. A made up story that got a lot of laughs. They were very young then. I was the type of kid who fell in love with Winnie the Pooh and Mary Poppins. I loved adventure and make believe. When I felt alone, storytelling took me to a whole new place. Even as a child, I was fascinated with the enjoyment of books and how they were written.
Did you ever watch a movie and pay attention to the writing? You notice how the characters were written and where that emotion comes from. Like The Notebook or Sleepless in Seattle. Something like that. I love tears and heartfelt depth. I love where that comes from and I guess you could say I love movies that make you want to hold the hand of the person you came with to see it. Many times my husband held my hand and he still does on any occasion. When the scene gets intense and the lovers bond, the squeeze also get intense. That's what I love. Storytelling it just the writer's way of saying, "Take this journey with me and feel the love and the movement." That is what I want for my readers. Take something from what you read. With all that this world offers that is not healthy or beneficial to the mind and soul, going to another place feel like home, it feels like a place you can relate to. I could tell a story at the drop of a hat. I had a teacher in high school. He was from Nice, France and he loved to teach story writing and poetry. He drew a daisy on the blackboard and asked us to write a paragraph about this flower. I was the first one to finish and I did more than a paragraph. He was so impressed, he asked me to stay after class. All the kids asked how did I do that. They couldn't come up with anything interesting. When I met the teacher later, he told me I would go far with my writing. He said I should think about studying abroad, maybe in France and write with the most gifted authors. I was honored he thought I was good at my craft. I took it seriously from there and if no one was impressed, at least I made my teacher proud.
For years I never thought good of myself. I was the girl who talked too much to gain friends, the girl who at times was shy, the girl who was afraid of everything with the fear of being judged harshly. When I discovered who I really was inside of my heart, I let it all come shining through. I had to say good things about myself and look at the big picture, look at every bit of it. I may not be the prettiest and I'm most certainly not young anymore, but I have something more precious than anything gold. I have a gift and a loving husband who supports my every breath and achievement. He support my life and give loves even when I don't ask for it. He completes my world.
I would love to hear comments from anyone who loves to read. Appreciation comes as a gift from the teller of stories and the one who take you to a new adventure-Annette Marie Stephenson
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