Today I am participating for the first time in the Insecure Writers Support Group. It is a great place to give/receive support to/from other writers. The group meets the first Wednesday of every month here.. http://alexjcanenaugh.blogspot.com
I have been feeling insecure lately for a number of reasons.
I am so close to finishing with my next two books. I am having trouble just sitting down. I use the excuse that I work full time [out of the house] and have been traveling all year promoting my first book. That is a good excuse but another reason is I worry if they are they good enough? I have been blessed with a beyond my expectations response to my first book, is it normal to worry if the next book will be good enough?
My other big -time insecurity at -the -moment is comments. I have been posting interviews on my blog for about six weeks now and am getting NO comments. I have gotten a few great comments on facebook but why, oh why are they not commenting on the post itself. I have been doing giveaways too???
My reading/review pile is more like a mountain. My goal is to finish the pile this week so I can read and review 3 books for a magazine next month. [Supporting Authors One Read at a Time.] It is an amazing group. If you would like to join let me know and I’ll invite you.
I would LOVE any advice or comments xxxooo
Doreen
Meet Brian…..
I met Brian in a memoir writers group I belong to on Facebook. We have never met in person but I can tell you I have really worried about and prayed for this brave man and his lovely wife Denise. You see Brian recently had a heart transplant and for all of us that follow his blog. When he finally got the call..wow..what a nail biting, praying few days we all had..
Interview with author Brian Hayden:
First of all I must say I am so thankful that you are here to answer questions for us today.
In your first book you share with the reader your diagnosis. Prior to being sick were you a writer? What was your day job?
Thanks. I too am thankful for being here to answer your questions
I was in the Air Force. While stationed in England, I suffered a massive heart attack. The kind most people do not walk away from. That was in 1989. Through the years my heart continued to deteriorate. Over the years, congestive heart failure advanced, until 2005 when the disease was considered “end-stage” heart failure.
I began my writing career while still in the Air Force. Teaching at the Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine, I was handed the task of teaching a new Department of Defense program, “Effective Writing.” It was a government effort to help its members communicate more clearly. That was in the mid 1980’s.
I retired from the AF in 1990 and entered the civilian sector as a management consultant for animal hospitals. My first book, published in 1999 was a book on using strategic and tactical planning for veterinary hospitals. Around the same time, I was asked to write scripts for educational videos ( I wrote four of them) and an instructional manual contracted through the Texas Veterinary Medical Association used for certifying veterinary technicians.
Tell us a little about your second book…
My second book “ Death: Living To Talk About It” is a memoir. It is a journey through my life. I wanted to understand why, at the age of 35 did I have that heart attack. The book turned into much more as I chronicled my life dealing with heart failure. This book turned out to be a source of hope, comfort and inspiration to many. Others now know that they aren’t the only ones dealing with this problem, and because of all the added trouble I endured, others may read this book and think…I he could survive, maybe I can too.
I am really happy to ask you to tell us a bit about your third book?
I am very pleased to tell you about it. My latest book, “Five Short Stories and Twelve Poems” is a diversion from the serious side of the memoir. The stories and poems are all fictional. The range from humorous to romance to psycho. Mostly though, the poems and stories are fun and entertaining. My goal is to leave the reader feeling good and with a smile on their face.
Tell us a bit about Stan and how the two of you are getting along.
For those of you who do not know, Stanley is the name I gave my new heart and is the subject of my fourth book, “Road To Transplant” scheduled for publication on or about New Years, 2013. This book is the sequel to the first “Death: Living To Talk About It.” As I got sicker and sicker I share with the reader my thoughts and feelings. We go through the process of getting a new heart. It is an up close and personal look into the mind of someone who is dying. Will I die before I get thee transplant. Well we know I get the heart, but there was a time we didn’t know. Some powerful reading and a gripping story.
Share your journey to publication..
Getting a book published is difficult and frustrating, especially if you are not a famous writer or celebrity. At first, I began as most do. Sending query letters out to agents. Many letters and many rejections later, I found publishers that blended self-publishing and traditional. Basically it is self publishing with assistance. The management book I published in 1999 was completely traditional. They actually came to me because of my expertise in a certain area. I was spoiled. When I was ready to publish the memoir, it was particularly frustrating. Now, I am comfortable with the blend of self publishing with assistance.
What is your writing routine?
I regard writing, my job. Yes I enjoy it, but I must view it as a job or nothing would ever get written. I work from about 9am to noon. Then from 3pm to 5pm.. Occasionally I will get an idea late at night and I will run to the computer and do some writing.
Are you writing now? If so what are you working on?
I have three projects in the works. The first, “Road To Transplant”, as I mentioned earlier is complete. I need to finish the editing and maybe a few adjustments. It will be available in the next few months. I am writing another anthology too. I like writing short stories and poems. It allows me the guilty pleasure of writing for fun. Then, I am working on a book tentatively called “Memoirs of the Cold War”. It is a blending of real and fiction. I am aiming for its release in the spring of 2014.
Web Site: http://www.brianhayden.com/
Blog Site: brha99@wordpress.com
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/Brha99
FB Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Brian-M-Hayden-Fan-Page/195919590440171?bookmark_t=page
Where to buy my books: http://www.amazon.com/Brian-M.-Hayden/e/B00520BT8U/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
