Bookiversary - Daring to Wish!
Happy bookiversary to me! Today marks three years since Daring to Wish, my debut book, was released into the world. Just as September is the month you release your children into their new class, school, college, or university, Sept 13th 2013 was the day I said farewell to my book baby and put it into the hands of others.
I say book baby because regardless of the books I've had published subsequently, Daring to Wish will always be my favourite. Did it hit the bestsellers list? Nope. Did I burst into the authorly world and leave a dent? No, it was with a whimper and I didn't so much as leave a smudge. BUT - I enjoyed every second and every word of it. Why? Because I wrote without walls and without boundaries.
I've often referred to Daring to Wish as my 'save me' book because it did. It gave me purpose again, at a time when I was at a loss, when ill health forced me to quit work. I was an active person, an active parent and was towards the end of my studies. I'd always worked and felt I had to do something with my time. So I wrote. I wrote for me and I wrote for fun. Sure, with fibro fog and other health issues it took me a while. Not even when I reached the end did I consider being published. All of it was freedom and fun.
It all started with the brilliant New Voices competition. I say brilliant because through it I was introduced to the writing community. For any aspiring authors out there, I can't tell you how important it is to be a part of a supportive community. I entered simply for pleasure and the chance for a little feedback. That competition introduced me to people I now consider to be life long friends. Some of those entrants went on to do incredible things! Of course I didn't win and never expected to, not for a second. But I also never expected to be listed as an entrant that showed promise. So I decided to write more of the story - still for fun! Then the partial was requested, so, as I was enjoying writing it so much, I went on until the end.
I subbed Daring to Wish to a couple of publishers without thought of ever being published and was stunned when a contract fluttered into my inbox like chocolate confetti. Surely it was too good to be true? A publishing contract for a book that was my plaything, with characters that I bonded with and came to love. Until the day it released I was certain there had been some mistake but out in the world it was. It was a learning curve, a time to gather up all the gold dust information and advice to store in the precious writer's toolbox. A time to realise how precious bloggers are to authors and the reason I became one myself.
Another four books on and this book will always be my favourite. My readers have their own preference but this one is mine. Why? I wrote exactly what I wanted to write. I wrote without boundaries or a filter. Without concern for what anyone else thought, or having to conform to expectation. It was my first. Doubt crows hadn't come close to my radar at that point.
For the newbies out there - you only get that one 'first'. Enjoy every second of it and write the book for you. Ban the doubt crows and most importantly - have fun with it! You never know what will happen next.
Blurb
What happens when you dare to wish? In an effort to regain her independence and break out of her shell, shy Eve Ward writes a daring wish list of all the things she wants to do before her thirtieth birthday. It's a good thing the list is for her eyes only, because some of the items are pretty risqué. Adrenaline junkie Lucas Riley becomes Eve's "victim" in a kiss-a-stranger dare, and she thinks he's perfect for her one-night-with-a-stranger wish. With Eve, Lucas thinks he's found the distraction he needs before he has to say goodbye to his bad boy image. When he finds Eve's sexy wish list, he can't keep himself from giving into temptation and sneaking a peek, and wish number eight is impossible for him to resist. Being good can wait. Eve is thrilled when, out of the blue, Lucas offers to take her skydiving. Her sexy stranger has helped her tick so many wishes off her secret list. Her confidence has grown and now she's having fun both in and out of the bedroom. It seems too good to be true…is it? She can't shake the niggling suspicion that something's not quite right.
Buy links: AmazonUk | Amazon.com
"It is witty and funny and I loved it!" Reading Bliss "This was a sweet, sexy, thrilling little read with a wonderful story and fun characters." Craves the Angst "This book was a fun read, I couldn't put it down..." Escaping Reality One Book at a Time "This is a fun, light hearted book. Easy to read, likable characters, and an absolute joy!" Storm Goddess Book Reviews
"Daring to Wish is a funny, sexy, easy read that I devoured in one sitting. Tracey Rogers writing has a sweet, almost innocent edge to it, but then just when you think you know what you're getting, she throws in the unexpected." Tracie Delaney
