So, from an early age books were associated with something good. Both my sister and I became avid readers. I remember thinking how incredible it would be to put words on paper and tell a story that people would enjoy reading. I daydreamed about becoming a writer, but it never occurred to me that I could really do it.
It was my younger son who showed me the way. He called me one day a couple of years ago and told me that he had written a book. I wasn’t surprised. I knew he had a lot of talent because he had won a prize for a short story he had written when he was in college. I liked his story, and it made me think. If he could do it, why couldn’t I?
While I was thinking about it, I had dinner with several of the teachers from the school where I teach. One of them suggested that each of us should write a book and critique each other’s work.
Well, that did it. I sat down to write my masterpiece. The problem was, I couldn’t think of how to begin. There were umpteen dozen ways to do it. Finally, I realized that it didn’t matter. Pick one way and get started. I typed my first sentence, and from that point the words seemed to fly from my fingers to the computer screen. It was absolutely exhilarating!
I finished my first story in record time. Nobody but me liked it much, but I didn’t care. I wrote another book right away. It was almost finished when I found out about a small publisher who sponsored a yearly writing contest. The first prize was publication of your novel. I decided to try it, and several months later I received a call from the publisher telling me that I was one of two grand prize winners.
Since that day, I’ve been published 8 times and have 3 signed contracts. Talk about dreams coming true!
Matt McCallum, my hero in my last full length novel A New Dream, also knows a lot about dreams coming true. He was an NFL player who kicked the winning field goal in the Super Bowl before he had an accident that destroyed his career forever. Here’s the first part of the prologue in A New Dream which is available at http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_11?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=a+new+dream+by+elaine+cantrell&sprefix=a+new+dream%2Caps%2C338 or at http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/a-new-dream-by-elaine-cantrell?keyword=a+new+dream+by+elaine+cantrell&store=allproducts
The red convertible cut a path through the moonlight, its headlights dancing along the arched limbs of the trees above the road.
“Oh, Matt, it’s such a beautiful night,” Stacey declared with a sigh. “I’m going to miss you when you leave tomorrow.”
Matt reached for her hand and brought it to his lips. “I’ll miss you too, but if I don’t report on time, I’m in trouble with the coach.”
“That’s what I get for falling in love with a pro football player,” Stacey teased, her blonde hair turned to frosted silver by the light of the full moon above them.
Matt squeezed her hand that wore his engagement ring. “It’s too late to back out now,” he teased. “You’re mine.”
“Mmm, do I like the sound of that!”
The car rounded a curve, and without warning a deer bounded across the road.
“Look out!” Stacey screamed.
Matt braked sharply to avoid the animal. The tires slid on patch of loose gravel in the road, and he lost control of the convertible. It fishtailed and started to spin in the road.
Matt hauled the steering wheel to correct the slide, but it was useless. The car turned around once more and skidded backwards for a short distance before it charged off the road. It jumped a steep ditch and went airborne. All Matt could see was a blur of trees and darkness as the car careened into the woods. It made a lazy turn in the air and came to rest bottom side up.
The last thing he remembered was the sound of Stacey’s screams.
Leave me a comment to be entered in a drawing for a PDF copy of A New Dream. Become a blog follower and tell me so, and I'll enter your name twice.
Leave me a comment to be entered in a drawing for a PDF copy of A New Dream. Become a blog follower and tell me so, and I'll enter your name twice.
Wonderful story about you, your family, and launch into authorhood. Thanks, Elaine. I'm about to follow you.
ReplyDeleteauthor Charmaine Gordon
Thanks so much, Charmaine.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great post and excerpt! I love hops like this and learning about new authors to check out :-)
ReplyDeleteGosh it sounds a fabulous story. Thanks for being part of the hop.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the post, I also am now following your blog. Thanks for the chance to win.
ReplyDeletebrandon_savannah@yahoo.com
Thank you so much for the story.
ReplyDeletemanning_j2004 at yahoo dot com
Thank you for the excerpt, I'd love to read it. Have a great day.
ReplyDeleteGFC follower as seriousreader
seriousreader at live dot com
What a great story. Thanks for the blog hop.
ReplyDeletelead[at]hotsheet[dot]com
I couldn't imagine losing your dreams in an instant like that, makes one want to count their blessings.
ReplyDelete~Chelle
ChelleCordero @ gmail.com
Thanks for the excerpt :)
ReplyDeleteMorganlafey86(at)aol(dot)com
Thanks so much for sharing!
ReplyDelete-Amber
goodblinknpark@yahoo.com
so i'd like a book!
ReplyDeleteI followed!!
ReplyDeleteWow, so touched by your story, Elaine!
ReplyDeleteThank you for participating in this hop...I'm finding so many new to me authors and your book sounds so wonderful, it is now on my wishlist!
GFC follower robertsongena
Gena Robertson
robertsongena@hotmail.com
New follower here. Thank you so much for participating in this hop. I'm having so much fun meeting fellow authors!
ReplyDeleteSylvia
www.writinginwonderland.blogspot.com/
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the contest and your excerpt! I signed up to follow your posts as well.
ReplyDeleteKyreadinggirl
Kyreadinggirl@yahoo.com
Thanks for the wonderful post.
ReplyDeletestrodesherry4 at gmail dot com