The Tears and Triumphs of a New Author
So what does a 66 year-old, semi-retired realtor do when he is bored?
Write a book, of course!
After 25 years of real estate in Independence, Mo. and 5 years of real estate in Maui, Hawaii, my wife, Peg, and I moved back to Missouri, bought 70 acres in the country and built a log home.
We are still Realtors with Stewart & Kiefer Realtors, the only real estate company in Osceola, Mo, population 835.
After working 2 years on our dream home in the country, and with real estate in general, and in St. Clair County in particular, in the toilet, I found myself bored out of my mind.
I have tried to retire three times but just can’t seem to do it. I have to have something to sink my teeth into ---- something to make me want to get out of bed every morning.
Peg & I are avid readers and we each consume a novel a week.
A friend of ours turned us on to Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series. We got the first book and immediately fell in love.
We acquired all 14 books in the series and laughed until our sides hurt.
After finishing book #14, I thought to myself, “Bob, you are just goofy enough to do this.” So I sat down at the computer, pretended I was Janet Evanovich, and began writing the next Stephanie Plum novel using her characters and plot.
I wrote three chapters and printed them for my wife to read. I hid in the office while she read, dreading the verdict.
Soon, I heard her cackling in her easy chair. Now, you have to understand my wife. Even though she has a great sense of humor, she’s not a laugh-out-loud kind of person.
She came into the office and with a stern look said, “ You’ve got to stop this right now! Forget Stephanie Plum. Janet doesn’t need any help. You need to develop your own characters and plot and write your own novel. I know you can do it.”
And so began my journey, writing, publishing and marketing my first novel, Lady Justice Takes a C.R.A.P. City Retiree Action Patrol.
It has been an incredible journey so far and I look forward to sharing my adventure with you.
So what does a 66 year-old, semi-retired realtor do when he is bored?
Write a book, of course!
After 25 years of real estate in Independence, Mo. and 5 years of real estate in Maui, Hawaii, my wife, Peg, and I moved back to Missouri, bought 70 acres in the country and built a log home.
We are still Realtors with Stewart & Kiefer Realtors, the only real estate company in Osceola, Mo, population 835.
After working 2 years on our dream home in the country, and with real estate in general, and in St. Clair County in particular, in the toilet, I found myself bored out of my mind.
I have tried to retire three times but just can’t seem to do it. I have to have something to sink my teeth into ---- something to make me want to get out of bed every morning.
Peg & I are avid readers and we each consume a novel a week.
A friend of ours turned us on to Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series. We got the first book and immediately fell in love.
We acquired all 14 books in the series and laughed until our sides hurt.
After finishing book #14, I thought to myself, “Bob, you are just goofy enough to do this.” So I sat down at the computer, pretended I was Janet Evanovich, and began writing the next Stephanie Plum novel using her characters and plot.
I wrote three chapters and printed them for my wife to read. I hid in the office while she read, dreading the verdict.
Soon, I heard her cackling in her easy chair. Now, you have to understand my wife. Even though she has a great sense of humor, she’s not a laugh-out-loud kind of person.
She came into the office and with a stern look said, “ You’ve got to stop this right now! Forget Stephanie Plum. Janet doesn’t need any help. You need to develop your own characters and plot and write your own novel. I know you can do it.”
And so began my journey, writing, publishing and marketing my first novel, Lady Justice Takes a C.R.A.P. City Retiree Action Patrol.
It has been an incredible journey so far and I look forward to sharing my adventure with you.
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