Turns out I'm a writer...huh

This post isn't about Celiacs per se...well, not really at all.

It's (shocker) about me.

Turns out I'm a writer, and not a shitty one. Yowza right? You would be amazed.

I wrote my first story at 8 years old. It was about a little boy who had an imaginary friend that took him swimming in a river of grape soda. It was stellar.But my teacher, Mrs. Tarseea didn't think it was that great. I think she said something like, "It doesn't make much sense, where would you find a river of grape soda." and I responded with "In my head." like duh. She was a crappy teacher and didn't like me very much.

Over time I kept writing because I would get these crazy ideas in my head. Basically, I came to the understanding that my brain doesn't really act the same way everyone elses does. My imagination is CONSTANTLY working, CONSTANTLY thinking CONSTANTLY coming up with stranger and stranger ideas. People always ask, "when do you find time to write" and I respond with, "I am always writing in my head". I am always thinking about different stories, ideas and characters.

I can be sitting on the bus and think, "what if, a cow got on this bus and decided to drive it? What would THAT guy do, the one in the suit? What about the lady in the flowered dress eating a bag of cheetos, what is SHE going to do about the cow driving the bus? Where would the cow take them? And why?"

This is LITERALLY a thought that I have physically had among hundreds of thousands of others.

 I remember one particular story that I wrote in high school - I don't remember what it was about but I recall that it was a good one. My English Teacher Mrs. Graham gave me an A on the story and made a point to pull me aside after class and made a point of saying, "Please know Laurie, that you are an excellent writer." I will never forget that. I don't even know if she remembers the exchange or if she remembers me even. It reminds me though, that a moment of kindness, and a compliment can stay with another human being forever. Alternatively, a cruel word has the same staying power, should you let it.

A while ago, I got a story stuck in my head that simply would not leave. I have always enjoyed writing. The time has always flown by when I was working. But when I started writing this novel, it became clear to me that this was more than just a hobby, this was more than just something a stay at home mom could do to pass nap time away. It was (is) obsessive. I would sit down to write after the kids went to bed and it felt like moments later when Trev would drag me to bed at 1 AM. Writing appears to be what my soul wanted to do.

Before I knew it, FEATHER was done and I started sending it off in the remote chance that someone would want to publish it. Lo and behold, along came Ring of Fire Publishing who seemed to think that FEATHER was as good as I thought it was. No one is more thrilled and surprised than I am. So on September 21 I will officially become a published author and the giddiness does not wish to go away.

In the middle of all this, I started this blog so I get to write my own voice as loony as that voice certainly is. I hope you enjoy the blog as much as I enjoy writing it. I will keep it up on the one condition that you buy my book. Not really, I'm going to keep posting here for as long as you want to read it. It would be great if you DID buy my book though. I would love you forever!

So remember SEPTEMBER 21 on Amazon. FEATHER by LAURIE LYONS. If you want to hear more about FEATHER, check out the webpage.


 PS No one in the book has Celiacs but you can pretend if you want to.