It’s said that being an author is a lonely profession. It often is just that when one considers developing a plot idea, fleshing out the plot points, and the actual writing of the story, all are done mainly as solitary tasks.

As I continue to publish novels, however, I’m continually reminded that being an author requires interaction and support by a whole host of individuals.

I may be doing the plotting and the writing, but help with research, discussions with friends and with experts about plot ideas, discussions with other writers regarding difficult scenes, readers of early drafts, readers of later drafts, beta readers, and final proofreaders (Whew—that’s a lot of people!) are important connections even for the self-published author.

Now that I’ve published six novels and working on the plot for novel number seven, I certainly have experienced that this journey as a writer is not a solitary one. There are those who directly helped to make this latest novel a reality, but there are also those in the past who have helped me in so many other ways– to hone my skill as a fiction writer, in supporting me as I struggled to grow into an accomplished writer, and those who have cheered me on when I was sure my plot ideas were headed toward disaster.

It truly takes a village to publish a novel—of course, those who are directly involved with the project, but also those who have been behind the scenes in both small and large ways in the past who have helped shape me as a writer so there could be six published novels with my name on them.

My participation in author groups has taken my writing and my confidence in being an author to an entirely new level, and I value those close by and as far away as another continent immensely for all their support and contributions.

If you, as a reader, wish to take a chance on an author (ME) with better than average reviews and would enjoy a good murder mystery or international thriller, then click HERE to be taken to my Amazon author page that lists and describes all my books. I would greatly appreciate that and, if you do enjoy reading one of my books, the favor of a star rating and a quick review would help my standing in the great world of Amazon Publishing. Many Thanks!