Guest Posting by T. B. Markinson

T. B. Markinson is guest posting for me today. Most of you know her fabulous blog 50yearproject where she explores novels, movies, and interesting corners of the world.

If that wasn’t a big enough challenge she has also published two novels; A Woman Lost and Marionette.

Thanks Renee for hosting me on your blog today. I hope Nano went well for you and I wish you the best of luck with your writing!

Today, Renee asked me to share a little about myself and how I started my writing career. For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to be a writer. In fact, that dream was instilled in me when I was in the sixth grade.

Why then did it take me thirty-eight years to finally take it seriously? One word: life.  And excuses. Every time I would try to focus on writing, life would take over. This wasn’t always a bad thing. Jobs, family, and relationships are important. But sometimes, when it comes to chasing a dream, they can be a crutch. It’s easy to say, “I just don’t have time to write. I have that big project at work. And my partner’s birthday is next week. And with the holidays and all the family gatherings … I’ll get to it next year.” The years passed. The excuses continued.

Then in 2011, something huge happened. My partner was transferred to London, England. At the time, we were living in Boston, Massachusetts. All of a sudden I was unemployed and away from family and friends.  Not that they were to blame, by any means. It was me who came up with excuses. My excuses were gone. Before we agreed to move, my partner and I discussed the pros and cons of moving to a different country. One issue was what I would do. I wish I could say I was jumping up and down, shouting, “I’ll write.” Nope. It was my partner who knew my ambition and she strongly suggested that I shouldn’t be a fool and use the time to focus on my writing. It’s not every day someone is handed this opportunity. And my partner urged me not to waste the chance. Without my partner’s love and support, I may never have had the courage to chase my dream. No one in my personal life discouraged me from writing. No one put pressure on me to put other things ahead of my dream. I did that all on my own and if it wasn’t for my partner, I may still be doing that.

Since moving to London, I’ve published two novels: A WOMAN LOST and MARIONETTE. My editor is expecting a draft of the third novel in January. Yikes, I better get on that. Turns out once the excuses diminished, I’ve been able to focus on what’s important to me. And now I have balance. I still go out with friends and family. I still have fun. I still deal with life. But I make sure I add at least 1000 words each and every day. It’s not just a job. It’s what makes me happy.

Synopsis: Paige Alexander is seventeen and has her whole life in front of her. One day her girlfriend comes home to discover that Paige has slit her wrists. Paige isn’t insane, but she acts like she is. Why? After the incident, Paige agrees to go to therapy to appease her girlfriend, Jess. However, Paige doesn’t believe that therapy will help her. She believes she’s beyond help. Paige doesn’t want to find herself and she doesn’t want to relive her painful past in order to come to terms with it. What Paige wants is control over her life, which she hasn’t had since her birth. During her childhood, Paige is blamed for a family tragedy, when in fact, her twin sister, Abbie was responsible. Abbie doesn’t come forward and Paige becomes the pariah of the family. To add to Paige’s woes while attending a college in a small town in Colorado, the residents are in the midst of debating whether or not gays and lesbians should have equal rights. Tension is high and there’s a threat of violence. She isn’t out of the closet and pretends to be straight at school since she fears what will happen if her parents find out she’s a lesbian. Will she end up dead like her best friend, Alex?

About the Author: T. B. Markinson is a 39-year old American writer, living in England, who pledged she would publish before she was 35. Better late than never. When she isn’t writing, she’s traveling around the world, watching sports on the telly, visiting pubs in England, or taking the dog for a walk. Not necessarily in that order. Marionette is her second novel.  A Woman Lost was her debut novel.

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Purchase Links: Amazon (US) Amazon (UK)

**Renee Johnson is the author of Acquisition, and The Haunting of William Gray.  She is currently working on a Young Adult novel, while editing a suspense novel which has international flair–an homage to her love of travel and foreign food.  She lives on a farm in North Carolina with her husband, Tony Johnson, and one very spoiled German shepherd named Gretel.