2013 GH Finalist: Chris Taylor
Please welcome Chris Taylor to our Firebirds blog today. Chris lives in a small, town in rural Australia and has wanted to be a writer for as long as she can remember. A career in criminal law, marriage and five children later, she is finally dedicating the time she needs to carve out a writing career. Having grown up devouring romance novels, combining her love of the law with her love of happy endings came naturally and she has now completed seven single title romantic suspense novels set against the Australian landscape. They are all part of a loosely-based series centring around the hunky Munro brothers. You can keep in touch with Chris on Twitter: @christaylorbook Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/Chris.Taylor.Writer Or at her website: www.christaylorauthor.com.au
I’m so proud and honoured to be invited to the Firebirds’ blog as a Golden Heart Finalist® of 2013. Being a GH finalist has been an amazing dream. When I commented to this effect on Twitter recently, one of my followers responded by saying that dreams come true with hard work and talent and I guess that’s true, but I think you also need to throw in determination, confidence in yourself and your work and a decent pinch of luck.
My 95-year-old grandmother offered me some advice a little while ago. She told me to do my best to live my life without regrets. She went on to tell me about how, when friends called upon her unexpectedly, she’d refuse to let them inside her home because the house was a mess. She thought back to all the times she let pride and something as trivial as an untidy house (hey, we’ve all been there), interfere with an opportunity for friendship and conversation.
Looking back on her life, she wished she’d done things differently.
Her words struck a chord with me and my writing journey. It’s a journey that’s been full of ups and downs, like life. Whenever I’m faced with a tough decision, I recall my grandmother’s words and try to make decisions that won’t lead to regrets, regardless of what others might be saying around me.
For those of you who don’t know, I write Australian Romantic Suspense. I was told early in my career (about 4 years ago) that there wasn’t a market in the US for this kind of story. This statement was made by a reputable US agent, someone I knew had a handle on the market.
Now, I won’t lie. I was deflated. My determination was dented. At least for a little while. I mean, I was always told to write what you love and write what you know. I’m Australian. I love romantic suspense. And so, I write it.
While I thought about what this agent had told me, I remembered what my grandmother had said. I decided I didn’t want to live with regrets and especially not in relation to my writing career, which is so important to me. So, I chose not to let the agent’s negative words deter me. I’m writing what I know, I’m writing what I love. Whether I sell, that’s a matter for the future, but so far, the journey’s been pretty darn exciting.
How has your writing journey been so far? What kind of setbacks have you faced? What kind of triumphs? I’d love to hear about them.
