JM Bray, Tearing the Shroud, and defeating fear

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JM Bray, Tearing the Shroud, and defeating fear

So today, I’ve got a guest for you. I met JM Bray through one of my author groups on Facebook, so I thought it would be awesome if he came by and said hi so he could talk about his new release, Tearing the Shroud during his blog tour this month. So, let’s let him talk and I’ll just sit over here munching on this huge bowl of popcorn. Don’t judge me. Popcorn is healthy… kinda…

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“There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing, and mountaineering; all the rest are merely games.”

– Ernest Hemingway

Among all the quotes attributed to Mr. Hemingway, that’s my favorite. I admit it’s partially because I stink at most sports (games by Ernest’s standard) but have found my niche behind the wheel of a race car. The other thing that speaks to me is the implication it carries: The things in life that really mean something also have the highest potential of catastrophic failure.

Fear plays a huge role in all this. When I started racing, I discovered something strange…I didn’t get scared. 120 mph into a corner with the car trying to break loose left me totally calm. On the other hand, put me at the computer about to click “send” emailing a query letter to an agent and my heart tried to jackhammer its way out of my chest.

Putting myself and my writing out to agents and publishers was one of the toughest things I’ve ever done. If I had let fear rule, I would have packed it all up and gone back to something I was unafraid of…like blasting around a racecourse at breakneck speeds. If I had let fear rule, I wouldn’t have Tearing the Shroud released through Escape Publishing. If I had let fear rule, I would have changed my novel so much following well meaning suggestions, that I wouldn’t have recognized it. If I had let fear rule I wouldn’t have found the other thing I believe Ernest meant: Those times where we push ourselves, where everything could go horribly wrong, are also the sweetest when we accomplish them.

Do I still have fears? You bet. Will people buy the book and will they like it when they do…currently top the list. But I’ll stick with it, because the thrill is worth every sleepless minute. Don’t let fear rule your writing. Be true to your voice, the finish line may be closer than you think.

About JM Bray

JM Bray lives in Southern California with his college sweetheart and their two dogs. After a lifetime together, they are happier than the moment they met.

When not writing or working his “day job”, he loves to cook, play the guitar, and travel with his wife. Every chance he gets, he races an old Porsche named “Tuffy” at tracks in the southwest.

Visit JM Bray at any of these places online: