Jennie Bennett, Romance Author

I'm gonna start this post out with a confession: I'm a scaredy pants. Confession number two: I will NEVER self-publish a novel. At least not until I've traditionally published first. Why? Refer to confession number one. All you self-published peeps out there, I give you major props. It takes serious guts to put your work out there all on your own. There's so much to think about. The right cover, the right title, the right hook. Finding reviewers, finding a good editor, finding your audience. MARKETING. Traditional publishing has a bit of comfort behind it. You find an agent - validation. You sell your book - validation. All the other little details are taken care of for you. But here's the thing: either way, it's a risk. Just becasue a book is traditionally published doesn't mean it's going to sell well. It might tank. Traditionally publishing might be even riskier becasue other people are banking on you. What if you end up being a big...

Time to party! The Real Thing releases today (whoop whoop!) and Cassie's giving away a swag pack full of goodies. The Real Thing postcards A froggy loofah Oh the Places You'll Go!  by Dr. Seuss Green Eggs and Ham  by Dr. Seuss The Real Thing Samsung Galaxy S3 Phone Case A Cassie Mae pen A collection of select Cassie Mae/Becca Ann signed books Rafflecopter right below the excerpt and book details :) ********************************************************************************* “All right, all right,” he says, smiling and holding his palm up to stop me. Tomato juice is dripping from the top of his head down his cheeks, getting caught in the smile lines by his mouth. I can feel it running down my face, too, and I should be gagging, but I’m not. I open my mouth to tell him how cute he looks even with juice all over him, but a light ploof! hits the center of the tub between our bodies, and I stare down at my froggy loofah, now covered in red. “Oh no!...

I admit it, I've said the words tortured artist in a joking manner. Poking fun at the cliche of someone who's a creative that also suffers from depression or anxiety or a similar mental illness. I regret the time I said those things, because now I understand. I'm not personally depressed, but I have gone through periods of depression, some serve enough to contemplate suicide. I've seriously thought my kids would be happier and my husband would be free if I just left this world. Obviously, I haven't acted on those thoughts, but it frightens me when I'm low enough to consider those things. Time to talk about Robin Williams for a minute. Yes, his shocking death is the reason I'm compelled to sit down and write about the creative mind and mental illness. Robin Williams was talented, I'm not the only person who enjoyed his comedy. He gave characters life in a way few other actors have. As a writer, I appreciate that. As a writer, I also understand how ...

Those who don't know what it's like to be a writer can't understand the struggle of writing when you hate it, curse it, and even find it miserable. "Why are you torturing yourself?" They may not say it aloud, but it's in their eyes. In fact, I've even asked myself the same question. Didn't I start doing this becasue I love it? So why am I still here when I feel like everything I write is contrived and meaningless? Usually when I come to that point (becasue I've come to that point a lot) I step away and scrutinize. I have to ask myself how it would feel to quit trying. My answer always starts out cynical. "Wouldn't that be freeing?", "Geeze that sounds wonderful." But when I take more than five seconds to think about it (and I always do, becasue I think about writing a lot) I come to the conclusion that I wouldn't be satisfied with myself if I quit. I feel like I'm meant to do this writing thing. Like G...