Author Support Blog Hop - You're not alone!

This is an author support blog post hosted by Sharon Bayliss.

I began writing years ago and over the last few years, I was determined to put my dream of becoming a writer into motion.  I have also learned over the years it is a lot harder to do this alone.  Self-published authors need support from their friends, family, other self-published authors and readers. I published my first novel, Destiny Unhinged in June of 2012.  I had every intention of keep going but life just kept  getting in the way.  Migraines overwhelmed me.  I guess the age of 40 things go downhill fast.  Just when I thought I was back in the game, my brother was diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma in July 2013.  So again, how do I continue doing what I love most when my spare time was helping out with my brother, something I would never change in a million years.  At this same time, my girlfriend got progressively worse due to her Diabetes.  Let me tell you, life just keeps hitting me where it counts and it sucks!!

What I have discovered is that Writing makes me happy.  It gives me a purpose to keep working at my full time job so eventually I can get my debt paid off and be financially sound where I could possible write full-time as a career. I have had many setbacks but I still continue to forge ahead.  Last September I started an Etsy shop, Kimber Shook’s Designs.  Another passion of mine is crocheting.  I had created several crocheted ornaments and tried to get the patterns published a few years prior but with no luck.  I found that focusing on creating something that I was good at, help filled the void where my writing was missing.  Again, this took time but concentration was not as critical since I have been crocheting since I was 8, I could do it mindlessly (well almost...). In December 2013, I published my first Crochet book -Christmas Ornaments to Crochet & Embellish. 

I am still working on Inevitable (Destiny Unhinged #2), which I was hoping to get finished and published by August 2014, but again Life wanted to put me back into perspective again.  My girlfriend passed away on May 18th at the age of 43.  It broke my heart when I got the call from her daughter.  Again, I question why do I keep going? Bam! Again without any recovery from my girlfriend's passing, my brother took a turn for the worst at the end of that same week and by the following Tuesday, he was being taken by ambulance from a hospital to a Hospice center.  Unfortunately, with an already broken heart, my heart crumbled to fragments, when he passed away at the age of 42 on June 4th.

Again, I am falling back into place with my love of writing.  I need this for myself to fill the void in my heart.  I love this; it occupies my time and it  thrills me knowing I’m following a passion that I have always had.  I have learned in my past never to take anything for granted.  Bless those around you and love them like there is no tomorrow.  I can’t live with my head buried in the sand. I need to trudge forth and make my life fulfilled and know this is a worthwhile adventure in the book of life, my life - Kimber Shook.

I encourage you to continue to do the same.  Life does get in the way of making your dreams come true but you just pick yourself back up and continue on.  If you want your life to be different, it is not going to magicially happen.  You need to grab Life by two hands and don’t let go.

If you would like a little shout out and help along the way, this is what this post is for.  Let me get to know you and how I can help.  I can do a blog post and a tweet.  I can give you encouragement when you think you’re not going to make it.  Just know, you are not alone. If you want to swap some book swag, I would love to share it with my upcoming blog hop giveaways. 

Please continue on with your journey and enjoy your day.