One of my lifelong dreams and goals has finally come true! I've become an "official" published author...in an actual book!

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Me & Tales from the Holler

The Road to Becoming a Published Author

Me Holding Tales from the Holler (Front)

Me Holding Tales from the Holler (Back). Notice the name at the top of the list (in alphabetical order)!

Over a year ago, I was determined to pursue a new set of goals: becoming a professional writer, writing more fiction, and becoming a published author. Since then I've amassed several short stories, two novels, and a new series of books centered around the topic of setting and achieving goals (the first of which is soon to be published). (You can see my growing list of books and stories by visiting my Books page.)

In my journey to become a writer and published author, I consequently joined not one but two writing groups. One of those writing groups is called the "Foxleaf Author's Workshop," a free writing workshop offered by a local bookstore that shares the same name. The workshop covers the entire fictional writing process: everything from understanding plot, characters, and setting—the "tripod" of story—to becoming a bonafide published author. 

When I joined this writing group, everyone welcomed me like I was one of their own. They had all written stories that were featured in several anthologies which they'd previously published, and by the time I came along they were ready to begin collaborating on a new one. I—the newbie writer—was even invited to submit a story of my own.

"Proof" Published in the New Foxleaf Anthology

The story I submitted to the new anthology was the very first story I had completed and featured (and still feature) on this blog: Proof. At the time of my submission, the editor of the anthology was neck-deep in personal projects of his own—not to mention obligations to his full-time job—so I thought nothing of the time it was taking him to compile, edit, and complete this new anthology.

But as the weeks rolled by, I was growing more impatient to achieve my goals to become a published author and decided to take matters into my own hands: I would self-publish my own stories while I waited for the anthology to be completed! This was enough to satiate my inner writer and thus allowed me the freedom to fully express my creativity in ways I couldn't have imagined had I not, as expressed in a previous blog post, "taken the shot."

Now, over a year (and several completed writing projects) later, things have finally rearranged themselves so that the editor has been able to get a lot more done...including publishing the new anthology, Tales from the Holler: Stories of the Upper Cumberland. This new anthology includes my story "Proof" as well as several stories by the other members/regular attendees of the Foxleaf Author's Workshop.

Big Reveal: My Official Amazon Author Page

Since I've been working hard on—and am nearly ready to publish—my own official first book (the first in the series of Goals books I mentioned at the beginning of this post), I thought it would be a great time to create my very own Amazon Author Page.

The link is super-easy to remember, so if you don't mind be sure to share it with your friends: https://ericbeaty.com/author. Now I have two locations to showcase my books and stories: my Books page, right here on my blog (https://ericbeaty.com/books), and my new Amazon Author Page!

Here's what my Amazon Author Page looks like:

My Amazon Author Page

Even though my Amazon Author Page only shows one book at the moment, seeing just that one book with my name beside it(and listed inside as a contributor) is enough momentum for me to populate this section to overflowing with my own works. I can't help but feel that this is the beginning of a new era of excitement in my own life!

The Future of My Own Story Awaits

In the short time that I've been working hard toward achieving my writing goals, I've found immense fulfillment in writing stories of my own​ and discovering new characters. Though some of these stories have been placed aside momentarily in favor of publishing my new series of Goals books, I can't wait to see what other stories will emerge from the worlds I've created. I'm captivated by the lives of my characters, and my curiosity has been stoked and has become impatient to discover what adventures await them.

And speaking of adventures, now that I'm officially a published author, I wonder what exciting adventures are out there for me, just waiting to be discovered. Where will my writing take me, and will the journey be more than I ever dreamed?

As far as I can tell, there's only one way to find out...just keep writing!​

CHECK OUT MY BOOKS...

If you would like to see more of my writing, be sure and check out the books I've already written, as well as those I'm currently working on, by visiting my Books page.

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