Oh gosh has this been a long time since my last blog! It has also been an incredibly busy time too as we settled into our new posting location, new schools, new work, and new routines. My husband soon found himself being sent away a lot with his job, and being new to the area, I began to look for ways to find my own footing. I sat and thought about what I could get involved in – I am not one for team sports, so joining a local sporting club was out. I was also juggling my work and the kids schedules as my husband’s job can see him running out the door at a moment’s notice. I had to find something I enjoyed.
Writing. I love writing.
I searched Facebook for writing groups, finding one that was close by and they accepted my request to join. That very first meeting I was a bundle of nerves. From what I could see in the group page, the members were all highly accomplished authors with experience and skills I was far from holding myself. What would they make of me? Well the meeting went great, and I came away with a link to Black Hare Press’ submission list and the encouragement from the group to try my hand at writing fiction – in particular a drabble, which is a story told in 100 words. I remember returning home and searching Black Hare Press’ site, selecting the submission tab and looking at what they had open. At the time they had a call out for their Dark Drabbles #4 anthology – Beyond. I read the information, opened a blank word document and then sat there staring at the screen for a good half hour, not sure if this was something I could do – write fiction.
But I did it. I wrote five drabbles and hit send. Out of the five, two made it in the collection, “Eyes” and “The Time Keeper.” It was the most surreal and exciting sensation to sign the contract and even bigger and better when my paperback copy arrived! There, on the pages within were two short stories written by me. In print. IN A BOOK! From that moment (throw in a husband sent overseas on deployment, a pandemic, lock down and home schooling while also working from home, into the mix) I have continued to develop my short story writing, and as of today I have 28 short stories published in 12 books (10 out now and 2 yet to be published) – the latest one is a short read which was released yesterday. I now have my first stand alone short story out there for everyone to read, and it is exciting and terrifying at the same time. This is getting more and more real; and this is something I know now that I want to become – a full-time author. I love telling stories. I have myself set up on Amazon and Good Reads, socials on Twitter and Instagram. My cousin-in-law, Carly Jarvis of Marly Art Design designed the most gorgeous author graphic, and as I type this I am looking over at my little stack of business cards that I will tuck into the signed copies of The Rise of the Great Old One that will be sent out to the five lucky winners of the recent competition run by Black Hare Press.
I have many more stories in the works – I am signed up for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) 2020 and I am aiming to complete my project – a collection of short horror stories – by the end of November. I am also writing two first drafts readying them for submission and am waiting out on a story I recently wrote and sent in to come back as an accept or reject (fingers crossed it makes 29 published!)
I am only too happy to connect with other authors – you can find me in the NaNo community as Jasmine Jarvis.
You can find me at:
Twitter: @jjarvisauthor
Instagram: jasmine_jarvis_author
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Jasmine-Jarvis/e/B07XZ8G9J8
Also, check out the amazing Black Hare Press: https://www.blackharepress.com/
Anyone who has a cat will tell you that they are experts when it comes to psychological warfare. Whilst you crave their love and attention (because just look at them! Fluffy, purring balls of cute!), they treat you with contempt, tolerating you long enough to provide belly rubs and food on their terms. They often call the shots in the relationship. They can do what they want – they are independent (ish). This is my cat Dwight Kat Shrute. A big, fat, four year old tabby, who only seeks us out for a belly rub, food or to sleep on our legs at night when we fall asleep. He is an indoor cat, his only foray out of the house is when he darts into the garage as we go in and out in the course of putting our washing through the dryer. He will run in, flop on the concrete and then proceeds to roll all over the floor. He has a nosey through the tools and bits and pieces that we have stored in the garage. If we are not quick enough, he will even spring up into the dryer (often on top of the clean clothes fresh out from the washing machine). When he gets in the dryer, he then seems to puff himself up so as to make it hard for us to remove him from the dryer.
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