This Is Me

Posted byFractured Faith BlogPosted inA Fractured FaithTags:, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I received an e-mail from my publisher yesterday to say they had completed the final edit of the book and are now finishing off the formatting and cover design. I’m hopeful the proofs will be forwarded to me next week for final checks. I’m particularly excited to see what the artists come up with for the cover based on the suggestions I sent them. It feels like Christmas Eve and I’m seven years old all over again.

Although the book is called ‘The Kirkwood Scott Chronicles: Skelly’s Square,’ I’m rooting for Meredith Starc to be the cover star. I’m starting to seriously think about Book 2 but can’t commit to it until ‘Skelly’s Square’ is birthed. Being a typical man, I can’t multi task. The launch excites and terrifies me in equal measure. It’s all bubbling to the surface, about to burst through and become as real as real can be.

Believe it or not I’m painfully shy and take social awkwardness to a whole new level. WordPress is one of the safe places where I can expose myself through my writing. ‘Skelly’s Square’ is the pinnacle of that dream, where I’ve poured my heart and soul into a story which I hope many of you will read and enjoy. The support I receive on this blog never ceases to amaze me. If it weren’t for my fellow bloggers there would be no book.

Exposure is scary, isn’t it? Right now I’m starting to tell ‘real’ people I’ve written a book. Friends, work colleagues, the community I immerse myself in every time I step out the front door. The response has been er…..interesting. While many have been genuinely delighted, others have viewed me as if I had two heads. A few responses have been largely indifferent which I’ve found hurtful.

It’s at times like that I’ve understood how some writers prefer to maintain their anonymity under a pseudonym. Why reveal yourself and your art to the world to be greeted by a blanket of apathy and ridicule? Maybe I’m being a tad paranoid and overtly sensitive but I dread the thought of being mocked. Authors take the bravest of steps when they face the world head on and announce, ‘I’ve written a book.’

Take my author photo. I was deeply embarrassed having it taken in a public place, the Belfast backstreet I was walking through where I first had the idea for ‘Skelly’s Square.’ Passers by eyed me curiously as I tried to follow the instructions of my photographer, Peter, and look natural. Easier said than done, let me tell you. I hate getting my photograph taken at the best of times.

You need to be brave to write, to bare all, to reveal the real you to the judging eyes of others. The book is two years of my life. I want you all to love it, but what if you don’t? You need to be braver to write and publish. The process is daunting and discouragement lurks around every corner. Author photos, interviews and reviews are just parts of that process. So….deep breath:…here goes nothing.

Here’s my official author photo. This is me. Warts and all. Looking awkward in a Belfast alley. Although, just to clarify, I don’t actually have any warts. Kirkwood would be so proud of me. The book is imminent, a whole new chapter in my life. Watch this space for more details next week. Hopefully the long wait will be over soon. Thank you all again for your unceasing support. I will always be grateful.

Published by Fractured Faith Blog

We are Stephen and Fionnuala and this is our story. We live in Northern Ireland, have been married for 17 years and have three kids - Adam, Hannah and Rebecca. We hope that our story will inspire and encourage others. We have walked a rocky road yet here we are today, together and stronger than ever. We are far from perfect and our faith has been battered and bruised. But an untested faith is a pointless faith. Just as a fractured faith is better than none at all. We hope you enjoy the blog.

62 thoughts on “This Is Me”

      1. What I just read in your link did not totally debunk anything. It says they couldn’t be verified. That does not mean it didn’t happen. Go to my page (Brucesbible.website) for the FoxNews broadcast

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  3. There are so many bloggers out there who seem to ‘hide’ and not show their faces. This may well be for the reasons you say, to stay anonymous and keep themselves to themselves. So I applaud you for being brave and baring all (though not literally of course!) I can’t wait to get the book and scan its pages. Good luck with the launch – remember us when you’re famous! 😉

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  4. It’s a FABULOUS author photo! I’m looking forward to seeing the cover. Those who are indifferent when you tell them you wrote a book . . . eh, they’re obviously not readers anyway, so pay them no mind.

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  5. I am so proud of you and happy for you. It is a bit amazing how much of the ‘extra stuff’ comes along with seeing a dream fulfilled. Seeing is too passive. I like your term of birthing which is a better description of the time and energy you have committed to this project. The vast majority of people have no idea what you have done to accomplish this. Unfortunately many cannot appreciate that which they do not understand. Congratulations, and I wish you much success. Even though you are already a winner in my opinion.

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  8. This is an exciting time. Enjoy it. Relish in it. There will be more work to come but you have labored, loved, loss time with family and friends to birth this book. Your writing is a gift from God and you are heeding His desires for you. So rest because the raising of this book is a new challenge too. But like children, worth it. Blessings, my friend.

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  9. I am so happy for you! And I love your photo. The readers that come to my own blog are generally readers of erotica, but once your book comes out, if you want to do a brief Q &A just about your experiences of the publishing process, and all you went through leading up to it, let me know!

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  12. You are indeed brave! And it takes that bit of attitude to complete and follow through with a project. The photo is very natural and I like to see authors (and other public figures) in natural settings as they truly are — no pretense. This speaks volumes on the content of your book. Can’t wait to see it!

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  15. I am so excited for you! I think it’s a great photo too. I’m in the process of writing my first book but I actually have four started. It is probably better being a man and being able to focus on one thing at a time. I don’t know that I multi-task well but I do have a good experience with scatter brain! This paragraph is what I can do relate to: “It’s at times like that I’ve understood how some writers prefer to maintain their anonymity under a pseudonym. Why reveal yourself and your art to the world to be greeted by a blanket of apathy and ridicule? Maybe I’m being a tad paranoid and overtly sensitive but I dread the thought of being mocked. Authors take the bravest of steps when they face the world head on and announce, ‘I’ve written a book.’” I told one friend I was writing a book and she blew me off and ignored my email where I sent part of the story for her to read. I was so discouraged by her response I haven’t asked anyone else to read it. I posted some on my blog but yesterday I felt embarrassed again and abandoned doing that. I’ve been a writer for 20 years or more but writing a book has felt so – vulnerable – even though it is fiction . Anyhow … I’m so excited for your book and I am glad I recently discovered your blog! God bless!

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    1. Thank you Lisa. You must keep writing. I’ve had similar experiences to yours with people I know. If I can publish a book, then so can you. Thank you for supporting the blog and please keep in touch. I look forward to following your progress 🙂

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  16. I am so excited for you and personally cannot imagine a prouder sentence to utter than, “I’ve written a book.” I have been in the process of haltingly beginning a book for over six months now and it is your example of vulnerable persistence that is pushing me off dead center. Thanks for showing us everything… including the warts.

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      1. Yes it really must be you. I suppose I hope to partake in equally cringeworthy promotional activities too. All in the name of the the book. The book! what we do for our books.
        Maybe I can use my Bitmoji. I like her. But I’m getting ahead of myself….

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  19. Great photo! I am super excited for you! I can’t wait to read your book, I know it’s going to be awesome! Please let WordPress readers know when we can order?

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      1. I’ve always preferred paper and ink to the luminescent screen. The experience of reading a book is incomparable. Holding it open with my hands, feeling the smooth texture of the pages as I turn them, and the smell of the freshly pressed ink brings me contentment. ✨

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  20. I am so excited for you! Been following in your footsteps for some time now myself. It is a terrifying journey to say the least. Congrats!!!

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  21. Congratulations! It’s nice to hear I’m not the only one afraid of showing my writing to ‘real’ people (or even telling them that I write). I never thought about that reason for a pseudonym but it definitely makes sense to me now! Best wishes.

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  24. That is a fantastic photo. I can totally relate. My book just went to design. It is exciting and scarey all at the same time. No more edits, yay! NO MORE EDITS, OMG! Time to put ourselves out there! Godspeed 🙂

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  25. I am a fairly new reader and follower. Your writing flows well and is interesting to read. I congratulate you on your new book. I have written four books already, and am not certain they are quite more than typing at this point, so am trying to get people to give me objective views so I may improve. Best in your journey, and I’d be interested to read your book if there is a link to your author page/other.

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