10 Must Haves to be a Successful Freelance Writer

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Absolutely! Successful freelance writers have a lively, energetic imagination.  It’s the heartbeat of the very work that creative writers design.  However, that isn’t the only element that freelance writers need to be successful. In fact, imagination alone could find writers struggling to build ways to transfer the many ideas filling their head onto paper (or onto a computer screen).

Without these other 10 “must haves,” freelance writers could also spends weeks or months (dare I say . . . years) trying to land quality clients (who doesn’t want their savings to grow?), sharpen their craft or grow their readership. Absent a few of these “must haves,” freelance writers could also start feeling frustrated and (oh, no!) quit.

So, without further ado, here’s the 10 “must haves”. How many of them do you already possess?

Determination – Freelance writing isn’t always easy, especially at the start of a career. By being determined, you can hang in there when client work has dropped off, novel sales are sluggish or you find yourself racing to catch up to lightning fast technology advances.

Open Mind – No one knows everything about anything.  An open mind makes it easier for you to receive new ideas, continue to learn and accept reader feedback without losing focus of your writing goals.

Solid Skills – Okay. You don’t have to be an English professor to enjoy phenomenal success as a freelance writer. But, you do need to have a good handle on grammar basics. If you feel you have room for improvement in this area, consider enrolling in an online or offline course so you can get up to speed.


Marketing Drive – Whether you work as a copywriter, technical writer, medical writer, etc. or as a book writer (fiction or non-fiction), you’re going to need to market your work to pull in more clients or readers. Participating in marketing discussion forums is one way you could start learning about tricks you could use to attract a larger audience for your work.

Financial Acumen – There really isn’t much sense in working hard to make money if you’re only going to waste every cent you earn. A budget (as well as sticking to a budget) could keep you on track, helping you to grow savings.

Courage – Should this one be Number 1?  Okay. These “must haves” aren’t in any particular order. But, that said, courage is HUGE. Without courage, you might avoid contacting interview subjects (i.e. CEOs, celebrities) so you can land freelance writing gigs. You might also steer away from reaching out to book club presidents, readers, etc. to gain reviews for your latest novel. In fact, courage probably impacts everything you’ll do as a freelance writer.

Humor – Despite your best efforts, there’s no guarantee that you’ll always get the winning results you seek. It’s also highly unlikely that you’ll never make a mistake. Learning to laugh and take all that comes with freelance writing in stride could save you lots of frustration, disappointment and anger. Try it!

Appreciation – Although we writers often work alone,  our lives don’t unfold in a vacuum (and, who would want that?). Appreciation for other people can help you remember what’s primary as a writer (regardless of the type of writing you do) — readers . . . aka “other people”.  By focusing on writing to improve other people’s lives, you could really start to win as a freelancer. This cannot be overstated.

Great Editors – Sure. You can edit your own writings. In fact, it’s a great idea to do so. However, if you want to truly improve as a writer, moving closer and closer toward ongoing  success, there’s a huge chance that you’re going to have to work with editors — great editors. The better the editors you work with, the better your writing will likely be.

Vision – That’s right. Imagination alone may not be enough. You need to “see” what you want, including how you want a story to unfold, what you want to achieve as a freelance writer each day, week, month and year. It’s this inner vision that can help you to know which choices to make (i.e. what to say “yes” or “no” to).

Resilience is another ingredient that can propel you to the top as a freelance writer. After all, down times might come, but if you are determined and resilient, you can stay the course, holding on for more and more writing success.

Thank you for reading my blog. To learn what happens to Raymond, Brenda and the other characters in Love Pour Over Me, hop over to Amazon.com, B&N.com, Ebookit.com ($3.03 – lowest price I’ve found so far) and get your copy of Love Pour Over Me today. And again I say – Thank You! Consider Love.

Perhaps Not All High School Graduates Need to go to College

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By Denise Turney

Getting college and university degrees might be en vogue. However, getting college and university degrees doesn’t always lead to rewarding, high paying jobs. Economies don’t have to be hard for students to discover that the college degrees they spent thousands of dollars to attain aren’t worth what they thought they were. It can also be sobering for college students to learn that employers value work experience as much, if not more, as they value college degrees.

The Price of Earning College Degrees

As reported in the June 12, 2012 “Do Too Many Young People Go To College” Wall Street Journal article, it takes 40 percent of college students about six years to earn a degree. Family and work responsibilities could, of course, be a reason it’s taking college students longer to graduate. What’s more alarming is the fact that college tuition costs have tripled over the past 50 years. Add to this the fact that many college graduates will strive to enter the workforce, competing for jobs alongside adults who have years of work experience.

After awhile it could make good sense to ponder whether or not it’s in some high school graduates’ best interest to step into a rewarding career as soon as they get a high school diploma. In some ways (and aside from the large contracts professional athletes can receive), it’s similar to decisions talented college athletes make when they decide to leave college in order to take a paying job with a professional sports team.

Managing Costs of Earning College Degrees

Talented college athletes and talented high school graduates may find themselves asking the same question. Both may wonder whether it’s in their best interest to get expensive college degrees or start earning a salary right out of high school. For high school graduates who choose to enter the workforce right after they get their diplomas, it might be worth it to secure work with employers who offer tuition assistance programs. This way, high school graduates can continue their education at the same time they expand their work experience, not to mention the fact that students will be receiving a paycheck.

High school graduates who secure employment with employers who operate college tuition assistance programs can also avoid racking up pricey student loans. To say this choice could help high school graduates avoid going into debt within a year or less of their graduation is an understatement. After all the costs of a earning a college education has outpaced inflation.

Regardless of when they enroll in college or university, students are encouraged to research occupations using tools like the United States Department of Labor’s occupational handbooks. Using these tools, students, can discover which careers are expected to grow or decline over the coming years. They can also find out the types of degrees employers typically require job applicants to have before they hire them into certain occupations.

Thank you for reading my blog. To learn what happens to Raymond, Brenda and the other characters in Love Pour Over Me, hop over to Amazon.com, B&N.com, Ebookit.com and get your copy of Love Pour Over Me today. And again I say – Thank You! Consider Love.

Sources:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203960804577239253121093694.html

Men Love Romance as Much as Women

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By Denise Turney
Men might not want it to get out, but they appreciate romance as much as women do. However, men express romantic feelings differently than women do. It’s easy to see why. Men, whether they are raised by a woman or a man, are generally raised to hide certain emotions. For example, emotions that lend the perception that a man is emotionally or psychologically weak, are taboo for boys to express in many households.

Some of these emotions are sadness, fear and vulnerability. It might not seem like it, but when you see a man who finds it hard to express his romantic feelings towards you, you’re actually looking at a man who has been taught to hide those feelings. Make him feel safe (or give him enough time to start to feel safe with you on his own, as he shares more experiences with you) and don’t be surprised if he begins to let you see how he feels about you more fully.

Truth is, we all desire to both give and receive love. It’s part of the circle of life, what keeps us connected, whole. Where we differ is in our genetics and our childhood programming. Even more, it’s during the first five years of our physical experiences that our brains are developed. Now, imagine that a boy was scolded or belittled each time he expressed “soft” emotions from the time he was two years.

If you meet that man when he’s in his twenties, you might feel like you’re pulling your own teeth when you try to get him to express romantic emotion. There’s nothing wrong with the man; it’s the coding or programming he received as a child. What you have to ask yourself is if you enjoy being with the man enough to wait until he sees that he no longer needs the old programming (programming he might have been given by well intentioned parents, friends and extended relatives).

It’s also important to remember that there’s no guarantee that a man (or woman) will feel safe enough to express his romantic emotions for you fully. In this case, you might decide to stop at friendship with this person. Whatever you decide, this much is sure. There’s a loving person, someone who wants to feel wanted, beneath the surface, at the core. Gender can’t stop that from being the case.

Thank you for reading my blog. To learn what happens to Raymond, Brenda and the other characters in Love Pour Over Me, hop over to Amazon.com, B&N.com, Ebookit.com, or any other online or offline bookseller and get your copy of Love Pour Over Me today. And again I say – Thank You! Consider Love.

Advantages of Working with Book Editors

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By Denise Turney

The marriage between book writers and book editors might be one of the most divergent  relationships around. If you’ve ever worked as a writer or editor, you probably know what I mean. As a book writer, you might think that your work is excellent, certainly not worthy of an editor’s criticisms. Yet, that’s where you are likely to always be wrong.

Zoning in on Talented Book Editors’ Trained Eyes

In fact, there might not be a perfect book, especially to a talented book editor’s trained eye. When they’re working on a book, editors look for grammatical errors, voice inconsistencies, awkward tone and style, to start. Book editors also examine characterization, dialogue, setting and plot while editing a book. Because they are trained to look for and zone in on elements authors might ignore, book editors notice weaknesses in stories that authors don’t. This could be a reason why authors argue passionately when they receive an editor’s feedback.

It’s also a reason why some book editors handle writers with kid gloves. After all, who wants to fight with the people who are paying her? No. . . Who wants to argue with anyone every time he does his job, even if it’s a job that can deal a striking blow to a book writer’s fragile ego?

More Advantages to Working With Book Editors

The funny thing is, it’s nearly impossible to avoid receiving feedback on a book if you’re an author. Think about it. If talented book editors, people who have the best interest of your book at heart, don’t offer you feedback, book reviews and readers almost certainly will. Unfortunately, when book reviewers and readers notice weaknesses in your novels, they may not be nearly as kind or as gentle as book editors. Unlike book editors, reviewers and readers also might tell others about the weaknesses in your stories, costing you book sells.

Other advantages inherit in working with book editors include:

  • Smoother scene transitions
  • Fewer to no typos or misspelled words
  • More believable book characters
  • Strong, realistic dialogue
  • Improved timing and pacing
  • A workable number of characters instead of too many or too few book characters

Book editors offer critical reader feedback to authors. Their work can help turn an average story into an above average story. Furthermore, as book writers continue to work with the same book editors, the pairs can form rewarding relationships. They could also become familiar with each other’s style, and come to fully respect what each brings to the creative table. It’s a marriage that’s worth fighting for.

Thank you for reading my blog. To learn what happens to Raymond, Brenda and the other characters in Love Pour Over Me, hop over to Amazon.com, B&N.com, Ebookit.com, or any other online or offline bookseller and get your copy of Love Pour Over Me today. And again I say – Thank You! Consider Love.

A Miracle Can Happen Anytime

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By Denise Turney

Miracles are all around us. The challenge is — seeing miracles. After all, we only see what we want to see. Scientists are discovering this more and more. Our perceptions, prejudices, intentions and expectations influence what we see, keep us from seeing what we don’t want to see. For example, if someone who stole from us started a community organization years later, it’s not likely that we would trust the person (even if she’d changed). Instead, we’d probably believe she was going to “get caught doing wrong” sooner or later, desperately wanting to have our questionable thoughts proven to be “right”.

Which raises another point — rather than to face the truth, seeing miracles all about us, we prefer to be “right” (even if we’re wrong).  So, are we waiting for miracles to happen in our lives or are waiting for our eyes to open so we can see more of the miracles that are all about us? Or are we waiting for our minds, our repetitive thoughts (also called beliefs) to change, so mental barriers dissolve and we finally see the miracles?

And how will this seeing change our lives? Will seeing (really seeing) cause us to stop being afraid of love? Will it cause us to stop thinking there’s something noble or kind in living small, especially as we step into the truth that we are limitless beings?

If miracles are all around us, then it would be our thinking that would need to change. Even when we accept this, we may be reluctant to take up the task of actually changing. If we do stir up our courage and take steps (i.e. meditating, uttering positive affirmations, creating vision boards, asking for what we want) to change, we might be surprised to discover that it may take longer than we expected for our minds to transform, letting go of old, unproductive beliefs.

However, quitting shouldn’t be an option. As we stay open, accept change, remain curious and willing to take on smart risks, our minds will transform. We’ll become increasingly courageous, and start to feel differently. It might take years of work, especially if we received unproductive programming when we were children, similar to what Raymond Clarke experiences in Love Pour Over Me, but it’s worth it. It’s worth it to start to really SEE. After all, there are so many miracles waiting for us to finally SEE them, so we can start living the lives we were meant to live, savor and enJOY!

Thank you for reading my blog. To learn what happens to Raymond, Brenda and the other characters in Love Pour Over Me, hop over to Amazon.com, B&N.com, Ebookit.com, or any other online or offline bookseller and get your copy of Love Pour Over Me today. And again I say – Thank You! Consider Love.

Great Sports Books to Love

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By Denise Turney

Kareem Abdul Jabbar Giant Steps Sports Book

I still remember when I first heard about Kareem Abdul Jabbar.  He went by the name Lewis Alcindor back then. At the time, Kareem was playing basketball for UCLA. Sports writers deemed him to be the guy who could beat, finally beat, the dominating Wilt Chamberlain. Just as people waited desperately for someone to dethrone Muhammad Ali, people waited eagerly for Kareem to enter the NBA.

They didn’t have to wait long. After Kareem was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks in 1969, expectations surrounding him grew. Wilt Chamberlain was so dominant, he appeared to be a Goliath of sorts. Akin to others, I eagerly waited for Kareem to dethrone Goliath. I also promised myself that I’d follow basketball for as long as Kareem played. Had no idea at the time that he’d end up getting traded to the very team (the Los Angeles Lakers) Wilt played on.

. . . Back to the early 1970s. Back to those heady days when change still hung thick on the American landscape.

I sat on the living room floor alongside my siblings, gaze glued to our family’s black and white television screen. I wasn’t even in the game, and my heart was racing. On the inside, I cheered for Kareem, begged him to win. But, Wilt Chamberlain wasn’t having it.

Looking back, I think it was only right for Wilt to hold ground. After all, he was the elder statesman, the guy who’d dominated the game unlike any other professional basketball player had at that time. He deserved to be respected, even by me (smile). And today, I do just that . . . respect his game. . . But not back then. Oh, did I want Wilt to lose.

Of course, Wilt Chamberlain had a stellar career in the NBA. As the ensuing years unfolded, Kareem would do the same, becoming top scorer in the league. His sky hook would become his signature trademark, a shot not often seen today. He’s also be voted to play in 19 (count ’em, 19) NBA All-Star games. He’d also rack up at least 40 points in 70 NBA games, not to mention the 61 points he scored while playing at UCLA.

Years later, Kareem Abdul Jabbar showed the world another side of himself, a storytelling side. That (and other) revelations were shared in Kareem’s autobiography, Giant Steps, a book that remains my all-time favorite book written by or about a professional athlete. When I consider that Giant Steps wasn’t ghost written, it makes the book that much better.

Oh, the flow to Kareem’s writing. As a professional writer, I really appreciate his style, his flow. Reading Giant Steps felt like sitting on a porch with a friend, listening to him share his life’s story so far. I hadn’t been to New York City yet, but felt like I knew the city as I continued reading Giant Steps, felt like I’d been to the Big Apple, a city I would visit for the first time two decades later.

Jim Brown’s autobiography, Out of Bounds, is another great sports book. Like Kareem, Jim Brown is candid, incredibly open and revealing in Out of Bounds. Arthur Ashe’s, Days of Grace, is another sports book I highly recommend. Through these books, you get to see the soul of a man. In these books, professional athletes seem to care to hide nothing. But, that’s not the books’ strongest points. It’s the conversational style the sports books are written in that make them winners.

Another sports book favorite is Seabiscuit, written by Laura Hillenbrand. This is so fitting, as my favorite athlete of all time is a horse – the one and only, Secretariat. Akin to the struggles central characters in Seabiscuit experience (and overcome), Raymond Clarke (star athlete in Love Pour Over Me) faces high risks and seemingly insurmountable odds. His athletic dreams fuel him forward.

It’s a treasure to watch a person do what it takes to achieve her dreams. Having run track in elementary, middle and high school, I know firsthand the work that goes into achieving athletic success. It might look easy, but it doesn’t always feel that way when you’re in the middle of it. Watching a person do what it takes to earn a lifestyle as a professional athlete is even more commendable. It’s truly icing on the cake when a talented athlete, someone who’s braved fierce high winds time and again, shares his story with readers in a way only he can.

I’m glad I heard about Kareem Abdul Jabbar all those years ago, when I was a kid. I’m glad that he achieved his dreams, set records and made history. It’s also a very good thing that Kareem didn’t keep his life’s journey to himself, but instead decided to share it while showcasing his engaging writing style. He might not have beaten Wilt Chamberlain right out of college, but he definitely wins-wins-wins with Giant Steps.

Thank you for reading my blog. To learn what happens to Raymond, Brenda and the other characters in Love Pour Over Me, hop over to Amazon.com, B&N.com, Ebookit.com, or any other online or offline bookseller and get your copy of Love Pour Over Me today. And again I say – Thank You! Consider Love.

Spotlighting Positive African American Males

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By Denise Turney

Rey Flemings, Stephon Alexander, Tyler Perry, Curley M. Dossman, Jr., Dr. Howard Rasheed and Milton Jones are just a few of the many positive Black men in America. These men do more than start businesses, lead their families and promote forward thinking in others. They also mentor other males, particularly youth, helping to inspire and motivate them toward rewarding adulthoods.

Positive black men like Rey Flemings, owner of Stripple, employ  their talents to capture every day as well as uncommonly seen events. Milton Jones and Dr. Howard Rasheed develop educational as well as mentoring programs through 100 Black Men of America, an empowering organization that launched in New York in 1963.

Work that these and other men, like Tyler Perry and Curley Dossman, Jr. perform has made its way into the media, gaining the attention of the masses. However, there are many positive African American males who never get spotlighted in  local or national media outlets. It’s these positive Black men who do the inner work to strengthen their marriages, improve the communications they share with their children, study with their offspring, contribute to communities they reside in, etc.

Some positive African American males raise children single handedly after the mothers of their children pass or after they experience a divorce. Daily responsibilities they perform include cooking meals, checking homework, bathing and dressing their infant children, transporting their children to school, attending school events, carving out time to have fun with their young children an hour or more a day, including taking their children with them to sporting events, museums, etc. Positive Black men fulfill these and other responsibilities while balancing full-time jobs.

It’s these images, the stories of these men, that teens need to hear about, images that smash at negative depictions of men. As these real life images get more exposure, people won’t look on in shock when they hear about positive African American males who are finding ways to empower themselves, their families and communities every single day. These men are out here, everywhere — it’s just that so few people take the time to notice or spotlight them and the great things they do. 

As other men commit to doing, Raymond Clarke’s father raises a child alone, yet he has inner issues to deal with that he refuses to face until late. He loves his son, but struggles to balance sharp inner conflicts. Some fathers, from all cultures, struggle to find balance within themselves. The good news is that when they do, they offer positive contributions to society and  . . . to their sons. Support men who are like Raymond’s father receive from organizations like 100 Black Men in America, the National Organization for Men, Positive Men’s Organization, Men’s Health Network, Boys to Men Foundation and The Good Men Project could help them become even better fathers and contributors to society.

Thank you for reading my blog. To learn what happens to Raymond, Brenda and the other characters in Love Pour Over Me, hop over to Amazon.com, B&N.com, Ebookit.com, or any other online or offline bookseller and get your copy of Love Pour Over Me today. And again I say – Thank You! Consider Love.

Sources:

http://blackmanoftheday.com/

http://www.100blackmen.org/education.aspx

God Bless the Tough Independent Child

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By Denise Turney

book about independent children

You don’t  have to grow up in a single parent home to realize early in your life that your lot is to be one of the children Billie Holliday sang about in her hit song “God Bless the Child.” If you’re going to get on in this world, you’re going to have to fend for yourself. This realization might have come to you after you buried one or both of your parents. You might have realized this after you became a ward of the state, being moved from one foster home to another.

Growing Up as a Tough Independent Child

Or you might have struck out on your own, nothing except the clothes on your back serving as your wardrobe, after having yet another fight with your parents. The decision to remove yourself from an abusive relationship or home might have also helped push you into the streets. After all you’ve been through as a tough, independent child, leaving home may not have been as scary for you as it would be for other people simply because you’ve been fending for yourself since early childhood.

As with other people, you may have learned to be fiercely independent as you watched one or more of your parents struggle with an addiction. Or you might have learned how to be fiercely independent after a parent walked out when you were an infant or toddler, leaving you to spend your older years wondering if there’s something wrong with you, causing you to compel that parent to step out of your life.

You’re not alone. Both events happen to some children like Raymond Clarke, a boy struggling to grow up emotionally and psychologically balanced. Genetics aren’t against Raymond Clarke. It’s Raymond’s father’s inner conflicts that cause Raymond to feel abandoned, as if he’s in the world alone, all by himself. As many troubled parents do, Raymond’s father, Malcolm, takes his inner conflicts out on his growing son.

There is no mother to fend for Raymond; she walked out years ago. Just as you and many other children do, Raymond survives. Yet, his belief that everyone is, at their core, like his alcoholic father and absent mother, causes him to fear the very thing he needs . . . love.

As I hoped for Raymond, I hope that you learn how to receive love. I hope you don’t allow your independence to cause you to shun affection or to think that behind every kind act is a trick. Some people are genuine and sincere. Some people have no intentions to cause you harm. Some people are pulling for you, wishing, hoping and praying that you win.

Thank you for reading my blog. To learn what happens to Raymond, Brenda and the other characters in Love Pour Over Me, hop over to Amazon.com, B&N.com, Ebookit.com and get your copy of Love Pour Over Me today. And again I say – Thank You! Consider Love.

Sources:

http://www.verbalabuse.com/ (Verbal Abuse Site)

http://www.chistell.com/Love%20Pour%20Over%20Me.htm

http://www.amazon.com/Love-Pour-Over-Me-ebook/dp/B007MC0Z2C

In Pursuit of Your Most Passionate Dreams

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By Denise Turney

Become aware of a dream you have deep inside your being and you might be tempted to think that the road to achieving your dream will be an easy one. The illusion could be so intense until you disregard the hard challenges and ongoing struggles, some lasting for years, that other people faced as they pursued their dreams. For example, while reading autobiographies and biographies about courageous people like Harriet Tubman, Joan of Arc, John Johnson, Mary Kay Ash and Harland David Sanders, you might focus solely or heavily on the triumphs in their lives.

Dream Fulfillment May Not be Easy

Do this and you might convince yourself that other people who fulfilled their dreams had it easy, were gifted with miraculous journeys that other folks don’t get to experience. However, if you look closer at many courageous people’s lives, you may find that this simply is not the case. Not only do courageous people, folks who do what it takes to fulfill their most passionate dreams, bury their loved ones and meet the responsibilities of caring for their children, they also experience financial challenges, have to find time to take care of their personal health and seek out creative ways to keep moving forward during changing and hard social and economic conditions.

Their lives are anything but easy. It’s a reason many consider them to be heroines and heroes.

As you continue to pursue your dreams, consider letting go of the idea that achieving your dream will be easy. Consider letting go of the idea that your journey to the success you want will be smooth. As Raymond Clarke, a man determined to make it on the professional track and field circuit discovered, It might not be. In fact, your physical journey might hold experiences, surprises, you are yet to know anything about. You might celebrate some of these experiences and curse others.

Pursuing Comfort Might Keep You from Fulfilling Your Dream

What you may not want to do, especially if you have conviction about your dream, is quit. Additionally, as you pursue your dream, you might not feel as if the journey was easy until your dream completely manifest itself, and even then, you’ll likely be starting another life journey. It’s a reason the goal for constant comfort and the process of achieving a dream may not marry well. The pursuit of constant comfort could find you seeking rest more than labor, lack of change more than change and routine instead of unexpected events.

However, it’s the unexpected, the non-routine and focused effort that, step-by-step (sometimes these steps feel frustrating and way too hard), lead to the fulfillment of dreams. As Raymond Clarke does in Love Pour Over Me, if you really want to fulfill your dreams . . . keep going.

Thank you for reading my blog. To learn what happens to Raymond, Brenda and the other characters in Love Pour Over Me, hop over to Amazon.com, B&N.com, Ebookit.com and get your copy of Love Pour Over Me today. And again I say – Thank You! Consider Love.

A Lifetime of Loving Books

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By Denise Turney

love books

Like millions of readers, I have spent a lifetime loving books. One of the reasons I love reading books has to do with the way intricately developed literature penetrates misgivings I might have about my ability to progress, convincing me that I can triumph by introducing me to characters who, although deeply challenged, overcome.

Loving Books for Several Reasons

Sometimes I want to read books I can finish in a few hours, no more than a day. Yet, time savings aside, I can honestly say I love reading books most that take days for me to finish. In fact, like many people who love books might desire, if I truly enjoy a book, I don’t ever want the story to end. Could be a reason why some of us love books that are part of a series.

But, those aren’t the only reasons we have a love of books. After all, don’t true book lovers want to find and enjoy stories that make us think, stories that could change our lives, regardless of where the stories are set or when authors penned them? Don’t we want to have the opportunity to explore complexities of believable characters, the chance to follow dynamic characters through uncommon situations that force the characters to transform, to change.

Never been to historic, faraway places like Paris, France, West Africa, New York City, Scotland or Tokyo, Japan? Pick up an intriguing novel that’s set in these or other cities and regions, places rich with history, tradition and culture, and you could feel as if you have been transported to these locations in a matter of minutes.

Clearly, books can have an empowering impact. Those of us who have spent a lifetime loving books know this firsthand. Great books help us deal with challenging situations in our own lives, beginning in our childhoods. . . early. Great literature shows those of us who love books that there is another way life can be, that we really can live rewarding, eventful lives.

Reasons I Love Reading Books

Like you might, I remain grateful to the authors who did what it took to create stories that packed an entertaining wallop, stories that helped change my life. As it is with many people who love books, starting early in this world, I was extremely fortunate, finding books that connected with me deeply, books that both entertained and inspired me. Because of these early stories, I acquired a growing appreciation for reading great books. My passion for reading shortened the time it took me to understand school text, lesson plans and news articles. In a nutshell, it helped to increase my learning, made it easy for me to excel academically, and, years later, professionally.

Over the years, I have loved turning the pages of the hundreds of books I’ve read. I’ve used all sorts of things for bookmarks (i.e. folded sheets of paper, paper clips, post-it notes, actually bookmarks). Curling up in bed with an amazingly good book has long been a wonderful way to drift into sleep for me. After I finish reading books, I add them to my bookcases, making it easy for me to return to the books months or years later, to enjoy reading parts of the stories.

Loving books is easy, especially when we stop and consider how great books open up new worlds, introduce us to amazing possibilities. After all, what other invention, small enough to fit inside a tote bag, can inspire, motivate and entertain us all at the same time? What other invention helps change our lives the way great books do?

Thank you for reading my blog. To learn what happens to Raymond, Brenda and the other characters in Love Pour Over Me, hop over to Amazon.com, B&N.com, Ebookit.com, or any other online or offline bookseller and get your copy of Love Pour Over Me today. And again I say – Thank You! Consider Love.