Showing posts with label Writing life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Writing life. Show all posts

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Learning To Be Very Creative.

Wow!
Here's another amazing author, 
Marlayna Glynn Brown

I am a single parent of four teenagers who are now 19, 18, 16 and 14.  My oldest son is attending college at California State Long Beach but I'm happy to report he still calls home in the middle of the night to hear a loving and accepting voice.  Their father left when they were 5, 4, 3 and 1 so it's long been the five of us with me running the show.  Maintaining a regular job was just not in the cards for me.  Various illnesses, school meetings, doctor's appointments and must-not-miss school performances did not make me the ideal employee.  I've been fired more than anyone I know!  As with most challenges in life, I learned to be very creative with making money while being completely present for the needs of my children.  


God bless the internet!  I started consulting as a marketing agent which meant I could write articles and press releases any time I could create the time to log in.  For creative release, I blogged.  And blogged and blogged.  And these two actions honed my writing talent while drawing out a desire to write about my experiences.  During a lull in the economy, I worked solidly for three weeks and wrote my first book.   

As my children grew so did our expenses, which required me to be more creative in continuing my education and funding four teenagers.  I obtained my Master of Science in Human Services and purchased a Nikon camera as a congratulatory gift for myself.  Instead of entering the counseling field, I started taking photographs and found myself winning contests and making money.  I've since combined my marketing skills with my knowledge of photography and am now representing two very talented photographers at www.mgbrepresents.com.  This career has in turn given me the gift of more time to be able to write so I am once again back to glorious square one.

Overlay has had a very strong start as it's only been on the market for less than a month and available exclusively on Amazon for Kindle.  I am personally promoting my work and am contacting book clubs, book stores and sending press releases.  I've had two book clubs express interest so far.  Overlay has been very well received because it deals with a subject many know but don't like to discuss - the alcoholism of a family member.  I'd like to see the book gain traction in an effort to help anyone dealing with addiction.  
                                                            ___________________________

Bio: 

Marlayna Glynn Brown is an Austin, Texas author, screenwriter, actress, producer, poet and photographer. Marlayna was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada and bases many of her unusual characters and unexpected story lines on true events.  She wrote, acted in and produced her first short film, People That do Something in 2009. Her first memoir, Overlay, was published on Amazon in 2012.

Marlayna received a BA in literature from California State University, Long Beach, attended Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, California and recently completed her Masters degree in Human Services.

However, she insists most of her real learning has come from her avid love of travel and her four teenaged children.


Sunday, April 25, 2010

Addicted

The first step is to admit you have a problem. 

I'm addicted

And it's causing all sorts of problems

My family knows about it

And it worries them

Even my dogs have noticed it

I'm no longer so available for them

For any of them

It's blogging my friends.

Not me blogging, but me reading all the incredible posts from all of you.

It's a sickness this need I have to know what you've been up to. 

I'm checking your posts early in the morning and late at night.

And I can't stop.


Thursday, April 1, 2010

Perspectives

I always find it so interesting how people see the same things and see them so differently.

Many years ago, while I was living in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, a friend of mine came to visit from the West Coast. There are very few routes into Jackson from the West, well from anywhere and my friend ended up driving in over Teton Pass.When she got to town she was shaken, in fact completely frightened. Her entire stay was difficult, you see the mountains made her uneasy. She was scared, thinking they could fall down. Crumble and then what would happen. I remember thinking how odd.



I'm editing another friend's manuscript and in turn, she's been reading mine. My character sees the Pacific Ocean for the first time and in the margin my friend from Wyoming wrote: "I remember the first time I saw the ocean. It was so flat and you could see forever. It frightened me. There was nothing to protect you. I couldn't wait to get home and feel safe again."

Soooo interesting!

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Spring is here!

Writer's prompt: I love looking at photos and telling a story. This one is for you.

Monday, March 22, 2010

From the amazing collection of Ann McDermott

Hello all,

I'm so excited!

Several years ago I started to read the work of Ann McDermott. Her amazing collection of writing is incredible and, until now, has remained unpublished. You see she writes what others consider "fables" and "no one reads fables." I have to tell you, though, her stories are wonderful peeks into the natural world. Some may think they resemble a fable, I just know I enjoy them immensely.

Kudos to Mused, BellaOnline Literary Review and Lisa Shea for recognizes Ann and publishing one of her stories in their spring issue. I, for one, can't wait to see more from her.

                                    http://www.bellaonline.com/review/issues/spring2010/

Monday, March 15, 2010

Writer's Prompt

Today's writing prompt:


 Take a walk, squint and locate the fear.

This week I've been on line checking out 'book videos'. Videos that have been made to promote a book. Interesting. Very interesting. Check this one out!