Anna Marie May talks about Fear and Fiction + Giveaway!

I am currently participating in a blog hop organized by RJ Scott. It is for autism awareness. You can find my contribution on my blog (http://amariemay.blogspot.com/).

In my post, I talk about prejudice. I think we all face some form of expectations in our life, good or bad, and it is how we deal with it which is important. In this post here, I would like to talk about fear. There are many things in life which make anyone afraid: starting a new school, new chapter in life, or sometimes even just getting out of bed.

I’ve got a big change coming up. Not only am I going to change job, I am also going to move country, change my spoken language, and try to make a life for myself in a place I never thought I would strife. I still might not, but after years and years of contemplating, it was time for a change.
My last big change happened many years ago when I also moved countries. Seems to be a theme with me. I was a shy child growing up. I never said much, wasn’t overly popular, so everyone was really quite puzzled when I up and moved to New York. Contrary to expectations, I thrived there.

The big question now is: how do you deal with motivating yourself? How do you leave your comfort zone and step out into the world? And more importantly, do you really want to?

I know many people who lived their entire life in their home town. They’ve got families, a house, a boat, etc…there is nothing wrong with this, but what I would like to understand is why some people back their bags and leave and others don’t?

I don’t think I am brave. I don’t even think it is something all that special to move to a different country and try anew. Sure, it scares me. Sure, I might not like it. But the thrill! I can totally reinvent myself, I can be who I want to be, no expectations. And have I mentioned the thrill of doing something new? It is both exhilarating and scary at the same time.

I can only assume that this how Leif, a character in one of my contemporary novels, felt like when he had to leave everything behind. Darkest Hour (https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-darkesthour-1052231-145.html) is a book dear to my heart because, in many ways, there is a lot of myself in Leif. His tragic past spurns him onto new heights, and he doesn’t even see how damaged he really is. It takes coming home for him to face his old demons and to find love.

I guess, another way of dealing with reality when I don’t want to face it (yes, that does make perfect sense because I say so), to retreat into fantasy. When I wrote my Watchtower Series, I was in total denial. I wanted sweet, funny, adventure, feel good and angst. I wanted romance, I wanted talking, cute cats (because my cat only mews at me), destined love, legends, warriors…can you see where I am going with this? And I have to say, my Watchtower Series gives me all of that. The series made me smile when I wrote it, cry when it got sad, and smile again when it ended.

The last book in the series, called Siren Song, is out now, and I am quite proud of it. (https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-sirensong-1145801-143.html)

So, to sum it up, how do I deal with stress, with new things, with motivating myself to break out of my box? By having good things around me that make me smile, that make me forget reality once in a while. It is important to note here though, that while leaving reality behind once in a while can be just what you need, sticking your head permanently in the sand is never a good idea. Who wants to be an ostrich, really?

Well, if you want to stop by, say hello, or stay in touch, you can find all my contact details on my website: http://www.annamariemay.com/

GIVEAWAY RULES

Please leave a comment below to win an ebook from Anna Marie May. I haven’t yet heard from her what the exact book up for offer is, but I will update the post when I do. The giveaway will last until Midnight CDT on Monday, April 8th. I will choose the winner using Random.org and email the winner who will then have 48 hours from the time of the drawing to reply to my email. I will then forward the winner’s information to the author so the winner can receive their book.

Please enter the email you’d wish me to contact you at in the comment form, or if you prefer, leave it in the message.

Thank you and good luck!

Thank you Anna for coming on the blog! And just a note about the post: First, sorry it was up so late, and second, all the pics are linked to Goodreads since Anna lists the links to ARe in the post. I hope everyone has a wonderful day!

Posted by Cole in Authors M-O, Giveaways, Guest Post, Promo Tags: Anna Marie May, Silver Publishing, Watchtower