Indie Chick makes choice to write or die…
Danielle Blanchard Benson, Author of The Vamp Saga and The Beautiful People series, is a fellow Indie Chick and brings her story to us with a no-holds barred look at her life.
“Write or Die”
2010 was the worst year of my life.
After a very successful career in the banking industry, I suddenly found myself unemployed, my marriage falling apart and to add insult to injury my father dying. I had a 10 month old daughter and suddenly, I was back living with my unmarried, child-free sister with two children. Life was bleak and the most terrifying part about the whole situation was I had absolutely no idea what I was going to do.
I was attending university for a degree in International Business but who was I kidding? I’d always hated business; I was good at banking but should I base my career on something I was simply good at or should I be doing something I love? This was my dilemma and I had no one to blame for my predicament but myself.
Plenty of women had overcome more tremendous obstacles so why was I feeling sorry for myself? I steeled my spine and decided to make some real decisions. In the middle of the detritus which was now my life, I found a wonderful and caring man I fell hopelessly in love with but the problem was he didn’t live in this country and he was a successful and driven attorney. What would he want with someone like me? Unemployed, two children, divorced and somewhat shaky ambitions at an age where most women had it made, were married and excelling towards middle age. My life was a mess and I needed a man like a fish needs a bicycle (thanks, U2!).
I took a long hard look at my life and realized I had failed to plan and therefore I had planned to fail.
When I stood at that podium and looked at the few family and friends who had bothered to show up at my dad’s funeral, my life became so clear. My father had had so many chances; so much lost opportunities and had blew all of them due to fear and inertia. I was my father’s daughter; I was falling into that same black hole of despondency with no way out.
It took another fourteen months before I had the actual courage to see out my dream and make it a reality. Isabelle Solal had written a book, In The Past Imperfect, and her good friend, Sion Dayson, had promoted it on her blog. She was tired of waiting for the agent who would never accept the publisher who could never take a chance and had decided to self-publish her fictional book on Amazon. Was this possible? Could I self-publish? Could I take my book which I had tried to find an agent for the past eight years or so and do it myself? Say it isn’t so!
I was so excited about the possibility of publishing, I dug it out of the place it’d warmed my different hard drives and laptops over the years, decided at over one thousand hard back pages, it was much too long to publish as a full length novel, chopped it up into eight parts and hit publish on the first part.
I was ecstatic as I had done my own cover (a beautiful statue which captivated me while I was on my European vacation) and it was just so perfect. Unfortunately, no one else knew I existed and that is when I realized publishing was more than just about hitting a button. I had to make sure my novel was edited, the right cover was used to attract attention and there was a whole list of indie writers I didn’t know about but they were there and ready to be at my service.
In the beginning, I only used Kindle’s Direct Publishing board because that was the only one I knew about. Another writer, Athanasios, who wrote a thrilling book titled Mad Gods, told everyone on the KDP boards about a new Facebook board group called Indie Writers’ Unite. I joined, Cheryl Bradshaw, the creator of IWU accepted me, and the rest is history.
I wish I could say I am selling thousands of copies and I got the guy but that isn’t life and nothing happens without time. I am selling and many people have discovered my work; I have met some of the bravest men and women on the planet at IWU and I feel like a million bucks even if my life still isn’t a bed of roses. The guy, like everything good in life, will take some time and I am willing to put it in and make the effort; nothing worth anything is easy to accomplish for the matter.
I love to write so that is what I’m doing. I enjoy writing whatever moves me, thus I have work in several different genres including Women’s Literature, Contemporary Romance, Paranormal, Science Fiction and Fantasy. I also plan to do a novel I have had in the works for a while that is firmly Mystery with a Thriller twist.
For the first time, I stayed true to myself, my ambitions and what I want my life to be and represent. I know it will get better and all my dreams will come true—many of them already have. My life is still changing, still revolving but I have come out ahead, stronger and more positive than I ever thought possible. I learned the hard way either I write or I can simply subsist and die.
Life is like writing; it isn’t about perfection but it is about the possibilities we are given every day, the decisions we make and what we want to do with them. It is about forks in the road and deciding which direction to take and making the best with whatever is thrown at us once we make our decisions. It is the way it should be and that is simply imperfect.
Death Wish: Book I (The Vamp Saga): http://www.amazon.com/Death-Wish-Book-Vamp-ebook/dp/B00631HMHY
Forever 27 (A Novelette): http://www.amazon.com/Forever-27-Novelette-Club-ebook/dp/B005N04MFQ
Death Wish: Book I (The Vamp Saga): http://www.amazon.co.uk/Death-Wish-Book-Vamp-ebook/dp/B00641XV3W
Forever 27 (A Novelette): http://www.amazon.co.uk/Forever-27-Novelette-Club-ebook/dp/B005WZYMX4
Smashwords
1) Death Wish: Book I (The Vamp Saga): https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/101440
2) Forever 27 ( A Novellete) Now Free on Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/88853
Blog: http://thebeautifulpeopleawritersjourney.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Author.Danielle.Blanchard.Benson
This is such a moving story. And unfortunately, her situation is so common these days. But she’s found the courage to rise above it and turn it into something positive. Very inspiring.
I agree Anne, and it’s the underlying theme of the Chicks that is so powerful.
Seriously (self apart) what a group of women!
Thank you, Prue, for showcasing my story from the Indie Chicks Anthology. I agree we all have such unique stories to tell and if we can inspire one woman out there while saving a few with the money donated to breast cancer research then we have done our jobs. 😉
Absolute pleasure, Danielle!
Great story, Danielle. Seems you’re a winner as you’re being true to the truism of life – to thine own self be true.
I agree, Larry… perfect words to sum up Danielle’s life.
I love Dani for her heart and courage and for all she represents. You go, girl! You have it in you. Keep going and when you fall, still keep going. Don’t let anyone tell you differently!
Thanks for the wonderful story. Very touching and inspiring.
Prue, thanks for posting!
Pleasure Camelia. These are stories worth sharing everywhere.
Thanks for sharing your heartwarming story, Danielle. So many women (myself included) have wound up in a situation like yours at some point in their lives. It can and often does feel like it’s the end of the world when in fact it’s simply the end of one chapter and the beginning of an exciting new one! Kudos on your hard work and for being an inspiration to aspiring authors everywhere.
Danielle does everything from the heart… as an indie chick working with her, I’ve seen it in action. Kudos indeed.
What a woman! Danielle’s story is truly inspirational and I’m sure gives hope to other women who want to turn their life around.
An inspirational story, I’m honoured to be part of this Indie Chick project. 😉
Great Story and great lady!
Linda, Mel and Christine: We do often think we are alone in a dark, difficult moments, that we are the only ones. If the indie chicks anthology does anything, it’s proof positive that there are many people who have dark moments, and that it is possible to rise above it all and survive in the best, most positive way. thanks for commenting!
@Anne, it is way too common but it was a situation which had to happen because it made me realize I was stronger than I ever thought. I am so glad to be part of this journey with all of you and this anthology has made me even stronger than I thought possible.
@Larry, thank you for the kind wishes. It’s hard and sometimes I wonder if I did the right thing but then a writer friend sends me a message on Facebook or I get a cute little email and then I ask myself, why did I ever doubt something which comes so naturally to me?
@Cami, you are a wonderful and gorgeous human being yourself. You trusted me with your baby (your book) and I am very grateful to have and call you a friend. We’re all in this together!
@Mandy, what would I do without you? Seriously, you have helped me through a tough time when I doubted myself and my book and you made me realize there were people out there who enjoyed what I was writing. It’s the reason I do what I do and I was so happy to know I took you out of yourself for awhile. You re-define #1 fan…. 😉
@Linda, thank you for your comments and thank you for your encouragement as well. Not only are you talented but you’re a very lovely person to know.
@Mel, you are truly a very sweet and wonderful human being. I am so happy we got to know one another.
@Christine, oh my God, what can I say that hasn’t been said before? You truly are a terrific person and I am so happy we know one another. I couldn’t think of another person I would trust my covers to (besides Tom) but you “get” me and that is rare nowadays. You are so super talented and you inspire me to be a better person.
@Prue, thank you for having me on your blog and sharing my story with your followers. It has truly been an honor and a joy.
Read back folks who might be visiting, and see the kind of kindred spirit that resides amongst Indie writers who may only have met online, in some instances. This makes it all worthwhile.
Danielle, you’re the bee’s knees!!!
Dani must be one of the hardest-working authors ever, and she’s doing it as a single mum and while studying, too. Plus, she finds time to beta read, review and be active in the indie publishing community. A truly inspirational lady and an advocate for ethics, courage and determination in indie publishing.