Eight days to go until my paranormal suspense In This Life releases.
Sixteen years to get to this day.
It all seems surreal. And, strangely, very long yet very short.
Pregnancy is only nine months long, give or take, and that can seem like an eternity. But sixteen years? Sheesh. To put this in perspective, at least for myself, a lot happened in that time; years that immediately followed the birth of my son. I had six jobs, lived in three different houses, lost my oldest brother and my father. Got laid off, bounced back, tried my hand at real estate sales. Met an amazing woman who became my best friend, and separated from some friends along the way, too (some of whom I’ve recently reconnected with through my book!). I’ve discovered a love affair for red wine and a roaring fireplace with my husband, along with the vineyards out at the East End, and watched the New York Yankees claim five World Series Championships. I’ve been turned onto Scotch and sushi (but not together!), watched my son grow into a wonderful young man and became the surrogate mother to a boatload of his friends who make my house their home on weekends.
And through it all, I kept writing. Grinding it out, pitching to agents and editors, getting rejected, being told I was close but didn’t have ‘it’, whatever ‘it’ was, and still unable to stop from sitting down at my computer and cranking out words nearly day after day. For sixteen years.
5,840 days.
140,160 hours.
Yikes.
Am I crazy? If a person loves writing so much that they can’t stop, and will do it for that amount of time without compensation, then yes, I’m crazy. But it’s a crazy I wouldn’t trade for anything. Writing is, and always will be, my passion.
And so, in eight days my world will shift and change again. What’s ahead after that? I have no idea. But I’m ready for it.
As long as it means I can keep writing and keep sharing my stories with readers.
To those who have supported me so far, a heartfelt thank you. It’s meant more than you can imagine.
To those who will support me in the future, I hope my books entertain you and make you want to come back for more.
Copyright © 2012 · All Rights Reserved · TerriPonce.com
Terri Herman-Ponce 
Terri- it’s been so good getting to know you through Facebook and Crimson. You are a delight and I’m sure when your book comes out that there are going to be some people kicking themselves for not having picked you up earlier. And you will appreciate this that much more for having had to work for it and wait. Now’s your time to shine, girl! So go out there and get ’em!
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MJ – you really know what to say to make me feel special. 🙂 It’s been wonderful to meet you, through Crimson and beyond, and it’s going to be fun to see where this all leads in the future. Thanks, for stopping by, for saying the right things and for always taking the time.
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To realise you have indeed achieved so much should mean you can go easier on yourself. I’ve always pleaded with you not to beat yourself up over things. Maybe now that you’ve stepped back and looked at what you’ve achieved, that turning of the corner will release you in more ways than you expect.
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Well you can hope, right? Lol
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Never give up, never surrender! Great job for sticking with it!
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Love that movie! Just watched it (again) last night!!
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So thrilled for you, Terri! I’m just gonna be a big echo – but it treacly is the perseverance that makes the difference. At any point you could have stopped but didn’t – I’m glad you didn’t!
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It sounds like a broken record. Stick with it. Don’t give up. But it’s true. It really can make a difference with so many things and not just writing!
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I can relate to your experience, Terri. It’s taken me a long time, too. Huge congrats on the release of your novel. One more week! Enjoy this moment and give yourself a hug – and a pat on the back!
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Thanks for the pick-me-up! And nice to see I’m not alone in these things. And what you said resonated – it’s time I stepped back and enjoyed the accomplishment. 🙂
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I love this post and so feel what you are feeling. I too have had my children grow up while I continued to write through rejections and life. Huge congratulations to you! Much success!
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K.M. We’re kindred spirits. It’s an amazing but exhausting feeling, with everything that led up to this point, right? So happy you stopped by. It was nice to see you here.
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It’s the perseverance that pays off. Congrats on your upcoming release! You earned it.
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Thanks, Shay. Now to stay focused on the future, right?
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great writing history. Inspirational that you have finally arrived and you never gave up. Wishing you lots of success and blessings.
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Thank you, Suzy. I remember reading lots of other author stories, of writers who never gave up and who had an even longer road than I did. Now, some of them are very big names. You just never know.
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not long to your first published work. but since it will be one of many, your work has really just started. 😉 congratulations!
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Oh yes, the work has definitely begun! I’ve heard it said that the writing is the easy part (LMAO) so what’s ahead of me has me grabbing onto my seat and holding on for dear life.
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You go, Terri. Never give up your dream. I’ve gotten discouraged over the years because there’s no money to be made, but I have to keep writing. It’s in the genes.
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Yep. It’s hard to make a living at this, and it’s a realization few readers realize. Not that they should know this, but I think everyone thinks all writers draw in big bucks. Maybe that’s why they call it a passion, or a labor of love. There doesn’t seem to be any other reason to do it!
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Congrats to you for your dedication and perseverance. I’ve walked a similiar path for a bit longer and, ironically, my day job is real estate marketing.
Best to you with the upcoming release. IN THIS LIFE sounds like a great read and one, I’ll be adding to my TBR pile.
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Thank you, Mae. I truly hope you enjoy In This Life. And to add to the irony, my degree is in Marketing and I’m a communications manager now. Funny how life likes to come full circle.
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Awesome. I get down on myself about writing and wonder why I keep doing it. Then I read a story like yours and see what real determination looks like.
Best of luck with In This Life!
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Thank you, Eric. I’ve definitely had times like you, where I felt like tossing it all in. But then you realize you just can’t stop writing. That’s gotta be a good thing, right?
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A million congrats to you, Terri. So exciting.
-R.T. Wolfe
http://www.rtwolfe.com
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Thank you, R.T.! Definitely exciting and also nerve-wracking!
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