And it is sooo very easy to get distracted. Of course, it's not just the internet that can sabatoge our creative efforts. But it is a big part of it. I'm still struggling against the temptation to spend more than the usual amount of time for research and checking up on the family on Facebook. Need to get those books and stories finished!

  I have always loved to tell stories and write them. Like so many other writers, my characters live in my head, and they rarely are quiet. They aren't happy until their story is written. Often, they want to be in the next tale, too. They get their wish sometimes. I have the impulse to overlap genre as well, if I think it will work.

My fifth grade teacher, Mrs. Miller, was my motivation for writing. She read to us most afternoons. My imagination really began to spark when she started reading 1001 Arabian Nights to us. Besides writing my own tales of treasure caves, I did a few haunted house stories - I don't do those anymore. Horses always figure large in my stuff, then and now; and I included my classmates and family in what I wrote, which they all seemed to enjoy. As soon as I had a story written, Mrs. Miller let me read it to the class. At the end of the year, I bound the stories between construction paper covers and gave them to Mrs. Miller. Never gave it a thought my mother might have liked to have kept them herself . . . But then, she helped me do the book up, so I guess she was okay with it.

Me, I would have made copies of my kid's work and given the teacher the copy. The original is MINE!! And I do have stories my kids wrote when they were young. I plan to post them on my site when I have the time.

In my teens, I wrote fan fiction novels and a historical novel set in the 1800s somewhere. About a young girl whose family is killed by Apaches. She's taken captive along with her younger brother. Hard to recall all the details now . . . In any case, the story had an unhappy ending. I know, I know; but it just seemed it had to be that way. Maybe I would do it differently now . . . if I could remember how the story went. Maybe someday I'll give a shot at a rewrite.

My English teacher, Miss Cassill, introduced me to Writer's Digest and The Writer. Told me she was trying to decide how to help me get to the next step with that story. Which was probably a good edit. School ended for the summer, and she kept my story. And went back to Ohio . . . I was pretty sad about that. I really liked her--plus now I would have to do the book over from scratch. Like I say, maybe someday I will do it.

Oh, before I gave it to Miss Cassill, I sent it to a publishing company. Which turned out to be a vanity press. They wanted $1795 to print it up. I forget how many copies I would get for that. But . . . a fourteen year old kid hasn't got that kind of money. They did do up a really cool blurb about the book, though. Now they would charge me probably $17,650 to publish it.

When I was about 20, my mom passed me a Harlequin romance. One particular story motivated me to want to write a better story. All for the Love of Thomi was borne. The Resurrection of Joleigh-Anna Kelmann originally had been a short story. My writing instructor at the time told me the story needed to be a novel. And he was right. I'm glad I took his advice and developed it as such. My romances are written under the pen name Neenah Davis-Wilson. Children's work I write under my own name, Anita M. Shaw, and my picture books I'm working on will be probably under the pen of Neta Marie.

I write a little poetry when the mood strikes me. I love writing novels and short stories best.

My romances are contemporary ones of the sweeter variety, although, All For The Love Of Thomi has been called a family saga. I do plan to write several novels based on the characters in this story. Love them too much to let them go! A Storm in My Heart is the next one in the series.

For the children's author side of me, I have one book finished, The Kingsley Twins: Dalton's Last Stand, also here for sampling, and two more as works in progress. Stagecoach at the Old Gristmill, a time travel aimed at 8 - 12 year olds, and a young adult novel, called Marooned on Planet EARTH: The Scoville Tragedies, which is finished, and looking for pre-release reviews. As for picture books, I have one also in editing stages, and some more picture books in mind to do when I get the time. Writing in multiple genre is a juggling act!

The finished novels are listed for sale for the Kindle on Amazon.com and at DreamWynd Publishing for $3.75. They are also available at iBooks, Nook, Kobo and Barnes and Noble.

Print versions are planned in the future when I've decided who I want to go through to do it. News of that will be posted here and on my sites at that time.

Looking forward to making new friends and meeting up again with old ones!