Saturday Confession: The Great Pretender

Confession time.

When I was in high school I remember having an English teacher that was a tough cookie. She wasn’t about being your friend, she was all about making sure you used the language the way it was intended. I don’t even remember how it happened, but one day she let her rough exterior go for a moment and explained her method.

She said it started as a new teacher out of college. She was a substitute and had no clear what she was doing. She was afraid and the students knew it. She decided the only way to get a handle on the fear was to pretend she had been on the job a long time and knew exactly what she was doing. She said by acting as if she had been a teacher a long time and knew what was coming, it gave her confidence, and the students respected her (even if they didn’t like her.)

When I entered a new situation I was nervous about, I would tackle it as a work assignment, even though nine out of ten times the situations had nothing to do with my job. Somehow pretending it was job related gave me confidence and I was able to move forward and enjoy myself.

This month I feel like I’m pretending again. I have contributing author credits but I’m not yet qualified to say I’m a true author. My hope is through my contemporary romances I can change that.

But I’m not there.

So, I’m pretending.

I spent the bulk of January updating this site.

• The colors are different for easier reading.

• There’s added slideshow content in the right sidebar to showcase book reviews and the publishers and agencies I review for.
• A newsletter widget is available in the right sidebar to invite you to subscribe for free.

I also decided to research a way to thank newsletter subscribers. As Facebook and other social media continue to change, having readers invest in newsletters and venues where emails are given is a way to stay in contact no matter how much else changes. I’d like to build that newsletter list as my writing life grows, and I’m believing it will.

 

Throughout 2014 I will be sharing a story exclusively with newsletter subscribers. It’s not one I plan on publishing, but a way to introduce readers to my Upstate NY settings and writing style.

The story is Match Made in Heaven.

Here’s a blurb:

Beth Prescott, a go-getter volunteer recruiter for the Hammondsport Senior Complex, didn’t realize part of the job involves meeting grandsons for potential dates. She’s having a hard enough time keeping up with work and moving past a bad breakup. Dean Kellerman returns to Hammondsport to help his grandfather and make a new life for himself after a lot of regrets. The two run into each other at the complex, neither planning to meet again, much less work together. But Walt Kellerman is the one thing the two have in common. Can Beth and Dean surrender their secrets and fears and create a fresh start?

What else does my pretending involve? I’m reading books on marketing. I’m writing. And I’m thanking God in advance.

Whatever plan He has for me, it’s good. How do I know?

Because He is good.

And there’s no pretending there.

Have you ever pretended in the ways described before? Is it a good thing, or not?

Want to make sure you receive Match Made in Heaven through subscribing to my newsletter? Click here, or visit the right sidebar at juliearduini.com. Please share with others who might be interested in this contemporary romance.