As part of the month long Blog Blitz for the BFOR group, I am delighted to host this guest post from BFOR member, Beatrice Fishback. It's great to hear her tell us how much at home she feels in our community of readers, writers and bloggers. Beatrice is originally from New York, but lived in the East Anglia area of the UK for over twenty years. She has travelled extensively in the United Kingdom and throughout Europe. She is the author of a wide variety of books including the Bethel Manor series, Dying to Eat at the Pub, and Loving Your Military Man by FamilyLife Publishing, plus four novellas. She and her husband have spoken to audiences worldwide and currently reside in North Carolina. Here is what she has to say about BFOR.
"Before BFOR (Books for Older Readers), I was
a lonely swimmer in the massive sea of Facebook. Every time I opened the social
site I was overwhelmed by the choices. So I would read posts from family
members, stalked others I might have known from a lifetime ago, or scrolled
through a billion ads to see if I needed to buy something—anything. Such a
waste of time. Time when I could have written the next best seller or at least
completed a chapter. I was in a quandary about which person, group or crowd to
jump off the FB diving board and follow.
It seemed the best way to find a place was
to look for like-minded writers. A cosy mystery group? Or historic romance
supporters? There were some that offered tips on grammar and others that were made
up of authors trying to sell their books. Each of these were fine. But none of
them fit the bill.
To me, deciding what Facebook or Instagram
or any other social site to hop on, was like choosing a friend. Someone who was
interested and interesting.
But what was it about me that was unique, and who would really care? As a woman who
didn’t start her writing endeavours until reaching my late fifties, I was that
fish in the pond of uncertainties. It was like going to school for the first
time as a teenager, trying to act cool and feeling the heat of anxiety. There
were a few other things that were different about me, not just my age. Although
I’m from New York originally, I spent twenty-years in England and my head and
heart are split between the two. Would I find a group who would understand this
idiosyncrasy? I also enjoy writing different genres. I have authored a variety
of cosies, a historic romance series and was a hybrid author—having been traditionally
and self-published.
Imagine my surprise when I came across
BFOR. And to tell you the truth, I’m not even sure how it happened. What I will
say is, finding a group that checks every box was kin to coming up for air in
the deep end and finding the shore is only a few feet away. I’ve discovered how
important it is to find the right fit with our Facebook group. Like finally meeting
that best friend in school.
How about you? What have you done to find
the right place on your social site? Or have you? Does BFOR sound appealing?
Check it out. It’s only a swim-stroke away."
Below are links to where you can find out more about Beatrice and her writing.
Below are links to where you can find out more about Beatrice and her writing.
Lovely work.
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