Author Deborah Barnes: How Does One Become An Author

I am always amazed at the intriguing people you can meet while blogging. I have meet one such person in author Deborah Barnes, whom I meet through another wonderful friend, Ingrid King at The Conscious Cat.

Please join me in welcoming Deborah. She is the author of THE CHRONICLES OF ZEE & ZOEY - A JOURNEY OF THE EXTRAORDINARILY ORDINARY, a nonfiction book that combines a warm, humorous, and conversational style of writing with stunning photos and charming artwork. Readers are immediately immersed into the world of Zee, her lovable male Maine Coon cat, and Zoey, her high-spirited female Bengal cat, as they share their amazing relationship and bond that formed between the two of them. What makes this story so compelling, is that Deborah narrates the journey of the cats through the personal trials and tribulations of her own life and how they ultimately taught her to be a better person during a very difficult time in her life. Readers will easily be able to relate to the many moments she share with the cats – from moving, to divorce, to single parenting, to unemployment, as the story is wrapped into the general context of everyday life.

Deborah is here today to share her take on ‘How Does One Become An Author?

For as long as I can remember, I have been a writer. It was not until now, with the completion of my first book, THE CHRONICLES OF ZEE & ZOEY -- A JOURNEY OF THE EXTRAORDINARILY ORDINARY, that I could claim I was an author. My writing began in typical fashion – scribbling with lipstick on the bathroom mirror as a toddler that  elevated to a career as an Executive Assistant for over 25 years, whereby brilliant business letter after brilliant letter were crafted, only to have the credit taken by the manager in charge who signed his or her name to my words. I was also always assigned with the task in my family of writing the perfect verse for a greeting card or a signature for gifts and flowers. Granted, I was honored to be asked, but the task hardly had publishers knocking at my door.

Zee

Although I had always wanted to write a book and was encouraged many times throughout the years to do so, like so many others with dreams, I put it off thinking, “Yeah, maybe one day I’ll get to it,” without actually believing it. Well, completely unplanned, one day did come in the form of two major events – Zee, my lovable male Maine Coon cat, and Zoey, my high-spirited female Bengal cat fell madly in love and subsequentlyy had a litter of kittens together. The other event – I was unexpectedly laid off and had a lot more free time on my hands.

The birth of the Chronicles began unsuspectingly as a weekly series of emails that I sent to various family members and friends documenting the growth process of Zee and Zoey’s kittens with a humorous narrative that was complimented by photographs taken by my fiancé, Dan. These emails were sent out religiously every Friday morning and soon became a sensation, as many recipients clamored for a book. All seemed well and good, but literally seconds after I hit the “send” button on week 7, I was called into my supervisor’s office and life forevermore changed as I was out of a job. 

Zoey

The process that followed was a long and difficult road, filled with many deep, dark holes, uncertainty, and severe depression. I knew I wanted to write a story about my cats, but emotionally, I was not capable of being an author with any authority or talent. Being unemployed in my late 40’s was a lesson in humility and I found it difficult to function. I had envisioned a cute and sweet story filled with adorable kittens and humorous antidotes – being that I couldn’t even muster the energy to smile, this was a task too large for me to tackle. As it turns out, my cats and kittens were far wiser than me and were about to teach me some invaluable life lessons.

It was through them, that I began to see life through their minds eye and the personal revelation was profound. Cats live without judgment and in the moment. They do not dwell on circumstances, and, as long as they are loved, fed, have clean litter and a lap to nap one, then life is good. It was then that I realized I had a story to tell and a message to teach – I wanted to use my cats as more than a cute story about kittens climbing up a curtain. I wanted to use an honest, conversational, warm, and humorous style of writing to share a story that really explored the very real core of being a cat – how they express feelings and emotions, not just with one another, but with the world at large. I felt whether you were a “cat person” or not, that the journey of the chronicle itself, is something we all can relate to in one way or another and I became convinced I needed to share my positive feelings as they did, i.e., to “embrace the ordinary in life and dare to make it extraordinary.” 

Once I grasped that simple but profound concept, from that point on, I really truly understood how simple the message was and how rewarding, limitless, and fulfilling the possibility could be and I tried to look for those silver-lining moments all the time to help me appreciate my life all the more, despite how it seemed on the surface sometimes. If an explanation is in order – just imagine a bug walks across the floor – for a cat, in a split second, life magically transforms from “ordinary to extraordinary” as they spend endless minutes in fascinated pursuit of this non-descript moment in their lives. It’s all in how you perceive the moment. As people – take a rainy day for example. Rather than find it to be a hindrance, perhaps it is a stolen moment for a much needed nap or a chance to snuggle on the couch to watch an old movie. 

The writing began to flow with abandon after that point and I knew I wanted to immerse my readers into that simple concept. I felt by creating a heartfelt and inspirational story that was narrated through everyday events that anyone could relate to, coupled with stunning photos and exquisite artwork, that the reader would experience the very concept of “from ordinary to extraordinary.” I wanted this book to be an experience for my readers and I truly think I have achieved that goal.

I cannot wait to share this story – I know it has made me a better person today and I hope it will give people a few laughs and inspire them to think in a different way about their lives as well.
 
Authors Note: I am thrilled to announce that November 1st, 2011, is the official launch date of the book release and the unveiling of my new website and book trailer. Please mark your calendars to stop by www.zeezoey.com for a visit – I can guarantee you that I continue my vision of “from ordinary to extraordinary” as you are treated to a visual masterpiece from the moment you enter the site! I will also be on tour with “Pump Up Your Book Promotions” from November 14 to December 16, 2011 and you can find all the details at http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/2011/10/12/the-chronicles-of-zee-zoey-virtual-book-publicity-tour-novemberdecember-2011/

Deborah, thanks so much for guest blogging today and sharing your journey to writing your book. It is truly awesome what our furry friends can teach us if we just take time to learn.

Now let me share a bit of background on Deborah. Born in Lansing, Michigan, and moving dozens of times in her life, Deborah currently resides in the tropical paradise of Coral Springs, Florida, with her fiancé Dan, and their seven beautiful cats that were the inspiration for THE CHRONICLES OF ZEE AND ZOEY. She has two sons - Chris, 26, and Joe, 21, - who have long since moved out on their own. She has worked as an executive/marketing administrator for over 25 years in various fields, but has always found writing to be her primary passion and true calling.

Have you learn lessons of life from your animals? If you’re a writer, do you include animals in your stories? If you’re a reader, do you enjoy stories that include pets? I hope you enjoy the photos of Zee, Zoey and their kittens. I couldn’t pick just one so I decided to share all.