At the close of 2014, I’m sure we are all assessing our accomplishments–and estimating damages–the year brought our way. Mine was a grand mixture: family illnesses and losses of friends but, for the most part, blessings beyond what I deserved. This year will always be special to me since it marked my introduction as a western author. Funny how these things come about.
It was just over a year ago that I met a bespectacled, erudite history professor named Dr. Troy Smith. It was more a stalking than a meeting, to be honest.
I was a fledgling–widely unpublished and unknown to pretty much anybody who read westerns. I’d been working on a novel set in Cherokee Territory in the early 1800’s and was up to my eyebrows in research material. When I found out (through friend Cheryl Pierson) that an expert on Native American history lived 80 miles from my house, I set out to hunt him down.
I cold-emailed Troy and asked if he could meet with me for a good old-fashioned brain picking. He graciously (and cautiously, I believe) agreed to meet for lunch. After fielding an hour’s worth of my nonstop chatter and interrogation, he took my card and said to email if I had any more questions. On the drive home, I was certain I had met every criteria for the word “gherm.” (a fan to an excessive degree; someone who sucks up to celebrities)
I was shocked when he emailed me about a month later. Troy shared that he was assuming ownership of Western Trailblazer Publishing and offered to take a look at my novel. It wasn’t even close to completion. However, I had a short story in the works and sent it instead.
While I waited for a verdict from Troy, I made a resolution for the coming year of 2014. For years, I had allowed fears to squash my dream of being an author. It was a lengthy list: “It won’t be good enough. No one will read it. It will never get published.” I resolved that any excuse that began with the words “I’m afraid that…” was invalid. I could refuse to submit my work for other reasons but not out of fear. 
