It's not just about gemstones and jewelry!

Happy Labor Day to everyone. Hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday!

Moonstruck Gems isn't just about gemstones and jewelry. It's about ME and my creativity. There's more to my creativity than just jewelry! It's a craft that goes deeper than that! It's WRITING. I began writing my junior year in high school ~ short stories about teens, teen pregnancy, suicide and several other topics that teens face. Sometime in my early 20's, I decided I wanted to tackle a novel. The journey began - page after page in long hand on a legal pad or in a notebook - long before computers were a household name. Then I became pregnant with my daughter and put my writing aside as life became all about her. I picked it up here and there and wrote a little bit....sometimes 2 pages; other times 20. My husband has never been a fan or supporter of my writing. He says I should be doing something useful with my time. I write when he's not around and we don't discuss it. But it’s part of me; part of who I am. It’s what I want to do and I’m going to do it. My head spins with ideas and characters constantly. I can’t sleep at night because my characters talk to me and tell me what they want to do next! As crazy as that sounds, it’s true. I think most writer’s will agree with me! When I see people, I see a story or an idea. Sometimes listening to a song will spark something and I’ll get a whole scene out of it! You just never know when it’s going to hit you.

Several years ago, I was in need of support and help, so I searched the net looking for online writing groups. I found one on Yahoo where I was welcomed and supported. It took me a long time to find the courage to put my work out there to get critiqued. I finally did - some liked it; others hated it. I've learned you can't please everyone. About a year and a 1/2 ago, I revamped the whole novel I had written; basically started it all over again. The characters names remain the same but the story has taken on a whole new feel. “Elements” is the working title. Whether that will be the finished title remains to be seen. My writing has improved a lot because of the ladies in my writing group. There are rules the group owner, Elly, has given us and I live by them:
Rules of Writing!1. Don't get it Right, Get it Written!2. You cannot fix a blank page!3. Give yourself permission to write crap, Crap can be fixed...see #2!

Four of the women have been published and I have chosen to interview them and let you get to know them, too. Their work is fantastic and I hope some day, mine will be just as good. They are wonderful ladies who are my motivation and inspiration. Over the next few days, you'll meet these ladies: Becca Dale, Valerie Mann, Connie Chastain, and Dominique Eastwick ~ all very talented, published authors.

Be sure to watch the blog for my interviews with them! Follow them, their blogs, their websites, and their work.