No!
Yes.
You can’t!
I can.
Why?
Why not?
It’s all wrong!
It’s all right.
You shouldn’t!
I should.
You won’t!
I will.
It could be bad!
It could be good.
It’s too late!
There’s time.
You’re too old!
I’m still here.
You did it!
I did.
~Marcia Meara
Hi, Everybody! I’m Marcia, and I’d like to thank Sue for having me here today. She’s such a wonderful supporter of artists of all kinds, and I’m very pleased to be part of her guest post feature.
The little poem above is one I wrote three years ago, right after I published my first book, at age 69. As you might imagine, it was inspired by a lot of comments I received from folks who thought I was crazy to be attempting something as daunting as writing and self-publishing a novel at my age. I heard every single reason why I shouldn’t even try to do such a thing, and precious few reasons why I should.
Thankfully, I had already decided I was going to do it, and refused to be swayed, even though much of what I was told was very sensible. Truth is, I wasn’t in the mood for sensible. I was in the mood to do the one thing I’d wanted to do since the age of five, when I spent long hours filling up yellow legal pads with epic poems about cowboys and horses. I wanted to write.
I came to the conclusion that I would die an unhappy, unfulfilled person if I never even bothered to try, so . . . Bucket List, here comes an item. In fact, the only item.
I knew exactly the story I wanted to tell, and I wrote every single day, throwing everything into that book I could think of. I only expected to write the one, you see, so I really crammed it full. Nine months after I started, I published Wake-Robin Ridge on Kindle and the print version on CreateSpace, and thought, “There. I did it.” The jam-packed, slightly paranormal love story, set in my beloved North Carolina mountains was done, in exactly the same amount of time it takes to have a baby, coincidentally. I could check it off my list.
Well, doggone if Wake-Robin Ridge didn’t start selling, and pulling in some pretty good reviews, for a novice like myself. It was thrilling to see that there were people out there who enjoyed the story, some of whom even emailed me, asking for more. Whoa. Didn’t expect that!
It wasn’t long before I decided I should write another book. Again, nine months later, I published Swamp Ghosts, set in central Florida, where I live, and I had just as much fun writing this one. It gave me a chance to share my love of Florida rivers and wildlife with readers, along with a wicked bad serial killer, and a fun love story.
Swamp Ghosts exceeded my expectations, too, with requests for more stories set in the fictional little town of Riverbend. Before I knew what was happening, I had two series going. The mountain series, filled with all sorts of Appalachian legends, and the Florida one, with nothing paranormal at all, because the citizens of Riverbend are weird enough all on their own.
It has been three years since I wrote my first book, and I’m getting ready to publish my sixth. Those of you who are good at math will have deduced I’m now 72, though I’ll be 73 on St. Patrick’s Day. That adds up to two books a year, only fudging a bit with this latest one, That Darkest Place, because of some unforeseen circumstances that delayed publication by three months. I’m back on track now, and plan to have my seventh out in the fall, if the bridge don’t go, an’ the creek don’t rise, as they say around here.
What should all this all mean to you? Simple. It is never too late to do follow a dream. Okay, simple to state, less so to put into action. But, trust me on this. If I can live a dream that had been on hold for 65 years, you can put your dream into action, too.
- Don’t think you can’t. You can.
- Don’t wait for permission. You don’t need it.
- Don’t wait for the time to be perfect. It never will be.
- Don’t let age or lack of experience slow you down. The first is irrelevant, and the second will disappear as you make progress.
- Do get up every day with the knowledge that your dream is worth the effort.
- Do work hard. There are no shortcuts.
- Do keep an open mind. There may be a better way to accomplish your goal.
- Do remind yourself of your dream daily. Post It notes, memes, whatever it takes.
- Do love what you’re doing. A labor of love is always the most rewarding work.
- Do your very best work, and never settle for less.
If I can make my lifelong dream happen at a time when many people are looking at retirement, you can do it, too. What have you got to lose, except that special disappointment that comes from knowing you never even tried? And believe me, that’s a feeling you can wave goodbye to with a big smile on your face.
A dream deferred is an opportunity lost. A dream followed and accomplished is a joy beyond imagining. I say go for it. I’ll be cheering you on from the sidelines!
Good luck!
Find and follow Marcia
The Write Stuff Bookin’ It Facebook Pinterest
Amazon author page Twitter @MarciaMeara
You can also reach Marcia by email: mmeara@cfl.rr.com or to keep up with the latest news and giveaways, sign up for Marcia’s Mail List.
About the author
Marcia Meara lives in central Florida, just north of Orlando, with her husband of over thirty years, four big cats, and two small dachshunds. When not writing or blogging, she spends her time gardening, and enjoying the surprising amount of wildlife that manages to make a home in her suburban yard. At the age of five, Marcia declared she wanted to be an author, and is ecstatic that at age 69, she finally began pursuing that dream. Three years and five novels later, she’s still going strong, and plans to keep on writing until she falls face down on the keyboard, which she figures would be a pretty good way to go!
Marcia has published six books to date, all of which are available on Amazon in both print and Kindle format. Her seventh book, That Darkest Place: Riverbend Book 3, will be out Spring, 2017.
Click the images or titles to visit Amazon.
Marcia Meara, author of Swamp Ghosts and Finding Hunter, has set Book One of her Wake-Robin Ridge series amid the haunting beauty of the North Carolina mountains, where ghosts walk, ancient legends abound, and things still go bump in the night.
“A PHONE RINGING AT 2:00 A.M. never means anything good. Calls at 2:00 A.M. are bad news. Someone has died. Someone is hurt. Or someone needs help.”
On a bitter cold January night in 1965, death came calling at an isolated little cabin on Wake-Robin Ridge. Now, nearly 50 years later, librarian Sarah Gray has quit her job and moved into the same cabin, hoping the peace and quiet of her woodland retreat will allow her to concentrate on writing her first novel. Instead she finds herself distracted by her only neighbor, the enigmatic and reclusive MacKenzie Cole, who lives on top of the mountain with his Irish wolfhound as his sole companion.
As their tentative friendship grows, Sarah learns the truth about the heartbreaking secret causing Mac to hide from the world. But before the two can sort out their feelings for each other, they find themselves plunged into a night of terror neither could have anticipated. Now they must unravel the horrifying events of a murder committed decades earlier. In doing so, they discover that the only thing stronger than a hatred that will not die is a heart willing to sacrifice everything for another.
A Boy Named Rabbit: Wake-Robin Ridge Book 2
“Evil’s comin’, boy…comin’ fast. Look for the man with eyes like winter skies, and hair like a crow’s wing. He’s the one you gotta find.”
The remote mountain wilderness of North Carolina swallowed up the ten-year-old boy as he made his way down from the primitive camp where his grandparents had kept him hidden all his life. His dying grandmother, gifted with the Sight, set him on a quest to find the Good People, and though he is filled with fear and wary of civilization, Rabbit is determined to keep his promise to her. When he crosses paths with Sarah and MacKenzie Cole, neither their lives nor his, are ever the same again.
The extraordinary little boy called Rabbit has the power light up the darkness, and the resourcefulness to save himself from the one person his grandparents had hoped would never find him. His dangerous and bittersweet journey will touch you in unexpected ways, and once you’ve let Rabbit into your heart, you’ll never forget him.
Harbinger: Wake-Robin Ridge Book 3
“. . . he felt the wet slide of the dog’s burning hot tongue on his face, and the scrape of its razor sharp teeth against the top of his head. A white-hot agony of crushing pain followed, as the jaws began to close.”
The wine-red trillium that carpets the forests of the North Carolina Mountains is considered a welcome harbinger of spring—but not all such omens are happy ones. An Appalachian legend claims the Black Dog, or Ol’ Shuck, as he’s often called, is a harbinger of death. If you see him, you or someone you know is going to die.
But what happens when Ol’ Shuck starts coming for you in your dreams? Nightmares of epic proportions haunt the deacon of the Light of Grace Baptist Church, and bring terror into the lives of everyone around him. Even MacKenzie Cole and his adopted son, Rabbit, find themselves pulled into danger.
When Sheriff Raleigh Wardell asks Mac and Rabbit to help him solve a twenty-year-old cold case, Rabbit’s visions of a little girl lost set them on a path that soon collides with that of a desperate man being slowly driven mad by guilt.
As Rabbit’s gift of the Sight grows ever more powerful, his commitment to those who seek justice grows as well, even when their pleas come from beyond the grave.
Swamp Ghosts: A Riverbend Novel
Marcia Meara, author of the popular Wake-Robin Ridge books, sets her second series in the sleepy little town of Riverbend, Florida, where the hungry creatures swimming in the dark waters of the St. Johns River aren’t nearly as dangerous as those walking along the quiet neighborhood streets.
Wildlife photographer Gunnar Wolfe looked like the kind of guy every man wanted to be and every woman just plain wanted, and the St. Johns River of central Florida drew him like a magnet. EcoTour boat owner Maggie Devlin knew all the river’s secrets, including the deadliest ones found in the swamps. But neither Maggie nor Gunn was prepared for the danger that would come after them on two legs.
On a quest to make history photographing the rarest birds of them all, Gunnar hires the fiery, no-nonsense Maggie to canoe him into the most remote wetland areas in the state. He was unprepared for how much he would enjoy both the trips and Maggie’s company. He soon realizes he wants more than she’s able to give, but before he can win her over, they make a grisly discovery that changes everything, and turns the quiet little town of Riverbend upside down. A serial killer is on the prowl among them.
Finding Hunter: Riverbend Book 2
Before, I never thought about taking a life. Not once.
Now, the thought fills my mind day and night, and
I wonder how I’ll hide that terrible need,
As an old car swings to the shoulder,
And stops.
~ Traveling Man ~
Hunter Painter’s darkest fears have shaped his offbeat personality since he was a child, crippling him in ways invisible to those unable to see past his quiet exterior. In a sleepy Florida town known for its eccentric inhabitants, he’s always been a mystery to most.
Only one person sees beyond Hunter’s quirky facade. Willow Greene, the new age herbalist who owns the local candle and potpourri shop, has secretly loved him since they were in high school. When, sixteen years later, she discovers Hunter has loved her just as long, Willow hopes her dreams are finally coming true.
Willow soon learns that Hunter fears happiness at her side isn’t in the cards for him. With her natural optimism and courage, she almost convinces him he’s wrong—that they can really have that life together they both long for—but even Willow can’t stop what Hunter knows is coming.
One by one, his worst nightmares become reality, culminating in an unthinkable tragedy, which devastates everyone it touches. Willow’s battle begins in earnest as Hunter is plunged into a bleak, guilt-ridden despair, threatening to destroy not only their love, but Hunter, himself.
Finding Hunter is the story of a lost man’s desperate struggle to make his way home again, and one woman’s unshakeable faith in him and the power of their love.
![Summer Magic: Poems of Life and Love by [Meara, Marcia]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61EtvHKIyzL.jpg)
Summer Magic: Poems of Life & Love
Summer Magic: Poems of Life & Love is a collection of contemporary poetry about exactly that–life and love. The first part of the book features poems about the magic a young boy discovers while camping in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The second part of the book has a sampling of poetry about love, life and death, autumn, and dreams coming true.
Sue Vincent's Daily Echo 
Sue, thank you so much for having me here today! And for taking the time to assemble the post, too. It looks great! I’m very happy to be your guest, and hope to be invited back in the future. Have a wonderful day!
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Thanks for sharing your story with us, Marcia 🙂 You are welome back any time 🙂
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It was definitely my pleasure, Sue. I hope it inspires one or two readers to pursue their dreams. 🙂
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It certainly should 🙂
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Reblogged this on The Write Stuff and commented:
I am thrilled to let you guys know that I’m a guest blogger today on Sue Vincent’s Daily Echo. Please stop by and check it out. Hope you’ll enjoy the post, and share far and wide. Thanks so much!
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I hear you.. There are a few things on my bucket list that might seem trivial but I won’t be satisfied till they happen.. moving through it.. thanks Sue and Marcia.. xx
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That’s the way to do it, Sally. Just work through those items, one at a time, and soon you’ll be looking back, thinking, “Wow. I did it!” It’s a great feeling! 😀
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Me too, Sally 😉 xx
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As a older woman, I Loved this authors story. Thanks for sharing it.
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So glad you enjoyed it, Kathy, and I hope it inspires you to follow your own dreams. It’s definitely worth the effort, and besides, we aren’t ready for the rocking chair yet, right? 😀
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not for a while yet, anyway!
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My pleasure to share Marcia’s story, Kathy 🙂
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You are so right, attitude is everything!! Well done, Marcia. I love reading success stories like this.
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Thanks, Darlene! So glad you enjoyed the post. And the funny (or sad?) thing is, there are so many people out there, saying, “I wish I had tried. . . ” when, they usually have the power to make that wish a reality. Sometimes, they just need a little push. If ONE reader decides to take a chance to make their own dream come true, I’ll feel like this post did just what I wanted it to. 🙂
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Congratulations for never letting go of your dream and making it come true! You are an example worth following and I mean not only in writing. Your family must be proud with you and your accomplisment. The same your friends.
I know I am.
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Aw, such a nice thing to say, Carmen! Thank you so much. I did let go of my dream for years and years, on the advice of those who thought writing was a risky career choice. But I never forgot that it was my true love, and the one that continued to make noise in my head, until it got my attention. Once that happened, I was done ignoring it!
My family and friends are wonderful, to be sure. And thanks for taking the time to tell me how you feel, too, Carmen. I really appreciate that. Now, keep on making YOUR dreams come true, my friend. We can be proud of each other! 😀 ❤
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What a great inspiring post, Marcia! I especially like your bulleted points. Good for you in going after your dream. So often I have heard people say “it’s too late for me” in reference to something they wish they’d accomplished. With that attitude it is too late, but it can be turned around.
I’m delighted you’re doing something you love and have such a strong passion for. 🙂
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Thanks so much, Mae! And you are right. An old expression: If you think you can’t, you’re right. 🙂 The obvious answer is to think you can, and then work like crazy to make it happen. So glad you enjoyed the post, and I’m having the time of my life. I’ll never regret having done this, but I would have always regretted it if I hadn’t tried. 🙂
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A wonderful post, Marcia. I, for one, am glad you followed your dream because I loved the Wake-Robin Ridge books. You are so right about not letting age get in the way of doign what you wanted to do.
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Lovely to hear that, Mary. I am so invested in my own characters now, they live in my head and keep me company all day long. (And sometimes, half the night.) I’m going to have to live to be 135 to write down all the stories they tell me! 😀 I confess, there are some things I can’t do any more, for physical reasons. The body wears out before the spirit does, sadly. But by golly, if I can still do it, and I want to do it, I’m going to do it! And as soon as I get That Darkest Place published (hopefully by April 1), I’ll be going back to Wake-Robin Ridge for a new adventure with Mac, Sarah, Rabbit, and Branna. 🙂
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Good news there will be more from Wake-Robin Ridge – and probably I’ll have time to read the Riverbend series before then 🙂
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At present, I’m not ready to end either series, Mary. I’d like to have 5 or 6 books in each one, before I do that. We’ll see how my strength holds out. 🙂 Writing is truly hard work, if you want to do it as well as you can. And I do. I may not be a Pulitzer prize winning author, but I want to tell my stories in a way that pulls readers in, and leaves them wanting more. So I’m working hard to make each book better than the one before.
And I could never say goodbye to Rabbit. He’s just the most fun to write, ever! Though, I do admit, I’ve become just as fond of the Painter brothers in Riverbend, and this last book really had them pushing Rabbit over to make room in my heart. 😀 I think you’ll have time to read all three before the next WRR book is finished, and I hope you decide to give them a go. If so, be sure to let me know what you think. 🙂
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How wonderfully inspiring, Marcia!! I had a dear, dear friend who would always ask me, “Well, did you learn anything today?” and from that question came a quest for me to always be in search of something new – each and every day. I’m so thankful that you have followed your dream and have and are succeeding! And today, I learned ten new points that I can tack on the wall to inspire me every day! Thank you for that gift of ten points!!
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Wooohooo! I’m so glad the ten points resonated with you, Beth! I know they’ve made a big difference in MY life, for sure. And your friend is right. I tell people all the time, the way to stay young is 1) learn something new every day, and 2) hang out with people younger than you are. (I figure by the time I’m 90, all my friends will be in second grade!) 😀 Thanks so much for such kind words, and for taking the time to comment today. Have a great evening! 🙂 ❤
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Reblogged this on Anita Dawes & Jaye Marie.
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Thank you so much for sharing! I really appreciate it, and I hope it inspires your followers to follow their dreams! 🙂
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Thanks for sharing, Jaye x
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You’re such an inspiration Marcia, love your poem! Keep on writing, so glad you didn’t listen to the doubters. Nice feature Sue 🙂
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Thank you so much, Marje! And an extra thank you for commenting on the poem. It’s a personal favorite of mine, actually, just because it sums up so well what I’d been listening to. Of course, some of those same doubters are now asking me why I waited so long. (Go figger!) I tell them everything happens exactly when it is supposed to, and had I done this years ago, I would likely have given up before I ever got published. Now, the time is right, and I’m loving what I’m doing.
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Yes perhaps experience and all life throws at us makes us better writers. I certainly believe this is true. So thrilled for you, keep up the hard work. Enjoy!
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Yep, there’s that, too. I’ve learned a LOT about living over the years, and yet, I still have a real good memory of how it was when I was younger. If I can put those things together right . . . well, who knows what I might come up with. And I think others can do the same thing. Or whatever it is they’ve always dreamed of doing. 🙂 That’s my story, an’ I’m stickin’ to it! 😀
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Reblogged this on Don Massenzio's Blog and commented:
Check out this guest post by author Marcia Meara via Sue Vincent’s blog
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Thank you, Don 🙂
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You’re welcome
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Thank you so much for sharing, Don! Hope you (and your readers) enjoy the post, and are inspired to make your dreams a reality. 🙂
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I know I enjoyed it. You’re welcome
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Thanks, Don. And one of these days, you need to come down here and go out on the river with us. It’s such a wonderful way to spend an afternoon!
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Excellent post Marcia, well done and thank you for showing us that it doesn’t matter when, what matters is that you do. x
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Yes! Exactly so! Just take that first step, and don’t look back! Thanks for reading, and taking the time to comment. So glad you enjoyed the post. 🙂
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Congratulations on your success Marcia, but more importantly, on following your dream!! You are an inspiration! 🙂
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Well, I have to admit, success is a relative thing, which we all measure differently. My idea of success might be very different from someone else’s, but to me, it was a matter of doing what I set out to do, and the following sales and reviews were all icing on the cake. (Not enough icing to actually LIVE on, you understand, but certainly enough to make life taste sweeter.) 😀 So glad you enjoyed the post.
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Hey ladies, great post 😀
Marcia you talk so much sense!
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Maybe I’m wising up in my old age, Debby! 😀 So glad you enjoyed the post. Thanks! I know your life is busy, as you fill all your dreams, and work toward new ones. (With men in kilts in the background. When you achieve that one, I’m coming to see you! 😀 )
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Looking forward to your visit 😀
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Be careful what you say! 😀 😀 😀
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👍
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Yay Marsh! Fantastic to see you here on Sue’s blog! ❤ xo
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Thanks so much, Deb. I was very happy to be part of Sue’s guest post feature, and had a great time with this post. Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to say hello! 🙂
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My absolute pleasure Marsh, wouldn’t miss it. ❤
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Reblogged this on Viv Drewa – The Owl Lady.
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Thank you, Viv x
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Thanks for sharing, Viv! Have a great day! 🙂
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Pingback: A Quick Update & Sharing a Guest Post | The Write Stuff
Such an inspiring story, Marcia! Cheers to you. 🙂
Thanks so much for sharing, Sue, as always.
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I am glad Marcia re-shared this post, Natalie 🙂
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I’m so glad I remembered it, Sue. It gave me an easy task for today, and maybe gave a few folks a lift, too. I hope so! 🙂 ❤ Thanks again! ❤
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It was good to go back and revisit your words, when I’m facing the uphill task of writing next year’s workshop at the moment 😉 xx
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So glad it may have given you a boost to revisit this post. It even inspired me a bit, since I’ve been moving at a snail’s pace lately. This reminded me that at least I’m still MOVING, and anything is possible. Or as a friend of mine used to say, you can eat an entire elephant, if you do it one bite at a time. Good luck with your workshop writing! 😀 ❤
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My son says that also 🙂
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And your son exemplifies exactly how it’s done, too. One step, one idea, one thing gained at a time, and before you know it, the elephant is history, the mountain has been climbed, and the dream has become a reality! 🙂 ❤
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I wrote about that particular elephant several years ago, when he took a huhe step forward. ❤ https://scvincent.com/2013/11/02/how-to-eat-an-elephant/
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Thanks, Natalie! I’m glad you feel that way. The truth is that ALL of us have it in us to fulfill most of our dreams. Age isn’t nearly the factor most think it is–unless your dream was to become a child actor, of course. That ship may have sailed. 😀 But generally, if there’s something you’ve always wanted to do, why not give it a go? You could be shocked–as I was–with how well it works for you.
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And I’m using the literary “You,” there, Natalie. Not meaning you, specifically! Plus, I forgot to say thanks for visiting here and leaving a comment. DOH. That knock on the head I took still has my brains a bit scrambled, but then again. I was a bit scrambled to start with. 😀 ❤
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