Libby Drew

It's official. The GIFs are my favorite part of these posts.

Thank you so much! I really fell in love with these two. Glad you enjoyed.

Oh my. I can't say, of course, but.... Thank you! Great questions... soon to be answered.

Love all the theories! Of course... I can't comment on them atm. 😉 Thanks so much for the comments!

Always be ready for things to go the opposite of how you’d expect. Philip’s words had never felt so prophetic. Dizzy, Jase bent over and braced his hands on his knees. “Please let her be okay,” he whispered, squeezing his eyes closed. Why couldn’t he sense her? He’d felt the presence of number forty since he’d stepped off the bus downtown three nights ago, turning toward the hospital before he even knew it would be his destination. His dream was a beacon, and as always, he’d been help

Hot and thirsty after the walk back to the condo, Lucas made for the kitchen, bending his head to drink right from the tap. By some miracle, they’d avoided seeing any of the neighbors yet. Or maybe not so amazing at all; maybe there were none. He dipped his head under the spigot after drinking his fill, drenching his head and hair, then mopped himself off with a tea towel. Only then did he wonder why nobody had come to meet him. “Hello?” he called, and Jase answered from the kids’ bedr

Yes! I wouldn't dream of posting anything until, first, I sit on it for a few days (at least). And then read it out loud to myself. My dogs love story time.

Agreed and thanks. It's actually motivation to do exactly that, isn't it?

Does it now? Good info to have. Thank you, because you know that would be me, sending out 10,000 notifications at 6am on a Sunday morning. 😀

Should I or shouldn’t I? This has always been a relatively easy question for me because I have the attention span of a kitten. Rarely have I felt my characters need more once I’m done with them. Of course, they could always have more adventures. I’m just ready to move on. Again, kitten on catnip. When I type “The End” (or “Finis” if I’m feeling bougie) and readers clamor for more, then I feel successful. Yet the idea of writing a sequel makes me twitchy. I’ve noticed that when authors do provide sequels, readers sometimes complain (possibly on the DL) about the follow-ups not meeting their expectations. Maybe not so much on a free platform, but I know for sure this phenomenon exists in the publishing world, when money changes hands and readers feel entitled to the same thrill they got the first time. But when I take that element out of the equation, I wonder… What does a story truly need to benefit from having one or various sequels? An “open ending” to allow further plot development? An engaging and well-defined world? Memorable characters? All of the above? And, if my original concept has been written and told, does tacking on a sequel accomplish anything meaningful? Catnip for thought…

You are both very astute. And that's all I'm saying on the subject. 😉

Thank you for trusting this community with your personal thoughts and feelings. Every journey is unique, even though other people may share bits and pieces of your experience. There is great benefit in opening ourselves - without judgement - to others. I couldn't possibly understand all the pain and suffering some of your life has held, and I won't belittle you by trying. I will say that you are very brave to have forged a path, to have held on during darker times, and to have made a future you are happy with and proud of. Well done. I will be checking out your old/new story if you post it here. I am partial to action/adventure. And to Hershey. 😊

Yes! I started down that path with one particular book but didn't get very far before I realized it was a far bigger job than I realized. Vernacular, technology, world events... they all played a part in what was happening in the story even though they were in the periphery. That alone was enough to deter me in the end. It wasn't as polished a piece as I would have liked, but it did reflect my experience at the time. It's not as though we can immortalize our writing evolution in a picture or a video, so maybe it's for the best older works stay as they are. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

Perhaps so! Love the guesses. Keep 'em coming! And thanks for reading.

“Do you think that’ll ever be you?” Lucas asked. He’d spent the last part of the retelling on the floor, curling the warm wax of an apple-scented candle in toward the flame. They’d checked on Macy an hour before and had found her sound asleep. Jase drew a deep breath as he considered. “You mean, do you think I’ll ever find another person like me? And then have to talk them down off the ledge?” Lucas’s head snapped around. “Were you on the ledge?” Time tempered those kinds of thing

I read this yesterday while sitting at the DMV and didn't feel equipped to comment on it right away, mostly because there's a lot to unpack here and all of it's good. Reading it a second time this morning, I find myself at a similar crossroads. I honestly couldn't choose one particular quote or piece of advice over the other to highlight. It's all important, useful, relatable and from the heart. And so close to home, obviously. So my comment... if anyone reads the comments before diving into a longer post like this... is READ THIS. All of it. The second part has serious workable solutions that bear fruit. Try them. And if you've ever felt like all the effort you put into writing isn't appreciated or worth it, come sit at the table. There are many of us here. We all experience these frustrations at some point, and sometimes the best medicine is knowing we aren't alone. Thank you so much for this post.

Hmmm... maybe? 😉

Not weird! None of that has been explained at this point. Between you and me, I considered making that happen during the concept phase of this story. Ultimately, decided against it. Thanks for commenting!

September 2007 Jase had been alone and on his own for almost two years when he met Philip, and up until then he’d kept the count for fun. Helen had been number one, Sally in Kansas City number two, and from then on a virtual ticker ran in his head, unfailingly accurate despite the fact that Jase spent most of that time trying to keep himself sane, mostly with barely legal boys and vodka. Philip changed him—saved him, if Jase wanted to get technical, because for twenty-two months he’

Maybe not the whole seven... but the important parts. 😊 Thanks for reading and commenting.

Great question. Hopefully you will be satisfied with the answer this next chapter provides. 😊

Secret Author contests are a favorite of mine. The best part of blind gift fandom fests were guessing who wrote what. Will we get a chance to guess who wrote which story for this contest, out of curiosity?

I was a precocious little thing. So, yes. 😄

Awesome! And thank you!

Incredibly impressive. Well done!