Guest Blog by Roberta Gately, author of "The Bracelet"

By R"oberta Gately,

Author of The Bracelet

I am an accidental author. Though I've been reading since forever, and writing since I was seven years old, I'd never thought of myself as a writer. It wasn't until I began writing articles chronicling the stories of my aid work for a nursing journal that I began to wonder if maybe I could do more. When I was in Iraq shortly after the U.S. invasion there, a freelance reporter with the New York Times told me that I should write a book, and, thoroughly besotted with the very idea, I began to scribble out notes. Later, while I was in Darfur, I was lucky enough to be tapped to write a series of stories for the BBC News Online (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4007353.stm) about the situation there, and I knew a book was in my future.

I tackled first a non-fiction book, and then abandoned that to write a novel. A novel gave me the freedom to use my imagination to make a story richer than the reality of it might be. But writing a book, as so many will tell you, does not guarantee that it will be published. I'd been told that less than 0.001% of aspiring writers are published, although these days, with the glut of self-published books, that statistic has likely changed. Still, writing is only the first step in a long road to publication. Finding an agent is as daunting a task as anything I've ever done, but dogged persistence pays off, and today, I am represented by the two best agents in the business.

Aahh, so finally -- a publisher wants you, news that is at once both exciting and fearful. Lipstick in Afghanistan, my first novel (even that phrase sends a tiny thrill through my veins!) was published by Simon & Schuster in 2010, but the real work of being a writer was just beginning. And the worries piled on. Will people read my book? Will Oprah call? (If you're wondering, she hasn't, at least not yet. But ever the optimist, I still believe that anything is possible.) My second novel, The Bracelet, was released by Simon & Schuster in November 2012, and so for me the cycle has begun again. Will people read my book? Will Oprah call? But these days, I have little time to ponder those questions -- I'm busy promoting my books, and working on my next, and the thrill of it all hasn't worn off. And, thanks to readers, I can't imagine it ever will.

So the next time you curl up with a fabulous book that keeps your eyes glued to the pages, I hope you'll pat yourself on the back, and know that somewhere an author is whispering thank you.

© 2013 Roberta Gately, author of The Bracelet

Author Bio
Roberta Gately, author of The Bracelet, has served as a nurse and humanitarian aid worker in war zones ranging from Afghanistan to Africa, about which she wrote a series of articles for the BBC World News Online. She is also the author of the novel Lipstick in Afghanistan.

For more information please visit http://robertagately.com, and follow the author on Facebook and Twitter