The other day, an acquaintance stopped me while I was making a dash to my car to tell me they had been reading my series on Kindle Vella. I thanked her for her support, then allowed her, and myself, to get on our ways home.

I really wanted to say, “Thank you, but I haven’t seen any reads of my episodes for today, or this week.” I can check the tallies of my reads from my cellphone, and actually, do so often.

I wanted to ask, “Who is your favorite character?” or “What has been your favorite plot twist?”

Fear kept me from saying anything of the sort.

Yes, I’m grateful for the support, but please, don’t tell me you are reading when you are not.

As my character, Ashton Grace McAllister Maguire has grown up, she’s become better at advocating for herself. She won’t be victim again, although I do put her into some circumstances where she has to use her smarts and skills to find her way through them. I wish I could follow her lead.

Fear, that feeling that paralyzes us, keeping us from moving forward, keeping us from advocating for ourselves; yes, on this front, I am still a work in progress.

https://www.amazon.com/author/laurie_anne_brandon