I feel like there are different levels of artists. Someone who paints or draws can be at multiple levels of talent, yet still be at a show and sell their art. The better the artist, the bigger the show. An author, on the other hand, feels like there is only one level, the top. Where a painter can love their work and display it in their home, you must dive into a book to actually know what is in it. A person must take a leap of faith with a book. If the author is self-published, with no editor, agent, and not even trained or schooled in writing, what right do they have to print their work and call it a book, much less sell it for money?

That’s where I am.

Again.

Impostor. (Not the syndrome, for real life.)

Well, it’s out there. Mistakes and all.

I love the book. I wrote it eight years ago. I gave it to some family and friends for help. Some of them returned it with notes and suggestions. I went through it again and adjusted it with their ideas. My good friend proofread it for me. I don’t want to say her name because I probably should have had her proofread it again, but I didn’t because I’m done and I want to ride my bike instead, or pick up the other novel I started writing and get that one going.

I love the book, and I also love all of the characters in the book. There are a lot of them.

The genre is Literary Fiction.

“Literary fiction is a category of novels that prioritizes depth, character psychology, and artistic prose over a fast-paced plot. Rather than focusing on external action or world-building, it serves as a profound exploration of the human condition, inviting readers to reflect on complex social, political, or philosophical themes.”

This is also my favorite genre to read. Makes sense.

I wrote the book during a time in my life when sleep was harder to come by. I would listen to NPR or BBC news and write at three in the morning. I wrote the whole thing in notebooks, four of them total. I had no plan, just wrote. I didn’t even go back and read any of it until I transcribed it onto the computer.

The book takes place in the 90s-ish, in North Carolina-ish, before there was much technology-ish. The book has a lot going on. Religion, gun violence, racism, and more. It seems just as prevalent today as it did eight years ago.

I wish I could write a good “elevator pitch” for it, but I’m at a loss. Brett has been pushing me for a long time to get this novel finished. I credit him for this happening, as it has mostly been sitting in the closet.

I want to write like David James Duncan or Barbara Kingsolver. I don’t know how to get there. A jack of all trades, a master of none.

And before you berate me for the fact that you have to buy my book on Amazon, there is a reason Jeff Bezos is so fucking rich. His business is genius. And Kindle Direct Publishing is also genius. Yes, I’ll pay more in taxes just from my meager book sales than he pays ever, but I guess that’s why he has money, and I don’t. That’s where you can find my book. Amazon. Put Lisa Poe in the search bar. Both of my books will come up. Paperback or Kindle version. Sorry, no audible. I’ll read it to you if you need me to.

The book I’m recommending is “Lucida Sans” by Lisa Poe.

More great book recommendations and adventures can be found at Wild About Books.