Blogoversary Celebration Day 3: Devri Walls {Guest Post & Giveaway}

We are now knee deep into this blogoversary celebration... there is absolutely no turning back now. Good thing too, cause I still have 6 great authors for you to meet! Well 6 counting today's. 

Speaking of today's great author we need to get to the introductions. Today's author is another author I met on Twitter *gasp* I told you I met a lot of awesome people on there. In fact I think I met her because of M.R. Merrick. Well I don't remember exactly, but it has been an amazing friendship full of laughter, sarcasm, chocolate, and awesomeness. Okay so we don't actually send each other chocolate, but we do talk about chocolate... and food... and awesome candy from Canada, that I have still yet to taste. But I digress. Today's author, Devri Walls is amazing and hasn't left my side since I met her on Twitter a little over a year ago. I think it was friends at first sarcastic Tweet ;) 

Over time that friendship went from just a blogger/author friendship, to friendship and then mentorship. Her being the mentor, me being the mentoree (is that even a word? Well it is now), obviously. When I started writing Guided, Devri talked me through a lot of things. And she is the reason my book is half as polished as it is. She offered her time and talent to help me make Guided better. She helped Jo and Jasper shine. I can never thank her for her help through the editing process. There were many nights I wanted to quit and curl into a ball and cry. Oh wait, I did curl into a ball and cry, a few times actually, but she always knew when I was going to do it and she would help talk me down. I think Devri Walls and I are kindred spirits. I see a lot of myself in her and am dying to be her next door neighbor :) She's just awesome like that.

To help you get to know her a little more Devri has written a post about her road to becoming a writer...

People ask me all the time if I wanted to be a writer since I was little. No. The truth is I had no idea I could write. I’ve had voice lessons since I was 12, and am still taking them from my most amazing teacher! My major in college was theater, I love the stage. I am at heart a singer and an actress.  

However, once I had my kids I was working mornings and simply could not tell myself that it was ok to go ahead and leave my kids all night as well to pursue my love. I felt like I had chosen to have them and I had a responsibility to be home… at least once in a while. I am not a stay at home mom, that does not work for me. There are times I feel guilty for this and wish that I could make myself stay home, but I have always worked. That being said, there is a difference between leaving to work a few hours a day and never seeing the kids because I was being selfish. That’s what it would have been, sacrificing their childhood for my desires. I cried, sobbed- ok, I was hysterical….multiple times. My poor husband, he is the most patient man. I prayed and pleaded for something that I could do to fill this gaping hole inside. ( Ok see, over dramatics- it comes with the territory. But it hurt,  a lot! )

One day someone told me to write a book, based only on the fact that I read really fast. (Insert hysterical laughter here) I wanted to tell her that it was the stupidest thing I had ever heard- I bit my tongue. I do have my nice moments- really I do. But after she said that for nearly two months every day, multiple times a day, a little voice kept whispering in my head, “You should write a book.”  The voice was unrelenting regardless of how many times I told it to shut up. In fact the voice got louder and more intense, “You should write a book!!” This continued until finally I broke. “Fine! I’ll write a book.!”

I sat down during our family vacation, opened my laptop, and… stared at. Great, what was I going to write about? I seriously shrugged and just started writing. Out of those first words Wings of Arian emerged. Granted I had no idea what I was doing and the first manuscript was a far cry from what was eventually published four years later. Turns out, I COULD write- I had no idea.

I found this quote this week and fell in love because this is exactly how I feel. Looking back I am realizing what a terrible fit the stage is for me. It triggers every insecurity I have and makes me so much less of a stable person. At this point in my life I could maybe overcome that- but not back then, no way. This new dream of mine, writing, is such a better fit. It allows me an outlet for all those creative urges that plague me and still allows me to be there for my family. I have opportunities for those breaks I need by leaving for a Conference, or occasionally hiding at a coffee shop to write. I am able to truly live out a dream without sacrificing my family. I love this job, it is the perfect fit for me and exactly what I needed.

Here is my advice; listen to those little voices, even when they tell you to do scary things. That voice knows better than you do. Find your way to happiness instead of beating your head against the door that isn’t working for you.

Beautiful post! Thanks Devri, I know I'm glad I listened to that little voice. Otherwise I would probably be working in a business office completely unhappy. Now make sure you enter the giveaway at the bottom, Devri has graciously donated a gorgeous wing necklace for the giveaway! Trust me you want this, I have one and wear it all the time. 

And just so you know the first book in her series, Wings of Arian is also FREE!!! And yes it is an excellent read. 

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