Tough Love Book Tour and Giveaway #AuthorGuestPost

Tough Love

Janessa knows she should run in the other direction when Brendan enters her life. Her squeaky-clean upbringing is in direct opposition to his piercings, a myriad of tattoos and the rumors that surround him. But she doesn’t run. Love, betrayal and lies become the foundation of their lives, but one heartbreaking confession makes Janessa question everything. After a devastating diagnosis, Janessa’s world crumbles around her. When she can no longer ignore the reality of who Brendan really is, she must choose between those who love her and the only one she has ever loved.

Read a Guest Post from the Author –

You know how sometimes the smallest decisions can render the biggest results? Well, that’s the case with the story of this novel. The road to writing and publishing this book was paved with those seemingly small choices. Read on, my friend, and you’ll see what I mean.

The first semester of my junior year in college, I took an English composition class. My professor, who believed in student contribution with decision making, allowed us to choose between a traditional final exam and writing a paper. When we overwhelmingly chose the paper, he told us the topic could be anything we wanted but it had to be a personal one: something that mattered in our lives. I immediately decided to write about the guy I had dated back in high school and beginning of college (small decision #1). I wrote an 11-page piece titled Old Choices, New Beginnings and when the professor handed it back to me he said, “If I knew somebody in Hollywood, this would make an excellent screenplay.” Not gonna lie, that was pretty cool to hear.

Fast forward with me a few years to the whole Twilight thing. Remember that? When it seemed the whole world had gone Team Edward or Team Jacob crazy? Well, I wasn’t immune and fell face-first into it. In fact, I became an official, card-carrying member of Twilight Moms. (Hey, don’t judge!) I’m browsing the boards one day and see a post asking if anyone else was interested in writing a book. Umm, YES! So I click on it, respond, start a conversation, etc. No big deal, right? ? Small decision; big results – just saying!

After deciding we’d like to break off and start our own critique group, we agreed on a schedule and some rules and got the online party started. For our very first submission, I sent in that college paper with these two questions: (1) Do you think I have enough gaps to fill in that I could write a book? And (2) Do you even want to know more? Every member wrote back with a resounding YES! So I printed out those 11 pages, took a green pen and started making notes: don’t forget this memory, expand on this, add this conversation… And when I was done? More green ink than black. Crazy!

The next five years were busy ones; being a full time teacher, mom, wife, student, author…Whew! Makes me tired all over again just thinking about it. But writing this book was so worth it. I’ve grown so much while writing and I don’t mean as an author. Having to relive all those memories again, with wisdom and strength on my side this time, helped me see the purpose in the journey.

I lived it so I could tell my story; so I could show God’s graces to others who may have never seen it, or who have forgotten about it. My family, my friends and my God never gave up on me. Now, did they have to use some drastic measures for me to see what I was doing to myself? Yes, but they never gave up and I’m so thankful for their tough love when I needed it most.

Marcie Bridges has always wanted to be a writer, from the time she started keeping a diary in seventh grade. Since then, she has earned a master’s degree in education from Cumberland University while teaching some wonderful children with special needs in Indiana, Tennessee and Kentucky.

While she will always bleed scarlet and gray (GO BUCKS!), she now lives south of Cincinnati with her husband and daughter. When Marcie isn’t writing, she can be found reading, watching her favorite TV shows, listening to music, or browsing her favorite websites.

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Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/MarcieABridges

Twitter: @marcie_ann

Blog: http://marcieshrinks.blogspot.com/

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