Building the Self-Belief to Become a Novelist—with Teri M. Brown - 211

Teri M. Brown has loved reading and writing since childhood. But her family saw authorship as a hobby, not a career. And years and years of enduring an emotionally abusive relationship made Teri feel like she wasn’t capable or worthy of pursuing her dreams. Then in 2020, Teri and her new husband, Bruce, rode a tandem bicycle across the United States to raise money for Toys for Tots. And the trip from Astoria, Oregon, to Washington, DC, made Teri realize she could do anything she set her mind to. Today, Teri is the published author of two works of historical fiction, Sunflowers Beneath the Snow and An Enemy Like Me. Her debut novel earned the 2022 Writers Lounge Bookshelf Award, First Place for Historical Fiction at the Firebird Book Awards and is a 2022 Readers’ Favorite Five-Star Award Winner. On this episode of Wickedly Smart Women, Teri joins Anjel to explain how she said YES to becoming an author and share the emotional journey of sending her first book out into the world. Teri describes the premise of Sunflowers Beneath the Snow, discussing how it gives readers context around what’s happening in the Ukraine and empathy and compassion for the people there. Listen in for Teri’s insight on using literature to build connection and learn how to overcome your fear and take the first steps to becoming who you were always meant to be. What You Will Learn  How her family’s view of writing kept Teri from pursuing it as a career The writing work Teri did part-time while homeschooling her kids How Teri started writing immediately after she got out of an abusive relationship The tandem bike trip across the US that helped Teri believe in herself What Teri learned from the 4 manuscripts she wrote before Sunflowers Beneath the Snow The premise of Teri’s first historical fiction novel and its setting in the Ukraine Teri’s emotional journey of sending her first book out into the world How Teri’s book gives readers context around what’s happening in the Ukraine and empathy for the people there How Teri’s new WWII novel explores what makes someone an enemy Why literature is a safe way to connect with different kinds of people Connect with Teri M. Brown Teri’s Website Resources Sunflowers Beneath the Snow by Teri M. Brown An Enemy Like Me by Teri M. Brown Wickedly Smart Women: Trusting Intuition, Taking Action, Transforming Worlds by Anjel B. Hartwell Connect with Anjel B. Hartwell Wickedly Smart Women Wickedly Smart Women Facebook Community Wickedly Smart Women on TeePublic Wickedly Smart Women on Clubhouse The Wealthy Life Mentor The Wealthy Life Mentor on Facebook Anjel on Twitter Anjel on Instagram Email [email protected]  Leave Us A Message On Our listener line:   540-402-0043 x4343