Constance Gillam and the Power of Believing

Welcome, Connie. I'll grab a cup of hot tea for you. Back up to the fireplace and get warm.

 

I’d like to dedicate this blog to my mother, Elnora Burks, who would’ve been 84 years old on November 12^th. Rest in peace

                The Power of Believing

My mother was a gentle soul, an unsophisticated country girl, who held two things close to her heart: her love for her children and her belief in God. She married and raised her children during the fifties and sixties when the racial climate in this country was very bleak. Through days when she wasn’t sure how she’d feed us or where we’d live, she held on to her belief that there would be better days that we -her children- would have a better life. She never spoke of her own personal goals or dreams. I’m not even sure she allowed herself the luxury.  Her goal was very basic - survival.  

Because of my mother’s hard work and support, my life is quite different from hers. I’m educated. I can feed my family.  We live in a comfortable home and have stable jobs. But at times I find my belief in my dream wavering. I’m going to share something very personal with you, something that only my husband knows. My dream is to leave a mark in the world. Yes, my mark could be my children, but I want to be the Harper Lee or the Alice Walker of the twenty-first century. I want to write a book that will remain in the world’s consciousness seventy years after I’m gone.

As the years pass, my dream seems to move further and further out of reach, but I haven’t given up. My mother’s unwavering support and belief stays with me, and I’ll keep trying. 

 I believe as writers, we all have that same desire to touch the world in some way. Is this the desire to be immortal? I don’t know. That’s a subject for another blog.

Constance (Connie) Gillam writes adult suspense and young adult paranormal and contemporary fiction. Visit her at www.constancegillam.com or http://tinyurl.com/78x60hg

Her current work, The 5^th Realm, a young adult paranormal is available through Amazon http://amzn.to/KqkmNn and Barnes and Noble http://tinyurl.com/7u8sglg

 
Lisette Beaulieu's world is raveling out of control. The kids at school know more about her family than she does. Tied of being bullied and teased, she makes a Voodoo charm for an obnoxious classmate. When it works and she raises the dead, her life goes from bad to worse.

Excerpt:

“Lisette.” The last syllable of my name is drawn out in Michele’s Southern drawl. Her voice-like ice tea with too much sugar- is loud enough to be heard over the clamor in the cafeteria. All heads turn in my direction.

Why is today turning into such a nightmare? That’s usually reserved for my nights.

           “Come join us,” she calls out.

The room is so quiet I can hear “I Kissed a Girl” playing on someone’s iPod. They’re waiting to see if I’m going to diss her. This is their entertainment for the day.

Why does she want me to eat with her? So she can torture me some more? I continue walking toward the table in the back.

A pair of tan loafers appears in my path. My gaze travels up the khaki pants to the Polo shirt to Eric Gabriel’s thick lashed brown eyes. “Join us.” He gestures back toward Michele’s table. It’s the first time I’ve heard his voice. It sounds rusty, like he doesn’t use it often.

“Why?” I’m not going to be made fun of by a bunch of spoiled rich kids.

Whispering, he says, “Because I’d like you to.” My stomach does a nose dive.

I glance over my shoulder in Michele’s direction.  Does she want me at their table that badly, or is this all Eric? Is he following her directions, or does he think on his own?

He touches my elbow and turns me around.

I don’t know why, but I allow him to lead me toward their table. I’m so stupid. I said I’d never be swayed by a pretty face. Now look at me.
 

What are you doing to keep your dream alive? 
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