Guest post: "Pink Fuzzy Slippers" by Children's Author Dawn Brotherton

When asked what I like most about being a writer, my answer has to be pink, fuzzy slippers. I love the idea of being able to lounge around in my pajamas and slippers, sipping coffee (or wine in the evenings…still in my pajamas) while I pound out ideas on my keyboard. Notice I said I love the “idea” of that. In reality, there is so much more to being a writer than the writing. Had I only known…I would have done it again. I would have budgeted more time though.

I’m still working fulltime in the Air Force at the Pentagon, raising two teenage daughters, trying to keep on good terms with my husband, volunteering for various causes, and keeping my writing dreams afloat. If I can find quiet time to myself, I knock out a few chapters here and there. The hard part is all the other things that go into being a writer. If you’re already famous, you can afford to hire out the mundane tasks that go on behind the scene, but if you are like the majority of authors, you do it yourself. There’s a website to create and upkeep, bookstores to make contact with, book signings to organize and attend, professional organizations that request your time, newsletters and journals to read to keep current, blogs to write (and read!), other social media to update so your family doesn’t disown you. The list goes on and on.

I’ve decided to retire from the Air Force and rearrange my schedule so that the author’s life is my primary work. Hopefully that will free up my evenings and weekends to spend with my family before our daughters go off to college. I’ve also decided to invest some of my retirement money on my writing career, hiring professionals to handle what they are best at. It’s a financial risk, but one that I think will pay huge dividends in my happiness and quality of product. I will be happier for being able to spend my time doing what I like to do rather than trying to become an expert in publicity and marketing. In the end, they will provide a better product than I could do on my own, and I will have more time enjoying my stories. I see this as a win-win, and I get to get a new pair of slippers.


 Title:  TRISH’S TEAM
Genre:  Tween Fiction (Middle Grade Fiction)
Author:  Dawn Brotherton
Publisher:  Blue Dragon Publishing
Purchase on Amazon
The debut release in Dawn Brotherton’s Lady Tigers series, Trish’s Team is a terrific new young adult tale featuring Trish Murphy.  A member of the Blue Birds, a recreational fastpitch softball team for 11 and 12 year old girls, Trish Murphy longs to be a member of the Lady Tigers, the elite travel team comprised of the best of the best players in the area.  When she is presented with the opportunity to try out for the team, Trish jumps at the chance. There’s just one small problem—it seems Trish’s parents don’t understand her love of the game.  Chances are they’ll be even less understanding and when they find out that team practice conflicts with Trish’s orchestra practice…
But being part of the Lady Tigers—and nurturing newfound friendships with the other team members—is Trish’s top priority.  When she tries to pull a fast one to get what she wants without considering the consequences, Trish puts everything in jeopardy. Trish’s decision could ultimately affect more than just the game: it could affect her friends.  Along the way, Trish discovers that being a part of the Lady Tigers is about much more than playing fastpitch softball:  it’s about being a part of a team.  But Trish may have to learn a painful lesson. After all, it really isn’t if you win or lose, but it’s how you play the game.
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About the Author
The recipient of the Global eBook Bronze Award, Dawn Brotherton is the creator of Softball Scoresheet, a book used for keeping score during games. She is also the author of two Jackie Austin mysteries, Wind the Clock and It’s the Right Thing to Do, and a contributing author to A-10s Over Kosovo, a compilation of stories about being deployed for Operation ALLIED FORCE.  Dawn currently serves at the Pentagon in Washington, DC. as a colonel in the United States Air Force. She enjoys coaching softball, working with the Girl Scouts, and traveling.  Dawn and her fighter-pilot-retired husband live in Virginia with their two beautiful daughters.
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