“You inspired me.” I was surprised by the comment. It came from someone I spoke with recently who I had not seen in a few years. He told me that when I self published my book Islands of Deception last year, it motivated him to pursue his own desire to write a book. It wasn’t the first time I heard someone tell me that. At book talks and online several people shared with me their interest in writing a book.

Publishing my first book was the fulfillment of a dream I had for decades. When I retired in 2019, I dusted off a manuscript I wrote 30 years ago and decided to self publish it. After editing and rewriting for a couple years, I was just glad to finally cross the finish line. It never occurred to me that realizing a dream could motivate others. People wanted to know how I made my dream a reality.

While I still have a lot to learn about writing and publishing books, I am realizing that I can offer advice to those who want to publish their first book. They can learn from my mistakes. This is one part of becoming an author that I did not anticipate. It’s a good feeling to be able to encourage others to pursue their dreams.