3000 Questions About Me?

Last night I watched Julie & Julia and was filled with a longing to get back to my blog. No, That Rebel hasn't garnered me a book deal, or anything close. But it HAS nurtured my writing, and revealed a voice that I've parlayed into a shelved women's fiction novel and a fantasy trilogy of epic proportions.

That Rebel also introduced me to other writers, many of whom are still friends today, nine years later. And it gave me the confidence to call myself a writer and to know with all my heart that I AM.

Then why has it been five months since I've written a post? Why do I stay away so long?

Because I waffle, mired in the not-good-enough feelings and too-busy-doing-other-things mode. Things like work, life, and the writing of a TRILOGY. But the truth is—I miss my blog. I miss you. I miss our interactions, our conversations.

Julia Child committed to her cooking classes and to helping two friends write an American French-cookbook. She ended up with a best-selling (to this day) book of recipes, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Julie Powell committed to creating Julia's 524 recipes in one year and to blogging about the experience daily. She netted a book deal, a movie, and a large fandom. To what am I willing to commit?

Umm...pssst...hell-oooo...a trilogy. Isn't that enough?

Well, of course it is. But I LOVE my blog. I love knowing you're reading That Rebel in now-time, not one day in the future when I finish the endless rounds of edits involved in bringing my books to market.

The other day while journal shopping, I ran across a Piccadilly journal with 3000 questions, each designed to know one's self better. As a journaler of 28 years, I had to buy it. Then in flipping through page after page of the probing questions, I thought of That Rebel.

Wouldn't it be fun (and enlightening) to answer the questions as blog posts? Some would likely be short and sweet, others longer and more thought-provoking. I could weave my writing ventures and progress into the posts, or include them as postscripts at the end.

YOU could make my self-pilgrimage your own by sharing your answers in the comments, or keep your AHA's private. Either way, we would embark upon parallel journeys together. Does this sound like something you would enjoy?

Any thoughts? Comments? Rebel yells?

~ That Rebel, Olivia J. Herrell, writing as O.J. Barré

P.S. Unless something changes (like an agent or publishing deal falling from the sky), I plan to go indie and release Awen Rising on October 1, 2019. Yep. You read that right. The first in the Awen trilogy will be hitting the shelves in less than a year!

O.J. Barré is author of the upcoming Awen trilogy, an urban druid fantasy set in 2042 and steeped in current, ancient, and future history. Book One, Awen Rising, is complete. Book Two, Awen Storm, is in edits. And the first draft of Book Three, Awen Tide, is in process.