SHE THINKS SHE’S AN AUTHOR
PART ONE
Why would anyone become an author? It’s almost as bad as being a musician.
There’s no money in it, no glory—unless you’re JK Rowling or Stephen King.
I suppose we can equate it with doing a hobby we love. It usually costs us money to do that hobby, and you, the individual, are really the only person who’s going to be excited when it’s finished.
But here’s the thing…
I can’t believe I finally did it—I finished not one but two books in the same year. I’ve written a third since then and am working on my fourth.
We all have that untold story within us, but not many people have the time or the courage to put their work out there for public scrutiny. It’s scary.
Having been in the entertainment industry since I was a teenager, I’m used to criticism. I’m also used to playing the fool and being the front person on stage entertaining the masses, and that’s what I hoped my novels would do.
So far, so good.
I’ve always felt that music and reading are the two main sources people reach for when wanting to escape from the chaos surrounding them every single day.
When I’m performing, I make sure it’s a happy performance filled with fun and good memories. The same applies to my writing. It has to be light—something you can immerse yourself in with a satisfying conclusion.
I wrote my first novel while trying to cope with my mother’s dementia. It includes all the family members and their contributions to her wellbeing, and then consequently to my father’s coping (or lack of coping skills) through alcohol. At the same time, a ghost story just started pouring out of me—my imagination was running completely wild.
Although completely different, both books have been well received with excellent reviews.
This has only encouraged me to write more fantasy fiction because it allows people to escape the rat race and gives me a chance to use my imagination. Let’s face it, with fantasy fiction genres, the sky is the limit.
I was tired of murder, mayhem, terrorism, and mysteries. If I want that, I’ll watch the news or read the newspaper. I want escapism.
So – who is this crazy person rambling about books and escaping reality?
Kaye Marskell (AKA Kaye Payne) – I was born in Queensland and have now been in Tasmania for over 34 years.
I’ve always had a passion for storytelling. It’s my goal to entertain people. I’ve been in the entertainment industry since I was nine years old and in the arts industry professionally since I was a teenager. My forte is music—as a performer, musician, events coordinator, and songwriter. I also have a Tuesday breakfast radio show on Hobart FM where I get to chat, play music, and generally have a good time with our listeners.
In my capacity as an entertainer, I’ve toured most of Australia and some overseas areas.
With storytelling, I draw from my own life experiences—my characters are people you can relate to. As a reader and writer, I like an easy read. I like to be transported away from my everyday life and get lost in a story. For this, there’s nothing better than a good ghost story.
I still live in the beautiful state of Tasmania with my husband. We love to travel around Tasmania, camping in some of the most picturesque areas.
To get to know the ins and outs, the highs and lows of my life, start by reading “But I Thought…is this your story?”
All my novels are available at Fullers Bookshop in Hobart or on Amazon as Kindle and hard copies.
Happy reading.
Synopsis: But I Thought… Is this your story?
This book is based on actual real-life events; only the names have been changed.
We’re all going to experience the events that happen in this book, and we’re going to make mistakes along the way. What we do after we’ve made these mistakes is what defines us as a person. It molds us into the human being we will become and turns us in directions we may never have planned, simply because it changes our destiny from what we thought it should have been.
How you react and deal with each mistake will determine your communication and compassion toward others.
You’ll find yourself or a family member in this story, and hopefully the experiences shared will help you through each step and each decision you make.
We always say, “But I thought… I had more time.” “But I thought… it would just be fine.” Don’t we all say “But I thought…?”
It’s true that with age comes wisdom, or at least we hope it does, because when the shit hits the fan, all you can do is get up, get over it, and keep moving forward.
Don’t put off life and then say “But I thought…” Live life now.
Reviews: But I Thought…
“Loved it, couldn’t put it down. Such a moving book.” (Colleen)
“Absolutely loved it, and I’m not a big reader. This was close to home.” (Robert)
“Thoroughly enjoyed this. I could relate to everything.” (Mary-Anne)
“I couldn’t put it down. I needed a box of tissues as I felt it was about me.” (Carol)
“What a gutsy write. So powerful. Everyone should read this. It’s life.” (Wayne)
“Hey Kaye, I opened ‘But I Thought’ expecting a gentle, reflective story, and instead I got smacked with life lessons, family chaos, regret, humour, and a whole mirror I wasn’t emotionally prepared to look into. Tilly saying ‘But I thought…’ over and over felt like listening to every human on earth explaining their life choices in one exhausted sentence. The way you pull from real life, the way mistakes shape us, the way family loves us and suffers us in equal measure, the way we all swear we had more time—it’s raw in that warm, beautifully human way that makes readers sit on the couch and stare into the void for a minute.” (Florence)
From Tasmanian editor Ross Butler:
“I just finished reading, for the second time, ‘But I Thought…’ An excellent piece of writing. Very instructive, especially for anyone over 70 or family of anyone over 70. This should be standard reading for high school students—some life lessons here.”
Thank you for reading my first blog.