Boomer Cafe -- For Adventure, Write a Book

 Updated 3/14/2020

As a new author, it is still exciting when you see articles about your work.

Today, Boomer Cafe posted my article about writing as an adventure.

http://www.boomercafe.com/2014/01/26/baby-boomers-search-adventure-might-write-book/

This link no longer works.

Here is the text of the article:

Baby boomers in search of adventure might write a book

Have you ever thought about writing a book? As a baby boomer, you might now have the time you never had before. That’s what happened to Ria Stone of Silver Spring, Maryland (and nowadays, Yucatan, Mexico), who turned out not just one book, but two. So her recipe for adventure is, write a book.

1/26/14 10:38 AM

Have you ever thought of writing a book? Has anyone ever said, “You Should Write a Book?” I suggest considering the idea.

Writing a book can be an exciting adventure. It can be hard work, a time of discovery, and an education. It can reap treasured memories, new friends, and introduce you to new worlds.

After being prematurely retired, I moved to Mexico where I found time to appreciate life. After six months, it dawned on me, “I have time to write that novel I always wanted to write.” 

So, in 2011, I began the process. It involved a lot of research but I like to do research. After comparing traditional and self-publishing options, I choose to self-publish as an eBook.

After two years of writing, rewriting, researching, going to writers’ conferences, joining writers’ groups, meeting and chatting with other authors in person and online, and working with an editor and several ‘beta readers,’ I published Gina’s Dream late last year. 

What an adventure! What an education! Because Gina’s Dream was a science- fiction/romance, I went to several science-related websites and studied various aspects of astronomy and space flight.

In other attempts to make the story real, I researched restaurants and their menus so that when my characters went out to eat, the menu choices would be authentic.

I studied weather and seasons, biology, and more.

There were many details to handle, like new software applications I had to learn to use quickly. I would feel a sense of accomplishment when I successfully used a new application or completed a process.

Then, while researching ways to promote my novel, I came across the idea of offering something free on my website: an eCookbook. What a great idea! I had an old cookbook I started years ago. This would be a great time to resurrect it. So I did.

Creating, writing, researching, and formatting recipes for the eCookbook was just as exciting as creating the novel. The only drawback was, I think I gained ten pounds re-testing recipes.

My eCookbook, Recipes from the Kitchen of a Frugal Non-Cook, was written for those (like me) who feel like aliens in the kitchen.

Letting family and friends know about the publication of my eCookbook sparked many wonderful memories of past dishes and meals. My family is even talking about creating a family cookbook. I inspired friends to consider writing that cookbook or novel that they too had been wanting write.

Writing and publishing sparked wonderful conversations and stories. And I met many wonderful people. I learned so much. The experience exceeded my expectations and more.

Creating the eCookbook was so much fun, I am working on another one.