An answer to a question.

I've  had  an  email  from  a  fan, (a fan! I have a fan!).  That  has  asked  a  little  advice  from  me.

No names, but  she  asked  as  follows:

  "I want to be an Author one day, I have written a few things, but I can't seem to let go. In truth, I think I may have a phobia of a bad review."

She did write a few more questions that answered back via email, but this one I thought I'd put out there.

Reviews are a great thing, but not everyone will like what your work, one persons 5 star could be another's 1 or none. You can't please everyone, simple thing is, some will like it, some wont.

If you believe in your work get it out there for people to read! If a negative review comes, just take it on the chin, don't take them to heart.

Please don't let a negative review stop you from writing, some negatives can turn into positives and could even help your writing.

Good luck, not just to the person who asked this question, but to all those out there with the same aspirations.

Keep writing,

Darren.

Why I've been away.

Well, this is my first Blog entry in almost a year. I finding writing this one quite hard, as I explain why I've been away from Social Media plugging and Writing for so long.

It's not like I've not written anything in the time I've not been around, as I have, just not that much.

Here we go I guess.

Middle of 2007 my mother found out she had bowel cancer, so at that point I slowed down on almost everything. I closed my wrestling company so I could take my mother to her appointments and generally just be there if she needed anything doing.

In February 2008 my father passed away due to a heart attack, It was in this time that my debut novel was finished and picked up. My mother was still going through her treatments at this time too.

I had to get the edits done on Bloodline,  my head really was not in the right place to do anything to tell you the truth. Late 2008 my mother had her bowel removed, and was given the all clear a few months later.

Great I was back on track, I was writing and promoting Bloodline again and early 2009 Bloodline was published, as I started to work on Kingdom of Blood. Then mid 2009 my mother's cancer returned, this time in her lung. So the treatments started all over again, once more I stopped what I was doing and tried my best to be there for her.

Late 2009/early 2010 my mother had a piece of lung removed, again once more she got the all clear. Once more I stared back to work, back to trying to promote Bloodline while catching up on Kingdom of Blood.

Then mid 2010 my mother's cancer returned yet again, this time back in her lung and now her breast also. She'd been strong for so long fighting it all the way, but two cancers at the same time took its toll. The treatments continued, the breast was taken away. There was nothing they could do other than treatments for the lung, as my mother was too weak to undergo anymore surgeries.

February 2011, my mother sadly passed away.

Now it's late December 2011 and I find myself writing more and more again, I will get Kingdom of Blood finished, edited and out there! Once more I'm plugging Bloodline and this time myself too. As I've learned if you don't put yourself out there, no one will know you are there. So you see to be a writer you have to write, to truly be an author people have to read your work.

I hope everyone has had a fantastic Christmas and holiday period.

All the very best for the coming New Year.

Stay safe.

Darren.

The 13 days...

Hey everyone,

I hope you're all well?

Well what an up and down kind of 13 days I have had. Well let's start off with me being rushed into hospital on the 5th, with very painful abdominal pains. They pumped me full of painkillers and luckily I was only in a day, I do still have the pain but it's getting better, I hope.

The 7th seen my wife turn the big number 30! She's kind of catching up to me, we had a good day. The 13th seen my mum go into hospital to have the lump in her breast removed, (successfully) too, I will add. We all hope that she can now get her strength up to deal with the reappearance of the cancer on the lung. She's a tough lady my mother is! But I will ask that if you prey, just before you finish say a little one for my mother too, It will be much appreciated.

That same week I had an open day to attend, not only to promote my writing, but my creative writing classes too. I can happily say that I was very happy with the turn out, the place was packed. Not just for me, you see there was other folks promoting their classes too. But I had quite a few sign up for my second creative class/course.

I have managed to get a little writing done, not much though as with this abdominal pain I can't sit still for the length of time need to really get any major progress done.

Now this very day, was a nice one and a shock too, as I got an email from a school asking if I was available to run a creative writing course for them in the evenings. I will be going to a meeting with them in the afternoon tomorrow, so wish me luck.

So as you can tell even being slowed down with this abdominal pain, I'm still trying to work my arse off, emphasis on the trying!

Thanks for taking the time to read my little snippets.

Take care,

Darren.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year...

Hey everyone,

                      I really hope you all had a really great Christmas? My wife, children and I, spent the day at my mothers. She's not doing to good once again, as her cancer has re-appeared. My wife and I cooked a nice Christmas dinner and stayed most of the day too, the kids and my mother loved it, we even took the dog.

I hope you all got what you wanted and you yourselves spread a little Christmas cheer wherever you went.

I wish you all the very best for the new year, and I hope whatever you decide to do you all succeed at, if you're chasing a dream, don't stop, continue until you have it.

Anything's possible if you put the effort in.

I'm glad that you all like the new look website too, I could do with a few more followers on twitter though, *hint, hint*... @DARREN_POOLE

Happy New Year everyone.

Darren.

First blog on the new look Site + Competition!

Hey everyone,

I hope you're well?

Well this is my first blog on my new look site, http://www.darrenpoole.co.uk/ by the way, I hope you're liking it? With the launch of the new site, there is a competition to win a signed copy of my debut book. Guardian of the Gate Bloodline.

It's simple to enter, just head over the to Contact section of my new site and sign up for the mailing list. That's it! You're then in the running to win a signed copy of Bloodline.

Why you're on the contact me section why not add me on Facebook and follow me on Twitter too.

I've been on Facebook a while, but I'm new to Twitter, so you can help me get started and show me the ropes so to speak and maybe you can help me get  a few followers? Nudge, nudge!

Ok back to the competition, I will announce the winner in the New Year.

The winners name will be put up on the website.

Good Luck!

Darren.