Who the hell does she think she is?

Who the hell does she think she is?

Annie Marie.

Reminds me of Meg Ryan’s rant to Tom Hanks, her rival/love interest in that romcom You’ve Got Mail. She compares him to women who only use a first name.

“Don’t they know you’re supposed to have a last name?! It’s like they’re an entire generation of cocktail waitresses,” she complains to Joe, who’d kept his own last name a secret to avoid a confrontation.

People who know me call me Annie.

I was born Anne Marie Pena, and in elementary school, my name was strung together as Anne Marie. My nickname “Annie” originated from one of my several brothers. Then I was “Annie” at home, and Anne at school.

In class, I was shy, never speaking to adults unless spoken to. I preferred sitting in the back, hiding, taking up as little space as possible. When I did, I used the words “excuse me” and “I’m sorry” way too much.

Fast forward to over 40 years later, I remain an introvert, preferring one on one connections. I still work on the fear of what people will think of me. But since I’m in my 50’s now, I’m learning that what I think of me is more important. Figuring out who I am and where I fit is an ongoing process.

To be clear, my author name would have been Annie Anderson, my married name since age 19—a post for another day—but there is already an author named Annie Anderson. I had to question who I really was, so I dropped the last name altogether.

Who am I, and why do you care?

I have written stories since I was a kid, and after I had my daughter, years later, I took to writing fan fiction, having found an audience there. I write romance because that is what I prefer to read. The genres jump around like a bouncing ball from contemporary to reality show to paranormal women's fiction to Spiritual. They will always include humor because I love to laugh, but romance will always be the underlying theme. It is my dream to hold a physical copy in my hands and someday have a shelf with volumes bearing my name. I love to entertain people with my writing. My stories always entertain me, but the feedback I get from readers is exhilarating.

With a strong belief in the metaphysical, I believe in our connectedness. There is always something to share with others, whether it changes their life, their points of view, or allows them escape from their daily lives.

That's why I’m here.

Whether it is to entertain, lift you up, or make you think, it is in my heart to share something of value in this blog and emails. Yes, I would love for you to buy my book as well. But even if you don’t, I hope you join me as I embark on this terrifying, exciting journey, striving to take up space as an author.

If you’ve read this far, thank you.

I don’t believe in coincidences and that everything happens for a reason.

My inspiration for you is to be who you are, to take up space in this world. You are the most important person in your life and will show up better for everyone when you are true to yourself. Because in the end, those who don’t accept you don’t deserve a place in your minutes, hours, and days.

Be YOU. Let go of those who don’t belong. This all takes courage, but when it's time to leave this earth, who will you have wished you would have been?

Have an amazing, magical, fantastical week!