Stepping Outside Your Comfort Zone!

Wild Rose PressRead an Excerpt

Author Jan Romes is my guest this week. One Small Fib and Lucky Ducks are her humorous romances.

Hello, my name is Jan Romes, and I’m an introvert! (Oops! I thought this was Shy Persons Anonymous) Since I’m already here, I might as well stay and discuss something I’m commonly afflicted with – a bad case of RUT! Being a rather shy person, I take comfort in safe and familiar territory. As all of you know, however, safe and familiar equates to dull and unpromising, AKA Rut!

Inside every shy person lurks an extrovert dying to step out of their comfort zone, to rattle the bushes, to enjoy all that life has to offer. For years I was that person. I seldom strayed from what I knew. Boring! Then something spectacular happened – I had my fiftieth birthday! Reality hit me right between the eyes. My dream of becoming a published author was still out of reach, I was afraid of my own shadow, and had done nothing on my own. Some may define my awakening as a midlife crisis. I prefer to call it magic in the number 50! From that birthday forward, things have been different.

Always a lover of exercise, I took a part-time job as a fitness instructor at a local gym. This forced me to come out of my shell and I found that I enjoyed mingling. Strange but true.

With new found confidence, I started to submit the stories I had been writing for years. Of course, some rejections happened. The magic of 50 wouldn’t let me stay discouraged for long. I went back to writing and re-writing with a vengeance. Back to submitting. Finally, the heavens opened and voila! A book contract!

The publishing business has undergone a metamorphosis in the last few years, and authors are now expected to promote their books. Ack! No safe harbor for shyness. I wasn’t comfortable talking about my books until I embraced social media. I tiptoed out of the safety zone by making a Facebook page. A month later, a few more toes went across the line and I signed up for Twitter and Goodreads.

It took me little bit, but the extrovert that had been dying to get out has finally seen the light of day! I’ve stepped fully out of the comfort zone and would prefer not to go back in. In all that I do, I try to let people see the real me; the sometimes funny, self-deprecating person who does enjoy mingling, who isn’t afraid to put herself out there anymore, who loves all that life has to offer.

I have two humorous contemporary romance books that have been published and two more that will be released before summer. For my current work-in-progress, I’ve decided to mix things up by writing a romantic suspense. It hasn’t been easy, but I’ve accepted the challenge.

I’ve revved up my life with joy and adventure by pushing the boundaries. Thanks to a good friend, I can now add ziplining to an ever-growing list of things I’m glad I’ve done. I go to writing conferences and get caught up in the fun and networking.

My life has changed tremendously; all because I decided to break out of the rut that had been my existence. Occasionally, I backslide. Sometimes, all it takes is an inspirational quote to get me back on track. ‘Nobody ever died of discomfort, yet living in the name of comfort has killed more ideas, more opportunities, more actions, and more growth than everything else combined’ ~ T. Harv Eker

About Jan

Jan Romes grew up in northwest Ohio with eight zany siblings. She likes to read all genres, writes witty contemporary romance, is a part-time fitness trainer, and enjoys growing pumpkins and sunflowers. You can find her at http://janromes.com/ and on Twitter and Facebook.