I am afraid of a lot of things. Pain. Outer space. Things that lurk in the darkness of the ocean. (In the extreme, that would be algophobia, astrophobia, and thallasophobia, respectively).

My biggest fears are perhaps more common. Change. Failure. (Metathesiophobia and atychiphobia.)

This website is a fear. It encompasses both change and failure. I want to connect, but I’m afraid of putting myself “out there.” I’m afraid that I’ll start a blog, burn myself out, and then disappoint all three people who follow me.

But living in fear is no way to live at all.

I’m not one for New Year’s Resolutions or “New Year, New You,” mantras, but I do believe in taking stock and making changes for the better. The theme for this year, perhaps, is living without fear.

Well. Not living without so much as recognizing it and not letting it hold you back.

I’m planning some big changes in my life this year. One of those is working towards getting my novel published. In service of that goal, I’ve started an author Instagram page (Come say hi! @gabrielle.contelmo) and this blog.

As I embark on my publication journey, I hope to build a community of authors and readers who can share resources, books, and life experiences.

Welcome. I’m so glad you’re here!