From the Fertile Minds of Babes

When I was 17, life was far from ideal. Home was not the safe haven it should have been, so I stayed just long enough to graduate high school. College, of course, was nowhere on the horizon. I loved writing poetry and short stories, using them as others might a journal. But regardless of how writing would have made a wonderful career, staying alive was about the best I could do. Truth be told, I couldn't have written a book if my life depended on it. I tried to use songwriting as a substitute; my guitar had become my best friend. But that was a very personal outlet, so I kept that private. What turned out to be the best escape for me was reading. I read each and every genre that crossed my line of sight, anything I could get my hands on. It was when I read that first book in a series, and fell in love with the storyline, that the whole universe opened wide. It was a soothing experience, being swept away from real life and straight into fantasyland. That obsession kept me sane, and libraries became that sought after safe haven. So it would be safe for me to say that my love of books goes exceptionally deep.

Back then, books took a long time to be published. As much as you wanted, needed, book two to tell you what was going to happen next, you had to wait. Sometimes that wait was for an entire year, just for that second book. In the meantime, you simply found your next series to read. And there always was another series. Books were beloved by so many like me that the market was wide open for readers. And I used to thank the heavens that there were writers out there who knew just how to capture my imagination; who knew just how to keep me sane. During these years, my life moved on; I married, had kids, and still, I retained my one personal escape, reading.

Now, this was the world of the printed book, when there were no such things as ebooks. It was a time when books were published by those colossal publishing houses that were like gods to writers. They held all the cards. The life or death of an aspiring author was in their hands. And so many excellent authors fell by the wayside because politics within these houses ruled—not talent, politics.

Then suddenly, like the hand of the novel god came down on the publishing community, the ebook hit the literary world. And just that fast, the world of self-publishing opened up so these wonderfully talented authors could finally be published. Even better, books were published in half the time. So when you fell in love with a new series, when that first book grabbed you, and all you wanted was the second book, you could get it far sooner than ever before.

It was right around this time that things started heating up for the independent author. New writers, those who were never before willing to brave the big publishing house, discovered this opportunity. All they needed to do to get their books out there was simply publish it themselves. 

By this time, I was older, retired, and with lots more time to read. And after years of slowly reading series after series, suddenly I was reading quickly; expensively quickly. It was also during this time that I discovered the world of the Advanced Reader's Copy (ARCs). So being able to acquire a book, before it was released, was a blessing. I also discovered a release for a very old itch of mine; to correct any errors I find while reading. I called it a brain twitch. In the past, without realizing I was doing it, I'd read a book with a lot of errors and highlight each one. Before long, I began creating spreadsheets for those errors. I would then email them to the authors making sure to include an explanation that correcting errors before release seemed something they might prefer to having them pointed out when it was too late. By doing this, I found myself invited to become part of their ARC groups. What this meant for me was, not only did I get to scratch this crazy itch I'd always had, but I was able to do it with free copies. All I needed to do in return was to write a review. It didn't even have to be a positive review. I was beyond excited.

I became so carried away that I actively sought out newer authors, asking if they would like me to read for their ARC groups. I learned something about both myself and the authors. While having the talent to spin a gripping tale, the authors often lacked the necessary skills to catch all their errors. As for me, I loved editing. I loved being able to help find those errors. It was my way of giving back: tracking down the inconsistencies, the grammar mishaps, the vocabulary redundancies. I was in literary heaven.

While learning the art of editing, I met some of the most talented, kindest, and most financially desperate writers one could ever have the good fortune to meet. I learned that self-publishing could be a horribly expensive enterprise. These poor folks have to write these books, but they also have to edit them, format them, create covers, market them, even have paperbacks printed. And all of this costs them tremendous amounts of money. Every person they have to hire takes that much more from their profits, what little there might be. Most find themselves ending up deeply in debt. It was here that I decided to make this a second career, though one without a paycheck. And it was here where I met one lovely lady who, in every way possible, completely blew my mind.

I decided since I was retired, and didn't need the money, I wouldn't charge for my editing services. By this time, I had collected quite a few authors who needed help but could only afford the bare minimum. And, sadly, it showed. Once I proved myself to them, I stopped being a part of their ARC or beta reading groups and began receiving their manuscripts early on in their writing process, often first drafts. I wanted to keep them from relying on shoddy editing from inexpensive editors. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement. I got to do what I loved most, and they got an editor wholly devoted to their work. To this day, I refuse to charge these beautiful people, jokingly promising them I'll begin charging when they become five figure a month authors. It was during this period that I also honed my skills.

One such author, Jacqueline Pawl, that lovely, mind-blowing lady, immediately grabbed my attention with the very first book, Merciless, in her very first series, A Born Assassin. It had a bit of an odd beginning. The book started out directing us to hate the main character, Mercy. It was such an unusual approach that I had to continue reading. I particularly wanted to see if she continued in this vein, and how that would keep me, as a reader, invested in the storyline. About halfway through the book, I realized that, somewhere along the line, I started to like Mercy. It was so subtle, so unexpected that I still don't think I could pinpoint where that change occurred. But it did, and it was from that moment on that I was hooked.

I immediately contacted the author to see if I could join her ARC team and include my error spreadsheet. This was how I began with all my new authors, so I didn't appear pushy and condescending. She gladly added me to her ARC team and welcomed the spreadsheet. That was the moment Jacqueline became someone extremely important to me. I was so enamored with her work that I wanted to stand out in her mind as someone offering her more than just a review. And, thank goodness, it worked. Before long, through constant communication, we became friends. That was when I came to know this lovely lady as a person, not just an author. What an extraordinary woman she turned out to be!

Jacqueline Pawl wrote Merciless at the outrageous age of 17 years old. When I learned that, it was all I could do just to wrap my mind around this marvel. And it wasn't even her first book. First, she wrote Defying Vesuvius; a historical fiction novel meant to be a trilogy. But because A Born Assassin had infiltrated her mind and wouldn't let go, she had lost the choice. She just had to write it, deciding to leave Defying Vesuvius as a standalone. Now, try to imagine that. At 17, most of us were graduating high school, having no clue where our lives were going. We were hanging out with our friends, going to malls, maybe working part-time jobs. At 17, most of us were just beginning to realize there was a future still to be discovered, that we needed to find direction in our lives. At 17, Jacqueline Pawl was a published author. She had written this literary wonder that scooped the readers up into a world she created, wrapped them up in the characters she developed, and engaged them thoroughly in the story of their lives. Jacqueline made us laugh, cry, love, hate, embrace life, and mourn death. In essence, she owned us.

Between the ages of 18 and 20, she wrote Helpless (the prequel Novella #1), Nameless (Novella #2), Heartless (Book 2), Ruthless (Book 3), Fearless (Book 4). Now, at 21, she is putting the finishing touches on the final book, Limitless (Book 5), to be released on July 1st. Think about that for a moment. At age 17, she began a series that was so deep, so intense, so well thought out, that it became a series of five full-length books and two novellas. Perhaps she's not as well known as I'd like her to be; very few new authors are. But I firmly believe her works will someday find their way into the annals of the greats of the epic fantasy genre. How many of us can say we have accomplished that much at such a tender age?

This literary phenomenon, Jacqueline Pawl, started writing her first serious work, Defying Vesuvius, during the summer between her junior and senior years of high school while on a 3-week foreign exchange program in France. After returning to the states, she began writing A Born Assassin, taking time off to work and save money so she could study in Scotland. Half of A Born Assassin was written during that hiatus at home. Now she studies overseas in Scotland, where she has been writing the second half of her first series. Until, of course, the pandemic called her home. Now, this world traveler is back home, in a suburb of Chicago, not 20 miles from where I live. And silly as this sounds, particularly at my advanced age, I'm giddy over the prospect of meeting this amazing woman.

Jacqueline is one driven, imaginative, prioritized, and incredibly talented individual who decided very early on that she wanted to write. Her goal was to share her imagination with those who love to escape into the worlds of the written word, as she had while growing up. When I was young, I wanted to write. I even felt maybe I had some talent. Then I started reading, constantly, truly delving into the world of fiction. It was then I realized I was missing the one thing actual writers have; imagination and a gift. I could put together a story with perfect grammar, extensive vocabulary, even filled with genuine feelings. But I just didn't have the imagination to come up with original storylines that capture a reader. I knew before, and I'm certain now, I am no Jacqueline Pawl.

The privilege of working with a mind as inspired as Jacqueline’s was a dream come true for me. And, gladly, since I'm greedy, Jacqueline is not the only one. I work with many such authors, all with these prolific minds that can take a reader so far from reality in ways that completely enthrall them. They write with such intense, such captivating prose, that working with them is an experience I will cherish for the rest of my life.

And even then, even among all those I work with, Jacqueline Pawl stands out. It is not just because her series was so incredibly powerful that she could incite every emotional response possible to feel in one storyline. It was because she wrote with such intensity, and such attention to detail, that I found the lines blurring between each book. The story flows as if reading it all at once. I am simply so seriously impressed with this young lady that if I could scream it from the rooftops, you would be hearing me now.

I have read books by authors of every age, genre, and cultural background imaginable. So I can honestly say that there is something unique in watching someone so very young do something so creative, so polished, and with such exceptional talent. And it has been my privilege to observe this in Jackie. Not only having a ringside seat, but a chance to lend a helping hand has been a tremendous honor. Throughout all of my experience with reading, and now editing, I must say, there truly is something amazing about being present when a prodigy is at work. 

Through the ages, we have all heard the saying "out of the mouths of babes". Originally from the bible, this saying first meant 'strength out of the mouths of babes (and sucklings)' and later came to mean wisdom. I have seen her strength in her life and marveled over the wisdom in her books. Knowing the ability of Jacqueline Pawl to open the universe and draw us in, I find myself continuously thinking, "from the fertile minds of babes..."