Which is where the writing part comes in (it also keeps me sane, which is good for my husband because he has to deal with me on a daily basis).
I never thought I'd go anywhere with being creative. At 18, I was told to find a real job - that in order to pay the bills, I needed to find a substantial career that would keep me stable. At 20, I compromised and went to Cosmetology School in Scottsdale, AZ, to which I graduated a year later in early 2008 (when the economy was failing and the housing market was at an all-time low), and it was hard. The 1600 hours of school, tests and time I took to gain my certificate to do hair wasn't as much fun as I expected it to be, and I soon realized that my heart wasn't in the job enough to make a career out of it.
So I got a desk job, a 9-5, Monday through Friday call-center job that paid me well (more than well, actually), allowed me to take vacations, sent me to Baltimore, Boston, Hawaii (yessssssss) and Texas (among other places). I had good healthcare, benefits, you name it ... and you know what? I hated it. I felt like what soul I had left was being sucked from my body every time I woke up to go there, and it was even worse when I sat down and had to answer phone call after phone call after phone call (you get the idea). So, while the money was fantastic, and I could go on vacation and do a lot of things I never imagined I couldn't do ... I was miserable. And I hated that feeling.
My husband told me to find a different job. "What do you want to do?" he asked me, "What kind of job do you think you might enjoy?"
Do you know how long it took me to realize the answer to that question? Way too long, it's almost embarrassing, actually.
When I finally answered him, it wasn't exactly what he expected. I told him I wanted to write, more specifically, I wanted to write novels - to create eccentric, off-beat, uncharacteristically flawed characters that were imperfect, honest, and real in their own right. And you know what he told me?
"I want you to do what makes you happy."
I didn't realize that those words were what I needed to push myself over that ledge - to take that last step into doing something I've loved since I was just a kid. Now, at thirty-one years old, I'll be publishing my third full-length novel in Spring 2018, and I have plans for another one late next year, with another series planned hopefully around that same time.
When I look back at my early twenties, I realize that I gave up on my dream of being an artist and a writer on the simple basis that everyone else told me it wasn't possible. I'm happy to say it didn't last long - and for those of you who are still looking for that push - here it is.
Delightfully Witchy
A Delightfully Witchy Novel
Book One
Acacia K. Parker
Genre: Paranormal Romance /
Action and Adventure
Publisher: Parker Publishing
Date of Publication: 9/14/2017
ISBN: 978-0-9989444-4-9
ASIN: B071SLRNVS
Number of pages: 417
Word Count: 135,000
Cover Artist: Acacia K. Parker
Tagline: Not everyone is good at being a witch.
Book Description:
Looking for true love? Having dreams you need to recall more clearly? How about that pesky curse that just won’t go away? Let Delightfully Witchy Herbal Shop conjure up the perfect charm for you!
Meet Emerson Harper—herbalist, shop owner, witch—exceptional at the first two, not so much on the last. She finds there are perks to living a quiet life, especially when those perks involve Lincoln Summers walking into her shop asking for a rare Stone. Powerful, wealthy, and famous, she finds it hard to resist selling him what he seeks when those dazzling blue eyes of his linger a little too long.
What Lincoln failed to mention, however, is someone evil is looking for the Stone; a witch who now has Emmie in his sights. Luckily, Emmie made more of an impression on the sexy stranger than she realized, and when he comes to her rescue she finds herself suddenly pulled into Lincoln’s world of dark magic and buried secrets.
In the fight to reclaim their lives—and save the world from a deranged witch hell-bent on destruction—Emmie is thrust into a journey of mystery, peril, and self-discovery, only to learn that sometimes . . .
All magic needs is a little push.
Excerpt:
I awoke
screaming and scared, feeling like I was locked in that trunk again, bound and
unsure of the outcome. I was dazed. I knew I was awake, but it was still hard
to tell what was real. I felt the mattress underneath me, and the clothes that
smelled of spices and were faintly musky and sweaty. There was a light beside
the bed I could turn on to show that I was perfectly safe. None of that
mattered, though, because I was frantic, tears falling down my face, trying to
get out of the confined space that had me caged in.
Someone was
talking to me, calmly and evenly. Whoever it was grabbed my arms and lifted
them, moving me so my back was to a chest, clearly not my sister’s. I yanked my
arms to get free, but whoever had me was too strong, the voice continuing to
speak, telling me I was all right, that I was safe, and there wasn’t anything
to be worried about.
“Emmie, it’s
just a dream, there’s nothing to be afraid of.”
Lincoln. It was
Lincoln’s voice that finally trickled through, and I realized where I was. He
had his arms wrapped around me, holding me still so I wouldn’t hurt myself—or
him, for that matter. My head was somewhere near the crook of his neck as I
craned it back, looking up at the black ceiling, its endless depths forbidding
and ominous. Tears fell, my breathing was labored, and my heart raced. He never
moved, even as my legs kicked the blankets away, hating myself for allowing
this to happen.
When I finally
got myself to calm down, Lincoln turned me and without a word pulled me into a
hug. I wrapped my arms around his waist, listening to his heartbeat as it
hammered violently in his chest. With his head resting on mine, I barely felt
the stubble scratching at my forehead, abrasive but welcome.
“You scared me.”
His voice was throaty, like he’d just woken up himself. “Are you okay?”
“I think so,” I
managed to say, pulling back, noticing the light on the nightstand was on, dim
in the darkness. “I’m so, so sorry. That was—”
“Expected . . .
considering.” He shrugged, his hand on my shoulder as I wiped the tears off my
face.
“I guess it’s a
good thing I don’t sleep naked,” I giggled, trying to lighten the mood.
“I think that
depends on who you’re asking.” He smirked.
And I blushed,
of course. I was feeling all warm and cozy with his hand still on my shoulder
and then I noticed he wasn’t wearing a shirt. Good Lord. Trust me, it was
everything I ever thought it would be. No, it was definitely better. He was
perfect; chiseled chest, washboard abs, thick arms, and a dark line of hair
leading from his belly button until it disappeared underneath his pajama pants.
I’m pretty sure if I kept looking I was going to start drooling, literally, and
that would be . . . just no.
“What are you
thinking about?”
“Nothing! It’s
nothing.”
“It doesn’t look
like nothing,” he said, raising his brows.
“It’s not
important,” I answered nervously, biting my lower lip.
“Are you sure?”
“Yep.” I nodded.
“I’m sure.”
“Ok.” He
squeezed my shoulder lightly.
Acacia has been what some may call a "gypsy" for most of her life. With her father serving in the Air Force for twenty years, she's enjoyed many different homes in many different states, with a decent portion of her life lived overseas in Germany. Always one to be creative, she has been drawing since she could write, and writing has become a passion of hers since her teenage years where she discovered she loved telling stories and creating eccentric characters.
Currently residing in Phoenix, AZ with her husband Shawn and their two golden retrievers, Boomer and Sookie, the duo find any excuse to enjoy the weather (when it's permitted), and you can often find the them scuba diving (their favorite place is the Florida Keys), hiking, visiting one of the many beautiful lakes Arizona has to offer or finding winding, dirt roads to discover. Unfortunately, it's not all fun and games. A good chunk of Acacia's time is taken up to complete her Bachelors in Business Management at Grand Canyon University - although procrastination does ensue.
In her writing adventures, Acacia hopes that one day her stories may inspire others to follow their dreams - no matter how crazy they may seem.
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