Guest post: "OLD DOGS AND BLUE LEOPARDS" by Sylvia Dickey Smith, author of 'Original Cyn'
Not only can old dogs
learn new tricks but leopards can also change their spots. You don’t believe
me? I tell you it is true. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. For you see, I am
that old dog leaping backwards over an inflamed barrel. I’m also the blue
leopard with big orange polka dots.
I describe myself as
born backward—one foot first, and left-handed—and seem to have done most things
backward ever since. At seventeen, and still a high school junior, I married a
preacher and soon became known as the preacher’s wife. Today, it is difficult
to imagine a girl, barely 17, take on that responsibility—a kid playing grown
up. But I sailed along just fine, any answer I needed given to me by my
husband. He even gave answers to many questions I never asked.
I started college as a
forty-year-old freshman and in a few short years gained a degree in sociology,
a master’s in educational psychology, and then a divorce! Five years later, I
got engaged, bought a house, took a honeymoon in Hawaii, and married in Las
Vegas on the way home.
You still with me so
far on this backwards thing?
After many years
working in the human services field, I retired and took on a whole new career—I
wrote a mystery book that led to the Sidra Smart Mystery Series, along with a
cookbook to match. I wrote the award-winning A War Of Her Own, a historical novel set in Texas during WWII, and
now, my recently released contemporary novel, Original Cyn.
I write strong women.
Why? I’ve realized that writing is my passion, but writing strong women is
REALLY my passion. So, I might write mystery, historical fiction, and contemporary,
but whatever I write, it features a strong woman. Of course the character
likely won’t start out that way, but by the time I’m through with her, I
guarantee you, she will be. My latest, Original
Cyn, takes on a controversial subject relevant to societal discussions
today. It is my first attempt to write on a topic that I know many will object
to, and that’s just the way it goes. Standing in my power. Speaking truth to
power.
Think that’s a
reflection of my life? You bet your bottom patootie it is.
One thing I’ve learned
is it makes no difference whether you live your life backwards or forwards, the
important thing is that you LIVE IT. And never say, never. Never not do
something—anything, because you think you’re too old, too dumb, too smart, too
whatever.
If you want to do it,
go for it.
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Title:
ORIGINAL CYN
Genre:
women’s fiction
Author:
Sylvia Dickey Smith
Website:
www.sylviadickeysmith.com
Publisher:
White Bird Publications
Purchase
on
Amazon
About Original
Cyn: Protagonist Cynthia Carter’s
life appears perfect—but for the fact that she and her husband, The Reverend
Wilburn Carter, are controlled by fear.
Cynthia is afraid she’ll displease Wilburn and if not him, his
parishioners. But her biggest fear is the emptiness swelling inside her.
In the pulpit, Wilburn is the hero: God’s right hand, the messenger, the revered Reverend.
At home, however, is a different story: he’s cold, controlling, selfish and
self-consumed. Every Sunday, Wilburn
stands at the podium and worries which parishioner might stab him in the back. But his deepest, darkest fear is that people
will discover he’s a phony.
As Cynthia drowns in her lack of identity beyond what’s assigned
by her preacher-husband, she wonders if she should stay in the
relationship. Could there be more to
life than just being the Pastor’s wife?
Before she can decide, events force her to flee. If she goes
far enough fast enough, those back home will have to deal with the chaos they
created—deal with it or go to hell in their sanctimonious handbaskets. Until a
phone conversation leaves her with even more difficult choices…
A powerful, thoughtful, and thought-provoking story, Original Cyn is extraordinary. Novelist
Sylvia Dickey Smith takes readers on an unforgettable journey that spans
anguish, heartbreak, hatred, love, fear, humor, peace and joy. Resplendent
with compelling characters and an exceedingly-relatable storyline, Original Cyn is wholly—or perhaps
holy—an original tale about moving beyond the black-and-white and living life
in full, vibrant color. Sylvia Dickey Smith’s latest novel is a richly-drawn,
rewarding read destined to stay with readers long after the final page is
turned.
About
the Author
A
fifth generation Texan, Sylvia Dickey Smith was born in Orange, Texas and grew
up in a colorful Scots-Irish family living in the midst of a Cajun culture. At
34, Sylvia’s curiosity about the world took on a whole new dimension when she
moved to the Caribbean island nation of Trinidad & Tobago. Awed by the
differences in customs and cultures, particularly as they related to West
Indian women, Sylvia began a journey of study and self-discovery. Back in the
U.S. at 40, she started college and didn’t stop until achieving a B.A. in
sociology with a concentration in women’s studies and a master’s in counseling.
For the next twenty years, Sylvia worked in the field of human services and
taught as an adjunct professor at the graduate level. Sylvia Dickey Smith lives
in Texas.
Connect with the Author
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