Adulting is hard. Seriously. The worst part of adulting is when you find yourself in a challenging situation that requires hard decisions, especially when a little forethought could've gone a long way. But I didn't foresee where I'd be today. Oh well, here goes...I'm closing up shop, officially, on my former author life.
Ouch! That hurt my heart a little.
When I published my first book, a memoir, in 2017, the last thing on my mind was my byline. In all of my publishing career, I can't remember ever pondering the weight of my professional name. I was just me. Or the me I was in the moment. Until now.
Belle Rumler. Not the name I was born with, but a name that was born in my heart. It's a mix of my maternal great grandmother's maiden and married names, and a name that hit in places that no online name generator could. She's me, and I'm her, and together we're embarking on a most awesome writing adventure!
But first...decisions.
I'm also Tina Truax. Or I was her. I'm not anymore. And most importantly, I'm not using that name professionally going forward. It's loaded. It's painful. It's over. So where do I begin the end of Tina Truax?
Website. Socials. Goodreads. All of it must go! But my readers, how do I not lose them? And what about my book baby? Does she have to go, too? Let's not get crazy.
Wrapping my head around the idea of losing everything I built—my author platform, my readers—it literally takes the air from my lungs. So I'm compromising. That's adulting, right? Meeting in the middle?
Regardless of the name on my book covers, I'm still me. My voice, uniquely mine, will fill the pages between those covers. My first book baby will still be out in the world. She continues to sell globally, and I may even take a speaking gig or two to discuss her content.
The rest will simply be removed to make room. I can't have clutter sullying my new place. Belle Rumler is only taking the best of the past.
And that's where we start, dear readers: with the very best of experience, wisdom, and, most especially, a white-hot, fiery passion for writing the best damn stories from my heart.
The Beginning...
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