Leann couldn't believe her ears when the announcement came over the radio. Not only was the group going to have their first meeting just a short distance away, but she couldn't wait to see the acclaimed author Alex. She packed her bag, and took the next bus into the city. During the trip she jotted down notes about her insecurities, so that she would be prepared for the anticipated discussion group.
When the guest speaker asked for volunteers to share their insecurities, Leann glanced at her notes, and told the group about how it all began when she was a child. The school was twelve miles away, and while everyone was laughing and playing on the bus, no one wanted to sit with her. Sometimes the bus driver would force someone to make room for her, but then they would quietly torture her by calling her names or pulling her hair. The same thing happened again at lunchtime, and she often went off by herself to sneak a snack in under a large library book. Leann secretly hoped that she would be able to find a lunch companion for today, but packed some emergency rations in case she had to walk around the building by herself.
When the conversation shifted to other insecurities, another blogger talked about how he felt lost in the publishing world. As other writer's chimed in, Leann shared her experience of when she took the wrong bus home from school, and had to spend the night in a strange barn until her pa picked her up the next day.
Consequently, when the subject turned to the agony of submitting queries within the small window of opportunity, Leanne also contributed. She told the group about how she tried to help a little girl who got her ponytail stuck in the bus window. After she finally freed her, the bus driver sped off and the window smashed down on her hands. It was the day of her big piano recital, and she missed her only opportunity to receive a scholarship to a College of Musical Arts. Her eyes began to tear up, as she gazed at her once fractured fingers. The speaker tried to comfort her, but he had to get the group back on track.
Finally, someone shouted out "Talk about shameless self-promotion. You just want us to feel sorry for you and buy your book!" She looked up startled as the class was murmuring. When someone asked for the name of her book, Leann replied,"What book?" By the time the guest speaker calmed everyone down, they broke for lunch.
Two kind-hearted women invited Leann to join them, and she graciously accepted. On the way to the dining room they asked her why she joined the Insecure Writer's Support Group. Then she turned to them and said, "Isn't this the Insecure Rider's Support Group? Hey, there's Alex! He'll explain everything!" A smiling tall, dark and handsome man approached them. The women were thrilled to finally meet Alex J. Cavanaugh in person.
After they hugged, Leann introduced them to her dear friend Alex, the meat hauler who gently carried her off of that fateful bus, encased her hands in frozen meat, and whisked her in for emergency reconstructive hand surgery. He later became a counselor to those who were involved in traumatic vehicular accidents, and wrote a best selling book about it. As they stood there with their mouths wide open, they saw the sign across the hall: Welcome Alex J. Cavashaw author of CattleFire, and founder of the Insecure Rider's Support Group.
To visit the other guy from the IWSG, and his faithful followers go Here.
