My "Brand"

Today I read an article about creating a "Brand." It was very informative, as most those blog posts are and I appreciated the thought that was put into. So it really got me thinking, what is my brand? What will people hear or see and think, "Oh, Tara Dawn!" because of how I put myself out in the world?

That's a good question. It's a hell of a question. One that I didn't have an answer to at first. Then I realized that my lack of an answer was the fucking answer!

For those who read my books and follow me, you know that I have written two books so far, with eight more lined up and ready to pump out. Those two books are as different as night and day. Seriously. Sojourn is a contemporary erotic romance, that I would compare to cotton candy and rainbows. It's a hot, quick read with lots of feels. Now SNAP (The Snap Trilogy #1) is completely different. It's a romantic psychological suspense. The plot is deep, with lots of twists and turns, and the characters have far more depth than those in Sojourn. I've been asked if I really wrote both of them. Yes, I did. And because of that response to my books, it really made the idea of creating a "brand" even more confusing for me.

The reason being, I have plans to write more stories that don't fit into the same genre as either of those books. I love the written word. Period. If what is being said speaks to me, then I'm going to read it. I stick to the fact that everyone should learn something new or step out of their comfort zone daily. If you don't, you're not living to your full potential. Life is far too short to trap yourselves in a fucking box only to find out too late that you hated that box and wished you could've escaped it. 

The point to that rambling is this. I love books, all genres. I love to write, and I want to write what speaks to me. I'm a people watcher. People fascinate me like no other. They can change in the blink of an eye. They do it all the time. No one stays in the same mood all day. Emotions sway our judgments and even change us into different people. I want to be able to go with my flow. To express what I'm feeling at that moment. Whether it's another cotton candy and rainbows romance, poetry, my esoteric babble I spew at times, fantasy, gut wrenching or horror, I want to write what comes to me. It's my therapy. Being able to express those through characters on a page helps me to share my feelings with others. I'm able to take the reader on a journey of my psyche without them even realizing it. And it feels good doing it. Which is why my tagline is Stories Rooted In The Soul. Because they are. They are pieces of me.

Because of that, it will be hard to create a following. There are readers who stick with only one genre. They don't know what they are missing out on, but at least they know what they like, and that's great. They may find one of my books and enjoy it and check back in for a similar release later. Which I love, because that means something I wrote connected with them.  There will also be other readers, like myself, who enjoy different genres. Those who do will be the ones who most likely will stick with me on my writing journey and keep up with what I'm working on. Either way, I love them all for giving my work a chance.

What all this rambling leads to is this: I don't have a specific brand. I'm not promising certain books to anyone. I'm not going to shove myself into a box and stunt my growth as a writer. (And do not take my words out of context and think I'm talking shit about others who stay within the same genre. I am not saying that.) I know that in order for me to grow, I can't do that to myself. It's who I am. I've never done that before, and I'm not going to start now. I write for me with the hopes that someone can connect with my words. If they do, yay! If they don't, thanks for checking out my work. I'm realistic enough to realize that it will not be for everyone. 

So my brand is me. The whole crazy, fucked up, kit n caboodle. The girl who cries one day and scribbles down poetry (which will be published next year), then writes about a psycho stalker trying to take over the world when I've got pent up anger, only to top it off with cotton candy and rainbows when my manic happiness comes back to play. I'm sure many of you can relate. 

Stick around and enjoy the ride, I'm sure it'll be filled with lots of surprises, even to me. Or jump aboard and party for a while. Either way, I'd love for you to meet pieces of me and maybe, just maybe, you'll fall in love with all of me.

XOXO
​Tara Dawn