I am a wife, a mother, a writer, a knitter, a gardener and lover of nature, a blogger, a cookie baker, an editor, a creative genius, sometimes a madwoman.
I am a writer who has never been interested in finding an agent. At all.
I’m a fine editor, but don’t feel like an authority and dislike taking that tone on my blog. Yet I mostly post on Coming Down the Mountain about writing, editing and publishing issues– just not as an expert.
I am with a small press and have absolutely no desire to go anywhere else. Yet I think I am ambitious. Sort of.
I am not 30-something. I am as old as your grandma. I’m totally uncool.
I am not thin and attractive. It’s really hard for me to find any photos that make me look halfway decent. You won’t see photos of beautiful me plastered all over my website and blog. It’s all I can do to get one for an avatar that doesn’t make me look like a witch.
I don’t drink coffee or alcohol like writers have done through the ages. I eat cookies. I shouldn’t, but I do anyway. I love cookies.
I am not outgoing. Which is why I am much more comfortable talking to you like this instead of in person. And why I no longer do book signings and events. However, I will make an exception to that policy when and if I ever go to the UK, my dream destination.
I love to get emails. Contact me: karenjonesgowen@gmail.com
karenjonesgowen 
Wise needs to be added to the list! Yes, it has been a bit crazy as of late~
Thanks for stopping by; I enjoyed the idea of an Ode! ;-D
Ella, Aw thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment. You are my very first commenter on the new website! And I am glad you think I’m wise 🙂
What a fun description of yourself! I also like gardening! And your new blog looks great!
Carla, thank you for dropping by! I haven’t done much to it yet, maybe later I can spiff it up some.
Aloha from Waikiki, Karen 🙂
Comfort Spiral
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Nice to see you here, Cloudia. Aloha!
It feels fresh!
Come back and blog soon.
Hi Karen – when you get here we will party – in a fun way .. and chat, laugh, look at things, eat cookies – I don’t!, but drink wine .. not good .. but lots of water too .. take photos, see a few interesting olde worlde places .. that will be huge fun .. looking forward to that = great goal dream to have .. cheers and a big hug .. Hilary
Hilary, Thank you! Oh yes, you do live in the UK don’t you? I keep thinking you live in South Africa still rather than the UK. (I did have a friend in South Africa but she just moved to Nigeria.)
Hi Karen .. quite happy to meet you there too!! In due course I hope I’ll be back there travelling again .. sounds even better – two trips and meet ups! Cheers – Hilary
Hilary, And if you ever come to the US you must come out West and stop over in Salt Lake City!
Hi, Karen,
THis is a lovely website. I just finished reading about you…. I never would have guessed you are shy in person. You have such presence in the blog world. I think all of us are limited to our blogging comments and accept that. Blogging is very time consuming.
I love that you are so comfortable in your skin. So many writers/people aren’t. I guess that comes with age. Hopefully I will get to that plateau in my life. Something to definitely look forward to in the future.
It saddened me about your brother-in-law. Life is such a precious gift and so many ill people are fighting to keep it with their last breath, while others just throw it away.
Keep eating your cookies and enjoying life. Our time is so short, why not be happy, right?
Good luck with your new website.
Michael, Thanks for stopping by! When I first started blogging at Blogspot, I named my blog Coming Down the Mountain: From Reclusive Author to Published Author, because that was exactly what I was, and when my novel came out I thought I needed to get out into the world and somehow find an audience. Just recently I changed it to A Writer’s Blog and took off the reclusive bit because I don’t feel that way anymore (just as long as nobody makes me go do booksignings and speak to people in person!!) I’m not that shy in a normal setting but something about putting me in a situation where I have to be “an author” and “promote my book” just makes me shrivel up!
Nice to meet you, Karen. You sound an awful lot like me … except I’m more likely to eat chips than cookies. 🙂
Hi Karen – THANK YOU .. would love that .. cheers for now! Hilary
Hi Karen
i’m late commenting on this post & I know you have posted further since. Just wanted to say how much I enjoyed reading your introduction & how I empathise with your thoughts on self promotion, plastering photos up etc.
The extent of your following is enough to show how people enjoy reading your wise musings on the writing life & your generous sharing of honest thoughts.
Should you make that visit to Uk, don’t forget Ireland is only a skip across the Irish sea!
Oh and by the way that last comment is me, Mari G! (wordpress avatar only shows my blog name)
Mari, I’m glad you told me it was you. I knew the blog name was familiar but couldn’t place the name. Hoping to see you one day in Ireland!