Pat Ritter. Books

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To say we were excited about our purchase would be an understatement. Olga had acres for her horses and I had a peaceful quiet place in the bush to write to my heart's content.

We'd only been home for a couple of days when Olga asked me to look on her shouler to see if there was anything there. Her bra strap iritated her. I looked and could see nothing untoward. If she was so concerned visit the doctor and ask him, I told her.

Her visit to the doctor revealed she had melanoma cancer. Within nine months after many treatments of chemoptheraphy and radiation theraphy she lost her fight with cancer.

The day she was diagnosed with cancer was the day I resigned from my job and looked after her until the day she passed away. She was my heart and soul.

She never had the opportunity to see the new home built on the farm. We'd spent the final weekend at the farm before she entered the hospital for the final time. That weekend she told me this was the place she always wanted since she was four years old. A garden was built in front of the house where she rests in peace.

I was deversated and didn't know what else to do. Our home was finished, fences built, and everything she ever wanted was there to enjoy. The only problem, I didn't have her to enjoy what we each worked for during our life together.

I didn't want her life to end at this point. For days I sat at the computer and wrote a tribute of her life story. Here is the link: http://www.patritter.com.au/​index.php?page=19.





Pat Ritter - Author
http://www.patritter.com.au
Following the death of my beloved wife 'Bub' (Olga) I have written the book ' In Rememberance of Bub'. Writing it was painful but helped me come to terms with the loss of my friend, partner and wife of 31 years. Read it as a celebration of a wonderful woman.

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Honestly I didn't know how I was to keep going. I sat on the front verandah to wonder what of the future and how I'd ever come to live at Brooloo, a place I never heard of before in my life.

One of the many thoughts I had was 'get myself together' and do what I wanted to do and that is to write - idiot.

I am an alcoholic. On the 13th January 1977 I had my last drink of alcohol. For the following twenty years I was a 'dry drunk'. My drinking may have stopped but I failed to correct my behaviour. Look at the demons which caused me to drink.

Working in the field of alcohol and drug gave me information and a pathway to follow, study and correct my behaviour. I needed to be honest, trustworthy, responsible and accountable.

With help from Olga I worked on a programme to help me alter my behaviour which I learned over my lifetime. At forty-five years old I worked solid for twelve months changing my thoughts, creating new ones and 'taking control of my life'. The programme helped many others I counselled why wouldn't it help me.

In 2004 I wrote and self published 'Confessions of an alcoholic'. In this book I created a character I named Bundy Quicksilver. Of course that person was me in true life. He is a fictional character in the book.

Wait until tomorrow and I tell you how I came to name this character Bundy Quicksilver and his recovery from alcoholism.

TO PURCHASE THIS BOOK
Pat Ritter Books then click.... PRB

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The reason I came up with the name Bundy Quicksilver was because of Bundaberg Rum (a rum made in Bundaberg, a Queensland town) and Quicksilver because when you're on the downhill slide of alcoholism it is like quicksilver, slippery and dangerous.

For days I typed the story of Bundy how he lost his wife Ada through cancer and now didn't know what he wanted to do with his life. His mind turned to alcohol; he remembered a promise he made to Ada some twenty-seven years before. He didn't want to go down that track again. He would keep to that promise.

Bundy recaptured his childhood memories of when he was introduced to alcohol by his grandfather at twelve years of age. The first taste of alcohol never left his mind. Over the next sixteen years he consumed more alcohol each year and became so accustomed to drinking alcohol his tolerence rose and he became more dependent on drinking it everyday.

On the morning of the 13th January 1977, his wife Ada told him she'd had enough and threatened to leave him, íf he came home drunk that night and take their two children with her.

He made her a promise Í WILL NEVER DRINK ALCOHOL AGAIN!' and kept his promise.

It was okay to stop drinking but the problem was how was he going to change his habits of drinking and change to not telling lies and being a good and loving husband and father.

Wait until tomorrow and I'll share with you how Bundy overcame alcoholism and became a better person for these changes.

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Each day when I wrote Bundy's journey to overcome alcoholism, my mind echoed the journey I'd taken myself. This journey uncovered many demons in my life, especially an important one 'being a rescuer'.

I lived with this habit since I was six years old when the seeds of this habit engrossed my mind to such a degree I became so good at being a 'rescuer' I didn't know any other way to please people, especially my father.

You see all I ever wanted from my father was the words, 'I love you - you are my son - you are a worthwhile person'. Unfortunately I never received these words from him then or forever after. To seek his love (or non-love) I did anything in my power to appease him. Even made a hot cup of coffee and watch him drink the coffee and drink a stubby of beer at the same time.

After leaving home I continued this habit with my bosses, peers and any person in authority. Writing this book was probably the best thing I could've written at this time of my life. I remember when I was about two-thirds of the way through the book I suddenly hit a brick wall.

I knew what I wanted to say or write, but do you think the words flowed. Not in your life. For a fortnight I tried in vane to restart the process. I wanted to get it right. However, the rights words wouldn't flow from my mind.

TO PURCHASE THIS BOOK
Pat Ritter Books then click.... PRB

One morning I awoke at two o'clock in the morning when a sudden flow of words, like a river, flooded my thoughts. I jumped out of bed, turned on the computer and wrote the remainder of the book for the next ten hours without a break. That's not exactly true because I made heaps of cups of coffee and visited the toilet many times.

Wait until tomorrow and I'll continued my journey of being an author.

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Thank you all for liking these short stories of my writing career.

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Eventually I completed the manuscript of 'Confessions of an alcoholic'. Up until this time I tried traditional publishing and self-publishing. After completing this book I felt great about the story but moreso how it could help people who had a problem with alcoholism.

After my time as a alcohol and drug counsellor I knew there were many people out there and hoped to reach those people to help them overcome their alcoholism. I took the bit between my teeth and thought 'what have I got to lose?' I self-published the book and had printed five hundred copies.

When I look back on the time now, hindsight is a wonderful tool to have, I discovered two hundred copies sold almost automatically. Unfortunately three hundred still remain in their boxes in my office.

It wasn't until the book converted to a e-book I've been able to sell more copies than I printed. There is a broader audience.

This is a link to 'Confessions of an alcoholic': https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/7688

Wait until tomorrow and I'll share with you my next book on this journey.
Confessions of an alcoholic, an Ebook by Pat Ritter
http://www.smashwords.com
Bundy Quicksilver is an alcoholic. He tasted his initial taste of alcohol at 12 years old. Before he knew what alcohol could do to him it was out of control. At 28 years his wife gave him an ultimatum 'if he didn't do something about his drinking she was leaving and taking the children'. He promised...

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At this point in my writing career road blocks started to form. I'd reached my goal of writing and self-publishing also tried marketing which was not only expensive but time consuming.

Daily I journeyed throughout the local region speaking with local book stores hoping they would either purchase my book 'Confessions of an alcoholic'. Some wanted the book on consignment and a small number purchased the books to sell in their stores. It was frustrating and not successful. Instead of selling the book at $20.00 each, which was a huge amount to pay, the stores owners wanted to buy them at $9.00 each. Each book cost $6.00 each to be printed.

This was a different way to market the book.

I used the internet as far as I could in those times, sending out newletters and brochures. After reviewing my future as a writer and self-publisher, I looked at improving my writing by attending various courses. I joined three writing associations and read articles each time their magazines were received.

A turning point came when I attended the first Writefest conducted by Bundaberg Writers Group. This was an opportunity to meet other writers and see what the industry was doing. To my surprise after meeting the Executive Officer of Queensland Writers Centre, he introduced me as an expert on self-publishing. At the time I never considered myself to be an expert.

I spoke to the audience to explain how I'd written and self-published 'Confessions of an alcoholic'. This was met with much excitement. Then I dropped the clanger, how do I market the book?

Tomorrow I'll share with you my next step in the venture of being an author.