My #BeReal guest today is Andrea Johnson Beck

The authenticity of a human is rare and exquisite. Near mythical.

We live in a society of veiled glimpses and shadow puppetry. Social media allows many to glide between the obscurities of reality and present a life unfamiliar to even them because to be real is to be judged. How we present ourselves to the world is based on the fear of judgment.

I homeschool.

I write.

I pray.

I don’t attend church.

I love.

I believe.

I cry.

I hide.

I self-loathe.

I cartwheel in my driveway.

I am human.

What you see is what you get.

I know I’m a lot to take in—we are a lot to take in. My son, Logan is aware his quirks befuddle some, but our family doesn’t fit any box, in any category, anywhere. At times, it’s lonely but we are real. Authentic. Different. Weird.

I wouldn’t have it any other way. No matter what I do, others will judge me. I don’t homeschool properly. I don’t write enough books. I don’t belong to a church. I swear. I divulge too much. I feel too much. I don’t mother correctly.

Why should I apologize for not fitting into societal boxes? Why should I curtail my social media existence to appease others? Why should I restrain our quirkiness to silence the whispers?

Acceptance is our reality. It’s genuine and odd. It’s who I am. It’s who we are as a family.

And normal? Now, that’s mythical.

 

 

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Amazon Best Selling Author

Andrea Johnson Beck was born in Sioux City, Iowa. From a young age, she enjoyed telling stories. Many her dad recorded. Writing was her creative outlet and at 10-years-old, her first poem was published in an anthology. Always curious, Andrea read and watched what was considered risqué in the 80’s and early 90’s, such as, books by VC Andrews. Dirty Dancing and Top Gun (snuck downstairs) raised questions and were brought to her parents for clarification. Understanding their daughter’s need for answers, they always replied truthfully.

Her curiosity and rebellious disposition has carried on. Andrea credits the strong woman in her life who guided her through difficult times. That and writing. Blogging about her marriage, her quirky son, and homeschooling helped her connect with others around the world.

In the past she has written for In-Depth Genealogist, Home & School Mosaics, and Home Educating Family.

In 2012, Andrea self-published her debut novel, Deadly Deception. A year later, the book was acquired by Montlake Romance and re-released in October of 2013. Deadly Deception hit #4 on the Amazon Best Seller List in overall paid fiction in the Kindle Store, it was right behind the Divergent Trilogy. Her second novel, Deadly Revelation, released April of 2014 and was #1 in Organized Crime and Crime Fiction and continues to hold a spot in those categories. Her latest novel, The Red Roots was released April 2015.

Andrea and her son collaborated and released a short story, Hush, Mary in October of 2014. Also, the mom and son duo are writing homeschool and autism spectrum books together. Over the years, Logan has impacted and inspired many with his own personal stories of how he accepted and embraced his quirkiness.

Andrea lives in Illinois with her husband Phil, son, and their deaf dog, Bear. Sarcasm is the oxygen they breathe, as is love and humor.

andreajohnsonbeck.com