Did you ever get caught reading Confession magazines?

"Are you reading that junk again"? Mother used to say when she'd catch me reading a confession magazine. "Why don't you read something educational?"

In case you don't know, the confession magazines consist of True Story, True Confessions, True Experience, Secrets and True Love. There used to be a lot more back in the 60s and 70s. They were supposedly written as true stories and didn't have a by line to "protect" the writer because these were the writer's deep dark secrets.

I was addicted to reading these stories and figured since I loved writing and kept a journal, I'd try writing some stories for them. I didn't have a typewriter back then so mother let me borrow hers, not knowing what I was doing with it. Ha ha. When she found out she knocked on my door and said, "God told me to take my typewriter back because those aren't the kinds of stories He wants you to write." Of course I was furious - not at God but at her, but what else was new.

I was so excited when I learned that the writer's Digest was offering a correspondence course in confession story writing. I signed up for the course and ended up selling my first story that I wrote for the course. I remember the day I received the acceptance letter. I was finally a published author!!! The name of my story was The Remarkable Tests that Saved our Marriage. It was published in the May 1975 True Experience magazine.

I sold a bunch of stories for the next ten years. Some of the titles are: My astrologer is always right.. I'm going to have an Exciting New Marriage

My Rival's Initials are C.B. and Death Can't make me Cry- both published in May 1977 True Experience.

The Secret I Discovered that made me Sexier

All I want to do is please my husband

My Mother's Strange Gift from the Grave

There are more and one of these blogs I'll post one of these stories.

I didn't get rich but I was paid $175 for one and $400 for another with everything in between. And no you aren't going to read my best selling book because I'm not writing it.

So what do YOU have to confess? I used to call myself The Confessor on CB radio. I'm a good listener, so if you want to get anything off your chest, feel free.