Lemonade

I just learned something from a new writer friend that really blew me away. She had a horrible tragedy in her life a few years ago and instead of hiding under a rock, she started writing. Not dark, painful stuff, but comedy. The human spirit is an amazing thing. So that got me thinking. (sound like Carrie Bradshaw?) Why do some people get bogged down in grief for years after such an event, while others, after a period of mourning, bounce back higher than they knew they could?
Is there some innate mechanism that determines who will be happy and who will be sad? I've always had a theory that nature plays into temperament more than nurture. I've seen it lots of times. Some folks will always be unhappy, no matter what wonderful things happen to them. Others are like Teflon, letting bad stuff bounce away. Sure, they're sad sometimes, but they know how to move past it.
Now, I don't know this woman in person. We used to write for the same publisher. I can tell from her emails that she is fun, effervescent and upbeat. But I take my hat off to her. She's one of those rare human beings who will always make lemonade out of any lemons thrown at her.

Exciting Happenings

Today I ordered print copies of The Kitten Club - my very first solo print book. I can't tell you how excited I am! I know - the anthology, Rose Petals, Volume III was really my first print release, but this one is completely mine. Actually, it was nice sharing the Pose Petals experience with the two other authors. It was the first print one for each of us.
Something else I'm excited about is my Staff Pick days at Romance Junkies Readers group, which begins tomorrow, March 29. I'll have 3 days of hanging out with the moderator, Billie Jo, who is so much fun. I'll be giving away prizes, having trivia contests and posting excerpts from my books and short stories, including my upcoming releases, Jilted and Bride from the Black Lagoon. So come by and say hi. Tell them you know me!

Lassie the Cat

"Timmy's in the well," my cat, Tinker meows in the middle of the night a la Lassie. My DH swears when she bursts into our bedroom at 3 AM, meowing loudly and sometimes howling, she's really trying to tell us something urgent. Why else would she awaken us and shout at us? She must have some canine or human DNA, I'm sure of it. She has no trouble making her will known. When I've been working too long and not paying attention to her, she jumps up onto my desk and parks her furry butt right in front of my computer screen. If I have the audacity to keep working, she swipes at my fingers as they tap the keys. "Pay attention to me" comes through loud and clear.
Speaking of cats, I've noticed a strange trend among my many writer friends. The vast majority are cat owners. Maybe it's because we can relate to their nocturnal nature. I'm often found pounding away at the keyboard in the wee hours. Or perhaps it's their preference for solitude that draws us to them - writing is a solitary endeavor. Although I must admit, long before I was a writer, I was a cat lover. Maybe it's my lazy nature. I have no use for an animal I have to toss a toy to a million times. All one has to do to amuse a cat is throw a toy mouse - once. Particularly if the mouse is laced with catnip.
So what about you? Do you have an animal preference?

Ups and Downs

I absolutely love when I get my new book covers. This one is for the very first manuscript I ever wrote, titled Jilted in it's final incarnation. Really validates my work, because God knows, there's little monetary validation! Yesterday was such a roller coaster day in my writing life. I got the cover - yippie! Then I got a rejection on a full requested manuscript the publisher has had for an entire year - boo hoo! Then, I received a box of books - my books. And I got to hold in my hand a printed book with my name on it. Total high. Such is the life of a struggling author. Do you have a roller coaster career?

The Best of the Best

I've gotta tell you - I have the best DH in the whole world. I know, I know, I complain about little stuff like him using my deodorant, but he's really an awesome guy. Two and a half years ago, he encouraged me to leave my job and write full time. Now, this was no easy feat - we'd been a two-income household since we got married almost two decades ago. Give the writing a chance, he said. Now mind you, I'd barely completed my first manuscript by this time and had no prospects of publication anywhere. But he had faith in me. And it was his faith that boosted mine. He took on a part time job in addition to his full time law enforcement job so that we could make ends meet while I pursued my dream.

Last night, he hung my fifth book cover on the wall over my computer and gave me a little pep talk about how far I've come in two and a half years. But the truth is, I'd have never taken that very first step without him holding my hand. I'm still far from where I'd like to be in my writing career, but I have a feeling it's only the beginning. I have this amazing cheerleader standing behind me, whispering in my ear, "You can do it."

Pulling the Wool Over my Eyes

OK - when will my DH learn that he's not swift enough to fool me? This week's example: Deodorant. A few days ago, he tells me he's almost out of his deodorant. Rather than write it on the shopping list , which is posted on the fridge, he never says another word about it. Now, I am funny about MY stuff. I don't share things like toothpaste and deodorant, even with the man I sleep with. Another way I'm funny about my things is I always put them in exactly the same place after I use them. So, imagine my surprise when my deodorant was on the wrong shelf in the medicine cabinet. Then it happened again the next day. So, now I do a little investigative work. I look through his mish-mash drawer where he keeps his things all willy-nilly. No deodorant! And he thinks I don't know. Will he realize I've abandoned that deodorant for the one I keep in my vanity? (Because God forbid I'll use it after he has!) He'll never get it. Not only that - he'll finish mine and leave it there empty, mark my words. It's a good thing I love him!

I'm in Print!

Yeah! It's finally here. (Drum roll, please) My first print book, Rose Petals, Volume III, is available to order at The Wild Rose Press. It is an erotic anthology featuring my short story, Desert of Desire. The way I got into this book was by entering a contest sponsored by the publisher. One of my critique partners, Terry Odell, talked me into entering. I did, even though I hadn't written a short story since college! Well, I won my category and Terry won hers, thankfully. (Might have been awkward if one of us won and the other didn't!) We were not in the same book originally (there are three anthologies) until Terry spoke up and asked if we could be.

On another note, my son called yesterday from New York, where he's Spring Breaking. Seems he was ice skating at Rockefeller Center. Not bad for a native Floridian! (Rumor has it that there is an ice rink somewhere in Orlando, although no one seems to know where. I think it's a myth.)

Goin' for Goal Gold

Yeah, I know it's hard to say - sorry. But I'm doing some serious word counts these days, thanks to a workshop I attended in January with Goal Goddess Roxanne St. Claire. I've done over 30,000 words in about 2 weeks. With a daily goal of 2,000, I'd say I'm surpassing the minimum. I've come to the conclusion that I'm using my writing as an escape. You see, I'm not handling my son's impending 18th birthday well or the upcoming graduation and entry into the collegiate world. I keep having dreams where my kids are very young and I realize I've gone back in time. All I want to do is keep them young and spend more time with them.
The evolution of a book is almost the opposite. When it's young and new, it's hard to like. I hate spending time with it until I figure out exactly what it will grow to be. Then, as it matures and takes on characteristics I hadn't even expected, I can't wait to write the words. As it nears a full-grown book, I'm so excited to push it out of the nest and see how well it flies. I celebrate when I'm all through raising it.

Slaving Over a Hot Blog

Welcome to my new blog! I'm a writer - a published author. This blog is an outgrowth of my hotter romances - short stories and novels on the sexier side. You can catch my latest hot read, Kissing Cousins, at The Wild Rose Press - under the Scarlet Rose Imprint. My first print book will be out in a few days, also from The Wild Rose Press. Rose Petals, Volume III is an anthology with three stories - one mine - Desert of Desire. The book will burn your fingers. If you want to see one of my full-length ebooks, you'll find it at Triskelion Publishing. The very first manuscript I wrote will be published soon by Aspen Mountain Press. Details will be forthcoming. Let me know what you're interested in reading.