The new job

I am happy to report that I have managed to fool another person into thinking that I know what I’m doing. And this week, I started working my new job. It isn’t something I’m at liberty to talk about, due to confidentiality, but I will say that I am thankful to be working. Having a job at all is a huge blessing and I am very thankful for it. Also, I’m thankful for the opportunity to help people. In addition, I hope that my new schedule will provide the much needed time to write without interruption. However, with that said, I’m worried about spending so much of my family time away at work. I’ll be gone five nights a week, at least for a time, and then I’ll be gone both Saturday and Sunday. It seems my time off will be when my kids are in school. There have been days when I would have said this was another blessing, but for the most part, it makes me sad. I absolutely adore my kids. I love spending time with them. I love their personalities. We call ourselves a pack, and like a pack we’re not complete when one is missing. I sincerely hope to be able to juggle my work, where I have the potential to do good work and help people; my writing, which is how I really want to earn my living (but I realize that happens for only 2% of all writers); and most importantly my family.

But to tell you the truth, I’m not feeling quite adept at keeping those balls in the air right now. If you have any suggestions…Well, you know where I’ll be.

Nice surprise

So, I woke up today and the wicked witch was gone. Sometime during the night she must have realized that I don’t live a very exciting life. :) After all, a lot of it is spent in front of the computer.

And speaking of my writing career…We were, weren’t we?

I had a very nice surprise last night (and perhaps this is the true reason why my witchy attitude is gone). Google alerted me to a very good review I’d received from the eHarlequin community about my novella, The Cowboy Way.

It’s always nice to know that even though I’m a struggling writer, something of mine is still being read and appreciated. Thank you, Christa R, for the silver lining that will gleam for the rest of the year!

Wicked Wind

Alright, I’ll come right out and say it. I’m blaming the weather for my bad attitude. The wicked wind that blew in a couple of days ago, turned me into a wicked witch.

Now, you might be saying that I can certainly control my own actions and it makes me sound like victim to lay the blame at Mother Nature’s door, and you might be right. All I know is that when the bitter wind started to blow, the bitterness seemed to latch onto me.

Normally I’m an upbeat, positive person. I like a silver lining in every cloud. But for the last couple of days I’ve struggled with my level of patience. Idiots are the first to be blasted with my wintery tone and glacial stare. And then afterward, I usually feel guilty…usually…for the honesty I’ve hurled.

Maybe I need to meditate. Maybe my chakras were blown out of whack. Maybe my chi needs to be recharged. Maybe I need vitamin D. Who knows? Right now, I’m willing to give them all a try in order to get back to normal…Or at least, what I’ve convinced myself is normal for me.

In the meantime, I’ll try to keep looking for that silver lining.

By the way, I have a new job. And I’m waiting for excitement to sweep over me.

I’ll keep you posted.

Top 5 Reasons to Hug your Neighborhood Romance Author

5. You might get a book dedicated to you.

4. She has great ideas for romantic getaways.

3. She knows which bookstores sell the best coffee.

2. She has at least 5 titles on her “to be read” shelf that you could borrow.

1. She knows a lot about chocolate…and usually has enough to share.

Another sign?

If you’ve read my previous post about Unemployment and Story Hour, then you’ll know that lately I’ve given odd coincidences the label of “sign.”

And while I’ve yet to fully explore the first sign, I think I’ve been given another.

Lately I’ve been a little down and overwhelmed. A lot of it stems from the holidays. I’m not that fond of crowds, but I’ve developed a system to help me stay chipper and friendly. After I’ve been around a hoard of people, I like to have a little downtime – soft music, a good book, a quiet room – and afterward I’m right as rain. Unfortunately, my schedule is a little too hectic to get much downtime. I’ve been running on reserves since before Thanksgiving and I’m almost tapped out.

So, during a small five minute breakdown last night, I verbalized my concerns that I’m not headed on the right path.

Here is where the sign comes in. During this time, I’m upstairs, trying to steal a few minutes of reading time, while downstairs our TomTom suddenly speaks from inside the box. (It’s important to know that it holds no battery charge when not plugged directly into the car, and it hadn’t been used for days). “Turn right,” TomTom said. “Then…turn right.”

At the time it freaked my husband and son out, and when they told me, I thought it was very strange, too. And then, when I noticed where the box was and recalled what I’d been saying just before it spoke (”I wish I knew if I was on the right path”), a little shiver tickled the back of my neck. Because to turn right and then to turn right again from the place where the TomTom sat, that would lead me directly into my office, directly to my computer, directly to my stories.

And now I can’t help but wonder again…Am I crazy and making too much of these coincidences? Or…is this the whisper I’ve been waiting for?

I’ll keep you posted.

The Persian Cinderella

If you’ve read my bio then you know I have a fondness for fairy tales. Today, in the process of doing research for a class I’m taking, I stumbled across a wonderful version of Cinderella that I’d never read before. The Persian Cinderella by Shirley Climo is a magical telling of a familiar story.

For my research, I’ve read dozens of fairy tales that don’t quite measure up to the original, or even to the adaptations I’d created as a child, but this one surprised me. For a moment, I was transported to another time and place. What so many writers struggle with (keeping the reader interested from the first page to the last), Climo pulled off with aplomb.

After reading this story, I felt a similar giddiness that I’ve felt after reading a good romance. Even though it’s a fairy tale, I believe the characters’ story doesn’t end.

Of course, the content is geared toward children, but that doesn’t mean the story didn’t hit its mark with this older reader. In fact, I’m very pleased to say that I feel inspired.

I hope you read something that inspires you today.

Happy reading!

Holiday music

Right now, I’m listening Michael Buble (holiday) radio station on Pandora.com and I can’t stop grinning. There’s just something about holiday music that sets the perfect mood for me. It brightens my spirit and lightens my heart. I’m more forgiving when “The Christmas Waltz” is playing in the background. I don’t mind those little snotty comments that come from family quite so much when Nat King Cole is softly crooning nearby. I even laugh at the old sibling insults that used to bother me so much…(well, they might still sting a little). But they’re more tolerable with the dreamy voice of Sinatra smoothing things over.

In fact, I’ve come to the conclusion that Christmas music was made for that very purpose. Driving to Thanksgiving dinner with my side of the family, I could feel my heart pounding in my neck and my throat closing. I knew exactly what would happen. I knew that there would be that awkwardness between my father and I, since we only see each other twice a year and neither of us really know each other. I knew there would be a comment said by my younger half-sister that would make me want to say something when I should simply bite my tongue. I knew I needed to be convincing when I lied sweetly about something absurd.

But like a fix I needed before I walked through the door, I kept the radio tuned to holiday music. And after listening for a few minutes, I was ready to face all my family with a smile. And in the end, it wasn’t so bad. I survived another Thanksgiving.

Now, Christmas at my mom’s house will be another story.

Until then…

Unemployment and Story hour

While driving tonight, I passed a marquee that read “Unemployment and Story hour” at the precise moment I passed. I do not know what came before it or what followed, but it instantly struck me as a sign. My sign to be exact.

I’ve had a lot of signs in the past week. Signs so definite and out of the norm that they could not be mistaken. Yet, with that said, although I’ve seen the signs, I still do not know where they’ll lead. Since they are so specifically tied to aspects in my life that I’ve been praying about for a very long time, the signs were like a knock over the head with a pointy club. Very painful and yet necessary.

Now, the only way to find out if this alleged sign I saw tonight is mine, or merely a coincidence that made me stop and take notice, I’ll try an experiment tomorrow. Of course, I’ll post the results on my blog no matter what the outcome.

Stay in touch. :)

Julie of the Wolves

I just finished a wonderful children’s book, Julie of the Wolves. It was a poignant story of loss, friendship and acceptance that has opened my mind to a world of possibilities. Only a well written story can do that.

Since I don’t have much time tonight, I can’t go into a lot of detail. But if you’re interested in a great book that will touch your heart, pick up Julie of the Wolves.

I love the weekend!

The week had a dismal start when I realized that Monday was not Tuesday after all. However, by the time Wednesday arrived, my spirits lifted. And now I am so glad to be at home for the weekend.

I am currently writing a novel that has me captivated, which of course is always a good thing for the author. :) In addition to the romance I’m targeting for Harlequin, I’m also writing a children’s story for one of the women I work with (or rather, for her son who refuses to be potty trained). The working title is Jak’s Adventures in Pottyland. And it promises to be a book like no other! haha

Of course, there are those who doubt I could ever top last year’s It’s Okay to Poop at School, a tongue-in-cheek story I wrote to help the special needs children I work with. It’s been hugely popular and several adults have made copies to take home to their spouses who are afraid to poop at work. Of course, if I don’t watch out, I might just have the market cornered on children’s potty stories instead of romance novels. :)

But either way, I’m having fun. I love what I do, whether it’s writing funny children’s stories or smart and steamy romance novels.