Being Thankful

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Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I’ve always had Friday off from work and love spending the 4-day weekend at home, hunkering down and relaxing. Maybe it’s because those four days will be last opportunity to breathe and take it easy for a good six weeks. Maybe it’s because, as the seasons change and the year winds down, I find myself trying to figure out how to do and be better.

Looking backward, I appreciate all the things that went right during the past year, and all the things that didn’t. I make plans and set goals … and sincerely hope to achieve them. I’ve always had this sense that it’s impossible to move forward unless we take something of the past with us–and that it’s our choice about what to take that’s the most important part of the decision.

Both my parents are gone and I find tremendous comfort in living in their house, feeling their presence with me, seeing the legacy they left behind, and the way my sibs and our families have drawn closer together.

This Thanksgiving, I’m grateful for all the people I’ve loved and the ways they helped me become the person I am. I cherish family–whether it’s the one I was born into or the many I’ve chosen. And I appreciate being able to do exactly what I want to do, and having the physical and mental capacity to do so.

What are you thankful for? And why?

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

What Kinds of Books Do I Read?

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I read all kinds of stuff, in all kinds of formats. I own thousands of books: hardcover, paperback, and ebooks on my Kindle. I subscribe to Kindle Unlimited, and definitely receive a great value for my subscription.

Here’s the thing. I received a credit from Amazon that linked me to a page with all kinds of books I could apply the credit to. How does a person decide what book to buy?

I suspect I have a serious issue–okay, I know I have several of them, but I’m talking about the issue relating to my preference for some writers over others. The genre of the book doesn’t matter to me, so long as the writer’s voice sucks me in. Sure, I prefer mysteries, suspense and thriller novels, and all kinds of women’s fiction–including romance. So, why could I not stop reading the first few pages of the first two books I looked at?

Neither book is the type I’d normally read, which is why I looked at them. Stepping outside the box, you know? Here they are, you tell me why I found both authors’ voices gripping:

By the way, my favorite book of all time is the Scarlet Pimpernel. (See? I told you I had issues.)

New England Crime Bake 2018

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I just spent a terrific weekend in Boston at the New England Crime Bake, a writers conference co-sponsored by the New England Chapters of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime, organizations of which I am a member.

All I can say is, Wow!

Wonderful guest of honor: Walter Mosley. Excellent presenters and panelists, including Gayle Lynds. So much to process and share.

Give me a few days to gather my thoughts and I’ll have more info and details for you. In the meantime, you can use #crimebake on Social Media to see photos and other good stuff posted my my fellow attendees.

3 Reasons to Join a Writer’s Group

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The older I get, and the longer I write, the more convinced I become that writer’s groups are an essential component of a writer’s life, success, and mental well-being. Why?

-1- Writer’s groups provide a sense of community, of belonging. Although my professional background has always been in sales and marketing, I have never felt comfortable in large crowds of people (unless I was teaching). Until I walked into my first writer’s meeting in Boston in the late 1980s. There’s nothing that compares to being in a roomful of other creative people. When I’m with other writers, even those I don’t know, I no longer feel just a step out of sync with everyone.

-2- Writer’s groups offer a wealth of information you can’t get anywhere else. Not only do the members of writer’s groups provide you with objective, factual information about the craft of writing and the publishing world, they share their personal impressions and perceptions. Let’s face it, little about storytelling and writing is set in stone. Everyone has their own likes and dislikes, and preferences. But listening to divergent opinions and insights, and blending the ingredients into a recipe that works for you, is an essential element of growth as a writer.

-3- Finally, writer’s groups provide inspiration and motivation, propelling you on to accomplish great things. Why? Because they hold you accountable. If you’re a member of a writer’s group, you keep writing. And that’s the most important benefit of all. I don’t care what you write, so long as you write, you’ll get where you need to be.

The first book I completed was [what I considered] a romance. A couple of mystery publishers agreed. Unfortunately, the romance publishers thought it was more of a mystery. Despite my confusion, and disappointment, I kept writing.Why? Because. It’s just something I do.

I wrote chapters that never saw daylight. I began writing magazine articles. And a business newspaper column. I wrote short stories. I journaled.

Eventually, I wrote and published a mystery novel and a non-fiction business book. Then I began writing continuing education (CE) courses in the insurance industry (where I worked my “day” job). Then, I was recruited to write insurance CE textbooks for multiple national CE providers/publishers.

My goal was always to be a published writer who supports herself with her writing. Be careful what you ask for, kids, because you  just might get it! Seven years ago, I realized my dream, and began making more money than I ever had. I SHOULD have asked to be a published fiction writer who supports herself with her writing and hits the bestseller list over and over…

Anyway, I now find myself in a position where I whittled my client list down to two, and I spend part of my day writing insurance stuff. I know most people find it boring, but I love it. I spend the rest of my day writing fiction. In fact, right now, I have a fiction novel (the first in a series) on the desks of both an agent and an editor–both of whom I met at a writer’s conference in April!

Only time will tell if I ever hit the best seller list, but I’m writing. And getting paid for it. And working from home without having to wear makeup, a suit, or–thank God!–pantyhose.

You can write your own version of what I consider my success story. Please, join a writer’s group. Write. Stick with it. Your hard work will pay off.

P.S. I’m a member of both the national and regional chapters of the following organizations: Romance Writers of America, Mystery Writers of America, and Sisters in Crime. And here is a link to lots of other writer’s organizations.

 

 

What Does Summer Mean to You?

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Call me a creature of the sunlight. Like a little kid, I wake up as soon as dawn chases the darkness away in the morning–regardless of what the clock says. Summer is mornings, freshness, new beginnings.

The vivid colors of the trees, flowers, and sky paint pictures I remember once the winter turns them sodden and blurry. Sometimes I think to snap an actual photo. Usually, I don’t.

I collect sea shells, herbs for drying, and long walks once life cools down in the evening. I love bare feet, shirts without sleeves, windows thrown open to the wind.

To me, summer means Freedom.

What does summer mean to you?