Magical Mondays: The List

Last June, I had listened to some old Napoleon Hill recordings, and per their recommendation, made a list of some objectives as well as how I intended to pay for the things I wanted to accomplish. For a few weeks, I slept with it under my pillow, then one day moved it to a drawer and forgot about it. I found it the other day while cleaning out some things and was pleasantly surprised to see that all of the things on the list have come to pass with perhaps one exception - and even that exception is actually true at the moment (whether it will continue to be true over the next few months remains to be seen).

Here's an example of an objective/accomplishment that I had written on 6/14/14:

I wake up in the mornings feeling happy, peaceful, excited and inspired to work on whichever type of art I choose to do, and that is how I spend my "working days" - all of the effort to accomplish this feels like fun and is easy and enjoyable because I am working with my strengths and passion.

A payment example:

I will work toward my objectives every day.

There are several more, but you get the idea - and they are all true as of today.

I keep the list by my computer so I see it every morning now. It helps on those days when I have doubts (and I do have those days!) to remember that dreams do come true.

Magical Mondays: The Power of Positive Visualization

In my last blog, I stated that I wanted to share some experiences with you that I felt spoke to the truth of Napoleon Hill’s (and others) assertion that positive visualization and belief in ones' abilities can make a great impact in our lives. But before I get any further into it, I’d like to state that I have NOTHING against working in a factory, nor against accepting aid when needed (you'll see why I say that in just a minute). I’m merely relating some things that were told to me some years ago.


The Conspiring Universe, Part 1

When I filed for divorce from my daughter's father in 1996, I had only a high school education, had been a homemaker for the past 10 years, had no technical skills, and had almost no real work experience to speak of. 

My ex-husband--and even my own lawyer!--advised me not to divorce; they both claimed I would never be able to have more than what I had then, due to my lack of education, being out of the workforce for ten years, and because I’d end up a single mother. The lawyer said I would never remarry (according to him, divorced women in their 30’s never remarry) and that I would either have to work in a factory for the rest of my life or have to go on welfare.

My ex at least had a little more faith in me. He said that if I learned to type, I might get a job making $7.00 an hour working as a secretary (minimum wage at that time was around $5 an hour).  I looked at both of them and thought, "You don't know me."

I made up my mind in that moment to start working at $9.00 hour somehow (in my inexperience, I thought that was a lot of money). And even though I had no idea how I would get there, over the next several weeks I kept picturing myself holding a paycheck with those wages. Once the divorce was final, I applied to a temp agency, and the first job I got was in credit and collections for $9.00 hour.

When that job ended a few months later, I knew $9/hr wasn’t going to be enough to raise a child, and wondered what my next step should be. By “chance” (more about that another time) I found some free classes that offered to help under-employed workers and displaced homemakers. I applied for and was accepted into the classes, and one of the things I had to do for them was listen to tapes on positive visualization.

I was supposed to lie down and meditate every day on what success would look like for me. According to the tapes, I was supposed to "set the dream and grow into it" by writing down a couple of goals that were well beyond my current reach, and work toward them. The first goal was to be a "starter" goal, and the second, an even bigger goal. The idea was that once you reached the first goal, the second goal moved into the first position, and another, larger goal was to be set for the second.

I wrote down my first two things: one, to work as an admin assistant for $15.00 an hour; and two, to somehow, some way, earn $64,000 a year. Mind you, at that time, I still thought $15/hour was a complete impossibility given my lack of education and skills – I still couldn’t even type! 

And the second goal, 64K a year? Ridiculous! I thought I would have to get at least a Master’s degree for that, and I hadn’t the money nor the time to pursue such a goal. However, I did take some of what little money I had and enrolled in a typing class, as well as a basic computer course.

That was the start of what I would remember some years later, when I read the quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson: “Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen.”

Magical Mondays on a Saturday: Napoleon Hill and Encouragement

The past few days I have been listening to recordings from a Napoleon Hill workshop that I found here: http://archive.org/details/Napoleon_Hill_Rare_Recordings. 

What a blast! I love hearing his voice, and those in the audience when they called out the answers. Most importantly, it reaffirmed many beliefs by which I already live my life, formed by personal experience.

In short, that the power of positive belief, a willingness to go above and beyond what is asked of you, and the keeping of a constant, clear image of what you want (and always working toward it) will take you where you want to go. 

Many people throughout history have written and spoken of these things, so the message is not new.  In short, it boils down to faith backed by action. Imagination, determination, and work. Haven't all things created in this world been brought about by those things?

As I listened to the workshop, I was reminded of so many life experiences that I've had which illustrate the truth of his words, and have been sharing some of those with my daughter to encourage her. And over the next few days and weeks, I want to publicly share some of those experiences in the hope that they will encourage others as well. It has certainly been encouraging to me to reflect on them as I start moving in a new direction with my writing and life. 

I'll post the first one on Monday (9/24/12), and hope you'll join in and be encouraged, too. :)

And now for the rest of the year....

I've heard that how you spend either New Year's Eve or New Year's Day is how you'll spend the rest of the new year.  Not that I believe it or anything (grin), but so far, it has always proved true for me.  So, this past weekend I made sure to be productive. :)

Of course, NYE wasn't as productive as NYD, but I'm telling myself it was still time well spent - mainly relaxing, getting caught up on blog friends' posts, spending time with my daughter, and planning ahead for the following week.  Yesterday involved a lot of cleaning, organizing, reading, plotting, budget forecasting, cooking, and making healthy food choices.  If the rest of the year goes the same, I could live with that. :)

Sidney Williams had a nice blog about the challenge of keeping the old tooshey in the chair and the hands on the keyboard, and I took away some good tips from his link to the Pomodoro Technique.  I'm putting them into practice today.

Also, if you haven't read Edie Ramer's Cattitude yet, it's available free until tomorrow.

Charles Gramlich also has a new, humorous book out:  Days of Beer: A Memoir of a Beer Drinkin' Man.

And I'm happy to report that Avery DeBow is planning to get back into the writing and publishing scene this year.  I look forward to seeing what she comes up with.

These are just a few things off the top of my head - I'm sure there's much more news.  How are you hoping to spend this year?

Bits and Pieces

In keeping with the last blog post on those bits of prose and poetry coming to you from nowhere, I had that experience again.  Only this time, I was just waking up and could hear this song still playing from a dream I had.  That has happened before, as well, and usually the song had some deep meaning with what was going on in my life at the time.  This time, if that's the case, then it's just darned depressing. :)

Nevertheless, because the experience was still sort of cool (especially the music), I thought I'd share it.  This first bit was set to music in my dream and stayed with me most of the morning before another one started on the train ride into work.  If you recognize it from a song I may have heard and forgotten, let me know.  I always wonder where these things come from.

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The dying starts the day we're born
we leave this life tattered and torn
broken down, beaten and shorn

Somewhere along the way you forgot
to strike at the curves life threw you
And as you sing your last refrain
you realize you're the one who remains
of all your friends and all of those who knew you

Round and round you twist and turn
and all the while the fire burns
in your gut and lips with all the truths unspoken
reminders of all the promises you've broken

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Then you fell for the demon's kiss
the pride, the pain, the deluded bliss
that shreds the seams and transplants
your skin with his

You threw away the gold in haste
chasing after jewels of paste
Too old now to even try
all you can do is say goodbye

It's all been wasted

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Depressing, huh?  I hate to think about what that says.  The last time I heard a song in my dreams that I didn't recognize, the message was fairly positive.  This one, not so much. :)

Nevertheless, it always fascinates me when these things pop up from nowhere and I have a moment to capture them.

Now, in other news, I've got a coupon on Smashwords to read UNMASKED for free if you're interested. Just use coupon code JK69V.  I'm also going to be interviewing for another job this week - it's a stretch for me, so I'm not going to get my hopes up too high, but it sure would be nice.  All prayers, good wishes, and good lucks welcomed. :)

What's new and exciting in your life right now? Any unexpected muse visitations?

Oh! And in time for Halloween, check out Edie Ramer's ghost stories blogs.  Fun stuff - just scroll down a little to start reading them.  I have a couple that maybe I could add there...

Time Out

It has been brought to my attention rather forcefully this year that I only have so much time and energy to go around (who knew?), and so I've decided to go into a self-imposed exile for the next year.  I'll be taking down my website and other blogs, and just leaving this one up, because I know that I won't be able to stay completely away. I'd miss you guys too much.  :)

However, I've had a few late night/early morning epiphanies that have left me with the decision to take a year off from attempting to write and create art for profit.  For the next year, I hope to focus on solely the love of the craft(s), as well as reaching deep to discover the things most important to me.  You'd think those things would be self-evident, but they really haven't been for almost two decades now.  I'm calling this: "The Year of Living Honestly: Finding Purpose and Courage in Truth."

Lofty, huh? :)

Yet, it's true.  I've been prone to depression most of my life and felt it coming back lately.  Upon further examination, I discovered that my life has been completely lacking in what I'd call honest purpose since I gave up my religion, husband, and most family and friends 16 years ago.  During one of those 3am soul-searching sessions recently, I asked myself how it was that I used to be so sure of myself, so brave in doing many things that did not come naturally to me, and realized that it was because I BELIEVED in what I was doing. I had the courage of conviction.  Can't say that I've been convinced of much of anything in a long, long time.

Hence, a desire to find out what, if anything, means so much to me that I'd be willing to face anything to protect it.  And to figure that out with as little stress as possible.  I can't quit the day job just yet (much as I would love to!) - still have bills and daughter's tuition to pay.  Though, who knows... I may yet do so.  Her education is important to me, but how it gets achieved and paid for is always up for review.  As are those bills... :)

Nevertheless, I can stop stressing about trying to write, paint, etc. and all the promotional work involved in that to make money from it (which I haven't been doing lately anyway because I haven't had the energy to keep up with it all).  So... that's it.  I'm going to do my best to just create for the sheer joy of it, for the learning that will come from that, and not stress myself out. 

I'll be honest with myself and others about how much I can, or cannot, do.  I'm resolving to not friendly with people I don't like just because they'd be useful to know in my job.  I won't smile at liars, I won't glare at friends, I won't enable the weak to maintain their weaknesses (or my own), and hopefully, I'll find some peace.

Wish me luck. :)

Words of Wisdom from My Bus Driver

"A closed mouth doesn't get fed."

So, your assignment this weekend, should you choose to accept it, is to get out there and ask for what you want. :)

Magical Mondays: Songs from the Subconscious

(Or, alternately titled, "Whereat Kate Gets Her @ss Kicked Again, But in a Good Way")

Magical Mondays started as a way to share some of the unusual and sometimes sublime moments of intuition and unexplained phenomena people experience on occasion. Sometimes the events are striking, sometimes subtle. The past two weeks have been the latter for me.

A week ago, I took a few minutes a day to ask my subconscious to tell me what I really wanted. After a few days, it suddenly showed me a clear picture.

However, over the past two weeks, I've also been experiencing a great deal of stress at work and have had several "aha" moments where I've realized that I've let other people walk all over me my entire life. Then, during the past couple of days of peak stress and aggravation, I started asking myself: Have I done something to contribute to these people thinking they can be such jerks to me? Am I enabling their condescension? Is there some part of me that really believes I deserve it?

But then I kept thinking that, no, I truly didn't believe that they were better than I am, so what was the deal? Were they simply buttheads and I was innocent of any fault? But if that was the case, why did they bother me so much?

So, once more I put out a call to my subconscious/higher self/universe/guardian angel/collective unconscious/god/higher power/whomever (as Wayne Dyer says, you can call it "Louise" if you like), and asked, what am I missing here?

After asking again before I went to bed last night, I had the following dream...

I had gone into a cellar to get some rope then saw that it wasn't a cellar, but it was my grave. Even though I was still alive, I knew the future me was dead and buried in there just behind a door to my right. There was mold all around and it was pretty creepy. I was both fascinated and scared by my own grave, but realized I shouldn't be in there just yet. As I walked out of it and shut the door firmly behind me, a song started playing very loudly, and these were the words:

It doesn't matter how young or old you are.
It doesn't matter what you do.
It doesn't matter what they think,
If you matter to you.
Do you?
Do you matter?
Do you matter to you?

I woke up suddenly from the dream with the song still playing in my head, and knew it really doesn't matter what those supercilious sh*ts think. I DO matter to me, and they're about to find out just how much. I'm not ready to lie down and die just yet. :)

How about you? Anything feel particularly empowering lately?

Back to the Drawing Board

Well, it's been a hectic couple of months with many stops, starts, and sputters. I'll spare you the gory details and get right to lessons learned.

One, life is tricky, messy and unpredictable. (Yeah, you'd think I'd know that already, but I seem to keep needing reminders.)

Two, sometimes because of number one above, you just have to hit the reset button and start over.

Three, starting over can be a good thing.

The whole Maine move is on hold right now (job description & funding changed, they offered the possibility of another one in a few months - but too late for me due to lease renewal dates.)

Soooooooo, that gave me a little more time to think about things and where I *hope* to be headed over the next year. (Notice I said "hope" - not plan. I'm done with planning for now. I'll just hope, try to do what I can, and see what shakes out, because really, we don't have nearly as much control over things as we'd like.)

Thus, saddled with my "what now?" funk, I had a little more time on my hands last weekend and attended an intense online workshop with Cobblestone Press on creating cover art. At the end of it, they chose to contract three new cover artists - and one of them was me. That was unexpected and exciting. :)

At some point during that weekend, I had mentioned to someone how once, after reading a story I'd written, a friend of mine made the comment that I should stick to painting. Ouch. Then, after seeing 5 new reader reviews of Managing Maggie on Fictionwise (the scale being great, good, ok, and poor) - one said great, one good, two just ok, and one said it was poor. Ouch again. Even if you take out the cheerleader and the hater, you're still left with just one "good" and two "meh, it was ok. Take it or leave it."

It made stop and think about what I was doing, what needed work, and whether I'm really cut out for this. I have to admit I felt like throwing in the towel. But after a few hours of feeling sorry for myself, I decided to use it to my advantage. It made me even more determined to prove them wrong, just like I did with that "stick to artwork, babe" friend of mine. (Just for the record, I was published before she was, so *there* pfft.) ;)

It also made me realize I was shortchanging the readers who kindly took a chance on me when I didn't give it everything I had. So now, I'm back to the drawing board. Lots of work ahead of me. I just hope I'm up to the task.

Any insights into your own life/writing lately that you'd like to share? Anything in particular you do to pick yourself up and start over?

Magical Mondays: Boob Wishes Strike Again!

(Yes, it's Sunday right now, but I might not have time tomorrow.)

For those of you who aren't familiar with "boob wishes", it's when you write down three things you'd like to have happen in a month, and keep it in your bra... or pants pocket, or wherever. :)

About a month ago, I was just daydreaming of a few things I'd like to have happen and wrote just two of them down. One: I'd like to be able to work part-time, and two: I'd like for my novella to be a best seller at Cobblestone Press, even though I didn't really expect either of those things to happen. I just put that in my purse and forgot about it.

Well, about a week ago, I was having a rough day at work and wishing the timing was right for me to ask my boss about taking off one day a week. It's a really busy time for us right now, and I figured the timing was bad to ask. But about an hour later, she asked me to come to her office and said she had good news for me. See, one of the things I HATE about my job, is that somehow I got stuck doing the class registrations and other admin work after the woman who used to do it had to quit. It was never part of my job description, and daily made me want to jab sharpened pencils into my ears.

My boss said she'd spoken to her boss about the possibility of hiring someone to take over that aspect of things, since it really wasn't something I should be doing and would take a lot off my plate. It was the perfect opening to bring up the part-time goal. She was very open to it, though she did say it probably wouldn't happen until after June. Hey, as long as there's a light at the end of the tunnel, I can wait a couple more months. :)

And as for the second wish, as you can see from this post, I was just as surprised as anybody. :)

Now I wish I'd written down a third thing, lol. Maybe next month... :)

Any good news in your life lately that you'd like to share?

Meet Author Amber Scott

Happy Friday! Today, I'm so pleased to have author Amber Scott (occasionally aka Amber Dayne) with me. I'm also pleased that she graciously is also interviewing me over at her blog today as well. So, let's get started....

---------------------------

KS: Hi Amber, it’s great to have you here today. I mentioned you in my blog a few days back, and I’m excited that you agreed to allow me to grill…er, interview… you today about your writing.

Probably the most common complaint from writers is that they never have enough time to write. I know you have two small children at home, yet since I met you four years ago, you’ve had a baby, had six books published (Irish Moon aka The Last Templar, The Best Revenge, Jessie’s Girl, Wanted, Soul Search, and PlayFling) and now you’re also working on screenplays. This doesn’t even count the stories you’ve written which haven’t been published yet. Can you give us an example of your “typical” writing schedule?

AS: I tell you, when you throw articles and blogging in there, too, I get dizzy thinking about it. Thankfully, I’ve figured out how to take each task one at a time, or like Anne Lamott’s book explains, Bird by Bird. With two young children and a husband vying for my attention, I’ve learned how to write in small spurts and with a little one on my lap. A few years ago, I let go of the notion that I should be able to carve out a couple hours a day reserved for writing. Instead, I gave up TV and am constantly back and forth to my computer, to the kids, back to my story, over to dishes and so on. It’s an imperfect system I find I have to tweak and adjust to every day but I’ll get there.

KS: Well, you must be doing something right! I listened to your interview on Romantically Speaking w/ Danielle Monsch (http://www.talkshoe.com/talkshoe/web/talkCast.jsp?masterId=73538&cmd=tc) and you mentioned your love of writing in different genres (I’m totally on board with you on that!) and I’m wondering what has been your favorite of the stories you’ve written so far, and why?

AS: Thank you so much for listening. Danielle is a lot of fun and made the interview really easy. It was like talking to a great friend. I wish I could pick one genre I prefer! It seems like it’d make the career building part of all this easier. Alas, I go where the itch takes me. I’m polishing an urban fantasy, called Realm, right now, continuing the doomed cupid series Play Fling, and started plus two screenplays, D-Word and Threshold. I’d say the two things I tend to stick to are paranormal elements and comedy but not necessarily together.

KS: Any one particular scene/hero/heroine out of all the genres that has really stayed with you?

AS: Jessica Hayes in Jessie’s Girl has really stayed with me. I think gay and lesbian fiction is regrettably still seen as taboo but I hope it will become mainstream. Love is love, right? Jessie has such a difficult decision in this story. She falls for the girl her brother, who is also her best friend, thinks is ‘the one’. And Sabrina falls as well. Only Sabrina hasn’t quite come to terms with what ideal life versus real life means. Their story was heart-wrenchingly wonderful to write.

KS: It was a great story and the conflict was very moving. Speaking of conflict, most writers are familiar with the “inciting incident”, “the dark moment”, and the “return with the prize” in stories. I’m wondering if you may have experienced some of those in real life on your path to publication, what they were, and if you’d like to share them?

AS: My inciting incident to novel writing came with my first NaNoWriMo. It took me from dreaming of being a writer to actually writing and I got hooked. My dark moment came when I read Stephanie Meyers Twilight saga and had an epiphany: If I didn’t love my own characters as thoroughly as she clearly loved hers, was it worth pursuing this career? I took a break and realized, yes it’s worth it. The pain, the fear, the lack of sleep. And I stopped writing with that lingering desperation to find some secret formula and simply write for the fun of it now. My writing improved. My return with the prize has to be my first contest win, an Honorable Mention in the Save the Cat! Last logline of 2009! contest. The late Blake Snyder, author of the series and whose site hosted the contest, is my biggest writing hero. I really wish I could have met him.

KS: Congratulations - that's quite a journey, Amber! Where can readers find your work now, and what can we expect next from you?

AS: Right now Play Fling is at Smashwords.com and Scribd.com for a limited promotional release while I submit it to agents and editors. I’ll be placing a couple of freebie novels up on each site as well this summer. My screenplays may join the novels once they’re polished and registered with the Writer’s Guild. I see self-publishing as a great way to earn readers and share the process with them. I’m shopping my urban fantasy, Realm, also but contemporary erotica has been whispering in my ear again. I hope to have another novella completed and submitted to Liquid Silver Books soon. I adore this publisher and hope to continually add to my booklist there. You can also find me at 1stTurningPoint.com, a place for authors to learn and share all about promotion.

KS: Wow, you sure do keep busy, and I look forward to seeing more from you. Is there anything else you’d like your readers to know?

AS: Simply how much I appreciate their taking the time to share my inner worlds. Having a reader feels like sharing a favorite song or movie with someone. I cherish it. As a thank you today, I’d like to offer a free ebook download of Play Fling at Smashwords.com. This is the story of a doomed cupid determined to match a repressed divorcee with her ex. There’s just two problems: a too young, too hot college boy distracting her matchmaking target and the fact that she stinks at playing cupid. Simply enter code: SE77K. It expires March 17th. Thank you so much for having me, Kate. We’ve come a long way and here’s to much, much further! KS: Here, here! Thank you, Amber. :)

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So, what questions do you have for Amber? Side note: Amber is generously giving away copies of Play Fling for the time being, but my publisher would kill me if I gave away so many books. :) However, not to be selfish, everyone who comments here and/or on Amber's blog today and wants to be entered to win a copy of Managing Maggie in one of the following formats: .PDF, .mobi/Kindle, or .LIT simply has to state their preferred format in their post.

Meet Author Devin McKee

Everyone, give a warm welcome to romance author Devin MckKee. I'm so happy she's joining me today.

Devin is a member of Maumee Valley RWA in Ohio and her first book, DANGEROUS MAGIC, was released this month with Wild Rose Press. She was also one of my critique partners when we lived in Arizona, and she has graciously agreed to answer some questions here about her new release.

--------------------

KS: Devin, you and I first met a few years ago when you were working on a book about a guy named Riley, whom I seem to recall you saying was the guy you’d most like to take home to mom. Now here we are, and Riley is making his debut into the wider world in “Dangerous Magic”. Tell us a little of how that came about, and what is about Riley that connected with you?

DM: Ah, you remembered that, did you?? Yes, I said that about Riley from the beginning. I loved his casual, laid back manner with that right touch of humor. He’s businessman and cowboy all rolled up into one nice little package. Riley also has that heart of gold who’d do anything for his girl, Laura.

KS: Yummy. :) Tell us what your favorite scene in this book is, and why?

DM: There were a few, but the one that sticks in my mind was the first meeting. Neither Laura nor Riley expected it to ever be anymore than a bodily collision on the street corner. But, as we know, a lot does develop from that one scene, and I, for one, am glad that it does. They are a fun couple. A cute couple and I hated to see them end as characters.

KS: I also recall reading a start of the sequel to Dangerous Magic about Riley’s brother. Is that something which is still in the works? (I’m very much hoping so, because I loved the bit I read!)

DM: Yes, it is. "Dangerous Waters" is being considered by Wild Rose Press. I’ve got to fiddle with a few changes and resubmit back to Wild Rose Press, but my editor is amazingly confident I can work through the changes. She gave me very specific feedback to what needs changing, and although it isn’t a lot, I still need to set it aside, mull it over, and I know I’ll come up with something.

KS: I have no doubt that you will! What else might we expect from you?

DM: I’m about to complete my third book, "A Heart’s Second Chance". I have not submitted it yet as I am working out the last few scenes. This book has some suspense, but I’d say it is more like a LuAnn Rice type book where there are other characters the story revolves around, other points of view than just the hero and heroine.

KS: Congratulations on finishing up another manuscript! What would you say has been the most exciting thing about going from unpublished to published author, and what has been the most challenging?

DM: The most exciting has been that email that said my foot was in the publishing world door. The most challenging are the changes made, some you really hate to get rid of. Still, what I found was that my editor was usually correct. She saw things that I couldn’t see being to close to the characters and story that made things work and flow.

KS: I know what you mean. Now, since I'm no Barbara Walters when it comes to interviews, can you tell us where can readers find out more about you?

DM: I’m no techno geek, so my website isn’t completed as of yet, however, I do have a blog site at http://www.devinmckee.wordpress.com . I seem to be able to manage that and try to update it weekly. Eventually, I’ll have information on what I’m up to, my books, some blurbs about upcoming books, and maybe a question and answer block with other authors. They can also check out other author guest spots I’ve done, and my bio on The Wild Rose Press.

KS: Great! Is there anything else you’d like to say to your readers?

DM: If anyone dreams of being a writer, never give up. That’s my motto. There were times I wanted to, but am glad I didn’t. Find great critique partners and do a lot of networking at writer’s conferences or online. It really does help to get your name out there. Thanks for having me today, Kate.

KS: Thank you, Devin.

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I remember reading Dangerous Magic years before it was published, and one thing I remember most about Devin's writing is how she breaths such life and personality into her characters. I'm looking forward to seeing more from her. She never gave up on her dream of being published, of holding one of her books in her hands - and recently had the pleasure of seeing it come true at her first book signing at her local library. Congratulations, Devin!

What questions do you have for her?

Magical Monday - Stolen Words

I found this over the weekend. It may be familiar to some of you, but it was brand new for me and stopped me in my tracks.

If only you'd remember before ever you sit down to write that you've been a reader long before you were ever a writer. You simply fix that fact in your mind, then sit very still and ask yourself, as a reader, what piece of writing in all the world Buddy Glass would most want to read if he had his heart's choice. The next step is terrible, but so simple I can hardly believe it as I write it. You just sit down shamelessly and write the thing yourself. I won't even underline that. It's too important to be underlined. Oh, dare to do it, Buddy! Trust your heart. You're a deserving craftsman. It would never betray you.

-JD Salinger

Many writers have been told to "write from the heart." But we're also told to write for the market. We've been told to "write what you know." Arthur Levine says to not write what you know, but write what you are, your own unique emotional experience. The difference is subtle, but his blog post about it a few years ago connected with me as surely as did Salinger's words above. (And as soon as I find the link again, I'll post it.)

Amber Scott will be my guest blogger this Friday, and in her interview she mentioned an epiphany she had that was along the lines of the quote above. I won't go into detail about it right now, but leave that for her to tell you on Friday. (By the way, she and I will be visiting each others blogs that day, and you will have extra chances to win free books if you visit both sites.)

Magical Mondays has always been about those transcendent moments in life when you just have to sit back and stare in wonder at the ways in which the Universe works. Finding that passage from JD Salinger was just such a moment for me. It is, as he says, so simple it's almost terrible; hard to believe. I've often leaned toward writing the books I want to read - have even heard the advice to just that before - but what I want to read probably isn't all that popular. But really, how do I know that if I haven't tried?

Oh, dare to do it, Buddy! Trust your heart. You're a deserving craftsman. It would never betray you.

Do you dare?

Release Day!

It’s finally here! MANAGING MAGGIE is now available at Cobblestone Press: http://www.cobblestone-press.com/catalog/books/maggie.htm

While I can’t tell you how happy that makes me, I’d also like to tell you about some friends of mine who were instrumental in my journey to publication.

About four years ago, three shy, unpublished writers met online and agreed to meet in person. Clutching their precious manuscript babies to their chests, they gathered around a table at their local Barnes and Nobles in Mesa, Arizona and began to introduce themselves. They were: a widowed travel agent who was writing the book of her heart; a young wife and mother writing her way through various genres in between diapers and naps; and a divorced, single mom who was taking up writing again after a 14 year absence. At that time, none of their work was available to the public, but they had dreams and determination. And if you look for their work today, you'll find them published under the names of Devin McKee, Amber Scott and Kate Sterling.

In a nice turn of fate, Devin and I have books that are being released on the same day: today! Amber just released PlayFling on her own at Smashwords.com while she's waiting to hear back from editors and agents, and you can find more of her work (also under the name Amber Dayne) at Liquid Silver Books and New Concepts Publishing. She has previously had work published by Cobblestone Press – there is no stopping this woman! This weekend she’ll join six of her local romance authors for a panel discussion at the Mesa Library Red Mountain branch at 1pm. If you are nearby in Arizona, be sure check them out.

You can find Devin McKee's book, Dangerous Magic at the Wild Rose Press. On Wednesday, February 10, the Montpelier Friends of the Library will be hosting her first book signing. If you’re in Ohio and nearby, be sure to drop by – she’s great. :)

In the upcoming week or so, I'll be interviewing Devin and Amber so they can tell you more about their journey in their own words. I'll also be appearing on Amber's blog in the near future as well. I'll post the details as soon as I have them. Really, these are great gals - talented and a lot of fun. I think you'll like them, so please check them out. :)

Magical Mondays - Real Goals

Have been thinking about goals and manifestation lately, and came across this interesting video:



You'll need to watch through the end to see the main point - how we can test whether we REALLY want something or not. I did a little self-test with this and the results were somewhat surprising. I already knew I've been hesitant about some things I've thought I wanted to have in my life, but there were others that I didn't realize I would have still hesitated for. That got me to thinking about creative visualization and why some things manifest ,while others do not. Could it be I was holding back and the universe knew it before I did? I think it's likely.

You don't even have to have a partner to do this test- just really picture yourself being able to grab whatever you want out of someone's hand as they offer it to you. Do you take it automatically, or is some little voice in the pit of your stomach going, "well, maybe..."?

Honestly, who knew I would have had second thoughts about that winning lottery ticket? I sure didn't. But it did get me to thinking about why that is, and now I think I'm a little better equipped to start manifesting the things I really do want.

Try picturing someone offering you health and happiness for your loved ones - pretty easy to take that one. Now, picture them offering you fame, fortune, 6-figure writing contracts, etc. - whatever you think should entice you. Which ones are easy takes, and which ones might make you hesitate?

Magical Mondays - Three Wishes

Ah, my friends, I am tired. So tired. My crazy schedule on top of some health issues lately has just been kicking my butt. As I lay stewing in my own misery the other evening, I asked myself what did I need to focus on, visualize, wish for, in order to feel better. My mind did its usual kickstart of "money" but I knew that while it would certainly help, by itself, it isn't enough.

I started digging deeper and realized that there are only three things I need, and if I had them on a consistent basis, I could accomplish anything. They are: wisdom, courage and good health.

You see, sometimes, I just don't know what is the right thing to do - that's where wisdom comes in. Sometimes, I know the right thing to do, but lack the courage to follow through. And sometimes, I might know what to do, have the courage to do it, but lack the stamina - that's where I need good health and energy. If I had all three in abundance, life could be grand. :)

So, now I wish those things not only for me, but for all of you as well. I'll be signing petitions with my heart, tucking wishes into my bra, focusing my mind, and hoping all of us are blessed with an abundance of all three. (And that we come about that wisdom as painlessly as possible, lol)

~~~~~~~

And now, because I told her I would, I'm going to show some love to an ebay artmate: http://punkindoodleboo.blogspot.com/2008/04/punkin-doodle-boos-big-pfatt-giveaway.html. And if you comment on her blog, you'll be entered in a drawing to win one of her cute sculptures on May 10. :)

Magical Mondays - Timeless Advice

(Ok, it's Saturday, but I've got so much to do this weekend, I'm afraid I'll forget by Monday! LOL)

I leave you with a message from Napoleon Hill. The ending is really special.

Magical Monday - Wish Lists

My original plan for today was to write about some of the synchronistic things that happened when I was packing to move to Arizona a few years ago, but this morning something happened to change my mind.

Since I take the train to work, I decided to take a small notebook with me so I could do some writing. After I got settled in and opened it, and I found a list I had made after I'd read the book "Write it Down, Make it Happen." I had forgotten completely about it.

I had listed 104 things that I would like to happen and saw it was dated 9/18/07. That was 15 weeks ago - and when I sat down, reviewed the list carefully and added it up, I saw that 15 of those things have already happened or have started happening. That averages to one per week. Now I just hope the rest come true, say, like that big lottery win. :)

Of course, I did notice that big dummy that I am, I had written that I would like a nice dog and cat. I had really forgotten about that one. If you read this post from my other blog, you'll see how that's turned out.

But I think I'll ask the Universe to hold off on the cat for now. :)

As I looked through the list, there was something else that struck me. Some of things I put that I'd like to have had started to arrive, but I was the one who stopped them in their tracks by my negativity. It was a reminder to think positive and not give up. I had even started the day in a slightly negative frame of mind, so that was a much needed wake up call for the New Year. (Especially considering that I'd made some more boob wishes earlier in the month - one of which was something that was included in the notebook.)

If you haven't read "Write it Down, Make it Happen", I recommend it. What are some of the things you'd like to see happen this upcoming year? Go ahead. Write it down. Make it happen. :)

GMC

And I don't mean General Motors.

Good old Goals, Motivation and Conflict. How I've scoffed at them, disdained their relevance, pshawed the very idea. How they've come back to bite me in the butt.

I mentioned a dream I had last night in a reply to Sidney from my previous post. Before I went to bed, I'd been wondering what to do about a WIP, how to fix the fact that it seemed a little dull. I proceeded to have a dream where one of the main characters spoke to me. Although he spoke about himself and the heroine in third person, his advice was "Send them on a quest."

He told me they needed to do something. Search for something. He said even if I just sent them to the grocery store, they needed to be looking for something.

I woke up and realized "he" was right. They weren't doing anything--mainly sitting around thinking about each other. Their motivations weren't clear, their goals nebulous at best. Conflict--not so much. Sure, there was some, but none of it was earth shattering. There wasn't much action or growth.

Who knew these things were important to a good story? :P

Sigh... now I have to go back and figure out what these people really want, why they want it, and how they might try to get it. Maybe even throw in a roadblock or two. And I here had a hard enough time just giving them names...

Meanwhile, back on the ranch, C.S. Harris has a great blog about "punching up" paragraphs. Well worth the read. (Of course, her blogs always are.)