What Went Wrong Went Right

Launching a book, book launch, Co-Pilot DesignAny author knows the ins and outs, the worries and woes, the joys and jubilation of publishing.

Most authors love the writing part. After all, that’s the fun!

Some authors tolerate the publishing part: agent? editor? mainstream publisher? Indie publishing?

Every author I know dislikes the last part: PROMOTION. I print it in caps but whisper it in tiny letters since it’s a dirty word to many of us.

But promotion is a necessary dirty function of GETTING YOUR BOOK READ by readers besides your best friend and great aunt.

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Fantastical but True

fantastical, magical dragonfly, make a wish, Bing Co-Design, AIAlthough this post may sound a bit fanciful, or fantastical, or even impossible, it’s 100% true.

Almost 18 months ago, on a cold and snowy January morning, my 10-year-old grandson played Monopoly with me for 2 ½ hours.

That’s not the fantastical part. baking, cookies, snickerdoodles, baking with grandson

Immediately after, grandson Neville and I baked his favorite cookies: Stickeydoodles (originally called Snickerdoodles but Neville changed the name for reasons you can guess).

That’s not the fanciful part. Continue reading

Summer Zen

Turkey babies. poults, wildlife in my neighborhoodMy Summer Zen story began as a prompt to my creative writing students: “Write a story that includes the line: ‘I wish I could stay here forever.’ Each writer sunk into the memory of a ‘perfect’ day. But as I wrote my story, I realized that we all could find a perfect moment in every day. 

Oh, and the header photo happened this past week – eight little turkey babies (poults) on our deck railing. I think Turkey Mama was having a perfect moment.

summer breeze, summer Zen, Bing Co-Pilot designAs lavender dusk approaches, walk me into the house, put a little music on– Rosemary Clooney, Enya, Vivaldi, the Beatles Rubber Soul– and let the fresh early-summer air meander through the open window. Yes, I’m beginning to get there. Continue reading

Clearing the Cobwebs

cobwebs, clearing the cobweb, sibling conversation, joy of exercise“What do you think it is?” my brother Jack asks. He’s in the middle of a 4-mile run even though he’s 68, his knees ache, and he biked 20 miles the day before with friends a decade younger.

I shrug, then take his question seriously. After all, I drove seven hours to visit my brother and his wife, and after perfunctory hellos, Jack takes off for a run and I begin a three-mile walk. Jack and I bump into each other a mile from his home; he pants while he asks the question. Continue reading