Yesterday a good friend told me about a new publisher that was looking for submissions.  She had been working with them on the Valentine Anthology which went belly up along with the MMP company.  Unfortunately for many of us who were with MMP, our stories weren't published. 

Here I was sending off another submission letter about my short story for the Valentine Anthology.  My fingers crossed that I would hear good news, but I really didn't expect news yet.  After all, it has only been one day!  But honestly, you will be the first to know when I do hear something.  In the meantime, keep the good thoughts flowing and keep the prayers going.  :) 

In addition to writing stories, I am working as a book reviewer for Sizzling Hot Books.  I love having the chance to read new stories by authors!  Each book that I read provides me with skills that I can apply to my own writing.  Not only that but I have learned about not giving up.  Writing is a passion but also a challenge.  Everyone gets rejections and it is something that authors must learn to overcome.  It is about mindset... do you see the rejections as failures or do you see them as challenges to overcome?  I admire people like Abraham Lincoln who never gave up even after many failures, he continued to try.  Everyone has speedbumps in the road of life and it is how we handle them that makes us better.  :) 

Don't let the speed bumps in your life become mountains!  Make sure they are opportunities for learning and keep trying! 

In the days before Thanksgiving, I was so excited.  Life seemed a dream!  I was finally going to be a new author with my first published story and a publisher calling for more and more!  Then the world fell out from under me.  The publisher was closing. 

I can't imagine what she must have been feeling to close something that she was passionate about and so excited to see finally coming into being.  But when she closed those doors, it effected so many people and we were all crushed.  Many were new writers who were finally achieving their dream, while others were published authors in their own right who were so happy with the professionalism and process with Midnight Magic Press. 

Now this is a little bump on my road.  I will be published.  I already am an author.  I won't let these things get me down.  After dealing with the possibility of cancer, surgeries, divorce, and death...this little bump won't keep me down for long!  Please watch and send your positive thoughts!

Recently, I went to visit my high school best friend who I hadn't seen face to face in about 15 years.  She was the person that I would sneak off to McDonalds with or sit around and talk about life.  But she is that person that even after 15 years apart, we picked right back up again...which is what brought me to Colorado out of slightly warm Michigan. 

Anna is an amazing person in her own life, successful and very spiritual.  She is working on her own stories right now for children and adults.  She wanted to talk some ideas through with me and because I would do anything for her... I flew to Colorado and stayed in her house, putting her husband a bit out of sorts with this crass Midwesterner talking about all sorts of things, mostly off the top of my head!  I do believe that there should be a filter with my mouth most times.

Anyway, it was a trip I will never forget.  Even while at her worst physically, we were right back to 17 again, talking, laughing and making banana bread.  If you ever get a chance to step through time to your past... I hope you will take it.  Who knows where it will lead you!!  Oooohhhh a great story idea!  Better get that down!  Toodles!

Honestly, I wasn't sure I would ever hear the word "author" along with my name.  Yes, I dreamed it.  Yes, I fantasized about it.  Yes, I practiced writing for many many years.  But it was one thing to dream and wish, another to realize that it could and would happen.

I know that we always tell our children that if you think you can or if you think you can't... in either case you are correct.  But it takes more than a positive mindset to get an author to this point.

First, it takes those stories that won't go away.  You know the characters that seem to haunt your mind and voices that start to demand things.  Then you have to put them to paper! Edit and Edit their words until they become your own. Finally it takes a lot of help from others, publishers, editors, friends and family who believe in you and your story, even when you don't.  So thank you to the people who helped get me here, real and imaginary.  It is nice to finally see this dream come true!