Monday Mayhem – Back to Reality

Back to life, back to reality

As of last week, I am back to reality-working full time.

Some writers would shudder as they read this sentence, but I am more than a little relieved. Turns out, I’m one of those people who needs stability and structure in her life in order to be creative.

It seems counterintuitive, I’m sure. Most writers dream of being unfettered. I know I did. But having unlimited time to write does not mean you’ll have unlimited creativity to back it up.

The truth about writers

Being a writer is not at ALL like you see on TV. Sorry to bust that myth, but that’s the truth of it.

Authors do not sell a book and become automatically rich. Some never make much money at all.

The reality is, few authors can survive solely on the income from advances and royalties. Most have other streams of income-teaching, content creation, graphic art creation, or another side hustles.

We also don’t hear about the people who may be underpinning this marker of perceived career success. Behind many a good author is a partner with a steady income and employer-based health insurance. But their names are not on the cover so…

The misconception that being able to ditch the 9 to 5 grind is a sign of authorial success endures.

This wasn’t my situation. My unemployment was never meant to be long-term. I didn’t toss a match as I walked away from the corporate world and expect to become the next Nora Roberts. I was downsized, and because I carried our employer-based health insurance, I needed another job as soon as possible.

Still, I thought I might be able to take better advantage of the situation. I was wrong. These months of uncertainty have been hard. I’ve written 40 books whilst employed full-time. I wrote exactly 3 chapters while unemployed.

Lessons learned:

I need structure and time constraints. I work well under pressure. Left to my own devices, I spend too much time communing with Netflix.
It’s difficult to write happy ever afters when worried about bills and health insurance.
I can make enough money to pay the bills, but not to pay my bills and maintain our coverage long-term. Having two self-employed persons in the household can get pretty spendy. Welcome to America 2018, where too much entrepreneurship is highly discouraged.

I don’t regret my summer of fun.

I relaxed as much as I could. Sally and I suntanned and napped.

Fodder got used to having lunch, because I am accustomed to eating on schedule.

But the reality is, I was ready to get back to work. Happy for life to settle into a pattern again. I like a good rut.

Soon, I’ll be ramping up for my 10th NaNoWriMo, and psyching myself up for crunch time.

How about you? Are you a creature of habit, or a go with the flow kind of person?

August 27, 2018

Monday Mayhem – Dumpster diving beats dumpster fires

Dumpster Diving

The news has been nothing but a dumpster fire all week, so Fodder and I decided to go dumpster diving.

Now, I am not a flea market or yard sale type person. Fodder is. The man lives for the hunt. I like to tell Fodder that I don’t want most of the junk that’s cluttering my house already, so why would I go buy someone else’s cast offs?

Yeah…He doesn’t follow the logic. Not when there’s treasure to be had.

One person’s trash is another woman’s treasure

He took me to the donation center of a large national charity under the pretense of offloading some of the stuff he no longer wanted cluttering up the barn. While he made the drop, it was suggested that I wait inside because the pickup has no A/C, and it’s August in Arkansas.

Mm hmm.

I have to tell you, I found it to be a very sad place. This is where memories go to die. They are tossed into a large plastic gondolas on wheels and rolled out into a huge warehouse space, where they are pawed through by strangers. I didn’t like it.

Fodder tried to cheer me up by telling me that these things were getting new life and a new home, but still. I couldn’t wait to leave. There’s were too many items in there that reminded me of thing my parents had around the house when I was growing up.

Then, I turned the corner and spotted this little lady in need of a loving home:

Her keys seemed to be in working order, her carriage proud. She’s lacking a ribbon, but I’m not above providing such fripperies. I checked the sign above the bin. All items weighing more than 5 pounds cost only $4.

Sold!

Fodder spent the evening polishing her up, and look how she shines.

Maybe all we need to take us from a sad place to a happy one is someone to notice us. A second chance. Some love, affection, and a touch of Old Gold polish.

Now my Underwood (Claire or Carrie? Her true ambitions are yet to be revealed.) is parked next to my super sleek Karmann Ghia.

Looks like this is the start of a colorful collection.

How about you? Do you collect anything? Did you start the collection yourself, or was it something that just happened?

August 20, 2018

Monday Mayhem – Mob Mentality

Running With My Mob

We usually hear the term ‘mob’ used in a derogatory manner, but I’m using it in my own way this time.

I met with some of my mob this weekend. I’ve missed a lot of Diamond State Romance Authors meetings this year due to travel and other conflicts. Luckily, I was home this past weekend, and I got a chance to catch up with some of my favorite people in the world.

Megan Mitcham, Me, Mandy Harbin, and Brinda Berry

Friends who share a common interest are essential to life, in my opinion. Writing is very solitary and sometimes isolating. As writers, we spend a lot of time in our own heads, and the voices we hear there are not always kind and supportive.

We are our own worst critics.

There’s a tendency to fixate on few negative reviews on our books, rather than the dozens of positive ones.

I can’t speak for everyone, but I’m pretty sure we all think the last book we finished was the last book we’ll ever be ABLE to finish. After this, the ideas will dry up, the words will escape us, our audiences will abandon us, and so on and so forth.

Then, we get together one Saturday and realize we are all thinking the same thing.

Safety in numbers can be the positive flip side to the mob mentality.

As long as your mob isn’t operating with nefarious purpose. Mine isn’t. All we want to do is write books with some kissing in them.

I’m going to try to tap into the positive energy I gleaned from running with my mob this weekend and embark on a new project. You know, the one I was sure was a stupid idea, and I’d never have enough words to write, and no one would want to read.

In the meantime, Rosie is out in the world. Give her a chance, will ya?

Oh! And wish me luck!

August 13, 2018

Monday Mayhem – Mumble mumble

I don’t have much to say this week, so I’m just gonna mumble.

A RING FOR ROSIE came out last week. Thanks to all who bought it, tweeted or shared posts, and generally helped shout (not mumble) it to the world. I’m not good at tooting my own horn, and I am eternally grateful to have you as my horn section.

I’m over the pinkeye and mostly over the technicolor bruising from my slip and fall down the steps. Frankly, I’m over feeling puny in general. I’m hoping that this week I can return to what passed for normal prior to my trip to Denver.

I did watch the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society movie on Netflix and enjoyed it very much. No, it’s not as detailed as the book, but I think they did a nice job with it. A couple of the scenes had me grinning at the screen like the hopeful romantic I am.

Revisions on SUPERSTAR are coming along slowly. I added a bunch of additions to my plate, then in doing so, realized it was overkill. Now I am free-writing those parts and will pare them down to round out the story.

DOUBLE PLAY is set for release on October 25, 2018 and it looks like we are a go for simultaneous digital and audio release. Yay! I’m working on making a mass market sized print-on-demand version available for anyone who wants to special order it, but I have to tell you, being my own publisher is proving to have a steep learning curve.

And so, here I am, mumbling through. How are things going with you?

July 30, 2018

Monday Mayhem – Pinkeye

I brought back a souvenir from Denver – pinkeye!

I thought I’d share a pinkeye pictorial to show how my week has gone:

By Monday afternoon, I realized it wasn’t just an itchy contact lens, so it began. Artificial tears, cool compresses, and this nifty improvised pirate patch. Yep.

No.

I woke up on Tuesday looking like prize fighter…

Off to the Urgent Care we went! One prescription for antibiotic drops later, we were home and armed with every Lysol product on the market.

Alas , by Wednesday, Lefty was a goner.

Thursday was more of the same, but by Friday, we saw progress! Less red, but it took a toll on the skin around my eyes. I look like I have a shiner or two.

By Saturday, I could see the whites of my eyes again! Hallelujah! Don’t shoot!

They are still itchy and not quite ‘right’, so I have not attempted a fresh pair of contact lenses yet. Hopefully in the next day or two, all will be back to normal.

Needless to say, eyedrops and icepacks have consumed my week. I did make it through two fabulous audiobooks by Christina Lauren (Love and Other Words and Dating You, Hating You) whilst lolling about being sad and pathetic.

If you need audiobooks to listen to while you loll about, might I suggest LOVE GAME or PLAY FOR KEEPS? Now is a good time to catch up, as I have just sent a finalized version of DOUBLE PLAY to my audiobook publisher for production. Yay! Look for it in late October!

So, yeah, that kept me entertained this week. How has your week been?

July 16, 2018

Monday Mayhem – So, this happened…

So, this happened this week: 15 Best Romance Novels of 2018 (So far)

No, seriously. Click on the link. That really happened. Look at me…right smack dab between Ms. Beverly Jenkins and the fabulous Alyssa Cole! Okay, LOVE GAME is, but I wrote it and it was named one of the 15 best of the year so far by BookPage!

THRILLED!

And this is happening this coming week:

Yep. I’m hanging out with the cool kids these days. The best part is, I’ll get to hang out with this cool kid for most of the week:

So, yeah, things are happening. I’ll report back when something else happens. In the meantime…go read a book!

Oh! And only 3 weeks until A RING FOR ROSIE (Play Dates #3) releases!

July 9, 2018

Monday Mayhem – Whatcha doin’?

Whatcha doin’?

I can tell you, I haven’t been doin’ much. I’ve been having an odd sort of summer. Still unemployed. Still not heartbroken over said unemployment. I’ve been enjoying my summer off. It’s the first summer off from work or school I’ve had since 1984, so I’m not feeling too guilty about it.

Okay, I am, but that’s only because I am a Catholic semi-workaholic whose identity is tied pretty closely to external indicators of success.

Yeah.

So, anyhoo, I’m trying to enjoy the time off. Lots of time with Fodder and Sally. I have been working out each day, and continuing my yoga and meditation practices.

But I have to admit, I haven’t been writing much.

Like, hardly at all. I have no excuse, because I certainly have the time. The only thing I can think is that my lack of productivity is tied to the identity issue mentioned above.

I have been spending a lot of time with #Rover, as those of you who follow me on Facebook and Twitter know.

As a matter of fact, my little friend will be attending the Romance Writers of America conference with me, only in a 2D version. #FlatRover

I am working on edits and revisions for DOUBLE PLAY (Love Games #3) and have set a release date of November 1, 2018. I figure loosing Avery and Dom’s story on the world will be a good way to kick off my birthday month.

And, in my quest for a little inspiration, I’ve been toying with a chapter of Gilmore Girls fanfic. It’s been slow going, though. Hard to believe I used to crank out one of these every day or two.

So, that’s what I’ve been doin’. What about you? Whatcha doin’ this summer?

July 2, 2018

Monday Mayhem – I’m a pod person!

I’m a pod person now!

Okay, I’m not really a pod person, but I was a guest on Sarah William’s Write with Love podcast. If you want to hear me ramble or watch me wriggle and roll my eyes at myself here: http://www.sarahwilliamsauthor.com/maggie-wells/

I’ll be over in the corner cringing, if you need me.

June 25, 2018

Monday Mayhem – Figuring it all out

Newsflash:

I’m almost 50, and I’m still figuring it all out. Where did we ever get the idea that people in their 30s, 40s, 50s, and beyond should have their lives completely under control?

Did you read the the headline? We don’t.

Who started this rumor? Whoever it was, has obviously never spent any time wrestling mid-life into submission, that’s for sure.

The only thing I’ve figured out about life, is that I will never have it all figured out. And, I’m not sure I want to. How boring would that be?

Here’s my take on it:

Life loves to throw curveballs, and no one is prepared for them – no matter how many candles they blew out on their last birthday cake.

I write a lot of romance featuring characters 40+, which is a little out of the main for commercial romance. Inevitably, someone (usually and acquiring editor, an online reviewer, or maybe a reader who is email inclined) will ask whether the heroine/heroine should have had a better grip on what they wanted, needed, or even their physical desires.

My answer is no. The fictional characters I create are supposed to be human, just like you and me.

We are supposed to be continually figuring it all out.

Our relationships blossom, fail, or float along until the next storm brews.

I’ve been over a decade into a job, only to discover the career ladder I thought I was climbing was actually a rope ladder, and someone was taking a blowtorch to the rungs below.

Our bodies will betray us. That’s an inevitability.

At times, our minds play nasty tricks on us.

People we love will disappoint us.

We will disappoint ourselves.

Love is a shape-shifter. Our ability to love and allow ourselves to be loved is constantly evolving.

Mistakes will be made.

Failure is not fatal.

This is all I have figured out so far. How about you? Any wisdom to add?