** It's So Good To Be Alive **

Today is one of those amazing, autumn days that just makes me feel alive! Cool and crisp, with sunny, blue skies. Gentle breezes, leaves floating down from tall trees. Vern and I took a long walk; I got re-energized, Vern came home and took a nap! ☺ (Sometimes it's the other way around!)

Vern on the daybed in my office/spare bedroom.
He can look right out the window and see what's going on, and nap when he wants, also. 

Happy Fall, y'all! 

"There is no season when such pleasant and sunny spots may be lighted on, and produce so pleasant an effect on the feelings, as now in October." --  Nathaniel Hawthorne

* What's That on My Doorstep?! *

This past Wednesday, October 16th, I received the proof copy of my memoir!

The above photos are examples of the emotions I went through!

I knew there was a very good chance the photo I used on the cover would be too blurry, and it is....so that was a bit of a letdown. (I promise it is NONE of these!) "Blurry" is one thing when it comes to old pictures, but in the case of my cover, I think it just comes across as "another crappy self-published book with an awful cover!" And I certainly don't want that!

BUT, I'm very happy with the interior paper and print quality. So, during the time it takes to reread the entire book, searching for any typos, and various possible errors, I'll find a solution to the cover issue. 

I would love to post the cover today, but I just cannot until it is perfect. The saga continues!




"Never give up. And most importantly, be true to yourself. Write from your heart, in your own voice, and about what you believe in." -- Louise Brown

* NOSTALGIC SUNDAY *

It's Time Again for Another Nostalgic Sunday

Normally, I'm up 'til midnight or later, but I didn't have a "normal" weekend. I attended a Happy 60th Birthday Party to Us last night and was up really late...or should I say until early this morning. *I'm most likely the oldest one of the group of "high school graduates of 1971 & born in 1953."  My birthday was in January and obviously a few haven't had their 60th birthday yet...but they're not far away!*

It was a small get-together, maybe 60 people. Hey, that would be perfect: 60 people, 60th year! Yikes! Forgive me. I'm really tired!

The best part was that I had been friends with a few of the women since grade school! We had a fantastic time sharing memories, talking about our current lives, and laughing hysterically. Some brought old yearbooks, scrapbooks, school memorabilia, and one put together a photo filled DVD, that was set to the music we grew up with. (I ordered one for myself.)

At first I didn't even remember something we 8th Graders did right before our graduation from grade school. The teachers asked us to write down what we wanted to be when we grew up, and the answers were typed up and given to all of us. I couldn't wait to look at the pages because I had no idea what I'd written. I was such an idealist then and my dreams for the future changed quite often. Some of the students wrote complete sentences, but I wrote two words: a reporter.

Oh my gosh! I remembered! I wanted to be a newspaper reporter. My first "real writing job," although it was for no pay, was writing an opinion column for our local newspaper. And that was just 12 years ago. 

I am living proof that anything is possible. 

That dreams aren't even realized sometimes until later in life. 

And that......"It's never too late to be what you might have been." -- George Eliot

New Marketing Tips for Writers

A few days ago I decided to do additional online searching about book promotion, knowing my time isn't too far away. Although, I have gotten a little ahead of myself, as I tend to do. I guess that isn't too unusual when you're about to give birth to a baby you've been loving and nurturing and keeping inside for.....years!

A nice & neat corner of my desk in 2010
(It never looked like this for more than 15 minutes!
I just wanted to show my cool coffee mug, which has a typewriter on the other side.)

Anyway, I googled: Authors how to contact book clubs. I'd already heard about authors either attending book clubs in person, or via Skype, or by phone, and I wanted to learn as much as I could. What a great way to connect with your readers! I will definitely do as much of this as possible. 

After scrolling down, I came upon Build Book Buzz, a fantastic site! It's the site of Sandra Beckwith, and I love the first sentence on the About/Contact page: Sandra Beckwith is a recovering publicist with more than 25 years of award-winning publicity experience. 

Here are some of the article titles, just to name a few:
Author book signing tips
How to set up Google and Twitter alerts
How to write a tip sheet 
6 surefire ways to promote your novel
~~~~~ plus others ~~~~~

All of these are free and ready to download. Sandra also offers coaching, presentations, and of course has books to sell. I was so impressed, I e-mailed Sandra and told her, and she kindly replied, saying I'd made her day! How sweet is that? 

*So, here's a tip from me. When someone makes a difference in your life, 

no matter how small it may seem at the time, tell them!*

"I love it, the writing process, but I don't have to like it. It's so frustrating. You feel you've written rubbish and you tear up the papers and walk around the room in circles. But it's a love affair. I like getting down there and putting on to paper. I never wanted to write until I was 40 or 50." -- Peter O'Toole

* My Head's a Spinnin'! *

This past week I've spent most of my time gearing up for the arrival of my memoir. 

(Is it possible for me to reread that sentence too many times?) 

I'm attempting to stay cool, calm, and collected...and not use an inordinate amount of explanation points, but.....Wow! It has been a long journey! I keep envisioning the following scene:

My doorbell rings. Vern gets excited, starts barking, and runs to the front door. When I get there, I turn the knob, open the door....and there stands the UPS guy...with a large box addressed to me and he needs my signature. 

From there the scene has different variations: 

1) If The Ronald is home, we both open the box and stare at the wondrous sight. 

2) If he isn't home, I tell myself I must wait until he gets home, so he can share the moment with me.

3) Then reality hits. I know I'll pull and tear and gnaw at that box like a ravenous beast until it's open.

From that point, I've imagined several scenarios, so when it actually happens, I'll definitely share it.

My blog last Sunday was about doors, keys, and door knobs, and how I find them beautiful and meaningful. The following words by Joseph Campbell are so fitting for today's post, and every time I read them, I swear I get chills.....in that good kind of way.

“Follow your bliss.
If you do follow your bliss,
you put yourself on a kind of track
that has been there all the while waiting for you,
and the life you ought to be living
is the one you are living.
When you can see that,
you begin to meet people
who are in the field of your bliss,
and they open the doors to you.
I say, follow your bliss and don't be afraid,
and doors will open
where you didn't know they were going to be.
If you follow your bliss,
doors will open for you that wouldn't have opened for anyone else.” 

Joseph Campbell

In addition to the usual ways of selling books, I have lots of other marketing plans & ideas in that area, and THAT'S why "my head's a spinnin'!" There are so many helpful sites and blogs online, it can really get overwhelming, but with having a plan, schedules, date books, calendars, etc., I'll be just fine. 

Follow your bliss!

* NOSTALGIC SUNDAY *

It's Time for Another Nostalgic Sunday!

(With a bit of a repeat post)

I first posted the following on Sept 28, 2011. Only one day away from exactly two years ago! How's that for Cosmic Karma?! I'm sharing it again today because of the symbolism of keys and doorknobs opening the way to success. And, because I also love wind chimes, which many of you are already aware of. 

(Did you know that if you're reading a Blogspot blog, you can search for archive blog posts in several ways? If you want to zero in on a certain word, such as....chimes....the easiest is to just type the word in the small search area in the upper left hand corner. All blog posts with that word will appear.)

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

* Doors Open & Keys Turn *

I've collected a few things over the years and shared an item or two on my blog. Somewhere along this journey of mine I became very interested in decorative doorknobs and vintage-looking keys.

When I began this collection, the idea of them having a deep meaning never entered my mind, until just recently. Ahhh.....doorknobs open doors (to success) and keys turn the locks (to success.)

And didn't you just love Aunt Clara on the TV show, Bewitched?? 

Aunt Clara: Wouldn't you like to see my doorknob collection?
Phyllis Stephens: I beg your pardon?
Samantha Stephens: Aunt Clara collects doorknobs.
Aunt Clara: I have three thousand.

Part Two

I'm still unpacking and sorting and deciding what goes where, and I just came across another decorative, antique looking, key-door-latch thingy that I bought last year! So, I took a couple of hurried photos to add here.

Can you see the tag is still on the back? It will definitely be in my office/guest room, along with the others....if there's room!

I took this picture in a store a few weeks ago! (It wasn't on sale, so I didn't buy it, but I needed to remember what it looked like...and where I saw it!) Could it be any more perfect?? Chimes, a doorknob, and keys!!

Wishing all of you a wonderful, blissful week. Find your own keys to open the doors and windows in your life.

~~~~~

"Willpower is the key to success. Successful people strive no matter what they feel, by applying their will to overcome apathy, doubt, or fear." -- Dan Millman

"Success is not to be pursued; it is to be attracted by the person we become." -- Jim Rohn

 "Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending." -- Anonymous

I Get By With a Little Help From My Friend, Vern

Vern, by my side this morning, as I continue moving forward with my memoir. I couldn't do it without him!

(And yes, there are tons of paper, books, and folders all over the floor next to my desk!)

"People teach their dogs to sit; it's a trick. I've been sitting my whole life, and a dog has never looked at me as though he thought I was tricky." -- Mitch Hedberg

Autumn is Here!

If you've read my blog in past years, during fall months, you know it's my favorite season. Not everyone loves fall, in fact, some people downright dislike it! I've heard the expression, "Everything is dying in the fall. How can you like it?!"

Pardon me, but the trees and other living plants are not dying! They are going into winter hibernation, so they can bloom again in the spring! You know....that long winter's nap?

I'm looking forward to witnessing and reveling in, the changing colors of the leaves here in our new neighborhood! My anticipation is like waiting to see a beautiful painting.

Photo taken by Becky 11/2010

Below are some of my favorite quotes about autumn:

"Listen! the wind is rising, and the air is wild with leaves, we have had our summer evenings, now for October eves!" - Humbert Wolfe

"Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree." -- Emily Bronte

"Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns." - George Eliot

"Listen to the trees as they sway in the wind. Their leaves are telling secrets...." -- Vera Nazarian, The Perpetual Calendar of Inspiration