Coming Soon

My baby has a face.

I'm excited to announce my second novel, The Sisters of Madelaine Street, will be published next month. I don't have an exact date yet, but I believe it will be mid-month.

The Sisters was a tough, but touching book to write. So many things happen between siblings, some of it purposeful, a lot of it not. I wanted to capture the misalliances, misunderstandings, and abiding loyalty that exists between, in this case, sisters.


I hope you will look for it on Amazon next month.

Thank you.

Springfield Writers' Guild - 22nd Annual Poetry & Prose Contest

Good morning, folks! Time to get your poetry and prose groove on!

Why? Because in just under two weeks, The Springfield Writers' Guild's Annual Poetry & Prose Contest is set to open. Yes, on June 15, at 12:01 am, we will begin taking entries from...YOU.

Please see the guidelines below, Our guidelines can also be found at www.springfieldwritersguild.org. Read the guidelines carefully before submitting your entries. Failure to follow said guidelines could cause your entry to be disqualified, ruining all your hard work.

Springfield Writers’ Guild

22^nd Annual Prose and Poetry Contest

June 15 - September 15, 2015

www.springfieldwritersguild.org/contests

Divisions and Awards

Prose and Poetry Division

Fee $5 per entry. No limit to number of entries, but the same entry may not be entered in more than one category.

Prose: Maximum 1,000 words, double-spaced

Category 1 – Fiction, any genre

Category 2 – Nonfiction, any subject

Category 3 – Humorous

Poetry: Maximum one page, single-spaced

Category 4 – Humorous, any form

Category 5 – Any subject, any form

Awards each category 1-5: First Place $50, Second Place $25, Third Place $15, Two Honorable Mentions

Jim Stone Memorial Poetry Division

Fee $5, one entry per person. Entry must not have been entered in Categories 4 or 5.

Poetry any subject, any form. One page, single spaced.

Awards this division: First Place $150, Second Place $75, Third Place $50, Two Honorable Mentions

Best of Springfield Writers’ Guild Award

SWG members who enter any category automatically will be considered for a $100 award at no additional entry fee and in addition to other awards they may receive. This category judged separately.

Bonus for SWG Members: Submit two entries and receive a special link to submit a third entry free of charge. One free entry per member.

Submission Guidelines

1.      Read these guidelines carefully. Failure to follow the guidelines may disqualify your entry.

2.      Contest period is 12:01 a.m. Central Time, June 15, 2015, to midnight Central Time, September 15, 2015. Entries and fees will be accepted only during the contest period and only at www.Submittable.com; see link at www.springfieldwritersguild.org/contests.html. Payment by debit card, credit card, or PayPal. Each entry must be unpublished, original work of contestant, and entered in only one category. You keep all rights to your entries; entries will not be published.

3.      Double space prose, single space poetry. Title each entry except haiku. A list of your entries will be accessible at www.Submittable.com. Enter the prose word count or poetry form in the box provided. Number prose pages. Do not put your name on entries.

4.      Once an entry is submitted to Submittable, it will not be extracted or exchanged for another entry for any reason. Writers may resubmit another entry accompanied with the $5 fee.

5.      Awards will be presented at the Springfield Writer’s Guild meeting, October 24, 2015, or by mail for those unable to attend. For a list of winning entries and judges, visit www.springfieldwritersguild.org/contests.html after October 24, 2015.

Questions? Contact Contest Chair, Yvonne Erwin: writer716@gmail.com 

New Release! Tierney James, please step forward!

Let me introduce to you, my friend and fellow author, Tierney James, a wonderful, warm person and fine author.

Hello Tierney James. Tell us about you. Give us a glimpse into Tierney James.

Okay, well, I once lived on a Native American Indian Reservation, in mining communities in Northern California and Missouri. I followed a friend to China to help her adopt a baby girl, as well as slept in a tent near the Kalahari Desert in Africa where elephants and hippos sometimes wandered into camp. While I was in college, I sang in a Christian band, performing twice at Great Lakes Naval Base. To this date, I cringe at the cover of the album we made so long ago.

You lived in a mining community for 25 years. Tell us something that might surprise your readers about living near lead mines.

Every day around 3:00 pm, underground charges were set for explosives. If you stood quietly you could hear the pop, pop, pop deep in the earth. There is a huge difference between mining coal and mining lead. Hard rock mining is much safer for working. You aren't dealing with dangerous methane gas like you might find in coal mines. Lead mines are huge and cavernous with a year round temperature of 65 degrees.

Did anyone in particular influence your characters when you started writing The Rescued Heart?

No. Garrett Horton and Fawn Turnbough were combinations of many wonderful people who live in this small Ozark town. Since I lived in the area, I used names that would sound familiar and be authentic to the culture. Some of the places are slices of the real thing. My town of Westfork is large and thriving town. The real Westfork you might not notice if you drove through. Rocky Fork Mine was actually named after a creek on my farm.

In a couple of sentences give just a glimpse of The Rescued Heart.

After returning home to put her life back together, Fawn finds her ruthless father is still trying to outwit her former fiancée, Garrett, the man who drove her away ten years earlier. Garrett seems bent on picking up where he left off with Fawn, the woman he could never forget, Garrett finds himself torn between her hardened heart and the mines who could kill him. Discovering a plot to destroy him and all he holds dear begins to unravel a heart that is in need of one last rescue. Trapped 1000 feet underground, with water rising, means he might never get the chance to make things right with Fawn.

How were you able to write about a mine collapsing in on itself?

Those kind of accidents have happened. It’s not that hard to research and find out about them. It actually happened to another company in the area not long after we moved to Viburnum. Fortunately nothing like that ever happened where my husband worked. Because he was a mine engineer he was able to teach me about explosives, reclaiming pillars safely and the routines of miners. He gave me geology and mining books to read, which honestly were like chewing cardboard. Ha. But I did it anyway. I also took a week long mining workshop sponsored by The Doe Run Company which taught me a great deal.

What would you like readers to know about mining?

“If it can’t be grown it has to be mined.” We were very proud of that saying. The men and women connected to the mine industry learn early on not to take life for granted nor do they worry about tomorrow. Miners are strong, smart and resilient. Mining is very important to our economy and we should support it for a free America.

Was there anything in The Rescued Heart that readers might actually visit in the Ozarks?

One of the events in the book is Old Miner’s Day. The first Saturday of October in Viburnum, Missouri celebrates mining and the people who make it possible. There are mine tours, crafts, a parade, terrific entertainment and of course, wonderful food. Check it out! Beautiful people and a great day of fun.

How can readers get in touch with you?

www.facbook.com/TierneyJamesAction

http://www.ptierneyjames.blogspot.com

Twitter: @TierneyJames1

http://www.pinterest.com/ptierneyjames/

Coming this summer: 

Thank you, Tierney James and best of luck to you on your release this summer! It's been a pleasure having you here. 

Video Teaser

Take a look at this video teaser, produced by PixelTwister Studios. If you're looking for a small, intimate company to make a book trailer for you, this company is the real deal.

Jeremy and Ellen possess a unique collaboration - yes, they're husband and wife, but more than that, they're a team, each complimenting the other, working in tandem as if they're one person.

They understand music, they understand light and direction, they've just got it all.

PixelTwister can be found at the following links:

http://www.pixeltwisterstudio.com/

https://www.facebook.com/pixeltwisterstudio

Give them a call if a book trailer suits your needs.

Now What?

As you know, The Discovery of Joy was released to the world on February 2, 2015. The fact that my release date was also Groundhog's Day in the US didn't phase me; in fact, I found it hilarious. Sort of figures, actually. February 2 was a placeholder for another reason - the midpoint of winter, the beginning of the look forward to spring, Imbolc, or whatever name you know it by. The idea of my book being released at that particular point in the ongoing seasons pleased me. Seemed to give it a new meaning somehow.

But to start, let's give credit where credit's due. This book would not have been birthed but for the efforts of people besides me. I have to say, I had a great editor, Rebecca T. Dickson, who pushed this work into something that could be published. My cover artist, Niki Bradley-Fowler brings quality work to everything she does. The girl rocks it out. My publisher, Paperback-Press and Sharon Kizziah-Holmes, could not have asked for better. My beta readers, which were Sharon and my fellow author friend, Ellen Harger, they rocked it out as well. Hmmm....maybe it does take a village to publish a book.

But, what's an author to do once the bouncing baby book is birthed? 

Well, quite honestly, I'm doing pretty much the same things I've been doing for months. I'm building associations, mostly on social media. I'm promoting, again, on social media. I'm joining author groups, women's fiction groups, independent author groups, anywhere I can find an avenue to promote TDOJ. I'm on twitter, but I'm not tweeting my book. I'm finding other independent groups who will tweet my book, IndieAuthorNews is one of them. Since my book came out, IndieAuthorNews has been fantastic for me. I'm on the front page, have been since February 3rd, and will be all next week. After that, I'll have a place on the sidebar for a week. IndieAuthorNews pushes my book out, seven times a day, I simply retweet their tweet. 

I joined a facebook reviewers group - I've gotten some nice reviews, one from South Africa, 

Of course all writers obsess. The girls at ORA laughed at me today as I tried to tone down my obsession with createspace. "You mean, you don't think WE do that?" Okay. I'm not so strange. I watch the graphs regarding sales rank and author rank - I have a small idea of what they mean, but it seems my numbers are pretty good right now. I've had some sales. I've had some good reviews, mostly from people who don't know me, who have no investment in me at all. And then, there's goodreads. It's odd to me that I have more reviews on goodreads than on amazon, but maybe that's okay. 

The other thing I'm doing, maybe the more important thing, is I'm working on the next book. Bing!

And this photo is a hint of what's to come. A family home. Sisters who've pursued different paths, sisters who don't communicate, a troubled niece trying to emerge from a terrible happening, a long-time family friend who sees things, and a man who may be the answer to someone's loneliness, and then, there's the food. Among other things. If I'm calendaring this right, the next book will be available March or April, 2016. 

Stick with me, folks. Let's go on this next journey together. 

I'd be so pleased to have you go along with me.

The Proofs Have Arrived

The proofs of my novel were waiting on my doorstep for me when I got home from work last night.

Yes, the proof copies (I goofed up and ordered two rather than one). And here they are, proof that this book exists. It's out of my head and sits between a front and a back cover.

Thing was, I couldn't stop looking at them, touching the cover, flipping through the thing to see this page or that, did the acknowledgements turn out okay and I realized, I felt this way when I gave birth to my children. In particular, I'll compare it to the birth of my first child, Michael.

"The first time's a novelty," a more seasoned mother told me after church one day as we dismounted the church steps. "The second time is a pain in the ass."

Oh. Well, I'm still in the throes of the thrill, thank you.

When I was pregnant, I was filled with such awe that such a thing could be taking place in my body, that a tiny egg could germinate to a living being, that the living being was being nourished and nurtured within my body, growing to fruition to a point when it would emerge, it's own person, separate and apart from me. I wondered so many things. Who will you be? Will I be able to raise you well? Will I protect you, teach you, will I love you enough? Will you have all your fingers and toes, will you be healthy? and at times, when I was overtaken by sheer terror, Can we call this whole thing off?

And then Michael arrived, all eight pounds one ounce of him, and as I held him in my arms I was stunned, filled with an all consuming joy, head over heels, fierce, relentless and never ending. I fell instantly in love.

It's not that different birthing a book. All the steps that led to this point are similar in nourishing, protecting and giving birth to a child. Laying the baby on my chest for the first time reminds me of bringing the germ of an idea to fruition. Reading through my story last night gave me a lot of pleasure. When I finished proofing the same feelings flooded back as when Michael was born. I still love the story. I still love the characters and I'm pleased with how they turned out. And I hope others will be when they read it. My first character, Julie, is not so likable at first but her growth process pleases me more than the other two, I think. I'm proud of her, actually.

How do you feel when your work is published? Do you feel the same, that the process is similar to giving birth to a human child?

Now Available for Pre-Order as an E-book on Amazon!

Just a quick note - this is so exciting!

The Discovery of Joy is now available for pre-order as an e-book on Amazon! Get your copy today. All reads and reviews would be appreciated!

A Short Review of The Discovery of Joy

I am so excited about this, friends. What an awesome review of my women's fiction novel, from....a man. Holy cow.Jumping up and down, blowing party whistles, throwing glitter all about, my party hat askew, dancing to Roy Orbison. Well? Wouldn't you?  

What affirmation. I mean, really. Still dancing. 

But the clock strikes midnight and well, we have to get dignified (crap) in spite of our very best selves, and so...here we go. 

My friend, RIckey Pittman, graciously agreed to review my novel prior to release and wrote this "short" (not so short) review. Just a bit of history here - I met Rickey a few years ago, at the Ozarks Creative Writers' Conference, in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Since that time, RIckey and I joined forces in reviewing one another's work, and giving critiques and reviews of and for each other. So, I was so pleased when he agreed to review my women's fiction novel, The Discovery of Joy. Rickey is an accomplished novelist, songwriter, musician and storyteller, as well as being an educator. And, he is a dear friend, while we're at it. Here is a link to his website: https://www.bardofthesouth.com/. With that, here is the "short" (not so short) review of The Discovery of Joy." I intrude a bit, notice the italics.

The Discovery of Joy by Yvonne Erwin: A Short Review (hahahah - that's me laughing)

The Discovery of Joy is a first novel by Yvonne Erwin.  I think this novel will help set her on her way as a romance writer. (Romance? DId he say romance? I like, even though I never thought of myself as a romance writer. Oops, Rickey, go on.) And yes,  this is a romance novel—reminding the reader of how easily and quickly one can fall in love and the price one may have to pay for those forays into love’s territories.

Erwin writes with a strong sense of narrative, a style that reminded me of Candace Bushnell. In her writing, (Candace Bushnell? Sex in the City? That's big, baby) I see scenes rich in vivid imagery and emotion. For example, the early scene of the moving van is one that will not be easily forgotten.  Many of the scenes are quite sexy and she accomplishes this without being graphic. (OMG, this means he read it, he read the freaking book. Wow.)

After reading the book, I feel like I know the characters well, even down to the interior conflicts and conversations—the talks  and questions we have as we experience life and question our own value and sanity. The reader will gain insights into what Erwin describes as the “caustic void” of the legal world, and the heart-rattling realities of divorce. Erwin’s writing causes us to think about the angst, the secrets, the lies, the memories, years and “twisted, gnarled roots of our life” that sit between people. There is a wide variety of characters that the reader is sure to identify with in this (to borrow a phrase of Erwin’s) “waltz of discoveries." (Mhmmm, mhmmm.) The reader will encounter the sincerely religious, the crazies, the cruel, and the fair-weather friends. The reader will feel how marriage and conquest change people, about secrets, about lies. (And, you're gonna eat a lot, or at least thing about eating a lot. This is a foodie book as well.)

Though there are men who are key characters, this is a story about women—the women of Springfield, Missouri.  We discover their self-doubts, the struggle with self-image, about what a woman feels when she is caught in the rut of a dead-end job and existence, how it feels to be fired without explanation, and how marriage can be a paradise or a nightmare, exceeding or disappointing our expectations.

If you are a reader or a writer of romance, you are sure to enjoy, The Discovery of Joy by Yvonne Erwin.

Thank you, Rickey Pittman. Looking forward to your next work.

Release Date!

I am happy to announce the release of my contemporary women's fiction novel, The Discovery of Joy, will be February 2, 2015! You will be able to find it on amazon.com and bn.com.

Releasing my baby to fly free is a thrilling and frightening process, not to mention a little astounding. How did I come so far? I'm torn between a feeling of buyer's remorse (is it good enough? Will everyone hate it?) and wanting to jump up and down shrieking, "Yes!" not to mention grabbing complete strangers by the shoulders shouting, "I have a book! A published book!"

I'm also grateful. I tried doing this, the publishing process, before I was ready and certainly before the book was ready. Obviously, I met outstanding failure. When I allowed people into my life, people who didn't feel the same bond with my book as I did, the book began to change. And I began to change as well. For one thing, I stopped rushing about trying to arrange every detail and keep control. I started listening to advice from people who've been around a little bit and know more than me. What evolved from that? Well, here it is; look at the photo.

So.

Thank you to Rebecca T. Dickson, my editor. Thank you for demanding that I see farther than my fingertips on the keyboard. Thank you to my beta readers, Ellen Harger, and Sharon Kizziah-Holmes and an unknown friend of Sharon. Thank you to my cover artist, Niki Bradley-Fowler. Thank you Paperback-Press for taking this project on.

So, on or after February 2, 2015, should you feel like reading a book about women, about love and betrayal, heartache, food, personal growth and the discovery of joy, please order my book. I hope you like it.

January 3, 2015 Mega Write-In and Critique

Hey folks - just a quick note to let you know the link is up and available for pre-registration for this event. Please go to:  www.ozarks-romance-authors.com and you will find the link to the Mega Write-In and Critique.

You can also find the link on my Events page.

All genres and skill sets are welcome - we'd love to see you there!

Cover Reveal - One Step Closer

It's becoming more a reality now.

Here it is, my thoughts, my dreams, my hopes, everything I've ever thought about being, and it has a gateway, a cover. Wow.

I've always been interested in the concepts of re-inventing one's self, and personal redemption, not necessarily on a spiritual level, coming into a place of growth. Personal growth, to me at least, brings joy, a completion of sorts.

In this book, I've given you three main characters. Each woman is at a crossroad in her life, each must face her challenges and overcome the challenges life throws in her path, to come to a place of joy. I'm also serving up some food goodies here and there; cinnamon rolls, chicken and pasta, and a nice turkey-blue cheese-pear sandwich for the tummy's sake.

We're one step closer to publication but not quite there yet. Look for me after January 1st - I don't have a set-in-stone release date but once I do, I'll be sure and let you know.

Cover art by Niki Bradley-Fowler.
Publisher: Paperback-Press.

Big Announcement!

Release the pigeons, alert the news media, here it comes folks. I'm gleefully rubbing my hands together, eager to share my news. 

Okay, so we'll go without a drum roll but...

I hired an editor. I hired a professional editor to work with me on my women’s fiction manuscript, the baby I've incubated for years and years.

What’s the big deal, you ask? First thing, it means I’m taking myself seriously as a writer, not fooling around with this “l’il hobby” anymore. It means I’m standing up and owning the life I want. It means I mean it.

Her name is Becky and she lives in New England. Becky is a puller – meaning, she asks tough questions and she makes me answer them. She’s forcing me to reach deep down and clear out everything that makes no sense in an effort to get to the gem lying at the bottom of the dark well. And she swears. A lot. I'm looking forward to working with her.

So, I jumped in with both feet. It would be so much easier to scurry back into the closet and slam the door behind me and not try. But I can't do that. If I'm going to be a credible writer, the time is now. Point is, if I can do it, so can you.

What's holding you back?

My Last Diatribe of 2013

Once Upon a Time. As writers, we carry an image in our heads of the scribe, hunched over his writing pad/typewriter/computer, under a dim light bulb in the attic of a Victorian mansion, slaving away at his manuscript. Once upon a time, said writer would have sent the work off to an agent or publisher and then voila! He’s instantly known worldwide, some kind of writing prodigy this guy, and he comes down from the attic and appears on Oprah looking remarkably well rested and smug. Well, don’t count on it. Publicity is up to the author now and visibility is key. Platform, platform, platform. Amazon author page. Facebook, Twitter, website, blog. Post/comment on other blogs and websites. Put a button on your website or blog going directly to Amazon so that your book can be ordered from your site/blog.


It’s becoming increasingly important in our new publishing world to think of yourself as a brand. So, once you are published, make the most of marketing by contacting schools, bookstores, libraries, county fairs, anywhere you can host a signing, keeping the appropriate audience in mind. You wouldn’t go to an elementary school to promote your 1,000 page Scottish historical fiction novel, for example. At your signings/appearances, distribute little niceties, such as refrigerator magnets, bookmarks, or pens with your book’s cover and your information on them. But keep your face out there because, well, we like to see it.

One last point with this, keep in touch with other writers, published and not published. I firmly believe that one way to guarantee your success is to assist someone else in attaining success. Participate in critique groups. Help edit a manuscript. Promote your fellow authors when their books come out. Review books on platforms such as Goodreads. Leave reviews on Amazon or Barnes & Noble. Whatever you do to further someone else will come back to you in droves.

Certainty

 

As writers, we step out into the unknown every day. Each time we sit down, fingers poised over the keyboard, ready to type out our missive, one foot and then the other steps off the well known path and we free fall. We free fall into a place less certain.

Someone said today, about a life changing move he made some time ago, that had he known at the time how much bravery it took to make that move and then, after realizing he was really there, to work that move, he possibly wouldn't have done it at all. He would have remained at his 8-5 job, made babies with his wife, looked forward to a retirement someday, but he would have never have known what it was like to step off that cliff and let himself experience a place less certain.

We overvalue certainty is the conclusion I am coming to. I had to stop and think about that concept for awhile, not just in my writing life but in my personal life as well. I was fairly certain at one time that my parents would live forever, that nothing would change and they would always be in my life as the head of our family. In February 2011, as I stood helplessly by, watching my mother slip away, that concept was shattered. I was no longer certain. Then, in January 2012, my beloved lab and pal of 12 and a half years, Sunny, left me after suffering a stroke, and again, certainty was ripped out of my hands.  Here in 2013, I'm standing on the brink of a coming circumstance that is going to change my life for the rest of my life, and I find myself in a place that is not certain. Changes and decisions I am going to have to make are not going to be comfortable for me and some of the things I was certain of are now off the table.

We become dependent on the routine of our lives, the rising and setting of the sun, the turning of the seasons, foolishly, we believe that nothing is ever really going to affect us.

But as writers, the circumstances that do affect us are part and parcel of what we write and how we write and why we write. Probably we should never be in an absolute certain place because, wouldn't we become complacent? Self-satisfied? Could we miss an opportunity for growth if not for being shaken up from time to time? With change comes growth, and growth is the raw element of all things, isn't it?

Growing as a writer is of paramount importance. Personal growth is important. How do you find the two concepts mesh? How does it affect your writing?


 

Welcome, Autumn

She's back.

I caught a glimpse of Lady Autumn this morning, passing through a doorway. The claret hem of her skirt barely brushed the floor, leaving behind pale yellow winter squash, deep orange pumpkins, tied herbs, green brussel sprout stalks, and sweet potatoes rattling across the floor, as she strides forward in search of the Mistress of Summer.  I sneak behind into the forest, chasing after her. Of all the Ladies, she is my favorite. I want to hear  her farewell song to the Mistress, but I can only catch the barest of glimpses of auburn hair tumbling down her back. Lady Autumn's skirt is changing color now, to golden yellow. She has reclaimed her territory, it is now her turn to watch the world spin and take care of the days and nights. I watch her pour a glass of something rich and sumptuous from the sideboard that seems to sprout from a tree, and as she raises her glass, she smiles, maybe at me?

It's raining now but she doesn't seem to care. Her laughter is carried on the wind, and as she opens her arms and spins in her now forest green dress, she seems to be lifted up into the rain and then gently lowered onto a bed generously thick with comforters and down pillows. She turns her white face toward me, oblivious of the rain dotting her face and clothing.

"Surround yourself with beautiful thing, my dear, useful things, the things you love," she says although her mouth doesn't move. "The winter is coming and you will have need of them."

I sat straight up in bed, on that cusp of just asleep and fully awake, feeling as if I'd lost something tangible. Rolling my hands around my bed, I felt something odd. I wrapped my hand around it. Pulling the object to me, I was most surprised to find a crystal wine glass with a drop of red at the bottom and one crimson colored maple leaf stuck to the inside of the glass.

A gift left for me from the Lady? Perhaps.

Or maybe it was just a lovely dream.

The Next Leg of the Journey

I'm sitting here tonight, absolutely stunned at the good fortune that's befallen me. So happy and blessed I am! And so very, very grateful to the powers that be and to Rick East, the author of the book we've published together.

Several months ago, Rick approached me and said he had a story to tell but he didn't quite know how to tell it. He asked for my help; first, as an editor but then later, he came back and informed me he thought I'd be happier as a co-author. I jumped at the chance, astonished that anyone would choose me to be their co-author!

The journey since has been wonderful. I've learned a bit more about the publishing industry that I knew before. I've made a new friend in Rick East, the author. Quite honestly, I have had a blast working on his story and I'd do it again in a heartbeat. From first draft to second draft to galleys, to cover art, to press releases, it's been a blur of hard work and exhilaration!

I gave this book my heart. I wanted to give it the voice it required with the emotion his story needed. Rick was fantastic to work with, I could not have asked for a better author to stand beside.
And so, today, at exactly noon, Rick texted me and said, "Our book is on Amazon. I'm so excited!" I remember gasping audibly in the hallway at work before shutting my phone off and then turning it back on again to read his text again! Seriously? Are you kidding me right now? We are on Amazon?

Back in my office, I clicked my mouse impatiently and waited, seemingly for an eternity, for Amazon to pop up. My heart began to race. It was hard to breathe. I struggled finding the book on the site and then, I typed my own name in and there it was. "A Glimpse of Glory: My Journey to Heaven and Back."

I was mesmerized; couldn't stop looking at it.  Reality began wisping its finger around my face. I'm a real-life bona fide published author. It's what I've wanted, what I've dreamed of, all my life, since I was a little girl. I clicked off Amazon and tried to go back to work. Not possible. I clicked back on the site. I have a book on Amazon.  Reality began digging me in the ribs, pretty hard. It's really happening.

Oh, all those months of writing and working and talking about press releases and book covers, it seems now I didn't realize back when we were putting this all together, that what I was staring at on my computer screen today would become a reality. I've read all about nearly-published authors whose deals fell through at the last minute, leaving them disappointed and desolate. Maybe the publishing house closed. Maybe the agent pulled out. There are a thousand "maybes." I pulled out my camera phone and took a picture of the Amazon page with my name and book cover on it.

And of course, then I had to text people.

Driving home, I found myself awestruck and so very grateful for all that I've been given the past several months. My hope is that Rick realize his vision for this book, because if that happens, then the book's done what it was supposed to do. And you'll have to read the book to see what it was meant to do.

I'd be happy for any of you reading this to order "A Glimpse of Glory: My Journey to Heaven and Back" on Amazon. Happy and pleased. Here is a link to Amazon: www.Amazon.com. Look for Rick East or for me or for "A Glimpse of Glory: My Journey to Heaven and Back."

Thank you.

Market Day

It's Market Day in Springfield and the sun is already high in the sky. Customers throng the aisles and booths lining up, waiting for the 8:00 am bell before they can purchase their breads and peppers, flowers and tomatoes. I pass a solitary guitarist perched on a stool, his glass tip jar at his feet. Throngs of people pass through, undaunted by the heat and humidity. The market is filled with incessant babble, some of it Indian, or Latino, all mixed sounds reminding me of our common root - food.

A local bread vendor, Katie Made, and I get into a discussion about Anadama bread, which I used to make for my kids when they were young. I haven't made that bread in years and I wonder why. When your kids are little, you think you don't have time to make homemade goods but you do anyway, or I did. Now my kids are grown and one is away and I still don't make homemade bread. It was a great pleasure of mine too. At any rate, the vendor and me laugh at the origin of the name, Anadama, and I pick up a loaf of something I've never tried before - Van Staden Mosbolletjies. She tells me it's a south African bread and has a hint of licorice. She says that people resist it at first because of the licorice flavor but once they try it, they come back and buy two loaves. A new bread, a new taste adventure.

My favorite pepper growers are here now. I spy glistening green peppers as big as a man's fist on their table and I quickly buy four, along with some onions. I see stuffed green peppers on my table in the near future.

I run into a vendor, someone I knew in Mountain Grove, and he tells me again that I sure look like my daddy. I guess it depends on who you talk to because I've heard that I look exactly like my dad and I've been told I look exactly like my mother. Either way, you can tell who I belong to.

A quart of blackberries (for a desert I'll have to find the recipe for), two pounds of green beans and a bouquet of pink and white gladiolas later,  I'm ready to head for the car and my water bottle I left there accidentally.

I love coming to the market. It's a reminder of who we all are on this planet and what we all want, which is to be loved, nurtured and accepted. And it's part of the writing life, I believe, to surround yourself with the things you love and appreciate  and allow those things to nurture your soul.

What do you think? Do you agree?

After a Dry Spell Comes the Rain

The most interesting things happen sometimes when you're not even looking, when you least expect it, and isn't that what makes life interesting? Sometimes it seems that we endure spells as dry as the Sahara and then, out of nowhere, it starts raining. Not just raining but torrents of water pouring down.

Recently, I had the opportunity to sit in on a presentation by the original editor of the first volume of "Fifty Shades of Grey," and in listening to her speak, I realized, marketing your brand is the most important thing, I think, maybe even more important than having a quality product. I mean, everybody knows "Fifty Shades" is a trainwreck but one thing E.L. James understood was the market. She understood she had to get to the market and corner a huge chunk of it to get her brand to sell, to keep her in the driver's seat, and make her a, well, a millionaire. That was what she wanted. And yes, that does sound crass but I believe that E.L. James, like many of us fledging authors, was looking at the grand prize and not so much the product. She couldn't have been looking at the product.

Sadly, that is a trap that too many writers fall into these days and since it is so easy to upload to Amazon and Kindle, polish and professionalism have suffered. Is that a stamp on writing in general? No, I don't think so. I believe that earnest, hardworking, professional writers are still out there. Or at least, I am, and I know I'm not the only one.

Now, another interesting thing happened to me. As the president of the Springfield Writers' Guild, I rub elbows with a lot of writerly people in the community, and one of these people told me recently that she would send me an invitation to the Missouri Writers Hall of Fame banquet, to be held in March. I jumped up and down with glee but deep down inside I wondered, would she remember? With all of the other, more important people she deals with every day, would she remember little old me? Well, I was estatic when I spied that silver grey envelope in my mailbox addressed to me, and the invitation to RSVP. Inductee this year: Ridley Pearson. Oh boy, this means a new dress, a new hairdo, some perfume. It's gonna be a blast and I can't wait.

And then the last thing (so far). A publishing company in St. Louis randomly emailed me and wanted to advertise their services. Did this fall into my lap or what?

It's moments like these that reaffirm what we're meant to do, why we're here. If writing is your passion, it's going to find  you. You can't hide from it. It won't let you.

What are the odd and wonderful coincidences that have happened to you?

On Writing

I'm feeling somewhat timid, unsure even, about the current MIP. I'm seeing through the glass darkly,such as in the photograph above, but I'm looking.
Here's what I thought, when this idea was birthed in my mind, was that I was writing about a 30-ish woman, a new widow. What I thought I was going to do was explore her grief, her loss, her struggle and her ultimate triumph.
But, no.
Another woman, a much older woman, walked in and brought a much younger woman with her, and there I was faced with the idea of three, which appeals to me. I've done it before and didn't think I would do it again, but here these two are and they're usurping my 30-ish widow's place as the central character in the MIP, particularly the older one. The two younger women have taken risks, they've loved, they've lost, they've faced life head on because they had to do it but this older gal...now that I'm writing it down, I see her full on. She's older, 67 or so, and she's never faced a real challenge in her life. She's lived it safe. I have to wonder why she keeps trying to get my attention?
Hmmmm...
The ancients believed in the maiden, the mother, and the crone. I see I have all three here in my brain. Although I see this, I still feel mystified.
This manuscript is not going where I wanted it to go, or where I thought it would go, but I'm now thinking I'll let all three of these women speak and see where they end up. And I'll keep leafing through hair style magazines and fashion magazines and I'll investigate architecture and food, and farming and other things that will be equally important as I build a picture of these women in the reader's mind. I'll develop their history, their personalities, their quirks, their struggles, and I'll bring it to the page.
Fun times, being a writer.
Here's the other funny thing. You're not always in control.

Mom

And so, today is Mother's Day.

So, let's talk.

My mother has been such an extraordinary force throughout my life, and I wish I could give her tribute without sounding cliched or slightly moronic. I fear I can do neither and, so I sit here today saying this: My mother has been the push on my back, the voice in my ear, the conscience speaking, the summons issued, the solid rock I've run to during various times in my life.

I remember this: my mother was way before her time in so many ways. When I was a teenager, or maybe even a pre-teenager, when we lived in southwestern Minnesota, my mother used to talk about things that should be invented and patented; things that would make life easier for all. I can't now remember specifically what she was talking about; however, in later years when things came out that had been patented and were known throughout the world, I do remember thinking that my mother had, at some point, thought about that already. She knew. She just somehow knew. So smart. So right on, she was.

Here is another thing. As an adult, I am not a church-going person; however, my mother has seldom missed a day of church in her life. While I don't follow that particular habit, I respect it. She has an anchor that I don't necessarily see as an anchor, but it's valuable to her. She has a bedrock that I respect, even if I don't quite agree with it.

My mother sees worth in people according to their work ethic, something I hope I am carrying on according to her standards. She was born in 1934; she lived through a truly miserable time in our country and, as a result, she places great value on hard work and persistence and perserverance. She did it. She has no patience for those who expect it all to be done for them. I hope I make her proud in this respect.

Onto something lighter, and I so wish I had a photograph to prove it but, my mother, well, she liked her fashions and hairdos and the like. If I find a photo (I think my sister may have them all), I'll share it but, at present, I don't. Sorry. At any rate, my mother put a lot of store in how one presents. There is a lesson to be learned there, in this age of pants on the ground, for God's sake.

And so, I hope my mother has had the most wonderful of Mother's Days and I hope she knows that her influence is paramount to me and that it is valued.

Thanks, Mom.