We are family; I got all my ...bloggers...with me!

( GMR painted this - I told him one day how I'd know I "made it" when I became an M&M cartoon *laughing*.... so, this is what he did...haw!)

Last day to vote for our Angie Gumbo Writer! Y'all just take a moment to click on that little thumbs up *smiling* CLICK HERE She's neck and neck with another blog! vote vote vote!

It is dark outside; I'm up quite early this morning: before Fat Lazy Lab Jake, before Good Man Roger, before the birds. It is silent, as our cove at Killian Knob can be - but through the closed windows and doors I still hear our creek -- the rains have brought it back as it was before.

I am overwhelmed at the support I am receiving from you all. To think, people I have never met face-to-face have become an important part of my life. You "see" them if not daily, then weekly. You are sad for them when they are sad, happy when they are happy. I can see some of us sitting around a table in a cafe, sharing coffee and something sweet, laughing and talking, and as we do, we are marveling at all the places we come from: here near far there yonder.

There will be no way I can do anything but say THANK YOU for all your support with Tender Graces - I only hope my words do your support justice. For TG is a love letter to everyone who reads her. As I wrote my Virginia Kate saga, I thought of all of you and all the hands that would hold her and that kept me writing and writing and writing. The thought it will soon happen just overwhelms me, but in that surreal but good way.

These days, publishing is a strange business. One never knows what will "work" and what will send books gathering dust on shelves and what makes them best-sellers. I hope the love and sincerity of my words will sell my books. I hope the story will sell it. The writing and language. I hope I do you all Proud; that is my wish.

Word of mouth - all of you - telling others about a good book you've read is, to me, one (or THE) most important thing when it comes to our books. A person reads your book and loves it and then tells someone and that person reads it and loves it and tells another and on the chain goes.

Never Ever Ever discount the important role that you, Dear Readers, have in the writer's life. I mean that in so many ways.

One day I hope to sell enough books to buy up land on this little mountain at Killian Knob so that all destruction - the cutting down of too many trees, the putting up of lights(blasphemy!), the postage-sized lots, My Muse Trail One decimated, Kayla's creek: gone....I hope that one day I can preserve what's left. I believe in having Goals - even if they seem too "out there" and lofty and hard. Maybe it'll happen, who am I to say it will not? But, I dream of walking Muse Trail One again, where the forest has taken over again, and Muse Trails Levels Two and Three remain wild as they are right now still. It is a "hard" goal, for writers do not make much money from the sale of their books: which is why we do it from Love. You may be surprised at what we make per book -- love...love....it is Love that keeps ups writing.

One more thing I have in mind: I contacted some libraries here in Western North Carolina about carrying my book and received very positive interest, but was saddened to learn that many small county libraries do not have a budget for books! Can you imagine? One of my other dreams is to help libraries --- those sanctuaries of my youth --- I am going to donate my book wherever I can; I do realize I can't do this at every library in every county (or parish of Louisiana) in every city, but, I can start somewhere. I urge you all to try to help your local libraries: donate books - it doesn't have to be mine (laughing!) - or find out how you can help. We need our libraries! We need our Independent Booksellers and Independent Presses....together, we are a strong force.



Namaste....*muwah*

I can see clearly now, my vision board is done...

One day I watched Oprah and they were talking about vision boards -- in fact, someone in their blog yesterday was talking about them too and I wish I could remember who so I could link them (here she is Serenity Room). I laughed when Oprah said, "I have to get one of those!" and the woman said, "Oh no, Oprah, you have to make one for yourself..." and Oprah said, "Oh! of course, yes! and I will!"

My first thought was, "Huhn. Who has time for that?" Then the skies opened - my vision cleared! Wait! This could be it! The answer to all my dreams come true. The way to success through simple cutting and pasting! WOW! Yippeee! Or I was bored, or curious, or feeling inspired, or didn't want to let Oprah down. Anywhodlydoo, this was in spring or summer. The windows and doors were open to let in the cool mountain air. The wind caused the leaves on the buckeye and the tulip poplar and the walnut tree to wave at me, as if to say, “Go on, do it...do it...do it…”

I feverishly looked through magazines and sale circulars and Reader’s Digests and catalogues—looking for the perfect images to paste on my vision board. I used one of Good Man Roger’s canvasses as my board.

I’d meant to add to it as days went by, but being the kind of person I am, I “finished” it within a few days and stuck it away somewhere. Um, I think you are supposed to stare at it daily and imagine those things happening. Oops.

When I read someone’s blog about vision boards, I retrieved mine and stared at it, looking to see if anything on it had come true. There was one image that immediately drew my attention. A woman on horseback looked almost exactly like the woman on horseback in the trailer Bellebooks made for Tender Graces. Huhn. Maybe? Maybe? When I created the board, I didn’t know I’d have a publisher for TG. Perhaps some of the other pasted things were hints: published author, southern novels, etc.

Maybe I need to keep it out and stare at certain other things, like the photos of dollar bills representing certain amounts of cash (teehee). The picture that reads, “Win a trip to Italy!”(ohhh!) The photo of my dream bathroom (ahhhh). The one about saving the mountain from developers (um, now that I think about it, this one sort of came true as development has slowed and even stopped in some areas...huhn), the magazines I hope Tender Graces will be mentioned in—you know their reader’s corners where they point out great books to read at the beach or while in the tub. I have non-selfish things there, too, of course – but to go into all the stuff on my vision board would bore everyone to tears.

What do you think about visualization? About positive energies bringing to you what you desire? For sure, positive energies make us feel better. I think the greatest thing I received from that show was the idea of Gratitude. To have a sense of thankfulness for what you do have, instead of lamenting what you do not. It’s hard to feel down when you are listing the things or people or places you feel grateful for.

So, there’s that woman on horseback, and there’s the woman in the trailer who matches her – maybe I’m stretching it? Or, maybe, just maybe …
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Don’t forget to enter the “contest” – write your 200 words or fewer in the comments—see the image to the right and click on it for instructions.

Now, I’m going to take a mountain walk and then see how the inaugural celebrations are going!

(Note - am watching now - how can you not feel emotional? Oh, Pearlman is playing his violin and Yo Yo his cello -- I could cry; oh how lovely. how lovely. how lovely.)

(google stock image from: http://www.inmagine.com/)