Coffee with the author

Happy Monday evening,

How is everyone doing on this fabulous Monday? It’s been another moment since we’ve chatted, however, you haven’t been far from my thoughts. I hope you are all doing wonderful and making memories with family and friends.

Can you believe it, we are in June already. Half way through the year. In just 151 days it will be Halloween and 206 days it will be Christmas. These just happen to be two the larger holidays and a couple of my favorites, yet this year I think I’m most looking forward to Thanksgiving. With my love for Halloween and Christmas I can’t wait to get my villages built and displayed, but there’s something about Thanksgiving this year that seems to be the holiday I’m especially looking forward too.

I can’t wait to be surrounded by all my loved ones and I can’t wait to share with everyone how grateful I am to have them in my life. I also want to take a moment to reflect on how far I’ve come in this life and fingers crossed, I’ll be done with the final draft of my memoir. That’s my goal.

Every day I give thanks for my family and friends. I give thanks for my sons and I give thanks for John. I am grateful for my home, especially when I get to stay home and just enjoy it. Last week I had an entire day of being home and I loved every minute of it. Walking with Molly and Oreo. Talking with neighbors, enjoying the summer evening with it’s cool breeze. Thursday was awesome! Perfect actually. I’m ready for a redo!

Most days I don’t get to be home and I’ll be honest, I am counting the days until I get to just immerse myself in home life. I think I can safely say, 152 more days before my life will officially change yet again.

I think the song below is fitting for my countdown. I hope you will enjoy it for whatever you may be counting down too:

Video credit: Europe – The Final Countdown (Official Video)-YouTube

Today was another perfect day! I felt in my element in so many ways. With so much going on in my life right now I have been feeling the fire for my writing going down hill. The desire and passion have never left, but the fire to actually sit down and write has been going way side. I’ve been struggling as a writer. I’ve been struggling overall. Life has a funny way of taking us on it’s journey when we’ve been planning something different. I’m sure you can relate.

Anyway, yesterday evening my friend Kathy reached out to me and shared an event that our local library was holding. I was eager to go and registered for it this morning and much to my surprise, Kathy registered too and we went together. It was my first coffee with the author.

Being surrounded by fellow writers and book enthusiasts is exactly what the doctor ordered, at least for me. Before I share with you my experience I do want to share with you a gift I received that touched my heart beyond words.

You see, Kathy’s amazing daughter Stephanie proof read and edited my memoir. I think I told you that I got to go to lunch with her and Kathy a couple months back and the wealth of knowledge Stephanie has is a gift in in itself to me.

I had a friend edit my original manuscript and I took his suggestions as being what I thought was in the best interest of my book despite my reservations for changing the way I wrote it. Even John said I shouldn’t have made certain changes that my friend suggested. I should have listened because the suggestions Stephanie gave me along with the suggested edits were the way I had originally wrote my book.

Lesson learned. When someone suggests changing your writing style to the point you have lost yourself and your authenticity, well, maybe it’s time to find a new editor.

Thank goodness Kathy connected me with Stephanie and thank goodness I was blessed to have Kathy come into my life.

I know this is a repeat but I can’t help myself because what Stephanie said to me about my book has stuck with me ever since. She said my book deserves to be out in the world. I can’t tell you what that means to me as an aspiring writer. To have someone like Stephanie with her background in journalism and writing take the time to read and comment on my draft, all I can say is my heart will forever be grateful. I hope when I finally finish my final draft and it’s ready for submission maybe Stephanie will do me the honor of writing my forward.

When I picked Kathy up to head over to the library she gifted me a bookmark that was Stephanie’s. I couldn’t believe she would give me something that belonged to Stephanie from years ago.

Do you believe in signs? I do. And it all was reaffirmed last night when Kathy shared with me the coffee with the author event for today. It was backed up with her gifting me Stephanie’s bookmark. It’s something I will always treasure. I feel honored to call it mine now and I will keep it next to my lap top so when I write I am reminded of the incredible person who it had once belonged too.

Below is a photo of my new bookmark. Simple, yet so powerful. It’s my daily reminder to keep writing because I am good enough.

Knowing Kathy thought so much of me is so heartwarming. She is one of my biggest supporters and I have no doubt God brought her into my life to not only be my friend but to help me on my writing journey.

Kathy’s love for books is amazing. Who knows, maybe once my book is published she’ll help me plan a coffee with the author and I’ll be that author. I can dream and I can work towards that dream.

So. This was my very first coffee with the author. It was awesome. I was not only surrounded by authors and book enthusiast, I was surrounded by a wealth of knowledge. I was surrounded by books from all walks of life and I think I formed a new appreciation for what it takes to be an author. I also got excited with the thought of one day being a published author with my book on one of those shelves. Can you imagine? I can.

The first author I met today was Sharon Curcio. I actually met her a couple years ago when I wrote for the local newspaper. Who would have thought that a couple years later I’d be sitting directly across from this woman hearing about her journey in writing her book. The passion for the story she told kept us all held captive. She brought the book to life in only an hour.

Kathy and I got a chance to talk with Sharon after the event and Kathy even picked up a copy of Sharon’s book and she’s letting me read it first. I hope to start tomorrow.

Below is a link to Sharon’s book on Amazon. She even offers it as an audible book for those of you like me who enjoy listening while driving.

https://a.co/d/5bb8c88

Just when I thought I couldn’t walk any higher than cloud 9, I was elevated to cloud 10. Not only was Sharon Curcio the author of “Asayi, an autistic teen’s journey to Topple a Shogun in Medieval Japan” our guest speaker, a second author joined the event. While we didn’t talk about Heather’s book at this event, not yet anyway because she will be the author for the library’s upcoming coffee with the author on June 25th, I was able to meet her as well.

Actually, Heather approached me and boy oh boy, I think we’ll be great friends. It was awesome because Sharon introduced us all to Heather. I can’t say enough on how much that meant for me to be a part of. These two ladies write in different genre’s and they cheer for one another. That’s the beauty of genuine authors I think. After all, we all have our own story to tell. No pettiness what so ever. Just two authors cheering and encouraging for one another while uplifting their audience of readers and of course, me, an aspiring wanna be author.

Heather is incredible. She’s offered to collaborate with me and I’m super excited to be able to go to her home and see in person, her writing Zen den. She writes outdoors and the surroundings she’s created for herself is exactly what I’ve dreamt of.

Below is one photo of her Zen den:

Can you imagine sitting here in this incredible cave like setting, outside surrounded by nature? I have a hundred story ideas rummaging through my mind right now just thinking of what I could write about being nestled in this storybook like setting.

I’m told Heather’s books are over the top steamy and amazing! I picked up her second book and as I was looking through it I had someone tell me that her first book is absolutely a read you will never forget. Heather thought I might enjoy the second book more though after our conversation. She said I might be able to relate more with it so I will begin this book and hopefully have it finished before her coffee with the author event at the end of the month.

Heather’s book is also available on Amazon and the link for that is below:

https://a.co/d/gkYcxqW

Below is the Amazon link to Heather’s first book Twenty-five Years:

https://a.co/d/6TN0ePO

One thing I am taking away from today is this. I am a writer and I’m good. I have so many improvements to make in my writing and that’s okay. I’m still good enough to make it in the writing world. It’s a big world and I want a piece of it.

I am also a part of the best blogging community there is and I’ve been blessed to get some of your books. Within this community I am surrounded by authors, poets and novelists. How lucky can a girl get. I mean, if you want to become an author that is.

I was on a pity party. I’ve allowed life and circumstance to weigh me down and as James Patterson says in his masterclass, a writer is someone who might walk away for a moment but if writing is a part of you, you will always come right back to it.

I’m back!!!

We all have something to contribute to this world as writers. Our stories deserve to be read. If we don’t tell them, someone else will. I heard it said, “we are connected by the stories we tell. It’s within the stories told that we can hopefully see ourselves and connect.”

My dear readers. Keep reading. Keep writing. You never know whose life and heart you might touch.

Please don’t forget to check out Sharon and Heather’s books. I’d love to hear what you think of them.

Well guys, it’s time for me to hit the sheets. I’m tired and in a really good way. I feel fulfilled. I feel connected and I am remined of the gift of community I’ve found with all my fellow writers.

Sleep well and until next time, don’t forget, Love Life++ Hugs.