Holiday Market Fun

Today, fellow author Diane Skelton and I joined forces and sold our books at the local Holiday Market event. We saw friends, met new people, and each sold exactly seventeen books! Strange, I know! I decorated bags to give to customers for their book purchases, which was a big hit. We'll do that again! 

The event came days after I received a shipment of The Existence of Pity. I was expecting the original coffee bean cover my first paperback came in. and which I love dearly, but was thrilled Red Adept Publishing upgraded it to the new cover! 

The coffee bean cover is now a classic collectible, so hang onto it if you have one of them -- or trade it in for the new and improved version.

Diane's book, A Literary Traveler's Guide to the Gulf South, is a literary tour guide to the area. Together with wit and humor, beautiful photos and interesting sidebars, she leads readers on a delightful, yet educational romp along the gulf coast. It can be found on Amazon, or maybe you'll find us at another market, selling our books. 

We had so much fun we want to do it again, and we'd love to see you out there!

Share Your Lions Here

 In writing my book, Courage Without Grace, I was able to revisit, at least in my mind, some of my favorite things about Washington, DC, and the statues ranked high on that list. Iconic monuments are visited by millions each year (well, maybe not in 2020) and fountains and men on horses can be spotted throughout the capital. Then there are the unobtrusive guardians, like the lions who flank the Taft Bridge. 

From Courage Without Grace: "I crossed Taft Bridge along Connecticut Avenue, high above Rock Creek Park's tall trees and winding road. Four huge statues of lions guarded the bridge: two on each end. I loved seeing their shaggy stone heads uplifted over huge outstretched paws, and called to them each time I walked by. Their magnificence, reminding me of the loftier aspects in life, always lifted my spirits, and I took photos of them often."

The lion pictured here is an original, created in 1906, but the lions in DC now are replacements installed in 2000. They are just as impressive, and I look forward to visiting them during my next trip to DC. 

I'm not sure where my fascination with lions came from, but I see them everywhere. In front of houses and businesses, carved into walls in downtown Pensacola, for sale in stores, the list goes on. We even have a pair of our own. A few years back, my sister-in-law gave them to Chris and me, and they stand in front of our garage gym. I just noticed today, taking this picture, that there are lions carved on the lions! 

When fellow writer Diane Skelton learned about my love for lions, she told me that
the lion is one of the symbols for her husband's fraternity, Sigma Alpha Epsilon. To SAE, "The Lion represents courage, strength, and heart. They are associated with radiant solar energy. In astrology, with the sign Leo, they remind us to take time to relax and bask in the sun and to enjoy the warmth of our accomplishments. Because they live and hunt together, Lions can also symbolize strength in our family and friendship ties." How inspiring is that?!

Do you have a lion in your life? I'd love to see pictures of the lions by your front door, in your neighborhood, or ones you've seen in your travels. I look forward to seeing much more of these symbols of courage, strength, and heart. 

My second novel, Courage Without Grace, will be released online at Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, Kobo Books, Google Play, and iTunes on March 30, 2021. Check out The Existence of Pity here!

Bittersweetness and Big News

Olivia on the jumbotron

My daughter graduated from high school last weekend. HAPPY! In less than a month she'll go to college seven hours away.  sad. Chris and I are excited for her future. HAPPY! We will miss her terribly.  sad.

A family of cardinals who visits our birdfeeder seem to be going through something similar. Not long ago we watched from the kitchen window as the bright red daddy cardinal fed his brown baby girl one seed at a time, fussing at her as she wobbled on matchstick legs. Today I notice she's already on her own. She's swoops in and makes a smooth landing on the feeder, her bright orange beak flashing as she takes a seed. In the blink of an eye she's gone again, leaving me thinking of my Olivia and wondering how to live with this bittersweetness.

Friend and fellow writer Diane Skelton's excellent advice was to focus on the sweet, not the bitter, the excitement of this stage in life, not the heartache. With that in mind, I'm grateful to have my soon-to-be-published book to keep me busy. The manuscript has made it though content editing and is now in the queue for cover design and line editing. And I have big news! It's been decided that my title will remain The Existence of Pity. I remember the shiver of recognition that came over me when I thought of it five and a half years ago. I knew that title would be right and I still feel the same. Not everything has to change!

I look to our backyard in time to see the daddy cardinal land on the fence. He watches his baby, who is snacking at the feeder again. After a while she hops over to perch beside him, and they sit together. Then, in the blink of an eye, she spreads her beautiful wings, lifts off, and flies away.





So You Want to Publish That Novel!

Like most writers, I don't want to write, I must write. I feel compelled. Often I'm uneasy in my skin until I've had a chance to put my thoughts on paper. Writing gives me relief, clarity, and new ideas for more to write about. And when I do set my journal aside, or call it quits on my computer, I come away feeling lighter, happier. Like the awesome Gloria Steinem, "Writing is the only thing that when I do it, I don't feel I should be doing something else."

RedAdeptPublishing.com

But why publish? That's simple. After putting so much time into my novel, I had to try! And boy did I try. At first I queried agents. Fellow author Shawn Keenan has an agent, and he writes a very insightful blog about what that's like. http://www.errantauthor.com/ 

Many people suggested I self-publish, and friends Diane Skelton and Rebecca Pappas followed that path. Diane's beautiful memoir is The Gumbo Diaries: Mississippi and Beyond.  Rebecca's fun cozy mystery is Homicide at Harmony Bed & Breakfast. Check them out on Amazon!

I'm happy for my friends and what they've done. I'm also glad Red Adept Publishing and I found each other. I will get into "print" as part of a small publishing team, a remarkably organized team, with fifty or so fellow writers from all over the country who support each other and have fun along the way.

It doesn't really matter how people get their work published. It all ends the same way. When the fun's been had, we all go back to our desks and write some more, because there's really nothing we'd rather be doing.
Visit www.Redadeptpublishing.com for some great books by some wonderful authors!

The Write Group

These are my people.  As writing group members, we have become good friends; we have critiqued and congratulated one another; we have laughed and learned; we have become kindred spirits.  I look forward to every Tuesday afternoon from four to six when we are together, and it's thanks to the wonderful West Florida Literary Federation. (Go to www.wflf.org to learn more!)
WFLF, or Woofloof, has brought us and many groups like us together over the years,  creating some unusual bonds, but bonds that last a lifetime.
Thank you Woofloof, I really like being part of a federation, and thank you, fellow writers!  Clockwise from Charlie, we are Charlie, Patty, Diane (Madam President), Ed, Andrea (fearless group leader), Jack F, Jack B, and Anne.  Not shown are Ron, Bevin, and Frank. See you next Tuesday!  

Pinterest Put Me in Physical Therapy

Today I have a Guest Blogger.  Diane Skelton is a fellow writer who has charmed our writing group with her humor and sassiness.  Can't wait to see the cover of her first book on Pinterest!

Pinterest put me in physical therapy.  When I was first introduced to the online bulletin board system, I spent nearly ten hours craned over my laptop gathering images. Two days later I awoke looking like a contortionist stuck in a pose. I had a Pinterest-kink in my neck, and the doctor ordered muscle relaxers and five months of physical therapy.

At first, Pinterest captured me and gobbled up a good bit of my writing time. But when I learned to use it productively rather than obsessively - at a better desk, with occasional breaks, and strict adherence to my rules - Pinterest became a great writing tool.  My foremost rule is to never let Pinterest be a diversion from writing -- it must be a tool.  In my profile, I announce my purpose: “I'm a writer working on a series of novels. The main character documents flea markets, sells Hull Pottery, and yearns to own a piece of Newcomb Pottery. These boards reflect my characters & me.”

I collect images of Newcomb pottery, which my main character covets(photo above is courtesy of the Louisiana State Museum); images of Hull pottery, which my main character resells; photos and information about flea market and yard sales, where she shops; and collections of items she seeks for clients. I also pin pictures of places my main character might visit.

It’s occurred to me I’m building a marketing database with Pinterest. Nearly 200 other users follow my boards. They are fellow writers or collectors who like the same things my characters do. Some even repin my images. So my followers shouldn’t be surprised when I “pin” the cover of my first book and invite them to buy a copy.  After all, they’re my target audience.

Visit me here!  http://pinterest.com/dianeskelton/  

­­