Monthly Archives: November 2025

A Land of My Own for Thanksgiving

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This is my favorite week of the year. Thanksgiving. It always has been and I think it’s because my family spent it at my grandparent’s farm where I could take long walks with the birddog, find a spot along the creek, sit and write, for as long as I wanted.

I didn’t have the responsibly of planning, purchasing or cooking any meals, my mom did that. So I was free to roam, dream and write.

To paraphrase Virginia Wolfe, my “room of my own” was the outdoors. That’s where I could be alone for long periods of time. I didn’t have to engage with family, do chores, hear the TV.

We drove from our suburban home to the farm almost every weekend when I was growing up. So I had weekends to wander and much of the summer to do the same. Thanksgiving week held a special appeal and I’m still sorting out why it felt so different.

It might be because that was when the Texas weather switched from hot and dry to chilly and wet. The clouds created a tent of privacy where it was ok to lounge. That’s what I was doing, lounging outside with my journal and imagination.

The yearning to be outdoors has never left.

I live in the city though and it’s so hard to find a remote place where it’s ok for me to wander, sit and write.

Rather than a “room of my own” maybe I need “a land of my own.”

Promoting My Book: A Day at the Bookstores

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Yesterday was the first day I visited bookstores to introduce myself and ask for them to carry Under The Autumn Moon and schedule in store appearances.

I had my book, a bookmark and a promotional flyer to provide the decision-makers. I went to two bookstores. One asked if I’d been to their website and registered my book. “Yes.”

“Good. That’s the first step because we have more than one hundred authors apply every month.”

“That’s why I also wanted to stop by in person to introduce myself.” (hoping you’ll like me)

The second bookstore was more disappointing as they couldn’t find my book in their system. I googled it for them and showed it was in their system.

“Hmm. Well, let me give you the email for the person who can help you better than I can.”

On and on.

Writing a book is the easy part. Promoting it is rough.

This morning though, I was fine-tuning, probably for the seventeenth time, my next book. I felt very good about my edits and realized I was done. It is ready to send to my editor and publishing partner.

Then I felt tremendous sadness. The loss of not being able to sit every morning and listen to what my characters want me to write about their lives. We have completed that part.

Now I need to do all the things that have to be accomplished to share their story with the world.

Already the next lead character is whispering in my ear, “Can you please tell me story now?”

Finding Balance: The Writer’s Dilemma

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I’m exhausted by noon most days, just like my cat, Panda, pictured above.

By noon most days, I’ve been on my bike to the nearby cafe, checked the news (briefly), posted on social media promoting Under The Autumn Moon and then settled in to work on my next book (which was actually drafted before I ever thought of Under The Autumn Moon).

This pattern actually worked very well with Autumn Moon and the book flowed easily.

It’s not flowing as well with this story and it’s because I feel I’m on the hamster wheel of marketing/promoting, marketing/promoting…

The energy is completely different. I’m not living with my characters, I’m watching them. I’m thinking how they will be attractive to readers rather than just capturing their story. I’ve apologized to these “people”multiple times. They have trusted me with their tale and I keep saying, “But what about if I do this and change that.”

Tori (my son’s beloved) told me I need to find a cabin in the woods and sequester myself. A sleep, eat, walk, write pattern sounds appealing, but I’m not confident I would stick to it. A strange doubt because I’m very goal oriented and driven to meet deadlines.

As I write this, I keep glancing at the clock as it ticks toward 3 PM and I think how I haven’t done any exercise today, just a couple of short walks which don’t count as exercise, just movement.

I’m still thrilled to have published a book now, along with some previous poems and short fiction.

I just want to cloak myself in my writer’s world again.