Yes, it is Valentines' week, or Singles' Awareness Week, or whatever you want to call it. It is the time of year where people go crazy trying to please those they love by giving flowers or jewelry or taking them out to an expensive dinner. Sometimes it works to show love, most times it doesn't. And I still hold to what I said in last week's blog....shouldn't we LOVE daily?
Anyway, I am so excited about tomorrow and Tuesday...February 10th and 11th. Yup, it's that time of year....time when the blow dryers are set to high and the combs and brushes are flying. That's what I'm talking about....The Annual Westminster Dog Show! I don't know about y'all, but...there is just something about watching these beautiful...and smart...animals do their thing in the ring. What is your favorite breed? Why? I love the Yorkies and the Bernes Mountain Dogs, the Schnauzers and the Collies, the Welsh Corgi and the Puli....oh heck, I love them all (well except for a few of the hounds). So after a semi grueling day tomorrow and Tuesday, I can come home to dinner and the dog show. I'm a happy girl.
I also wanted to give you a little background update on the WIWWIW (Why I Write What I Write)
The idea for Bittersweet and subsequent books in the Acorn Hills series was born a few years ago. I began writing as a way to release the negativity that was happening in my life. After three years of frustration from a love relationship that was going nowhere, I tossed what I had written into a file folder and shoved it in my desk. It stayed buried in my files for five years.
When I got on a cleaning frenzy, my desk bore the brunt of my energy. Opening my “file” drawer I found the folder and heard this audible voice saying “You have all you need at your hand.” I didn’t quite understand it, until I pulled the papers from the file. That was in March of 2013.
I continued with the story line and on October 3rd, 2013 I received confirmation from Kindle Direct Publishing that Bittersweet was LIVE. I couldn’t believe it! I actually wrote a novel that was the beginning of a five part series!
These stories are a combination of my life experience, the jobs I’ve had, the places I’ve lived, the people who have crossed my path, and the loves I’ve lost. Mixed into it is a whole lot of imagination. Acorn Hills is a blending of the small town where I grew up, Cut Bank, Montana, and the large city that forever will hold my heart, Portland, Oregon.
My intent is to show the literary community that people who are the “salt and pepper” generation (the over 50 crowd) have so much to contribute to all areas of life. We have wisdom from past relationships, health issues, and children. We are still very much alive and still very much want and need to have love and be loved. We want to share our lives with those around us. We want to experience every adventure to the max until our buckets are overflowing!
This new romance genre is so important to me. It touches a portion of our society who can truly relate to divorce, death of a spouse or child, running businesses, growing older, retirement and/or placing parents in care facilities.
I want to be the person who takes this new romance category, this new “salt and pepper” genre to the masses. I want the words that I write and the stories I tell to truly make a difference in the lives of those who read them. And I want those who read these books to share them with others.
So with all that being said....pour your glass of wine, grab your dinner and join me for the best of the best in the canine world. Have a wonderful week! Love and hugs to all. :)