Last year I turned 70. (I know I should spell that out, but I like writing 7. It's my lucky number.) I know this is a lucky decade for me. I think my first year of the decade has proven that in spades.
In January I traveled to Portage, Michigan for my granddaughter, Eleanor's second birthday. As you can see, her parents are raising a reader.
Two days after her birthday, my debut romance, Time and Forever came out. You know what a gift that is.
Blurb:
1969. Love was free, man walked on the moon, and Sherry and Lorena found the loves of their lives. Sherry shared a kiss that dreams were made of, with a stranger on the tube in London, and ran away. Lorena found the love of her life in Los Angeles and married him.
2014. Sherry’s a successful businesswoman with two grown sons. Lorena’s an actress on a popular sitcom. Sherry’s husband dumped her for a younger woman eighteen years ago. Lorena’s husband died of cancer. Sherry wants a second chance at love. Lorena can’t imagine loving anyone but Dave.
When Lorena finds The Castle, which specializes in Virtual Reality adventures to any point in time, they both jump at the chance to play. But when the door opens to 1969’s London, it’s apparent they’ve walked into more than just a game.
I started sending it out for reviews. So far I have 44 with a 4.9 star rating. I am over the moon about that.
I came home to Los Angeles and took my first course in Musical Improv from UCB's Tara Copeland. I fell in love with the form. My son, Christopher Corbin, decided we would be the only Mother/Son musical improv group. We hired a coach and did our first show. Chris belongs to the Musical Improve group, Meaningful Touch. Stephanie Bentley, one of his team mates, read Time and Forever and loved the characters so much that she offered to do the narration for the audio book.
I think she did a wonderful job.
In May I began traveling, First to Chicago for a wedding, then back to Portage to visit my granddaughter. From there I went to Burlington for my cousin's graduation from college. She's 79 and has already started graduate school.
On Memorial day weekend, my critique group staged a reunion at our partner, Lupe Fernandez's wedding.
I had two months to concentrate on writing and revising. before leaving again.
I submitted a picture book, Mom Is There A Santa? to Guardian Angel Publishing and Lynda Burch accepted it. Hooray. One of my favorite illustrators, K.C. Snider will be illustrating.
In July I went to Brazil to see John of God with a group from my church. A profoundly lovely experience. After that, in rapid succession, I went to Honolulu for a memorial service for my beloved friend, Cynthia Mooney, Seattle, where I attended a Jayne Anne Krentz book signing and Port Angeles to visit my sister, Kelly.
When I came home, I attended the SCBWI Writers retreat - One of my favorite writing events.
I attended the meetings of my local RWA chapter, LARA and met some wonderful encouraging fellow authors. And I discovered some great new reads.
This year I learned that my best revision tool is reading aloud. This tool helped me through the latest revision of my multicultural mid-grade MS, Tasha the Magnificent.
I submitted my WIP, Kate's Hero, to four people. Biggest lesson: My story starts five chapters in, I finished a second draft during NaNoWriMo. There will most definitely be a third draft before I send it out into the world to Beta Readers,
On December 9th I flew to Baltimore to be my friend Donna's chemo partner for nine days. I am amazed at how well she handles it.
While I was there, Time and Forever came out in paperback. I immediately ordered a copy for Donna. She is a voracious reader and prefers real books. Donna had already been through the first fifteen books I sent her, She read the book in two hours! If I could read that fast, my life would be a lot simpler. Donna had read a beta version and wasn't impressed. I am happy to say this time she loved it. I loved holding my first paperback.
On December 18th I flew to Portage to spend Christmas with Jim, Mary and Ella. We are having a wonderful, but tiring time. Ella's sleep schedule has turned erratic.
If you'd like a Christmas bit of Doggerel, I also post at Pen and Ink and this week, it's my turn.
I wish all of us Holidays touched with magic and a bright and creative New Year.
Of course I have a giveaway:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
In January I traveled to Portage, Michigan for my granddaughter, Eleanor's second birthday. As you can see, her parents are raising a reader.
Blurb:
1969. Love was free, man walked on the moon, and Sherry and Lorena found the loves of their lives. Sherry shared a kiss that dreams were made of, with a stranger on the tube in London, and ran away. Lorena found the love of her life in Los Angeles and married him.
2014. Sherry’s a successful businesswoman with two grown sons. Lorena’s an actress on a popular sitcom. Sherry’s husband dumped her for a younger woman eighteen years ago. Lorena’s husband died of cancer. Sherry wants a second chance at love. Lorena can’t imagine loving anyone but Dave.
When Lorena finds The Castle, which specializes in Virtual Reality adventures to any point in time, they both jump at the chance to play. But when the door opens to 1969’s London, it’s apparent they’ve walked into more than just a game.
I started sending it out for reviews. So far I have 44 with a 4.9 star rating. I am over the moon about that.
I think she did a wonderful job.
In May I began traveling, First to Chicago for a wedding, then back to Portage to visit my granddaughter. From there I went to Burlington for my cousin's graduation from college. She's 79 and has already started graduate school.
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| Luiz Guzman and Ansley Carnahan |
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| Pen and Ink and adjunct correspondents. Victoria Krol, Lupe Fernandez, David Krol, Susan Berger, Kris Kahrs, Angel Fernandez, Hilde Garcia Krol and Sam Krol |
I submitted a picture book, Mom Is There A Santa? to Guardian Angel Publishing and Lynda Burch accepted it. Hooray. One of my favorite illustrators, K.C. Snider will be illustrating.
When I came home, I attended the SCBWI Writers retreat - One of my favorite writing events.
I attended the meetings of my local RWA chapter, LARA and met some wonderful encouraging fellow authors. And I discovered some great new reads.
This year I learned that my best revision tool is reading aloud. This tool helped me through the latest revision of my multicultural mid-grade MS, Tasha the Magnificent.
I submitted my WIP, Kate's Hero, to four people. Biggest lesson: My story starts five chapters in, I finished a second draft during NaNoWriMo. There will most definitely be a third draft before I send it out into the world to Beta Readers,
On December 9th I flew to Baltimore to be my friend Donna's chemo partner for nine days. I am amazed at how well she handles it.
On December 18th I flew to Portage to spend Christmas with Jim, Mary and Ella. We are having a wonderful, but tiring time. Ella's sleep schedule has turned erratic.
If you'd like a Christmas bit of Doggerel, I also post at Pen and Ink and this week, it's my turn.
I wish all of us Holidays touched with magic and a bright and creative New Year.
Of course I have a giveaway:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
What a lovely walk down your memory lane. It sounds like you had a very full and interesting 2014. You've got a ton more energy than me! : ) Here's to a wonderful Christmas, and a super 2015!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on an amazing year! Enjoy the holidays (a well-deserved break) and best wishes for 2015.
ReplyDeleteHi Susan,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your year of experience and travels! Wowie Zowie. A lot has happened. I hope you get some rest over the holidays so you can keep up this mad pace. Congratulations on "Time and Forever." I loved it. I think it's a near perfect book. I'm honored to be a reviewer.