Category Archives: Writing

My State of Writing

December, 2017Blogging, Book Clubs, Editing, Gratitude, Speaking engagements, St. Augustine, Writing, Writing BusinessAuthor Talks, blogging, Critique, editing, Friends and Family, Gratitude, St. Augustine, writing, writing craftcarolyn

I’ve struggled a lot these past few months to blog consistently. So often, that’s the writing I push to the back burner when life pops up with tedious little requirements like grocery shopping and feeding the family. 😉 It’s a bummer, putting it off, because while blogging isn’t my favorite form of writing, overall I enjoy it when I’ve had time to think over what I want to say. And like most things, I’m better at blogging when I practice more.

One decent side effect is that though blogging took a back seat, the editing on Treasure Bound continues on a semi-regular basis. I feel slow as a sloth at that, but I can honestly say I’ve kept up with the edits for the last few weeks. I wish I could work faster, but at least I feel the changes are substantial and accurate. I know someone will find fault with something in the book—maybe a detail about the Puente Map, or a liberty I took with the Castillo—but I’m trying hard to make my story as correct and entertaining as possible.

With all this said, then, I decided my December blog would be sort of a year-end recap of me and my writing life, along with a little progress report on Treasure Bound. So here goes.

Some of you may recall I started out on a good writing note this year. I had my blog up and running and produced two pieces a month (my 2017 New Year’s Writing Resolution) for a couple early months. I’m sad my resolution was shorter-lived than I’d hoped for. I’d tried something new this year, a formal editorial calendar and a social-media-post suggestion list. They both worked very well … to the extent I used them. Agh. After a short time, the printed lists became buried on my desk, only to be seen when I remembered to shuffle through the piles of paper.

Still, I have to say the quantity and quality of much of my writing (and marketing) has improved over last year. For that, I’m truly happy and glad. And along the way, I’ve had some fantastic experiences, too. This was a year of fun writing firsts: I guest spoke at a local book club where I discussed Emerald Obsession, answered questions, and read an excerpt from Treasure Bound; I hosted my first EO author signing in downtown Saint Augustine. I’m honored to say my signing was the best they’d hosted, despite being set up on short notice. Thanks again, AnaRosa Burke, for your incredible support! Also, this year saw me make new writer friends when asked to participate in my first Flash Fiction Blast hosted by my friend, fellow author Rita Henuber. Positive reviews and comments on my short, “Bitter,” gave me a lift, especially during the ongoing TB edit process.

And in between that, our Irma-extended trip to the Czech Republic, an extreme poison ivy allergic reaction, Thanksgiving week in a Georgia mountains cabin, still sticking with the crazy-but-interesting part-time job, freelancing here and there for NY, trying to finish the detail work and décor on our house, and taking care of the household and my hub, I’ve squeezed in time for editing Treasure Bound.

If you remember, I had that big ol’ cow in June when I realized I’d only half-written the story on my computer and had the other half scribbled longhand in my notebook. In mish-mash pieces, no less. Boy, was that a kick in the butt. But I’m happy to report progress!

Not that I have an updated word count to give you…yet. I’m still working through the whole story, adding scenes and transitions to the original “half” I’d keyed into my laptop. Right now, I’m only three-quarters of the way through. But, I’m fleshing out the secondary characters and subplots, and my critique group’s feedback is very positive. Yay.

Those of you familiar with the “exciting” ways of editing know that once I finish this second editing round, I’ll go through everything again. And again, and likely again. During each round of edits you read for something different. Though this stage can be draining, I sort of enjoy it, because that’s where I polish the story to a hopefully brilliant shine.

I’ll be excited to finish this round, though, because then I’ll reprint the entire manuscript and will read through all the additions in as few sittings as possible to check for flow and consistency. I’m prepared for the likelihood I’ll still need to write more, too. Not crazy about the possibility, but that’ll be an update for next year…hopefully early next year!

So that’s about it from my end. Crazy life, crazy book status, but s’all good. And all manageable.

Before I sign off for this year, I’d like to thank you all once more for traveling this sometimes-bumpy path with me. The company sure helps keep me sane. 🙂

And I wish you and your families, friends, loved ones a wonderfully Merry Christmas and a joyous, festive, peaceful, and loving New Year. May the best spirit of the holiday season stay with you year-round!

Hugs from me……….

Writing Out The Storms

October, 2017Blogging, Gratitude, St. Augustine, Writing, Writing and Emotions, Writing Craftblogging, Emotions, Experience, Friends and Family, Gratitude, St. Augustine, writing, writing craftcarolyn

This morning, I sat wondering for a few minutes if it’s “bad form” to begin a blog post with an addendum. A quick Google search on addendum placement yielded too many unnecessary bits, so I’ve decided just to go with it.

So here it is: I was supposed to post the following blog over two weeks ago. In the interim, a devastating earthquake ravaged Mexico, Hurricane Maria inundated an already-decimated Puerto Rico, and a gunman slaughtered 58 innocent people in the worst mass shooting in U.S. history.

Some days, I feel so deeply hurt that I hardly know what to do. I certainly don’t always feel like writing. And even when I do, the words don’t necessarily come out the way I’d like.

With all the madness in the world swirling around, I also had a smaller, though personal, issue to deal with, the poison ivy/oak I mention below. Apparently, I’m severely allergic, so I’ve spent almost 3 weeks on steroids and dealing with swollen and blistered arms and a rashy body. The drugs gave me woozy head, and sitting down to write or brainstorm yielded nothing good.

Well, I’m slowly returning to the land of my living, and still processing the incredible events of these past weeks, trying to make sense of what I can and trying to keep going in a positive way. I hope you’ll take a few more minutes to zip through the rest of my original post below. And I truly hope this finds you well and striving to be happy in this crazy world. Thanks for spending some of your time with me! <3

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I’m not sure if Hurricane Irma wiped out all my thoughts and blog ideas in a wild, massive rush of wind, but it sure feels like that tricky witch did something to my brain. Though I can’t say exactly how she managed to do so, since I was about 5000 miles away in Europe when she hit my home in Florida.

As happens more often than not, this isn’t the blog I’d planned to write. But as circumstances change often and quickly, I usually try to go with the flow. When it comes to writing, that feels most natural and hopefully, therefore, is the best writing I can do.

When Irma blasted the Caribbean and the Southeast, my reaction was different this time than with Matthew last year, because I couldn’t return from Europe. I’ve only been home for one week, and it’s been hard to get back into writing.

I want to write again—especially, to work on the edits for Treasure Bound—but I don’t have the words yet. My creative brain has disconnected or something. Not a breaking off, but more like a pulling away to process what’s happened in the world.

Too overwhelmed with reality? No, that’s not it. Reality often overwhelms me ; ) so that’s nothing new. (October note: Hah! If only I’d known how much worse things would get. It all feels so unreal still.)

And maybe I’ll come back tomorrow to reread this before posting and will feel completely different. Tiredness impacts my creativity, and we’ve been tired a lot since we began following Irma’s antics almost three weeks ago.

Let me back up a moment. You see, my husband and I had planned a relatively last-minute visit to his family in the Czech Republic, and we were due to fly home—to Orlando airport—on September 9. The airline, Irma, and MCO all had other ideas, though.

So, we spent many hours on the phone with various people and places and eventually were able to book a flight home on September 15.

But I have to say, not being here—home—to ride out the storm brought me a different sort of anxiety. It felt strange and wrong not to be here, to be too far away to help, to know if family, friends, home were all right.

So, I guess I’m still sorting through the different levels of emotion and tiredness that’ve followed me. Though we did enjoy our extra time away, it was more stressful than you’d think, and the travel home kept us awake for almost 26 hours.

In all, though, we’re immensely grateful that our friends and family are all right. Things are so much worse for so many, and my heart breaks with the latest news from the Caribbean and Mexico. How truly overwhelming.

So from my perspective, the few more downed trees we had, though sad to see and to lose, are merely proof that far greater things than us exist. It’s a process, though, dealing with the changes and problems. I don’t downshift that quickly, unfortunately.

A small segue: I do have to sneak in a photo or two of our yard here, because Lou and I could hardly believe what had happened on the rear of our property. A huge tree with water-logged roots toppled, ripping up a chunk of ground. Check out this mass of dirt and roots!

Fortunately, when he cut the tree apart, the stump rose and the dirt/roots have settled back into position. But I wonder how long that’ll last.

The almost-week’s-worth of jungle clean-up did leave me with one other present: a nasty occurrence of poison something-or-other, worse than last year, it feels. So, just add steroiding myself to the list of “out there” feelings, and I think we’ve got the lack-of-writing issue mostly clarified.

Anyhoo…maybe writing this blog will help get my head on straight. Though I did write some on vacation, it was without regularity and not often. Me falling off the writing wagon is not pretty, as it takes several ugly attempts before I can claw my way up again. Think I’m finally getting there, though. I hope. : )

And here’s a nice ending to this post: the birds are coming back. A blue jay streaked by the window and nestled in the pine tree. And a pretty bright-red cardinal just landed on the orange tree outside, perched amid the yellow-lime fruits, which I hope survive till ripeness.

Happiness, seeing that flash of crimson and imperious crown, since I think of angels when I see cardinals. And I have a few special guardians I know are looking out for me and my hub, through all the madness this world can throw at us. <3 Stay strong.

Writing Forts

July, 2017Blogging, History, St. Augustine, Writing, Writing locations, Writing the senses, Writing tipsblogging, Castillo de San Marcos, Experience, Exploration, Inspiration, Learning, sensory writing, St. Augustine, tips, writingcarolyn

Nothing screams “summer blog post” more than a hulking, stone fort, am I right? Suuure. I can see the heads shaking. What you’re probably asking yourselves is: What does a fort have to do with writing? Well, let me tell you about that.

I’m always on the hunt for relevant writing-life ideas to blog about, things both useful and personal. I hope you learn something fun and different after reading my posts, that you engage in your own writing or reading in a new way, become inspired to change something in your writing repertoire or habits. See things from a fresh perspective.

So to find ideas, I check out the holiday calendars to see what’s going on, I read other author blogs (check out this list for some cool ones, but be warned, some links are out of date), I review Writer’s Digest and other online sources for inspiration.

And sometimes I simply walk outside and see what my imagination fires up. In the case of this month’s post, “Writing Forts,” my inspiration was two-fold: calendar spark and walkabout spark.

One of the many things I love about St. Augustine is its history. One big chunk of that history is the Castillo de San Marcos, a National Park, located at the northeastern edge of historic downtown. With July named as National Park and Recreation Month (the calendar spark), and me so enamored of this massive fortress—also a designated National Monument—I knew I had to blog about it.

Which leads me to spark number two, the walkabout. Because I’m fortunate to have this historic fort in my backyard, I’m free to wander the grounds for inspiration whenever I’m able to go downtown (and able to find parking).

Water in the moat of the Castillo de San Marcos

Those of you who’ve read my previous posts know how much I love being outdoors, love Florida’s warm, mostly sunny weather. I carry my notebook everywhere, and I love writing longhand outside. Weather permitting, naturally, but also in the rain. As long as I’m covered and my notebook is dry, I’m good.

Sometimes, writing in the rain is actually better, depending on the scene. A moody, rainy day can be perfect for stalking, murder, surprise attack, even simply an eerie feeling or two. I think you get my point. Writing outside or somehow exposed to the elements, exposed to the ambience of a historic space, imbues my writing with a vitality I can’t always capture when sitting at my computer behind a desk and gazing through the window. Kinda like life, you know. Sometimes you have to stop reading and writing about it and go out and live it.

Now, about this fabulous fort. I’m intrigued by history (I’m not a buff, mind you, but forever learning). Those of you who’ve read Emerald Obsession know that while it’s a contemporary mystery, it has its roots in history. The Castillo has survived over 300 years as the oldest masonry fortress in the United States.

Rambling over the fort grounds, reading the educational material the park rangers offer, climbing stone steps to look over the Matanzas River and all the way to the Atlantic Ocean, steeping myself in the environment and knowledge of its age brings the fort’s history to life, helps me imagine what living there centuries ago could’ve been like.

Being able to experience such a unique piece of history firsthand is extraordinary. When I walk through historic places, I feel the weight of time surround me. I feel the lives and deaths of those who passed that way before me. A quiet settles in, respectful and deep. I knew the fort would find its way into my writing somewhere, somehow.

And here’s where I get to tease a little info about Treasure Bound, Book Two in my Found Mystery Series. I’m so excited. This story follows up Emerald Obsession to continue Lexy and Jack’s treasure hunt, and part of the story takes place in St. Augustine. Surprise, there’s also a scene or two set at the fort. Hope I do it justice.

To learn more about the Castillo de San Marcos, click here. It’s one of my favorite places in St. Augustine. And don’t forget to take your writing outside! You may not have a fort at your disposal, but any outdoor spot will offer a new angle and enliven your writing.

As ever, to weigh in on this or any of my posts, please share, share, share in the comments section, or on social media. You can find me in all the usual places. Thanks again. : )

It’s True, I Do Exist. But TB Is Half Missing.

June, 2017Blogging, Editing, Writing, Writing Craft, Writing timeblogging, Critique, editing, Publishing, writing, writing craftcarolyn

The pinned post on my Twitter page is a photo of my first printed copies of Emerald Obsession with the comment: “It’s true, they do exist!”

That sentiment feels applicable to me today as I sit at my computer and—once again—attempt to finish my (one and only) June Blog. I started this post earlier in the month, and it had an entirely different vibe. I’m a little sad to say it was a better vibe then than now, though the change in vibration is not permanent nor completely overwhelming.

Here’s the gist: my original plan for this post was a progress update on Book Two of my series. I had completed the first draft of Treasure Bound, TB, as I still call it, and had in mind to scoop you on a few of the next steps: first-round edits, adding in a few transition scenes, prelim brainstorming for cover design and final title. Yeah, I was being optimistic; I liked how TB had wrapped up.

But no. That is not happening.

I began writing the blog while still organizing my electronic files and before I finished my critique-group edits. For your laughter and entertainment, check out these photos of my initial pile of work:

Once I made those edits, I printed the hardcopy files again and did a word count. That’s when I had a minor (okay, not-so-minor) cow.

Turns out, my much-loved (by me) sequel is not nearly as long as I thought it was. More to the point, it’s only about half the length of Emerald Obsession. OMG. I’m still uncertain as to how that happened, since the story feels much fuller even now. But I digress.

Now, since this is a sequel, and there’s a third (and final) book still to come, it’s not a problem that TB is shorter, but that was quite a helluva lot shorter than I’d expected. My plan for the editing stage had always been to write additional scenes to smooth out a couple of plot points, but this will require a chunk more writing. Ugh.

Well, not necessarily “ugh.” I do love writing, after all, and really, this is just more writing on a story I already really enjoy. The “ugh” comes into play because I’d anticipated publishing either end of this year or early next. See this photo? Notice the deadline I’d given myself?

Now that’s questionable. Not impossible, but questionable.

So, dear readers and friends, there you have it. Partly I’ve been MIA as I’ve tried to cope with this writing setback, partly because I’ve already begun work to flush out certain aspects of the storyline (yay), and partly because I’m still working ri-donk-ulous shifts at the “day” job, which severely interferes with my creative brain power and awakeness. Ah, the joy. Wink, wink. But I do exist!

To think, this month started with so much promise. I’d just held my first book signing for Emerald Obsession, courtesy of the fab folks at The Starving Artist Gallery, and was high as a kite over the response—I sold all but two books! Their best signing!!

And now this. Guess it’s back to reality and back to work for me.

Thanks for sticking by me through the mayhem. Oh, did I mention that in between, the hub and I managed to buy a couch and a bedroom set and mattress? Yay!! We’re finally living in almost-adulthood, like the real people do! So, it’s been a wild ride these past two months, as per usual. Guess some things don’t change.

Thoughts? Share a laugh? Cringe at the delay in TB? Please feel free to share your comments below or by email. I really do like to hear from you. Thanks and wish me luck on the additions. I’ll be sure to keep you posted.

Stress Management and the Zen of Journaling

May, 2017Stress Management, Writing, Writing tipsDiary, Experience, Journal, Journaling, Learning, management routines, Stress management, tips, writingcarolyn

People live with varying amounts of stress, and I totally admit I make my share too easily, despite my intention to simplify things. Is that ironic? No, probably just slow learning on my part. But what starts out simple often morphs into something complex faster than I can keep up.

Case in point: this is (one of) my April blog(s)—that’s a whole other story right there, the tale of my lost second blog of the month—and here I am, posting it in May.

Should I mention this post was prompted by learning that April is Stress Awareness Month? Well, there you go. Welcome, May; hello, Stress, I am aware of you; and, am I on the ball these days or what?

Despite the date, I wanted to share this post because I’m pretty damn sure everyone can relate to the stress in their lives getting out of hand now and again. Worse, perhaps way more often than that. And while I’m no police officer or doctor or someone who holds others’ lives in their hands, stress is real and evident in each person’s life to varying degrees, and that stress needs a release before it takes a physical, mental, emotional toll on a person.

Having said my little piece about that, life—as ever, it seems—has been a tad taxing, so I’d like to share how journaling helps me cope.

On one level, writing is stress-inducing because I’m striving to make my living with it. Learning the intricacies of publishing, marketing, blogging? Switching mental gears from the other aspects of everyday life to something creative? Creating compelling stories to share in the hopes readers will enjoy them? No stress there. ; )

On the flip side, writing is incredibly stress-relieving in another form. I’m talking about journaling, keeping a diary. Or in my world, AKA writing to a therapist without paying for one. ; )

I’ve kept a journal, diary or daily calendar for most of my life. Doing so goes back to my first real diary, which still lives somewhere in my mom’s basement in a dusty cardboard box with my name scrawled in black Sharpie on the outside. Prior to receiving that journal, I vaguely recall using cute, pink notebooks (Hello, Kitty, anyone?) for my scribblings. But being presented with that book—a most-cherished gift—was a turning point.

The perfect-bound book is small but meaty. It’s about 4 inches wide by 5 tall, an inch thick with lavender-lined, white pages dated for every day of the year. No year, though, just days, and I wrote in the diary for many years, on and off, when the mood struck and the need great. When I look at the pages now, I see the rounded loops of my childish cursive mingling with the flatter scrawl of my “grown-up” script.

The cover looks like bleached leather, off-white and semi-smooth, with the word “Diary” debossed in gold lettering.

But perhaps the best part of this notebook was the tiny lock and key that protected all my secrets. That lock freed me. Finally, I had a place to pour out my heart without fear of ridicule or retaliation. For a sensitive young girl like me, that was gold in paper form.

I didn’t understand at the time, but that diary would help me in immeasurable ways. Writing as a career can be exceedingly stressful, but writing for passion, for catharsis, is one of the best stress reducers I know. And a handy side effect: journaling is practically free.

For those of you who’ve not journaled yet, I encourage you to try. Maybe the best part is that you can (and perhaps should) write about anything. When I write in my calendar or a spiral notebook—my diary of choice these days because it opens flat—I’ll jot whatever comes to mind. Sometimes what happened during the day, what new food I made, or what errands I ran. I might segue into a mini rant on the bad drivers around me. Or a musing on the nice person in line who pointed out I’d dropped a five-dollar bill.

In its longer form, my notebook holds nighttime secrets, dream depictions that lingered until the next morning. Lots of folks are big into dream analysis; I’m intrigued by that, and I try to note my more unique experiences, either to try to decipher them or simply for later amusement. Whenever I die, whoever reads those dream notebooks will have a field day with my mental state, I’m sure.

Anyhoo, my point is writing in this manner is a release. Putting words to paper releases the emotion—good and bad—that fills my day. When it’s good, writing it solidifies the feeling and helps me enjoy it longer. When it’s bad emotion (stress), I’m able to channel it away to a large extent.

Remember Julia Roberts’s line from Pretty Woman? “The bad stuff is easier to believe. You ever notice that?” It’s always stayed with me because I feel like the bad stuff is also what really sticks with us. Too often, the good stuff falls by the wayside, easily forgotten or overtaken by some other worrisome feeling. So, writing the good stuff is how I enjoy and retain that happy feeling, how I focus on the good when all the mayhem tries to sneak in and overwhelm me.

And writing the bad stuff is how I expel my anger, alleviate the immediate pressure, vent my sadness and confusion and worry. When I need to, I can return to my spewage later to evaluate my reaction, to understand why I responded as I did. To view my stress from a safe distance and work through my problems with a clearer head. Wow, talk about handy.

So, readers, does any of this resonate with you? Who of you have journaled or written in a diary of any form? It’s a practice I’ll keep for my entire life, I’m sure. I hope you found something useful in this post, and that maybe I’ve offered a reason for you to start scribbling in a diary or notebook. It does wonders! Please share your thoughts below. Thanks, and have a brilliant day.

Stability in a Whirlwind

March, 2017Blogging, New opportunities, Time Management, Writing, Writing timeblogging, editing, Exploration, Gratitude, Learning, management routines, Opportunity, time management, writingcarolyn

I’m not one of those bloggers who writes articles in advance and has a stash ready to go at a moment’s notice, aided into the etherworld with the assistance of some tech-savvy social-media-managing app like Hootsuite. I’m one of those think-of-an-idea-then-write-it-when-I-make-time bloggers. Which is why—when generalized mayhem strikes as it did this lovely month of March (some good, some bad)—I found myself ill-prepared to post either of my two blogs-to-be this month.

Well, sort of, since—if luck/determination/the internet all cooperate with me—this post will hopefully go live on my website on March 31. Thereby letting me say at least one of my March blogs posted this month.

I’ve mentioned before how blogging doesn’t come easily to me, but that I enjoy it for the most part (best of all when I feel I have something fun and/or useful to share). But I like to take time to think over what I’m blogging about, make sure I feel it’s relevant to my readers.

So, why did I choose to add yet another serving to my already-full plate? Because that’s exactly what I’ve done.

In the form of starting a new part-time job in February. Man alive, I’m still shaking my head at myself, wondering whether adding such time-consuming madness to my life was smart to do.

So here I am, one(ish) month later, and going strong. For the most part. I’ll share a little bit about the decision without naming names because I’m still in the trial phase as far as I’m concerned.

Friends and readers, you know I like to learn new things. Pretty much all the time. So when I heard of the opportunity of a part-time job at a company I like, whose products I use often, and where I stood to learn a great deal about subjects of interest to me, I jumped. And by that I mean I applied, talked things over with my hub, aced the interview and was hired in a matter of a few days. Hello, whirlwind.

There are other layers of logic to my decision besides wanting to learn, though, not the least of which is dropping a few extra bucks in the bank. Having worked from home for the past four years, I also looked forward to a different job environment and new people. And I relished the idea of committing to a real schedule again, something that often proves difficult to maintain in the home-office world.

And that, dear readers, is proving the most challenging part of this. I enjoy the job, all that I’m learning, the people (most of them, let’s be honest), the environment. But the schedule … that leaves much to be desired. To say it’s random is an understatement. Erratic and changeable are better words by far.

Which leaves me with a potential problem. Those who follow my blogs and Facebook and Twitter posts know I’m struggling to complete the sequel to Emerald Obsession. I’m near the end of writing the first draft of Treasure Bound, but after that I have months of editing and other work.

Well, I’m someone who often reacts better to exterior deadlines than self-induced ones. My thought process behind starting a new part-time job included the belief a more structured daily routine would benefit my writing; it would super-charge my daily habits and keep my writing time regimented and productive.

Sadly, I’m not sure that’ll prove true. Though I’m game to keep working for a while longer. Five weeks isn’t enough time for me to feel I’ve gotten the entire job/schedule picture, so I’ll continue to test the waters. But I fear the inconsistent nature of the company’s scheduling, which I wasn’t clear on at the onset, won’t jive with what I need from a part-time job right now.

Either way, readers and friends, I’ll keep you posted on how things go. March had so many other things happening concurrent with starting the new job that maybe April will bring a settling down to life.

Either way, I’m a blessed person. My mom just left after a fun visit, today would’ve been Fodda’s 86^th birthday; the sun shines bright in the morning sky, the hub smiles and things are right in my world. I hope they are in yours, too. Keep on, right? I’ll just keep on, keeping on. See you again soon.

Book Club Brilliance

February, 2017Book Clubs, Gratitude, Indie Publishing, Reading, Speaking engagements, St. Augustine, Writing, Writing Business, Writing CraftAuthor Talks, Book Club, Critique, Experience, Food writing, Gratitude, Indie Publishing, Learning, Opportunity, Reading, St. Augustine, writing, writing craftcarolyn

Every year, February’s brevity catches up with me, no matter how many times I remind myself it’s a short month. In my effort to keep on schedule, I’m squeaking in my second February blog with a few hours to spare. Whee! I’m lucky, though, because I have a fun topic for this post: book clubs. More specifically, my first invitation to attend a book club and to join the discussion as the author of the group’s chosen monthly read! What a freaking treat for me. : )

Through the most excellent graces of my friend Monika—she talked me up to her friend Melissa who’s part of this club—I was introduced to a wonderful group of authentic, candid readers who are in love with books.

As much as I appreciate book clubs, I haven’t participated in one before, even as a reader. And it hadn’t occurred to me to offer to speak to or participate in a book club discussion as a writer. Those of you who’ve followed my blog from the onset know I feel challenged by marketing and putting myself out there as an author.

And I’ll share this: discussing books and telling stories to friends is one thing, but stepping into the spotlight of this group felt so intimidating. It’s an entirely different experience to sit before a group of intelligent, time-pressed individuals who purchased your book on someone’s recommendation and then be held accountable for your words, creativity and entertainment value. I mean, what if these people hated my book? Or found inconsistencies? Or thought it too simplistic? I’ll say again, a tad bit intimidating.

That was, until I met this group of lovely people. Well-read, well-traveled, outspoken and outgoing, these women welcomed me and treated me like a friend while being honored I, “a local author,” joined their discussion.

And let me tell you, these guys do Book Club right: their once-a-month evening meeting begins with catch-up chats over a welcoming glass of vino and simple starters, is followed by a delicious, no-fuss meal (we enjoyed chicken chili, salad and fresh fruit; I’m hoping Natalie will hook me up with that recipe!), and culminates in the discussion of that month’s selected title. Their discussion format is straightforward and begins with the host opening with a book-related question or discussion topic to get the ball rolling. The conversation is free-form, with members commenting and asking additional questions until by consensus the evening ends. Simple, fun, effective, entertaining.

Every writer I know struggles with the desire to share stories but not to feel rejected by those who dislike, don’t understand or fear them. And we struggle with how to tell those stories the best we possibly can. The club’s questions were engaging and thought-provoking and even gave me ideas for a couple points I plan to work into the sequel I’m writing now, TB. Though a bit unnerving in the anticipation, in all ways, this experience was fantastic: the welcome, the interest, the engagement, the thoughtful and valuable questions and comments.

Though the group said they felt honored by my presence, I have to say I’m the one who was pleased and humbled by their invitation. They welcomed me and my story, Emerald Obsession, into their lives for a time; they allowed themselves to be carried away by my characters’ antics and transported to unfamiliar locales where they feasted on exotic fare. How fortunate am I?

Special thanks to: Melissa, Natalie, Leslie, Carolyn, Sarah, Kathy, Eleanor, Maggie, the fab ladies of (mostly) Davis Shores for their warmth, interest and welcome. Also, for your encouraging response to the vignette I read from Treasure Bound, my work-in-progress sequel.

You guys rock. Read on, ladies!

So, readers, do you belong to a book club? How does yours work? As I mentioned, I haven’t been in one before, but this experience really made me want to start. How about you? Let me know below or by email (carolyn@carolyngreeley.com). Thanks!