Coming out of a funk & celebrating Thanksgiving

I've been in a funk for the past few months and have spent most of my time sitting around making sad faces just like the little pug above.

But if you're going to get out of a funk, I'd say Thanksgiving is a great time to do it. And thanks to a great experience I had over the weekend I'm officially feeling over my funk.

I haven't written much of anything in months and had gotten to a point where I had gone from being excited about writing to deciding I couldn't stand anything I'd ever written and I'd never write again and what was I thinking starting all this anyway? I whined that I hated marketing, I hated social media, I hated my blog, and I basically hated everything. In all honesty I needed someone to do this to me:


Fortunately though I was able to snap out of my funk without having someone slap me in the face.

On Saturday I spoke to a class taught by a friend at the university where I work. The class is designed to support local authors and one of their assignments had been to read my book The Ghosts of Aquinnah. I had been excited about the class when I agreed to participate back in May but as the day drew closer I dreaded it and wished I could simply back out.

I couldn't back out though and that turned out to be a great thing as I had a wonderful time with the class. They were enthusiastic about the book and it was such a treat to hear them talk about my story and my characters and which ones they liked or disliked, etc. Some had brought their books with them for me to sign and a few told me that my book was their favorite of all they had read for the class.

I walked out of the class on cloud nine and I haven't slipped back into my funk since. When talking with the class about my books, it was easy to remember exactly why I had "started all this."

No work I've ever done has given me the sense of personal fulfillment and pure joy that writing and blogging has. I'm so fortunate to have found this outlet, however late in life I did, and I'd have to be a complete idiot to ever give it up.

I can definitely be an idiot but I don't think I'm a complete one. :D

Source: publicdomainpictures

So again, I can't think of a better time to come out of a funk than at Thanksgiving. My family and I have a lot to celebrate this year, as my mom is doing well in her cancer fight and we are cautiously optimistic. But I also want to remember how thankful I am that I started writing and blogging and became a part of such an extraordinary community.

To my American friends, I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving. And to everyone else, a wonderful week ahead. :)

Interview at mainewords,'Tis More Blessed and Happy Thanksgiving

I'm interviewed by the wonderful Marcy at mainewords today and talking about The Ghosts of Aquinnah, among other things. It was such a fun experience to chat with her, and as soon as I learned that she is a Best Friends Animal Society fan like me I knew we were a good match. Please come and visit with us here!

Also, Milo James Fowler, the mind behind Creepy Freebies, has decided to hold a similar giveaway during the month of December.  'Tis More Blessed will be held every Friday of the month and numerous authors, including yours truly, will be giving away books or ebooks throughout the month. Visit Milo here to learn more about the event.

Finally, I wanted to find a cute vintage Thanksgiving image to share here and wish my American friends a Happy Thanksgiving this week, but when I found this picture I couldn't resist sharing it instead. I wouldn't really call it cute, as the children look more than a little disturbed. The little girl's smile is especially deranged.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Psychotic smiling children aside, the sentiment is still a good one. I hope everyone has lots to be thankful for this year, and I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving

Source: Public Domain

We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.  ~ Thornton Wilder

Happy Thanksgiving! 

I am checking out of the blogosphere for the week to enjoy the holiday and to continue to work on my NaNo project. I was really excited to cross over the 30,000 words mark today! 

Next week, Moxie Writers Susan Oloier and Rebecca Green Gasper will be here as part of the Speak Out Against... Blog Tour. Please stop by on Wednesday, November 28th to hear from Susan and Rebecca and learn more about their books Break From You and Outcast. 

Until then, good luck to all of my fellow NaNoers and a very Happy Thanksgiving to all of my American friends.

I hope everyone has a great week! :)

Thanksgiving Week

Image courtesy VintageHolidayCrafts.com

I didn't intend to take a blogging break last week, but that's exactly what happened, as I've still been wrapped up in my writing cocoon and working on my WIP. November has turned out to be a great novel writing month for me, even though I didn't sign up for NaNoWriMo!

I have the good fortune to be off work this week, thanks to a combination of vacation time and the Thanksgiving holiday here in the US. I'm going to continue to take a bit of a break from blogging while I focus on writing, and move closer towards my goal of a completed first draft by the end of this year. 

Best wishes for the week ahead to everyone, and, to the NaNo participants, best of luck as you sprint towards the finish line!

To everyone celebrating the holiday, I wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving, and a wonderful time with your loved ones. 

We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.  ~Thornton Wilder