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I never wanted the same old thing. I was not ready for this winter to turn out like all the others.  It did not.

After a dozen years and ten winters here, there are expectations.  I fear such thing.  Comfort can allow complacency.  I would rather remain stirring in the winds.

The enticement and exhilaration of change.

It can be additive. We crave the new, that which is just out of reach, as does the horse pressing on the barbed wire to get hold of the grass on the other side.

Or so I thought.  Yet I have comfort in this familiar view, the same steaming coffee cup in my hands, the same warm body to wrap my legs around at night, the sound of my dog’s heavy sigh close by as he rolls over contentedly in the early morning when I rouse.  The sound of my son’s steady breathing as he sleeps in the other room with the open door and I tip toe about the cabin building the fire, getting the percolator on the stove, sitting down to write with a cat curled on either side of me.

I don’t want to cling to the familiar, but desire a balance between that which I can hold onto, with that which will not stop from shifting through my fingers.

Without this balance, would we not be floating with our feet firmly planted in the clouds, or in fear of lifting off from the ground and trying to fly?

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History in the making, we are all seeing it in our changing world.  It is frightening but fascinating.  I don’t want to miss it.  I don’t know if there is a thing I can do but help open a few eyes and remind people of the simple beauty of the wilds.  These dying woods are more than just a resource. They are a part of our collective soul.

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A little bit about the book…

Getting ready for the big day. Ups and downs. Talk about expectations!

Maybe it won’t be anything special. But of course it will, because every day is, no matter what they say, and that one is Valentine’s Day.

I was just a writer.  I had time to write. Once you’re published, you become an author, and suddenly, your time is taken up marketing and you don’t have near the time you used to have to write. What’s with that?

When all I want to do is share my words, what I see, a story.  I don’t want to be selling you something.  Like myself.  I ask you this, how do we share our words without selling out?  Make the most without making a mess?

That said, I’m grateful for so many who have shared so much helpful information on just how we to go about promoting our books – if not to sell ourselves, than back to the main focus – sharing our words.  This site, Joanna Penn’s The Creative Penn, tops my list at the moment.  Worth checking out if you’re looking for some good marketing suggestions and how-tos.

Finally, a quick question/request.  Are any of you active members of Goodreads?  I’ve just signed up and am trying to learn the ropes. I’m also looking to see if any of you might willing and able to read and post a review on Goodreads to get the conversation going there. Please let me know if you can help out or have some ideas and suggestions.

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