On signing books, guest blogging and being called a “Breakout editor…”

I feel like much of my days are spent playing catch up. For a while there, I was on a roll, posting in sync with daily blog tour stops, updating everyone on new events and appearances, etc. And then I took what I didn’t intend to be a break, but turned out to be one, and now here I am, with so much to tell all at once.

First, yesterday’s blog tour stop. It was at author Annabeth Leong’s place and I wrote a guest post about cars and sex, one of the many sub themes in Can’t Get Enough. You can see it here if you missed it yesterday.

We also earned our 6th 5 star Amazon review yesterday. Very flattering. One of the best yet. Here it is.

Secondly, the book signing. It was this past Saturday at a Books-A-Million in Lawrenceville, GA. By that time I had done a one and a half hour reading with a wonderful group of ladies and was less shaky about appearing in public. Plus, I wouldn’t be required to say the words fuck, pussy or cock in a crowded room. All I had to do was sit there, a table with my books stacked in front of me and wait for the customers to come by, pick up a book and have me sign it. Except, for the first hour plus, I didn’t sign anything.

Well, that’s not completely true. Within the first ten minutes a woman approached me excitedly and asked for my autograph (not in a book, but in her little notebook where she collects them, but still…). I happily gave it to her though I’m still getting used to autographing things and am pretty insecure about my penmanship when do so. But anyway, she asked for a hug which I gladly gave. Hugs are easy. Hugs are reassuring, I can do hugs with no problem. I forgot to take her picture though.

In the last thirty minutes a woman came by and bought a book for herself and one for her book club. That made me extremely happy. Then, who I eventually found out was Gary Wit Da Tea from The Rickey Smiley Show came by, bought a book and took a picture with me. He also bought both my signing mates book (it was Lewis Ericson, BTW). My day was made after that, and then it was time for me to go.

Over the weekend an idea had been brewing in my mind re: marketing and I’m thinking and hoping something will happen with that soon. But, the hubs Googled me today and saw this.

I’m sure there are words sufficient enough to describe how unbelievable happy and proud this makes me, but right now, I just don’t have them. All I have is this feeling of shock and awe. Oh, and nerves out of this world.

Book Clubs Black Expressions and Divas Read 2 are excited, and so am I!

As the release of #CantGetEnough nears, I can’t help but occasionally type the words in my favorite search engine and see what pops up. Is there a new review? Are more online book stores stocking the book? Well, this afternoon I found something even better, a new to me online book club, Divas Read 2, listed my little old book as a book to watch for!

I put this right up there with my excitement when I found out a little while ago that Black Expressions Book Club had taken on the book as a featured read.

I am honored. I am surprised. I am speechless (but you could tell that by my postless blog, right?).

I am ever so thankful for this opportunity and am so excited about where this will take me. Stay tuned as I will be updating more with meet and greet dates, times and places in the Atlanta area!

“Welcome to Atlanta where the players play…”

This is the text I got from my husband this morning, once he got to work and found out that he had been picked up as a transfer with his job to their Atlanta facility.

We decided on a whim almost a month ago to put in for it because the situation here has been at such a stand still, and really, I’ve been complaining about this place (my hometown) for oh…since I moved back here in 2006. We also tried for Houston and Butner, and I would have been fine with either, but being honest, my heart was already in Georgia.

And, truth be told, and as my history speaks for itself, I believe in fresh starts.

On one hand it’s scary. With two special needs children, transitions and the what ifs surrounding them can be paralyzing, but on the other hand we’ll be in a place where there are many more opportunities and hopefully school districts that can better suit their needs.

I will, at least for a bit, be able to be at home writing and be there and available for my family. The chances for promotion for my husband will greatly increase. And I will still have family in the area, including two beloved older aunts who I don’t see or talk to nearly enough. And there are a couple of friends who relocated there several years ago who I get to catch up with, too and writer friends I’ve met through social media who I might actually get to hang out with in real life!

But enough with the jibber jabber. I have a house to sell and another to locate and buy!

The Woman and The Words

It should no longer surprise me that it surprises people that I write. Especially since on social media and even on this blog, my words tend to bend toward the more personal aspects of my life. But in thinking about it, as much as I’ve written, submitted and published, my writing is pretty personal, too.

On Twitter yesterday, a pretty new follower was genuinely surprised that I’m a published author. And not that I’m some Toni Morrison or Wally Lamb or even some literary one-hit wonder, but I have done some things. The comment, however, made me wonder, once again, if I have and if I am doing, enough to let the world know that I am, in fact, here.

Not to digress, but yesterday was a pretty awful day in terms of my family life, what with my autistic daughter and dealing with the school system and raising another special needs child and taking care of a home and a husband while writing and holding down a full-time job outside the home.

And, well, yes, that mingled with day to day life and marital issues weighed heavily on what I thought and put out there. What I haven’t been putting out there, apparently, is my writing.

The last contributor’s copy of an anthology featuring one of my stories (if I remember correctly) is Best Bondage Erotica 2011, and that, I believe was received November ’10. Now, since then, I’ve written several new stories, pitched a few anthologies, sold several stories, signed a few contracts and have big things on the horizon. But one wouldn’t know that, I suppose.

So yesterday afternoon, between fits of smoking, drinking, crying and watching my children and dog play in the back yard, I posted a series of pictures on Twitter, and I thought it might be interesting to do the same here, to sort of (re)introduce myself and show you (the world) who I am and what I do, all around. So, here goes:

…I take a lot of my pictures inside a vehicle. Nothing glamorous there.

Cooking is the other creative thing I do. It also destresses and relaxes me.

I obsess over my hair a lot. It’s naturally curly and I keep it short. It’s reddish brown now, though – see above.

This is my daughter drawing. She has Atypical Autism and she is brilliant.

I surprise my husband with things like this because…

…I’m a romantic and I’m in love.

This is my unkempt, imperfect backyard.

This is the hand I write with and the hand on which I wear my wedding ring.

This is where we sleep, fight and make love.

These are just a few of my favorite things.

I have a thing for shoes.

My hyper-active dog.

And, finally, what I do to remind myself that I am a writer.

Also, this is my Amazon Author page.