Who me? Promotion?

Fall is always a busy time of year with back-to-school, especially where I live in the Midwest. My kids play soccer, and there is this urgent feel to the air come September that screams, "We have to fit an entire sports season into the five weeks before the snow comes!"

But then, add in the fact that I am a paranormal author who is part of a ghost hunting group that teaches workshops and hosts events. Next, add in the release of a spooky book about monsters. Oh, and there was also a publishers deadline for my first ghostwriting project.

All of it was good stuff. But combined, it threatened my sanity. I think the biggest unexpected unknown was the promotion stuff for the monster book. Our book, Monsters of the Midwest, released in September. I highly recommend releasing a book with a traditional publisher, especially one that comes with a publicist! Our publicist scheduled interviews and got us newspaper interviews (one that even included a photographer and photo shoot). It helped that it was the perfect time of year to release a spooky book. We were on live in the U.K., we had an in-studio broadcast at the State Fair (for 3 hours) and all of it was a lot of fun. (I'm putting links on my website as I find them if you want to listen to any of them.)

But my introverted-self is totally and completely exhausted! I really just want to go find a corner somewhere and get back to writing.

This last week, is the final build-up to the ultimate holiday for a paranormal author -- Halloween. It's also the ultimate holiday for extroverts, which, as noted above, I am not. The thought of putting on a costume and parading around usually fills me with dread (and why I ALWAYS volunteer to stay home and pass out the candy.) But there's just a few more book signings and only one more week to talk about myself and monsters. I can do this!

There is one simple light, shining at the end of the tunnel. November happens to be #NaNoWriMo. An entire month dedicated to writing. Writing cave...get ready, because on November 1st, here I come!

Confession: I Took My Laptop to the Pool.

This summer is kicking my A-double-dollar-signs. I've finally accepted that, embraced it and...Oh. Look. Now we are already into August and we only have a few weeks until school starts again.

I don't talk much about my personal life here...privacy and respect for my family and all of that. But I have three school-aged kids. When my daughter hit full-day kindergarten age, my husband gave me that look. Don't get me wrong, my husband is totally and completely supportive of my writing dreams. But let's face it. Real life requires an actual income. His look (and our finances) said collectively, "We need something to happen here quick, or you need to get a real job."

I considered my options. On one hand, I was once a practicing lawyer. (A lawyer with a mountain of make-up CLE credits and licensing requirements that is simply too high to climb.)  I've also created a platform for myself as an author. A platform that boldly admits a kooky passion in the paranormal and teaches creatives to find inspiration in ghost hunting. The real job window was closing quick if it hadn't already. I'd already waved my freak-flag too high.  I flung myself into the "make something happen with this writing thing quick" option.

On a wing and a prayer, I declared myself a working writer. I hung out my shingle as a freelance editor, and my reputation and client list has since grown. I recently took on my first ghost writing assignment, and I couldn't be more thrilled with how it is moving along.

Except that there aren't enough hours in the day. Kids on summer vacation means that I am more than anything else, a "stay-at-home-mom." Most days, I feel like I am less of a mom and more like an uber driver that has to serve lunch and do laundry. And when the biggest soccer tournament of the year schedules multiple matches during what is the normal workday for everyone else, I am also the one everyone calls for the carpool rides. Good thing I love to watch my kids play soccer with their friends!

As a result, my writing time is precious and limited. But, I have clients! People are counting on me! Not to mention, my family still needs that additional income. Whether they are my words or someone else's, I don't have a choice but to carve out time and make the words happen wherever and whenever I can. The end of the day isn't always an option. After sitting through soccer matches in unyielding heat, combined with the aforementioned uber driving/serving lunch/laundry commitments...when darkness finally falls, most days, my brain is too tired to think straight.

The solution? Lots of early mornings. And last week, I boldly walked into the local swimming pool, grasping my precious laptop. I found a picnic table in the shade. I knew I would get judgmental stares. The "tsk, tsk" looks that say, "You should be enjoying these moments with your kids." But honestly, I was too busy to notice or care.

Because really, I've enjoyed plenty of moments with my kid(s). Remember? The soccer matches in the hot sun? I loved being there to watch. I love that my "job" gives me the flexibility to do that. On this day, though, my kids needed to enjoy a summer day in the water and I needed to work more than I needed a suntan. They really don't need me to play with them, they have each other. They do need me to set an example. I hope, that they will see and learn that sometimes, following our dreams isn't pretty. Sometimes, following our dreams means sacrifice and hard work. And as it turned out? Those two, pool-side hours were the most productive, concentrated chunk of time in my entire week. For that, I was grateful.

How to Slay the Green-Eyed Monster

I am in the middle of writing a book about Monsters in the Midwest...true tales of unexplained beasts! But there is another very real monster that likes to lurk on social media. It especially likes to haunt writers and creative types. And it has ugly green eyes.

Somewhere along the way, I figured out how to slay this ugly beast. Here are a few tips if it is haunting you...

1. Don't feed it. This requires figuring out where it likes to lurk and wait for you. For me, it lurked on Twitter, and liked to strike whenever anyone tweeted a blog post that included the words "How I Got My Agent." I wanted an agent so badly, that it physically pained me to see these posts. I knew, that by opening any such link, I would only be feeding the green-eyed beast and making it grow stronger. So I didn't.

2. Believe. Not necessarily in it, but yourself. I have a quote hanging on the wall above my computer. It reads, "Believe in your dreams and they may come true, believe in yourself and they will." (I've got some wine, to go with that cheese if you need it.) But it's true. Never stop believing in yourself (cue Journey song here). If you want something badly enough, have faith in yourself that you will do what you need to do to make it happen. And seeing someone else achieve a bit of success won't affect you nearly as much if you believe that you can make the same thing happen for yourself.

3. Do All the Things. I wrote an entire blog post on this. (Link to it here.) By doing all the things to achieve your own goals, you a.) won't have time to worry about what others are doing, and b.) will be confident that, at the end of the day, you've done everything you can. No regrets.

4. Be gracious. The green-eyed monster HATES when you are gracious. It actually causes the beast to start to wither, right before your very eyes. I think it has something to do with karma. You know how they say that karma is a bitch? Well, it works the other way too. By graciously telling someone, "good job" or "congratulations," you are spreading nothing but good karma. Good karma is the bomb when you are trying to get something good to happen for yourself!

5. There is safety in numbers. Last, but not least, surround yourself by others who have already slayed the nasty, green-eyed beast. For starters, once you slay your own beast, you don't need anyone else's attacking you.  But also, when someone is truly happy for me and any of my little successes, it inspires me to cheer on others. And we all know this isn't the easiest road to be on, I will take all of the help I can get!

Now go out there and get that beast. I know you can do it! And I know, that good things are waiting around the corner for you once you do.