July 2018 Blog
Momentary
Madness
I am not above being human. As a
writer, I always celebrate another writer’s success. Sometimes, I have a
momentary bout of greenness more commonly known as jealousy. It serves no one,
and I get over it quickly. I would not begrudge anyone their deserved success.
Only Human: A Haiku
by Ann Wilmer-Lasky
Green
not becoming,
I’ll
toast my fellow author
With
the sweetest wine.
While watching “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon”
on Friday, June 29th, I momentarily turned green with envy.
There Jimmy was – announcing the winning book for the
Tonight Show’s first ever summer reading club. #TonightShowSummerReads
It sounds like a great book, and I’m anxious to read
it. It’s titled “Children of Blood and
Bone” by a very young, new
author, Tomi Adeyemi, published by Macmillan.
The book is sure to hit the top of every bestseller
list. I was elated for the book and the author. Then that little green man
popped up on my shoulder (not a space alien – they are gray), and for just a
moment, I matched his hue.
I was green with envy. Then I started the whole
woe-is-me ritual: I will never, ever reach that pinnacle. She is so lucky. I
wish I had her luck. I wish that was me. No matter how I struggle, that will
never, ever be me.
I was about to ruin a good night’s sleep that was
sorely needed. I wanted to finish formatting my new Haiku chapbook the next day
so I can keep my publication target date of July 15th.
Thinking about my own plans changed my thinking. Okay,
she’s really lucky. I’m sure she’s also talented to be published by McMillan. I
(and all the other #FalPals) will enjoy reading her book this summer along with
Jimmy.
A smile crossed my face. (Okay, it didn’t, but it sounds
good) I did get to thinking. I’ve done
the best I could with what I had. Now I know better, I can do better. (Thanks,
Oprah!)
I am a published author, and nobody can take that away
from me. So I haven’t gotten the breaks
and now I’m too old to go the traditional publishing route. (I could die in the
two years it takes to get a book out.) But – I am published, (repeating myself
here) and with a little more and better promotion, I’m sure I can become more
widely known. I have no reason to covet someone else’s fame and fortune. (Well maybe
J.K. Rowling, but I’m sure the Queen would even like some of that.)
I know I am but a minor poet and an even more minor
novelist. I also know I’m the product of an age where women didn’t “do” and
weren’t expected to.
Things are so different now. You can grab hold of a
dream (even at a young age) and make it come true. You don’t have to “wait your
turn”, “wait for the kids to grow up” or (the old classic) “pay your dues”
before you can pursue your passion, expect to succeed or gain any sort of recognition.
Now you can do it all with the internet and the click
of a mouse or your fingers and a smart phone. (Mine isn’t that smart.) And you
can hold your head up high among the traditionalists. Self-publishing (now
called Indie Publishing) is an acceptable route and the product does have a
chance out there to vie for wide readership.
I’m still sticking to my publishing schedule for “Life’s
Lemons and Lemonade: The Write Life.” It will still go live on July 15th.
Also, the sequel to “Black Oak” will go live by August 31st. So, I’m busy and happy. In my spare time, I will
read “Children of Blood and Bone” and clean house.
I would like to take a moment to say “Congratulations!”
to Tomi Adeyemi on her very first novel and on it being selected as the first
ever official #TonightShowSummerReads
selection. I promise I will
join my fellow #FalPals and Jimmy Fallon in reading it.
I promise I will also keep writing and publishing as
long as I can. It is something I must do as the characters in my mind are
wanting their release and I owe them that.
I will also continue to encourage others to write and
follow their dreams as well. Creative writing cannot die. There must always be
someone out there to take up the torch and put pen to paper (or finger to
keyboard). Literacy must not die. We must write and we must read. We must also
teach our children to read and to love reading as we do. Only in this way can
we retain (or regain) the best of our
humanity.
On the Macular Degeneration front – it’s a slow
progressing condition. I will never regain the clarity I have already lost, but
I will probably die from my heart condition before I go blind. (I consider that
a blessing.)
So here’s to a summer of reading and writing and publishing.
It’s all to the good. Enjoy!
Until that time, I welcome your reactions and
responses to any of my blogs. I love to hear from my readers. Also, here are
links to my Twitter and Facebook accounts, if you care to share your thoughts
with me there:
I’m also including
a link to my Amazon’s Author’s page. Feel free to visit me there also:
All of my
books are available on Amazon.
This
month I am featuring Tomi Adeyemi’s “Children of Blood and Bone” available on
Amazon. In fact, I’ve heard it’s their #1 Best Seller at the moment. Also you
can join the #FalPals and Jimmy Fallon for the summer: #TonightShowSummerReads
