Life in the Big City - Chicago

As part of the day job, I frequently make trips into The Big City of Chicago. Some people love the city, and I'll admit, there are days I look forward to the adventure, but it's a long commute, and most days, its "the Big City." I'm not a city sort of person. Give me the wide open spaces. With that being said, there are lots of things you see in the city that you don't see in the suburbs or those wide open spaces.

YUM!

Frequently, man-on-the-street marketers hang around the train stations at rush hour handing out free
samples. Most recently, they handed me two milk chocolate Lindor balls. How can you go wrong with chocolate? And Lindt? My Favorite! Those fine people started my day off with a smile.

As I continued my trek over the bridge that crosses the Chicago River, I encountered a busker playing bagpipes. I didn't stop to take a picture because, contrary to the picture I'm showing you here, he was NOT wearing a kilt or any sort of traditional garb (or blowing flames from his pipes), but he was very good, and he was playing Scotland The Brave. With chocolates in hand, he made me smile and want to cry out "Wha-Hae!" (but again, I didn't.)



via GIPHY

There are often buskers, from the Bucket Boys who pay plastic buckets like drums, to violinists, to saxophones to trumpets and beyond. I have yet to hear one that isn't impressive. There are festivals and open-air markets, and you never know who you might see walking the streets. These are the things that make going to the city an experience, things that make you smile rather than clutching your belongings tightly and putting your head down.

At the end of my day, I frequently encounter a woman sitting on the bridge reading a book. There are also veterans outside the train stations, down on their luck, many of them missing limbs. They are a stark reminder that we have much to do to help those in need.

The city. An adventure any day of the week. I may not be a "city person," but I am proud to call Chicago and the surrounding area my home.

Writing as Therapy

One of the reasons I started my writing journey is because it was cathartic. I could escape from life for short spans of time and let my imagination run wild. Make up an alternate reality. There were years when I didn't write, when I was exploring who I was going to become when I finally grew up, but I always came back to writing. It has always been a part of me.

On the flip side, there were times I couldn't write, during those peak stress times in life. Some of the more popular stressors - Buying a house. Changing jobs. Death. Getting married/divorced. The birth of a child.

There's a delicate balance. While I often use writing as stress relief - an escape from the pressures and stress of the day job, I have discovered there are certain stresses that require a different outlet. Like walking, or exercise. Some distractions demand more "head space," which crowds out the imagination required to write. This is where discipline kicks in.

As an author, I try to write every day. Create habits. It's a job, and it needs to be done. There are days when it's impossible to write depending on where life decides to insert itself into my schedule, and like exercise or sports, when you don't do something regularly, you get "out of shape." The key is to not get too lazy, to get back into the routine as quickly as possible.

So what's this all about? DH and I have been trying to buy a new house, and I've been through a week of offers and counteroffers and -- hello? -- buying a house is a major life stressor. I'm also trying to write the final Epitaph installment, a book I have a thin outline sketch for but I can't seem to get off the proverbial runway. I have all the information I need to dive him and write like a fiend, but the words aren't working the way they're supposed to! Every book has its idiosyncrasies. I didn't think I'd finish THE SCULPTOR as quickly as I did, but those words practically flew from my fingers to the page. (Hey, did I mention that book released yesterday?? Do you have a copy yet? I personally think it's one of the best ones in the series.) Yes, this book will get written. Routine means I'm putting words down, even if they aren't the best words. It's okay to write crap in a first draft. I'll clean it up later, when my focus is back. The important part is to keep the discipline, not to break from the routine.

Now! In case you didn't know it, the first in the Epitaph series has been free all summer, but that's going to end soon. If you don't have a copy, now is the time to go get it! And as my final hurrah to summer, I've teamed up with a bunch of other authors of small-town steamy romances. Two lucky winners can win a HUGE collection of books (my contribution is THE SELKIE), and we're giving away an ereader to a grand prize winner. If you subscribe to my newsletter, you got this information in your mailbox. Enter the contest by clicking here: http://bit.ly/steamysmalltowmrom-sep18. Good luck!

To plot or not to plot

As an author, I've generally written by the seat of my pants, stopping only when I realize the story isn't going anywhere. I do like diving in without a direction, but even as far back as Living Canvas, I discovered there needs to be a road map. I seem to be needing one sooner in the process these days. While I still like to start out blind to get to know my characters, my companions on the journey, I need to figure out what’s going on before I write too many words. 

As I work on the final EPITAPH installment, I have discovered there’s no shame in plotting. I can still be amused with detours that will undoubtedly happen along the writing process. Plotting/an outline is just a general direction to travel, not the only road to get there! 

Some authors (myself included) like to be surprised while we're writing by an unexpected turn of events, and that can be incorporated into an outline simply by adding "something bad happens here." That leaves the road open for creativity and subconscious cues that come from the characters on the page. 

The answer to the age-old question? In my humble opinion, you can have the best of both worlds. Take along your atlas on that road trip, but be prepared for a detour or an uncharted point of interest. Those unplanned stops are generally what makes the trip the most fun.

Click here for buy links

Meanwhile, I have to tell you (cuz I'm SO EXCITED) that the penultimate EPITAPH book is coming out NEXT WEEK! Here's a link for you to buy it now so you don't forget!

Gardens and Topiaries

My latest obsession is topiaries. This from someone who definitely does NOT have a green thumb.

I'm very fortunate to have a house once inhabited by someone who knew how to garden. I've been able to plant and have success, although not nearly as much as the previous owner. With very little maintenance, I can actually grow things! I have tremendous respect for people who take the time to make their plants more beautiful. When I walk around my neighborhood, many of the yards have beautifully landscaped gardens.

With a little fresh air and sunshine, this is what my vegetable gardens look like. For a number of years, I had a strawberry patch that thrived out there, but with a couple of years where I was unable to do any gardening, even the strawberries suffered from lack of attention.

Inside, I've had *this* plant for probably 20 years. It's an ivy, and I have it creeping over my cupboards. It keeps growing, but this is what it looks like. Bare vine on one side, leaves on the other.

When I visited Disney, these sculptures were made from flowers and plants. Aren't they amazing?