- Untitled by Janelle Younger
On this first day of 2012 I uploaded The River Within to Amazon’s CreateSpace and for those of you who have wanted it in book form, look for it in 5-7 days. Much gratitude to whoever, many moons ago, suggested I get help from Catherine M. Wilson with formatting issues. Not only did she fix all the nasty e-book bugs, but she turned out a beautiful cover for the paper edition. Sounds simple enough but when I saw the paper version needed a spine and back cover, too, I ran screaming from the CreateSpace page straight to Catherine’s at http://raqoon-design.com/. She patiently walked me through the whole process and created a beautiful end product.
Tomorrow I will start reading the short stories submitted for the Kissed by Venus Short Fiction Contest. I am honored to be one of the judges and can’t wait to start reading the entries. Good luck to all that entered!
2011 was a year of riches. I didn’t win the lottery, buy a Mercedes, or move into a McMansion. It wasn’t about those kinds of riches, but rather the riches of the heart. The gift of discovering wonderful women like #1Fan and a riotous reviewer who feeds frozen chocolate-covered bananas to her dog while typing with her toes, whirling a hula, and singing the praises of lesfic in all shapes, styles and colors. Yeah, you know that’s you. It’s the riches of a having an 86-year old mother-in-law, who still introduces me as her daughter’s friend, but loves to watch football with me while she spanks me at backgammon. ( Must remember to write her a check for all her winnings.) The riches of friends in sickness and health. It is even the riches of watching two women I love going through a brutal breakup, knowing there is nothing I can do. I so want to take a side, make one see “reason”, but they are both square on the path the gods have chosen for them. It is my job simply to witness and love both. They are giving me the riches of learning to be compassionate and non-judgemental, when all I want to do is be angry and blameful. That is much the easier thing to do. Not all riches are pleasant, or as I heard yesterday, “every school has it’s tuition.”
Riches come in all shapes, sizes, varieties and colors. What do yours look like?
Comments 4
Baxter’s Back! woot! and with really good tidings.River in Print, Merry Christmas indeed. I have several McBaxter books on my TBR pile, guess I better clear the deck for a couple more.
Happy New Year, Baxter!
You know, one of my very favorite riches looks suspiciously like Baxter Clare Trautman, and I’m not even talking about the bobblehead version I had commissioned. Thank you for the friendship and support you so freely offer – I wish you the very, very best for 2012 and well beyond. Happy New Year, my friend, from my family to yours.
Oh yeah, I can see it now, the Bobble Head Baxter on my dashboard. The lesbian answer to Cool Hand Luke’s “Plastic Jesus” –
“Get yourself a plastic Baxter, dressed in rhinestones sittin’ on a pedestal of abalone shell, Goin’ ninety, I ain’t scary, ’cause I’ve got the Baxter Clary, assurin’ me that I won’t go to Hell.”
Happy New Year, Baxter! River was absolutely one of my favorite reads of 2011. Glad to hear that you’ve gotten the print version set. I will be looking for it and maybe someday even get an autograph.
Just when I thought I couldn’t hope for more in 2012…Franco, too? Awesome!
2011 was indeed a year filled with blessings, some evident immediately and others in the form of life lessons that will no doubt reveal their true worth in time. My wife has always given me the freedom to retreat into my writing without fear. I realize what a gift she is and only hope to someday be worthy.
Happy writing and reading to all in 2012.
LM