Hello September, Nice to See You Again

Well, my friends and fellow authors, it’s finally here… SEPTEMBER!  There are so many things I love about this month… mostly because it extends its branches into one of my favorite times of the year, autumn. 

 

Before I venture into all of the wonderful things about September, I want to quickly say how sad and frustrated I am about everything that is going on in the world today.  I've been watching a lot of CNN before bed and I can't tell you how devastated my heart feels.  9/11 is approaching and as the fear of terror rises within our country, I can't help but to worry.  I saw the twin towers fall from the window of my apartment back in college and I still remember that day like it was yesterday.  I will be blogging about this next week.

But onto September and happier news... for now and hopefully, always.  Over Labor Day weekend, I attended my sister's engagement party. 

Here we are at my sister's party.  My mother and I are at the top.  On the bottom from left to right are my aunt, cousin, grandmother and two sisters.  The gal standing behind my grandmother is getting married.

There is quite a lot to celebrate this fall… from school author visits, to trips to the apple farm and harvest festivals, to hosting horror movie nights with imported cheese and scented candles, cider and pumpkin cookies, to baking tons of pumpkin and banana nut muffins, to pumpkin spiced coffee in the mornings while I write… well, you get the gist.  And in case you haven’t noticed, I’m a pumpkin junkie when it comes to food, coffee and pumpkin picking during this season. 

We go apple picking each year at a local farm where I stock up on autumn scented candles and apples.  This was taken last October.

My birthday is also nestled within the last week of October.  This year, we are planning a road trip to either Maine or Pennsylvania where we will rent a cottage over the lake or by the mountains and sea.

We took this photo while hiking on a mountain off of the coast of Camden, Maine.  I'd really love to make another trip out there for my birthday.

So if you can’t tell already, I am super stoked for autumn!

BUT, with that being said, we are here today to talk about September.  There is something about this time of year which I can never grow out of.  Even though I am deeply saddened as I wave goodbye to the warmth and freedom the summer rewards us with, September always seems to welcome me with its promises of a new beginning and smells of a colorful season shortly to follow.

 

There is a certain melancholy which rumbles through the anticipation of my children’s author work as well as my early morning writing sessions before the day job begins.  I usually find myself groggily making my way over to the coffee pot at 5am so I can ensure a time slot for writing before work.  This dedication and regimen usually lasts until June, once I’ve retired my imagination blocks after my last author visit has been given.  

Even though I graduated from college exactly ten years ago, I still succumb to “school mode” once September takes me upon its promising winds.

At this time, my children’s book has been selected by an established PR company for an upcoming press release.  This week has been quite time consuming due to preparations for the release, working on my 2^nd children’s book, and getting our condo ready for remodeling.  I’m really excited about the press release, though, because as an independent author, it’s tough to get word out about my work.  This strategy might open doors to author interviews, more schools, radio talk shows and other media outlets.

Plus, over the coming weeks, I am hoping to work on my blog here as well as to touch base with my contacts for my upcoming school visits, presentations and volunteer work. 

 

Besides my children’s books, some of you may already know I have written the 1^st draft to my suspense novel this past winter.  I managed to almost complete my WIP, however, there are tons of edits which need to be done, and of course, the next phase in drafting.  I really miss my characters and honestly can’t wait to be able to sit down and get lost in their world again.  I’m hoping to begin working on this project once things have settled with my other genre of writing. 

I also have several books waiting for me on my TBR list including “In Need of Therapy” by Tracie Banister, “Reborn” by Cherie Reich, “The Backworlds” by M Pax, and “Double Negative” by C. Lee McKenzie. 

My niece has read several of Kelly Hashway’s “Touch of Death” books and she loves them.  I’ve been a fan of Kelly’s ever since I first stumbled upon the blogosphere.  She happily accepted my writing and musings into her heart and I find her to be an incredible author and friend.  You can find her and her books here http://www.kellyhashway.blogspot.com/

I’m currently reading “Silverhills” by Sandra Cox and I love it so far.  Sandra always puts a smile on my face whenever I visit her blog.  She is also one of the kindest people I know and I truly found a sweet soul in her.  She can be found here http://sandracox.blogspot.com/

If you haven’t read “It Ain’t Easy Being Jazzy” by Quanie Miller, then get your butts over to Amazon and get a copy!  I laughed so hard throughout this novel.  Her writing is warm, soulful and funny, just like Quanie.  You can find her and her books here http://www.quanietalkswriting.com/

While on vacation, I read "Soul Cutter" by Lexa Cain.  I liked her book so much that I told our cab driver about her and her work while in Manhattan last weekend.  He was from Egypt and since I only know ONE person who lives in Egypt, I couldn’t help but to throw Lexa’s name out there.  Hopefully, he will buy her book and pass her information along.  Lexa is such a sweet and talented author and you can find her work and website here http://lexacain.blogspot.com/

I’m also hosting two blog tours on Dawning on a New Day for authors Chrys Fey and Crystal Collier.  I am really looking forward to them because I love Crystal’s writing (it’s absolutely stunning) and I admire Chrys’s instinct for exhilarating suspense, crime and romance.   I’ve also followed their blogs for quite some time now and am a huge fan of both amazing women. 

Chrys and her impeccable author advice can be found at http://www.writewithfey.blogspot.com/

Crystal and her heartwarming passion for writing and cheese can be found at http://crystalcollier.blogspot.com/  

I’ve read tons of books by so many of you wonderful authors and I’m sorry if I haven’t mentioned you!  Keep on persevering, keep on persisting, keep on failing, and most importantly, when you fail, don’t give up.  It’s bound to happen… over and over and over again.  But each time we fall, we learn something about ourselves and our writing.  And as a result, we become better and closer to mastering our art.

Shelfie Time!

AND last but not least, I'm sharing a "Shelfie" of my desk.  Sometimes, I write here but I also do a lot of my writing on the dining room table overlooking the trees and mountains out front of our home.  The atmosphere of my desk also has a nice tone and it's actually clean today!!  For more on Shelfies, visit Tara Tyler Talks where you can post your own and enter to win her current giveaway!! 
 

Happy September!!

What is on your mind this month?  Have you set goals for September?  Does autumn have a certain appeal on your writing?  How many genres of writing do you have?

 

 

P.S. I'm also participating in the Liver Life Walk in dedication to my mother and the 30 million Americans who suffer from liver disease.  You can sponsor me by donating and helping to raise awareness to an epidemic that is growing every single day.  No dollar amount is too small, especially when it comes to saving Lady of Lourdes Liver Center in Camden, New Jersey.  It is in danger of shutting down due to lack of funding.  This incredible facility is where my mother and many other adults and children have received new livers.  If you click on the link below, you will find my participation profile under my real name... Shhh, don't tell.  I know, I have a really famous last name which is why I chose to conceal it for my author work.  Please, donate here:

http://go.liverfoundation.org/site/TR/LiverLifeWalk2014/LiverLifeWalk?px=1909459&pg=personal&fr_id=4230