Big Thanks!!

...and the countdown begins.

My book comes out tomorrow and here are some "Thank Yous" and some random thoughts as I prepare for the release of my baby into the world.

I love being Indie, I always have been. It appeals to my core being, if that makes sense. The fact that my book was picked up by a publisher doesn't change my simplistic outlook on life or my joy of writing. I looked for a publisher that had the same independent spirit.

Xchyler Publishing, my publisher, is an Indie publisher, but that doesn't mean they don't know how to whip a book into shape. My appreciation grows for them daily. I like them more because they are Indie, knowing they are working as hard as I am to make it succeed is complimenting to the process.

Editing is never easy. I was scared to see what they might change from the original... and I was surprised and blessed that they didn't want to change anything. My editing team gave me more focus on what the story lacked and how to tell it. Thanks to Lissa, Heidi, Penny, and everyone who helped with the old and the new.

I love my job and in order to do this they had to let me be a writer for a few weeks. Thanks Kelly, and the Blood Bank staff for fully supporting me.

Last, my terrific family. Mostly Kevin, who I dedicated this book to. He thinks my hobby is silly, I know, but it makes me happy and that's what makes him happy. He stayed away from reading it, because he felt he might hurt my feelings. Wise man. But he told me he would read it when it got published. He gets my first copy.

My children, Mia and Julia, will tell you I'm a great mom, since I let them eat an entire tub of cookie dough while I was editing. But I think I'm a terrible mom, not giving them baths at night and letting them go to school in shorts and long, unmatched socks - not brushing their hair or feeding them nothing but microwavable dino nuggets. So, here I ask for forgiveness. I hope you love me despite my deficiencies.

...and THANK YOU to everyone that has been so supportive during the years of writing and I hope you all continue with me as I explore more of my crazy mind and my love for creating worlds.

I'm YOUR biggest fan!

www.xchylerpublishing.com

Adventures in Publishing

Available April 19th, 2013.

Vivatera release April 19th, 2013

Available on eBook and Book Sellers Everywhere.

Back in September I thought I would try and find a publisher for my book Vivatera.  Though I had it edited several times, it was still missing direction and I wanted to see what professionals could do with it. I had heard of a new publishing company through my League of Utah Writers chapter and thought I would give it a try.

I felt my nerves increase at the thought of rejection, but I didn't want to live with regret if I didn't at least try.

So, I sent my manuscript off to one company, Xchlyer Publishing, http://www.xchylerpublishing.com, who seek fantasy, adventure, mystery, and steam punk. I thought my little book might fit well with their company... I was right.

They LOVED it and in November I signed a contract. They snatched it up so fast and didn't want it to go to anyone else.

Over the past months I had the opportunity to work with fantastic people, whose ideas stretched my brain in different directions and ignited my love of creating. Their vision cleared any of my previous doubts, and helped my confidence build. I'm so pleased with how it turned out and I'm so excited to be a part of this adventure.

XP has put up my bio on their website: http://www.xchylerpublishing.com/site.cfm/our-authors.cfm

Balloon Lament: A Cautionary Tale

I received a green balloon when I got off my braces.  This magic balloon was filled with the most amazing helium.  It didn't lose air for the longest time.  My girls really liked it.  Jules asked if she could have it and I said sure.  What do I care about balloons?  Mia then put a cute face on it.  They named him "Greeny" because he was green.  Makes sense.  The whole thing remembered me of the Meep episode of Phineas and Ferb.

I didn't know how important Greeny would become to the family.  The girls played with him as if he was the long lost brother they never had.  Yesterday Mia came to me very concerned.  Greeny was getting smaller and losing some air.  He was only floating half as high. It was a hard reality for her to face.  Sometimes balloons lose their float.

She asked me how to get him high again.  I mentioned maybe if he was in a warm place.  She got a few ideas of what to do.  I found Greeny near the vent...

I found him close to the Christmas tree...

But my favorite was wrapped in my new electric throw...

After a few different attempts she then asked if she could go to Zurcher's and get a new balloon for New Year's.

Sure!  Why not?  It's only a balloon right?  It's not like I'm replacing a pet or something.

I took both my girls over there today and had them each pick out 2 balloons:

• Julia naturally picked a pink one and purple one now named Pinky and Pearl.
• Mia picked an orange one and blue one now named Tangy and Smiley.

What a cheap date!  It was better than Disneyland!  4 bucks down.  Easy Peesy!

The first thing both of them did when they got their balloons home was taking my awesome Magnum Sharpie and drawing cute faces on them.

I helped Julia with hers, because Mia refused to put eyelashes on the smiley-faces.

Mia finished with Tangy and placed a cute smirk on his face.  Then she worked on Smiley.  She drew a very big grin on his face, hence the name "Smiley."  I was in my bedroom when I heard the "POP!"

Instant crying!  Mia was hysterical.  Poor Smiley hit a rough edge on the ceiling and popped without me even getting the chance to see his smile.

Life lesson learned:

Mia and Tangy after their tragic lose.

1. Prepare your children now for Balloon accidents.  Balloons don't last forever.
2. Buying Balloons is like adopting a child.
3. Be careful when putting smiley-faces on balloons.  You make them cute and then they have a personality.  Soon they are sitting at the dinner table with you and begging you for money.
4. A balloon can be a kids' best friend, just ask Doofenshmirtz and his best friend "Balloony." 
5. Have smooth ceilings.

Tape the Season!

For anyone that received my Christmas card probably laughed when I said my Mia tapes everything.  Yes.  She has a serious taping problem.  She's a Tape-holic!

Tape is Magic!  Tape can do everything.  It can fix cocoa mugs.  It's good for wall decorations... and broken zippers... and restaurant signs.... and taping the cat's legs together.  Tape is an amazing invention.

This last week I have been busy with my writing and I let me girls have the freedom of a messy room and wearing jammies all day.  What I neglected to do was put away the tape.

I walked into my daughter's bedroom to find my girls covered in stripes.

You know the book where the girl doesn't like veggies and she turned all striped.  That is basically what I saw.  My girls (Mia being the mastermind) had stripped to skivvies, taken scotch tape and wrapped it around their arms and legs.  Then had taken markers and colored the tape best they could, which was not that good, since the right side was colored with the left hand.  They had also found the Christmas bows and placed them on their body.

Mia stood up to show off her new skin.

Mia: "Hey Mom!"

Me: "What in the world...?

Jules:  "It was Mia's idea."

Me: "I can tell that."

Mia: "Look Mom!  I'm a Christmas Prezzie!"

Me:  "Good thing.  Santa will be very glad, since he won't need to stop here for Christmas."

Jules, my 5 yr old, quickly started ripping off the tape and went to the bathroom to wash off her body, continually saying it was Mia's idea.

Mia just looked at me and said, "It's okay Mom.  He doesn't have to wrap my present.  Santa will appreciate my creativity."

Remember the Magic of Santa

Parents lose the magic of what it is like to be a kid; to not understand all the rules, like how gravity keeps us on the ground or where wishes go when you blow dandelions.

I think it is the same with Santa Claus. 

When I was 5 my mother and I set out tiny little furniture next to a tree we called the Fairy Tree.  I made a tiny little bed out of tissue with a cottonball pillow.  We placed windchimes on a branch, which my mother callled fairy bells - when they chimed that meant a fairy was near.  This was magic my mother taught me - my mother, a grown woman who knew how gravity worked and how dandelions reproduce in the yard.  She is the one who taught me to believe in magic.  She is responsible for leading my imagination down its artistic path.

Santa is not much different.  Just take away the comercialism of Christmas and remember the sweet magic of believing in the unbelievable.  Let your children dream, imagine, and believe, so when your children have children the magic of Christmas will be there.

Just ask the question... Do you BELIEVE?