A Rose for Heather

Here I am with my beautiful friend and mentor Pat White http://patwhitebooks.com She and I received our chapter "sale" roses at the Seattle RWA holiday party last week. If you notice, I have one rose for NEVER CRY WEREWOLF. Pat has a handful for her recent sales to Harlequin Intrigue. I am so proud of her!

I also can't say enough about the wonderful writers in my Seattle chapter. http://gsrwa.org It's been an up and down year in my life, but my writing friends were there for every part of it. Without them, it would have taken far longer to reach my goal of publication, and it wouldn't have been as fun! Kudos to all of you out there in the Emerald City dreaming up your stories and making magic happen with your dedication and enthusiasm.

I am proof that if you work hard enough, keep reaching toward your goal, and never give up in the face of rejection, you can make it happen. This isn't to say I've acheived every goal on my list, but I know someday my former students will be able to check out my book from the library and say, "Hey, I knew her! Look at what she did. Maybe I can go for my dream too."

Never give up your dreams -- make them into goals.

Love and Light,

Heather

Thought for the Year...?

So, this morning I had brunch in a great little place near my home. The kind of place you can order a Bloody Mary and rock out to classics on the junkbox in the adjoining bar. The kind of place that serves crispy waffles drowning in butter and syrup and pretty good biscuits and gravy for a city diner.

Ironically, it was in that same place that my last major relationship began.

For a long time, I thought I'd have to make out in the bathroom hallway with a boy to banish the ghosts of romance past, but I've had good luck three out of three times and made it through meals without a single tear or sniffle, even.

The amazing thing was this morning my gaze lit on a local newsletter near the counter. There in black ink on recycled brown paper was something I've believed for my whole life, but especially this year. It said:

"People of poor character tend to blame their choices on circumstances. Ethical people make good choices regardless of circumstances. If they make enough good choices, they begin to create better conditions for themselves." -- John C. Maxwell

Hello? Isn't that what I've been living all summer? You can't blame your unhappy life on the people and conditions around you. You're still you no matter what the circumstances! You have to keep doing the right thing and eventually your circumstances will change.

I love that little diner. Ghosts or no ghosts, I'm going to keep going back. If not for the awesome hashbrowns, then for the little winks from the universe.

Hugs!