Published! In Press Pause Now

I got a motivational boost today: I received a copy of the anthology Press Pause Moments: Essays about Life Transitions by Women Writers, in which my essay, "The Great Motorcycle Spirit," appears.

This collection of beautifully crafted tales reflect upon change, adversity and celebration. As women we look at life transitions in many ways, sometimes one layered upon the other. However, when we press pause, inner voices become quiet long enough to pay attention to what is going on within us and around us - and we realize the need to make change happen, and become greater than our existing selves.

"The Great Motorcycle Spirit" is a sometimes funny, sometimes wistful look at the transitions in my life, as seen from the vantage point of riding a motorcycle. An excerpt:

So today I am going back to my roots, so to speak. Today, I am, simply…a biker chick. Today I will seek comfort and tranquility where I have found it so many times before: in the arms of an “iron horse”...

Find more information here.

Creativity: a Funny, Fickle Thing

Taking a deep breath...back to writing after a 3-month hiatus due to work and children, a taiko recital and funerals...and more work. I'm no different than other writers - the bills don't get paid by the writing bug. Children aren't raised by mom escaping into a fantasy world. And so...here I am, wondering (again) where time went!

Most of the writing for Last Chance Rescue was done between 9 and 11 pm. But most of it was also done BEFORE my second child arrived. These days I find myself so tired by 9 pm that it's difficult to get the creative juices flowing.

Thank you to those who have expressed interest (and gentle prodding) about my next novel. When last I worked on it, I estimated I was about 2/3 done - but also at a difficult point where I needed to make some significant plot changes.

So you'd think that's what I would be working on, now that I have finally regained some 'brain space'...

But creativity is a funny, fickle thing. For the past couple weeks I have been gurgitating what is turning out to be another, altogether different novel. And you know what? Writing is fun again... so I'll be back sooner with my next post!