Good for the soul.

So I think this novel I’m promising is getting better every day.

Understand that I realize I sound outrageously puffy. There is a dark shadow lurking in the corner trying to remind me that I’m just one bad review away from a total crush, but for reasons I can not explain, I’m ignoring that creepy shadow and feeling really jazzed right now.

Editor Wayne’s suggestions were plentiful, but right on. I’ve rewritten a full chapter and am rethinking a number of points, escalating a character, and enhancing some dialogue here and there. And I’m really loving it.

Perhaps, it’s honesty. I’m digging deep and even though this is a made-up story (don’t try to find yourself in this story if you’ve known me a long time. I promise it’s fiction! 98% fiction.), I think baring your soul — even if it’s only to yourself — is healthy.

Invigorating. Revitalizing.

Frankly, I’m surprised to say that and to feel it, but it’s the aura of my moment and somehow that seems deserving of a blog post.

Dig deep and get bare my friends. It’s working for me.

 

All about chicks.

So this is me and my chicks.

 

We spent last weekend roadtripping (in the air) to West Palm Beach where we saw the Dixie Chicks. We Flo Chicks have always loved the Dix Chicks.

We roadtripped to Nashville to see them when my chicks were little chicks and I hope we do it again and again and make it our big chick/little chicks thing.

Loved it. Love them. And I think this segue also works: Have you tried Chicken Salad Chick?

It’s a new franchise that’s moved into Atlanta out of Auburn, Ala., and they have about 15 different varieties of chicken salad – all really yummy.

Today I’m wearing my real estate hat and hosting an agent caravan at a lovely 4 BR/3.5 brick traditional in Windward. There are five agents opening homes for the caravan and we will serve a progressive lunch to those who come. There’s a location near there, so I’m serving chicken salad from Chicken Salad Chick.

It’s all about chicks. And selling houses. And being with chicks you love.

 

 

Ann and Mary for the win!

Ann Stone and Mary Sellers were the first two to click FOLLOW at the bottom of my new blog and they win a copy of “Jaybird’s Song!” Yahoo… Hadn’t even thought to have a contest, but they are the perfect winners… classy ladies and wonderful friends — and I think they will like my book.

(BTW, I’m thinking about round trip prizes to Paris for the next 10 followers. Just thinking about it…)

A little about Jaybird: It’s the story of fictional Josie Flint and it’s told in two parts — in the mid ’60s when she’s a young teenager growing up in Atlanta and 35 years later when her beloved grandmother dies. There’s some family drama (natch), coming-of-age kind of fun, and it’s all shrouded with the turbulence of the Civil Rights movement in the background. I think it will make you laugh and cry a bit and I think readers will enjoy it.

So click FOLLOW. I think you’ll find it in the bottom right corner of the blog. (Subliminal message: Eiffel Tower) After years of avoiding it, I’ve realized that blogging is fun and I have a lot of things I want to share.

For example, updates on my book as we get closer to launch date, including the fun weekend-long focus group held a few weeks ago…. My girls J and J, no doubt, including our getaway last weekend… Real estate fun… Life with the Red Rabbit… General musings.

But no politics. And no bad words.

 

 

Are those Facebook tests fake?

I’m thinking yes.

I’ve got 100% correct on the last four or five I’ve taken. I mean I know I can kill it in grammar and US geography, and I was pretty confident with the Catholic vocabulary one, but I just got 100% on ’80s song lyrics and those of you who have heard me sing in the car know I make up words when I don’t know them and hum through most everything but the chorus. I made a total guess on at least half of them.

It didn’t work in economics or science class so I’m not sure how I could get so lucky on these tests. Is this some kind of booby trap? Would love your thoughts.

BTW, I’m middle-of-the-night blogging again. Maybe I should start a new novel.

But I digress..

So on my very first blog attempt, I went down a rabbit hole to describe the game I played with all my neighborhood friends as a kid: Bloody Tiger.

But, in fact, my real news is that I’m a blogger now. Wait, that’s just a sidebar story.

The real news is that I’m a novelist now. Here’s the deets: Jaybird’s Song will come out by late September. A website is in the works. Wayne, my book editor and coach, is finishing his first full read and his feedback so far is really positive. The things that are the hardest to judge are 1. is the story compelling? 2. how did the ending work? 3. will readers like it?

Wayne will give me a full report next week with areas for rewrites, but so far he’s given me high marks for 1. 2. and 3.

I’ve even been speaking with a publicist and hopefully will be able to retain her services. Artist and friend Sharon Moore is working on the cover. It’s coming together folks! And yes, I’m really excited. Perhaps best evidenced by the fact that I’m learning to blog in the middle of the night because I’m too excited to sleep.

Done. Second blog this hour. Maybe this will be fun after all.

 

 

I feel like I’m pregnant and no one knows

I’ m about to give birth for the third time and while this one doesn’t compare to #1 or #2, I’m really excited.

I started this novel about 10 years ago. I just started writing. No plan. Just writing. I stopped and started a zillion times often with years in between. But Jaybird kept calling me back.

I think I knew the very first day that I would name her “Jaybird’s Song.” Jaybird is the nickname given to protaganist Josie Flint by her father (who she adores, by the way). Even though Josie is the oldest of three girls (like me), she’s not me.

But there are some who will recognize little pieces of this story, however, because there are little pieces that are true, though they are just jumping off points for a bunch of stuff I made up.

Bloody Tiger, however, is real. When I was growing up in suburban Atlanta, the neighborhood kids played it every night. It’s like tag, but “It” is the Bloody Tiger, who hides while everyone else closes their eyes. Then everyone comes looking and if the Bloody Tiger jumps out of hiding and tags you before you can get back to base, you’re the Bloody Tiger. It was intense.

 

So this happened…

An experiment in learning something new… Here comes the blog, here comes the blog, look out folks, here comes the blog. (I’m channeling Flip Wilson in my head with that line above. Anyone remember him? Here comes the judge… whatever.)