Contemporary Romance - JackiKelly.com
Limitless Luminous Love Stories
The second book in the Sweet Road series entitled The Sweet Road To Love is set to release on Saturday, May 18, 2013. The story of Dakota and Bishop is one that you’ll remember. He’s a playboy, she’s skeptical, will they be able to overcome their past? If you haven’t caught up on the Conroy sisters, now is the time. The Sweet Road Home, the first book in the series is available now at all e-book sellers.
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As a writer it took me a long time to learn when the editor in me showed up, my creativity shut down. The editor voice, strong and stern would say to me that doesn’t sound right, take out that word and rework that scene. Instead of the fun part of creating that feels like skipping or eating chocolate, the editor feels more like trudging through knee-deep snow.
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Eventually, the editor always has to show up, otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to finish a book and get it out the door. The visit from the editor isn’t always bad; it’s necessary to put the finishing touches on a manuscript. The editor is akin to a great designer who can put a style on paper, but it takes a seamstress to put it on a model.
I’ve heard that children can learn a new language easier than adults remember because they don’t worry about sounding strange or different as they work out the foreign words and the accents. That’s because their editor hasn’t become fully developed, so children can tune out that voice that stifles the creative muscles. Imagine how carefree would be if we never censored ourselves.
We all have an inner voice that can stall our inspiration, our drive or our determination. The trick it to know when to listen and when to quiet that voice and run free with you inner child, the one that will allow you to do amazing things.
What has your editor kept you from accomplishing? Where could you be if you shut down that little voice in your head and followed your heart?
To eat healthy or eat well, that is the question. If I wait a few months what’s healthy and good for the body will change. One day I read eat more tuna, it’s high in omega-3 and it’ good for the body. A few days later I read, watch your tuna intake, it’s high in mercury. The following month doctors are talking about how good whole wheat and whole grain are for us. Then someone comes out with a book detailing how much damage wheat can wreck on the body, slowing killing anyone who consumes the luscious breads, cakes and cookies.
What’s a person to do? I’m sticking with chocolate. I’ll never read anything that says chocolate is not good for me. That news would be devastating.
I haven’t figured out if food is my friend or my foe. All the things I love, love my hips. Those things that are good for me (vegetables) don’t get along with my taste buds. It’s a constant battle which I’m losing.
How are you making out? Food – friend or foe?
I’ve only noticed it over the last few days, it was probably always there, but I was too busy doing other stuff to play much attention. I spend a great deal of my day eating, planning what to eat or thinking about what I want to eat next. It’s no wonder that every New Year I have a resolution that includes eating healthy or exercising, most of the time both.
In the morning as soon as my feet hit the floor I’m contemplating what is the best thing to have for breakfast. (I cannot tell a lie, this process starts the night before. But for purposes of this blog I wanted to give a full 24-hour accounting.) Often as soon as I push away from my breakfast meal, I either make lunch or start thinking about the best thing to accompany what I already have in my stomach. Most of my thinking has to do with how many calories I want to consume in one day. My dear husband is often overwhelmed when as soon as he has taken his last bit of breakfast or lunch I ask him about dinner.
I’d like to think that I’m proactive. Always analyzing the future and preparing. But in my heart I know I’m just a foodie. I have snacks and treats squirreled away in every imaginable place. I’ll never get caught off guard. I have something to eat in my purse, in my desk and in the kitchen I have a drawer dedicated to snacks. At any given time I have at least two candy jars on the first floor that stay packed with delicious surprises. My cravings for sweet runs like the seasons, I move from conversation hearts, to jelly beans to candy corn to truffles in a seamless transition. I’m probably the only person I know who packs food in the suitcase when I’m traveling, even when I’m traveling by plane. I don’t know if I can tell you the last time I was even really hungry.
With this much attention to food, you’d think I love to cook. Nope. I don’t. Standing over the stove holds no appeal. I just like to eat. Maybe I need to spend a little time figuring out what my relationship with food is all about. Could I have some deep-seeded fear that one day I’m going to starve? Am I destined to always be in a battle with my weight because I can’t stop thinking about food?
I’m sure this is an issue I’m not going to resolve anytime soon. This didn’t just happen. To get this wrapped up in food has taken me a lot of years. So while I’m giving my relationship with food some thought, I’ll have a snack.
Do you need a friend that’s by your side no matter what? Rain. Shine. Happy. Sad. Even if your just sitting in a chair staring at a blank wall?
Do you need a friend that will listen to everything you say, agree with everything you say and never counter your opinion. A friend that will always take your side, even when you’re dead wrong?
Do you need a friend that doesn’t ask for much, but gives you plenty of room to be yourself? And even on your worse day will give you the space to frown, without making demands on you. A friend that’s happy to see you every day, every hour and even every minute.
I found a friend like that. He’s soft and furry and has four legs. His name is Coco and he’s my chocolate brown cocker spaniel. This dog captured my heart the minute I brought him home in my lap. He never frowns with what I give him for dinner or breakfast. He never complains about his treats. In fact he never complains about anything.
Coco doesn’t ask for much. A walk, some kibble, a pet on the head a few times a day. What he gives back to me is immeasurable. It’s wonderful to have a relationship that doesn’t subtract from my soul. I can look into his big brown undemanding eyes and smile even when I’m having a crappy day. Why can’t all relationships be this wonderful and simplistic?
What’s your most perfect relationship?
(pictures by FIDO Photography)
The New Year is right around the corner and I’m not finished with this one yet. Between now and December 31st I can think of about one thousand things I’d like to do. Of course that’s impossible since I’m on a deadline to finish my next manuscript by the end of this month. The only thing I have time to do now is write.
But since today is 12-12-12, and it’s supposed to be both magical and mystical, I decided to give a little thought to the rest of this year and the future. It can’t hurt. I hope my creative juices continue to grow stronger, my characters continue to trust me to tell their stories, some editors love every word and readers can’t get enough of my inventions.
Oh yeah, and I’m not totally selfish. I pray joy, happiness and peace to anyone seeking it. What are you wishing for?
This year I made some promises to myself that I kept and some that I did not. I wish I could say that those that I didn’t keep weren’t all that important, but it wouldn’t be true. I won’t spend time trying to figure out why some commitments rose to the top and others did not. I already know the answers to that question.
While I won’t list those promises I didn’t keep to myself, I do know my lack of focus and determination to those goals doomed them for failure, nothing more. In the course of a day, month, or year there are only so many activities my mind can focus on. When the chatter gets too loud something gets pushed aside. It’s called survival.
So in 2013, I’ll draw up another list of opportunities to make me a better and happier person. But it will be smaller. I’ll spend more time defining and refining the things that are truly important me, accomplishments that I feel most passionate about. I’ll choose goals that I can envision in extraordinary details. Because when I can get down to that level of focus, then I’m much more successful. No pie-in-the-sky stuff like write more. What would that even mean? Does the grocery list count?
I won’t muddle the view with a lot of objectives where I’m not really invested in their outcome. For 2013 my goal is to stay focused, be driven and get more stuff done. Oh yeah, and to enjoy every minute of the doing.
What’s your goal for 2013?
The last few months have been very busy. Busier than usual, and that’s saying a lot since I’m already in perpetual motion. I’m one of those people who thrive on activity. I’ve always got a list of things to do, whether it’s on paper or in my head. I wake up thinking about all the things I can accomplish in one day. There is a constant stream of ideas, activities and tasks juggling for attention in my brain. Buddhists call this ‘monkey mind.’
While monkey mind propels me through most days, it has drawbacks. It stifles my creativity. And what’s a writer without creativity? Everyone needs to have those quiet moments to rejuvenate, not just writers. I imagine this might be why some people enjoy yoga so much.
I’m trying to quiet my thoughts for a period of time each day to allow new ideas, new characters, new concepts to form and crystallize in my head. If I can stop the continuous barrage of chatter it allows me dream up wonderful characters and awful positions to put them in. I’m able to accomplish much more during the time I’ve allocated for writing, if I sit down at the desk with a quiet mind.
What is the chatter in your brain keeping you from doing? How do you shut it down?
The idea in my head of the writer’s life is quite different to my current reality. I envisioned sitting at or near a nice window overlooking a lovely view with a thick yellow legal pad in front of me. Animated characters would tell me their stories while I scribbled them down in bold black ink.
Only part of that vision has come true. Most of the time my back is to the window, that way I don’t get distracted by outside activity. I’m hunched over a computer keyboard instead of a legal pad and seldom is it as leisurely as I had dreamed. But the characters that come to me are pretty vivid and I love every minute of it.
This final stretch to publication has been hectic. Within the week I received the proofing edits and just last night I got the Galley proofs. It’s awesome to see what the final product will look like, with the title page and the dedication included. Instead of spending time luxuriating over the finished product I’ve got to go through the Galley’s and get them done in three days. I never read quite that fast before, but I will tonight.
I woke up this morning and had my whole day planned. I was going to write and order the invitations for the Book Launch. Today also seemed like a good day to sit on the sofa and watch some football with my husband.
But when I opened my e-mail this afternoon, there was a note from my editor. And everything I thought I would accomplish today vanished in an instant. That saying – The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray, is my theme song for today. It’s time to do the proofs for the book. My editor wants them back in a few days. So instead of everything I’d planned to do today, this is what I’m going to do today.
I’m actually cheating by taking the time to do this blog. So I hope you’ll excuse me while I get to those proofs. Stay tuned.