• my view,  writing life

    Thankful

    Thankful doesn’t begin to say how I feel about the outpouring of love and support at my contract news last week. But yes I’m still trying to wrap my head around it but I’m starting to. Yes, I’m starting to. And yes, I’m so thankful.

    If this experience has taught me anything it’s taught me how important it is to believe in yourself and to never give up something. I knew it and preached it but may have never been all the way behind for myself.

     

    Thanks so much to you all for reminding me during those dark times when I would start to forget.

     

    Best,

    Kwana

     

    Image from here.

  • dreams,  inspiration,  my view,  writing,  writing life

    So What Happened Was… (and here I ramble on)

    This thing…
    This thing, that honestly me, Mrs. Blabbermouth doesn’t even really know how to put into words here on ye old blog. I guess I’m kind of afraid if I do put it into words then, poof, it won’t be real anymore and it will all disappear into the internet cloud somewhere. So is the story of my life. But here goes… no guts no glory.

    Over ten years ago after losing the sitter for my twins and then not being able to get flex time at work to pick the twins up early from school I realized I could not handle the demands of being a designer that did it all for a mid-level (and I’m embellishing here with the mid) house and I became a stay at home/work from home mother. Thinking I’d find all these great freelance jobs instead I found myself doing all sorts of things from, hand sewn wedding gowns, to becoming a closet design “expert” at an organization store, to making a line of cute baby blankets, to selling stylish though not terribly well executed denim handbags at a local flea market. All this to say I’ve tried a lot on my road to tapping at the keyboard and writing my first romance.

    And with that first came the first rejection, the first of more than I dare to count over all these years and six complete manuscripts. But for some reason, though with each rejection the pain never dulled, I kept writing and sending out queries. Still believing in the love and the dream.

    I like to blame friends (you know who you are), my writing groups, the love of my family (unconditional) but I think most of all it was my own stubbornness. You see I could not forget that the day I got that first rejection and (silly) me saying (out loud), “it’s too hard I should just give up.” I can still hear my DH’s calm voice as he said nonchalantly, but with the slightest challenge. “It’s up to you, but maybe you give up too easily.” Grrrr! It’s the challenge that pulls me to that man. He had me and I love him for it.

    Gosh, how many years ago was that? We weren’t even living in our current house and the twins were still so young and really he should have known that I never back away from a challenge. Part of me thinks maybe he did. It’s just not in my make up to give up. So I didn’t. I forged ahead. Stopping and starting. Hopeful and then doubting. Sometimes hating the new story ideas that would pop in my head at the most inconvenient times. Always cursing the day I decided to be a writer and that stupid challenge.

    And then just a few weeks ago I get an email from an editor, the fabulous and may I say super smart, Jennifer Lawler saying, “I hope this manuscript is still available and I’d love to offer you a contract.”
    What the what?! All I could do, Dear Friends was look at my phone in disbelief. After all these years I didn’t know how to react. The DH was home and all I said to him was, “Hmm, that’s interesting.”
    You see after so many years of NO (ok, sometimes no thank you.)  I didn’t even know a yes when it was looking me in the face. No fan fare. No jumping. No shouting. No good  job you. Just a cautious, “interesting.”

    But weeks later, with contemplation, some pats on my back and some ‘good on yous’ and letting this get in my spirt I can now say this is a YES. This is real!

    Yes, I’ve been contracted by Adams Media to be a part of the launch of their new line: Crimson Romance with my contemporary romance that is as of now titled THROUGH THE LENS. It’ will be e-pubbed and POD and hopefully out late Summer.
    Holy Smokes things are moving fast! That is a Yes!
    Finally a YES!

    You all sit with that and ponder on how it’s “interesting” too. While you’re at it head on over to Facebook and like Crimson Romance’s page over there.
    In the meantime I’ll be figuring out my next steps. What the what?!

    Best,
    Kwana

     

    P.S. I’ll be writing my contemporary, a little bit sexy romance under the name K.M. Jackson.

     

    P.P.S. Yikes! Does this mean Nana and my mother will be getting a Kindle?

     

    Image from here. LOL I’ve used it before and it works here again.

  • my view,  writing,  writing life

    Monday? No, Thank You

    Hello Monday 🙂  I’m trying to be enthusiastic as I greet you but it’s just one of those Mondays. Yes, the paint is up on the wall now and I’m happy about that, but looking around I’m sure it will take me the next month to get the house back to rights (was it me that had this bright idea?). And BTW just over a month is what I have now before the dear twins are home so all of a sudden I feel like I need to get the house to rights and my other work in order too. You know the other work, that pesky little thing called a book I’ve been working on well, forever!
    So now it’s tick tock, wake up Monday’s here, but all I can feel is uh, no, thank you.

    But no worries. I’m up typing this aren’t I?

    Best,
    Kwana

     

    Image from here

  • writing,  writing life

    Resolve

    Hey party people what you been up to? I know I’m awfully quiet lately,  but see though I said no resolutions, I have made one…

     

     

     

    So it’s keeping me pretty busy. How about you? Any resolutions?

     

    Best,

    Kwana

     

    image from here

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • motherhood,  my view,  writing life

    Exciting Nights…

    Why are my nights so exciting? No, not like that. And sorry to disappoint, not like that either.

    You see it’s these dreams I’ve been having for the past few weeks (could be months now, years off and on if I’m honest) where I’m chasing something or trying to get something done and I never complete the task. Never! Also on top if these task dreams, lately I’ve also been having dreams about the kids and none of them are good either. It’s not like we are visiting Disney or anything. It’s usually school related and no one is happy, DS, DD, DH and definitely not DM (dear mom, me, wah!). So to this I wake in a panic filled with wonder over what they are doing ready to pick up the phone and start in immediately (must put down the phone) or I wake with my heart racing as if I’m on mile 19 on the NYC marathon, still trying to finish my unfinished task.
    So now as it stands here I am this morning, more tired than when I went to sleep. Let’s hope I don’t end up like this lady below during today’s writing/editing session because I’ve got to get something finished. Even if it’s only in real life.

     

    Best,
    Kwana

    Image from here

  • my view,  writing life

    To The Light…

    Sorry I’ve been so quiet this week. I guess that’s just my way. You know when I’m quiet I’m deep in thought or maybe it’s worry over my current WIP (work in progress) and the silence usually means that the WIP has the upper hand. The darned story getting the best of me. Making me sweat a bit.

    So it feels like I can’t seem to spare a word. Not for the husband, not for the kids and I’m sorry to say not for ye old blog. They are too precious locked up tight in some dark corner on my mind not wanting to let go of their friends and come to the light.

    But I won’t give up. I have treats, such as candy and cookies and bubble baths and music and well, anything else they might want. I will be victorious and they will come out and eventually play nice.

    Have a good weekend! I shall be pampering/coaxing my muse.

    Best,
    Kwana

     

    image from here

  • writing,  writing life

    Little Problems

    May we all have days like this. Hoping to get some good writing done today. I’ve been off writing for the past 2 weeks with the twins at home and Christmas but now I must get back on track. They are still here, but the tree is down and I must close myself off for a few hours a day to fall into the story again. May this be the only obstacle of the day.

     

    Best,

    Kwana

     

    image from here

  • jack,  jack pics,  writing,  writing life

    Great Day

    Well it’s the last day of November and I’m happy to say I made my self imposed NaNo goal adding 50,000 new words (go me). But with all the new twists and turns this book is still far from done. Sorry I’ve been MIA on the blog but I’ve been saving all my words for the page and that’s where my head has been.

    Jack sends you all a good morning today though from his little bed where he spends much of his time guarding me and making sure I don’t stop typing. Have a great one!

     

     

    All the best,

    Kwana

  • writing,  writing life

    And Yeah Still

    Have you gotten the theme? Yes, my head is down or at least it should be and the words should be mounting. Mounting I say or is it more like pray at this point?

    Though I’m on my trusty laptop. In my mind I’m imagining myself on one of these wonderful vintage numbers writing the book of my life. The one that changes it all.

     

     

    Hey, what is life without a dream?

     

     

    Best,

    Kwana

     

    image from here