Hi there, guys and dolls!  Earlier this year, I spoke about having new priorities in the bright and shiny new year.  Well, I’m happy to announce that my girls have taken a crucial leap into my world and they’re loving every minute of it!

You see, as they started telling my Santa Lucia tales in the Poppy Cove Mysteries, they found they were really enjoying it, and not only the writing, but talking to people, sharing the stories with others and yours truly’s joie de vivre attitude was shaping their own thoughts on success and the way they wanted their lives to go.  Along the way, they were rapidly learning about not only writing down the words, but bringing the stories to kindred spirits  to read and become involved in in their own hearts and minds.  And also, how great it is to discuss other cozy writers and books, and speaking about the genre as a whole.   Then the love of the fashions and lifestyle written in the books has been boiling a whole other kettle of fish in the background.

The more and more the girls thought about what they wanted to achieve, the more and more tricky it was becoming to stay in their current day jobs.  As much as they had a lovely time conversing and associating with the public in their workplace, and so value the friends they have made and the support they have given the girls over the years, with some of the people becoming very special in their lives,  they knew it was time to shift.  Opportunities to become more involved in writing events and public speaking, both on line and in person were turning up, only to have to be turned down or postponed for conflicts of scheduling, and exhaustion was becoming a usual phase as their candles were burning in so many places, there was no wick left at the middle, never mind ends!

The world of the positive ‘what ifs’ began to become more than just a daydream.  As soon as the decision to put creativity first, opportunities started lining up.  Not only writing the Poppy Cove books (yes, number three is close), promoting them, starting other series, personal signings, appearances are taking priority, but the ethereal other ‘if we only had time’ pursuits are finding ground in day to day reality.  Andrea and Heather are learning to be open to what great things can happen when you say yes and panic later, if in fact there’s time for that.  Stay tuned — in the next month or so, the girls will be announcing personal appearances in the form of book signings and other related creative events they have now been taking time to develop.

And, dear readers and friends, from the bottom of my martini pitcher, I send you my gratitude for being here along for such a lovely, long happy hour!

Toodles,

Barbara Jean