by Christine | Life, Observations
Every January for the last couple of years, it seems that I speed up. Weekends are gone in writer’s meetings or trips to San Diego to see my dad. Weekdays are filled with the Day Job and writing and cooking and nagging the kids (I say kids, but they’re both in their 20s, so…).
Planning the year (books to write, vacations, and such), taxes, FAFSA forms for the kids, it all seems to hit in January, and I start to say to myself “I can relax when…” The only problem with it is that “when” never seems to arrive. Or I hit one deadline, but three more loom up at me. Plus the state of my office after the holidays stresses me out but there’s NO TIME to clean!
The mess that is my desk. And this is after a day of cleaning earlier this month.
Illness is one way your body slows you down. Forces you to rest. After a couple of years of being forced to go slow due to health issues, I now very much enjoy the whirl of lots to do. But I’m finding I also need to plan down time. Slam my hand on that “slow down” button and force myself to just be. (Last night that took the form of being so tired I was asleep by 8pm. Yum…9 hours of sleep!)
I realized, not too long ago, that since I started my job with the wacksters in the summer of 2011, I’ve taken my five days of vacation and used them for writer’s conferences. As all writers know, conferences are NOT vacation. They are working meetings; fun, yes, but not a vacation. (How I could have done that two years in a row and not figure it out, I do not know.) So not only have I planned a mini-vacation in February with the hubs, but I’ve asked for a second week of vacation from the boss. And it was granted!
Now I am looking forward to using one week of my vacation time for conferences, and the other week for basking in the mountains up at Mammoth Lakes with my family. Nothing but bears and catching fish in the streams and maybe hikes if we feel like moving our bodies. If not, then it’s hammock time. There is nothing better than reading in a hammock in the mountains, and slowly falling asleep and dreaming.
Lazing in the hammock, August 2011 – my last “real” vacation. I can tell because that’s the first time I broke my leg, three weeks before our vacation. When I got back from this one, I started at the new job.
I shall watch myself this year, and see if some parts of the year are automatically more “deadline oriented” than others. I can tell you that a part of me relaxes automatically when I think of the mini-vacation to come in February; four days in Cambria, renting a house on the coast, just me and the hubby.
What do you do, when you realize you’re overbooked and need a break? I’d love to know!
Until next time, be good to yourself.
)O(
by Christine | Writer Wednesday, Writing
These two authors are, I’m proud to say, a part of my Los Angeles Romance Authors chapter of Romance Writers of America. I’m also proud to say that before they sold, I had partnered them each with a mentor; and both, within a year or so, had sold their first novel.
So sit back and enjoy as I introduce you to two of my favorite people.
My First Guest is Robin Bielman
Robin Bielman is your sunny, sweet girl next door. She rarely wears makeup but I swear, she doesn’t need it. Her stories are just like her; sweet, hopeful, and brimming with passion (but the passion is behind a closed door). She writes for the Bliss line of Entangled Romance. Here’s what her Amazon Page says about her: “Award winning author Robin Bielman lives in Southern California with her high school sweetheart husband, two sons, and crazy-cute mini Labradoodle, Harry (named after Harry Dresden from Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files books). When not attached to her laptop, she can almost always be found with her nose in a book. She also likes to run, hike, and dip her toes in the ocean. Filled with wanderlust, she longs to visit many different places and fulfill her curiosity. She wouldn’t mind indulging her sweet tooth in every location either. She’s a lover of Post-it notes, cable television shows and café mochas. Writing is a dream come true, and she still pinches herself to be sure it’s real.She loves to connect with readers! Find her on her website at robinbielman.com, on Facebook at RobinBielmanWriter and on Twitter at @RobinBielman.”
Robin’s latest two novels. Both of these came out in 2013.
Her latest novel is Kissing the Maid of Honor (which is absolutely terrific – I just finished reading it yesterday. Woo boy! You want this novel. No, really. You do.) Here’s the blurb:
Kissing her best friend’s brother never felt so right…
Sela Sullivan is resolved to be the best maid of honor ever, even if it means tolerating the best man. Insufferable, too-handsome Luke Watters is not only the guy who humiliated her at a kissing booth in high school, but he also happens to be her best friend’s older brother. Positive he’s the same arrogant jock, Sela vows to focus on her duties and steer clear of the frustrating—and frustratingly tempting—Luke.
As a world-renowned extreme-sports photographer, Luke is used to undertaking life-risking adventures. But risking his heart for the beautiful Sela Sullivan, who clearly still hates him for his rejection all those years ago? He didn’t see that coming. Sela inspires a passion he’s never known, and the more time they spend together, the more he craves her. But can he prove to the maid of honor he’s become a man of honor?
My Next Guest is Samanthe Beck
Samanthe Beck, Author
Samanthe Beck is an ex-lawyer, but don’t hold that against her! She’s a sweetheart who prefers to write hot and sexy and I can tell you, with total honesty, she delivers on the sexy! Here’s what her Amazon Page has to say about her:
“Award winning author Samanthe Beck lives in Malibu, California with her husband, their son, Kitty the furry Ninja, and Bebe the trash talkin’ Chihuahua. When not writing fun, sexy, contemporary romances or lazing on her beach towel with her face snuggled to her Kindle, she searches for the perfect ten dollar cabernet to pair with Ambien.
Connect with Sam via her website at www.samanthebeck.com to check her progress on that never-ending quest, or to get the latest on her upcoming books.”
Sam has had three books out in 2013 alone; her latest one is called Falling for the Marine, and looks to be Hot Hot Hot! It’s on my Kindle, just waiting for me to dive in.
Here’s the blurb for the book (which you really, really want):
Pretending to be in love has never felt so sexy.
USMC helicopter pilot Michael McCade has two goals: Get his damn back into alignment and keep his nose clean until his ultra-conservative commanding officer clears him to fly again. The doctor-recommended massage therapy seems like a necessary evil if he’s to return to the cockpit, but when his too-hot-to-handle neighbor turns out to be his masseuse, he strays from the straight and narrow in a major way.
Former military brat Chloe Kincaid is looking for an ego-boosting, no strings attached hook up. But when her positively panty-melting neighbor (aka Major Hottie) shows up on her massage table, their off-the-charts chemistry overrides her no-military-men policy until they’re caught. Now they have to fake an engagement to avoid the fallout, but can a girl who runs from attachments pretend to be in love with a straight-arrow soldier without falling hard?
I hope you enjoyed this installation of Writer Wednesday. What good book have YOU read lately?
)O(
by Christine | Observations, Writing
I wrote this for the January, 2014 LARA Confidential Newsletter, and I liked it so much, I decided to put it up here with a few changes because I always change my work.
So, It’s 2014. January.
A brand new year. Here we all are, still full of hope that THIS year, we’ll do everything we failed to do LAST year. All that burden on January. It doesn’t seem fair, does it? So I’m taking this time to point out that maybe it’s not just a once-a-year thing to do – take stock of our lives – but that maybe it should be a daily thing. You know, slow and steady.
My form of physical health. It’s working for me.
I am resolved to have a healthier year this year, but I’m also very aware that “health” means more than “physical health”. Mental and emotional health is important, too. Physical, mental, and emotional health are the three legs of our life that we rest on – they are what give us energy to do everything we want and need to do in our life.
When we start from a place of wholeness, we know who and what we are and what, exactly, we want out of our life. When one of the three legs is lacking – say, you’re ill, or you have emotional stresses – it is very hard to compensate for that missing leg. Our work ends up lacking something, and often it can’t be fixed even in rewrites.
Some people can and do write through all the storms of their lives. It is part of what fuels them; it is part of their process. But I can’t believe that’s healthy, and many of those successful writers often flag as they get older, as the stresses multiply, as their issues (be they mental, physical, or emotional) get so big the issues drown out their writer’s voice.
Writing from a place of wholeness in mind, body and spirit is one of the greatest gifts I’ve decided to give myself this year. Here is my three-legged approach to a healthy and balanced life.
Physical Health This one, believe it or not, is easy. Eat in moderation. Drink in moderation (if you’re a drinker, that is). Get some regular exercise, even if it’s just parking far from the door of the grocery store. Move the body every 20 minutes if stuck behind a desk. Drink Water!!!
Pay attention to your body. Write down any aches and pains that stick with you for more than a day or so. Slather your body with lotion after every shower or bath. Smile at your reflection in the mirror, and appreciate the fact that you can walk, talk, think, see, hear, laugh, cry, hold your loved ones. Enjoy your age, because none of us are getting any younger.
Sometimes, mental health calls for getting away from all the electronics in our lives.
Mental Health Keep optimistic about everything, as much as possible. (If this means ignoring the news, by all means ignore!) Focus on the good in your life. Flush gossip out of your brain. If troubled about those you love, talk to them and say those worries out loud. In doing so, many of them fade. Don’t let worries get big by hiding from them. Instead, tackle big issues head-on, such as: pay bills on time (less stress); discuss that difficult issue with your boss; ask your agent for a contract change. Know how much money is in the account so you don’t overspend. Schedule doctor and eye doctor and dentist appointments ahead of time whenever possible. Keep a calendar and note important dates on it.
Revel in your accomplishments, and never, ever, talk bad about yourself. Give yourself your BEST self, every day. Then don’t let yourself down. Hell, I know we’re all human. So forgive yourself for mistakes, for everyone makes mistakes. When you can, put your focus on other people. Smile at strangers, laugh with friends, hug your pets. Never take those in your life for granted.
Emotional Health Refill the well. Be silent with yourself; or call it meditation. Spend even
A painting of one of the costumes/dancers of The Rite of Spring, shown at the Music Center in Los Angeles February, 2013
ten breaths in quietness, once or twice a day, and allow yourself to fill with love. Read everything, from the philosophers to pulp fiction to the daily news, for everything is fodder for the muse. Visit museums, walk along the beach at sunrise, breathe in the mountain air. Paint, draw, make music even if you’re not an expert at painting or drawing or making music. See live theater or music or go to comedy clubs, for seeing work live brings something to you that a movie or a recording just can’t. Visit with friends.
Take vacations, even if they’re short. Go places you’ve never been. Go alone. Go with a friend or a significant other. Forgive anyone you hold a grudge against. Woo your own heart. Let me say that again. Woo Your Own Heart. For you are worthy of wooing. Always.
The truth of the matter is, we can’t go back and relive our youth. We can only move through this life at the age we’re at, and accept and love the person we’ve become. If you put time into your own physical, mental and emotional health every day, your relationships will blossom. Your heart will fill. And your writing will come from the Passionate You that started writing, and that Passionate You will enjoy it again as much as you did the first time, when you wrote that manuscript and you didn’t have a clue as to what you were doing, and your heart overflowed and your soul expanded and you knew you had just Done Something Wonderful.
I don’t believe in writing “the book of your heart”. I actually loathe that saying. But I do believe that if you’re not passionate about what you write, it won’t strike the chord in your reader that you want it to strike. If you’re not passionate about your work, how can you expect others to be? And if you’re not passionate about your work, then why are you writing?
So this year, take it slow. Focus on all three parts of your health – physical, mental, and emotional, and get as centered as you can. Yes, life will throw you curve balls. No, those curve balls aren’t always pleasant (some find their way to your gut, stealing your breath). But if you keep what matters first and foremost in your heart and your mind, if you remember to be gentle with your body and soul, then you’ll weather the storms Fate has in store for you. And if you need help, know that there are hands and hearts out there, just waiting to help when asked. But you have to ask.
The daffodils under my apple tree. A happy surprise every Spring!
I truly believe that if you expect the best, or the worst, you’ll get it. So why not expect the best?
May your 2014 be bright with blessings, good friends, and love, always.
)O(
by Christine | Observations
If you’re going to a New Year’s Eve party this year, be a sweetie and bring two important things that every hostess needs. First, a yummy appetizer that doesn’t need reheating; second, a couple bottles (one champagne, one not champagne).
The Appetizer
This is one of the easiest, tastiest, and most surprising appetizers that I’ve ever run across. I was introduced to it via my good friend Kristin Reeves. Some day I must do a post about her, because she introduced me to so many tasteful, joyful, easy and luscious things that she’s truly made her mark on my life, even though we’ve lived across the continent from each other for over 20 years. I had this dish as a part of an impromptu afternoon snack, with white wine and…well, that’s a story for another day.
Lox, Cream Cheese, and Onion Spirals Ingredients: Lox, cream cheese, onion, 8-inch soft flour tortillas. Take four ounces of good quality lox (found in 3 or 4 ounce packages near the butcher case in the grocery store) and add to your mixing bowl. Add an 8 ounce block of cream cheese (not the pre-whipped stuff). Cut a good sized onion in half, and chop half of it finely. Add to the bowl. (If you have small onions, use the whole thing.)
Turn your mixer on low; mix until well-blended, stopping to scrape the beater at least once. When it’s done, the lox and onion will be well-incorporated into the cream cheese.
Take out a flour tortilla; spread about a third of the cream cheese mixture over the tortilla. Roll up tightly and place in a large ziplock baggie. Repeat with the rest of the mixture and two more tortillas. (I had some left over; made a lovely snack on crackers.) Put the rolls into the refrigerator and let rest for an hour.
Prior to the party, cut the rolls into 1/2 inch thick pieces and lay them flat on a plate that you don’t mind leaving at the party (I usually pick up a festive one at the dollar store). The rolls will show bits of salmon and onion and look very festive. Wrap the plate with plastic wrap, and add a festive note on it describing what is in the dish (for those who may be allergic or sensitive). Voila – you’ve made your hostess very happy!
As for the bottles… if you like champagne, bring the bottle you prefer. That way when the
Mumm Napa Valley
time comes, you’ll have the one you like to sip on as the year turns over. If you don’t have a champagne that you prefer, do yourself and your hostess a favor and stay in the $10 to $20 dollar range; there are a lot of more expensive bottles on sale right now that will make you look like a hero. For “brand names”, I like Domaine Chandon, Mumm Napa Valley, and Korbel. As I don’t like sweet champagnes, I go for the ones that say “Brut”. For an explanation on levels of sugar in champagnes, go to this post here.
Trader Joe’s Sparkling White Chardonnay Grape Juice
For the non-alcoholic sparkler, my sons really liked Trader Joe’s Sparkling White Chardonnay Grape Juice, and I must admit it was very tasty. Not overly sweet, but just sweet enough, and with a nice sparkle to it. As a matter of fact, I need to hustle over there and grab a couple bottles for New Year’s Eve…
What are your plans for the New Year? We’re most likely staying home and enjoying family. Whatever you do, do it with gusto and love, and you can’t go wrong.
Okay, so there you go. I hope you have a wonderful New Year’s Eve, and may 2014 be your best year yet! Sending love and hugs, from my home to yours.
)O(
by Christine | Back to the Barre, Observations
…two steps back…
My body isn’t happy with me. Oh, it doesn’t care that it’s 6:15 am and I’m headed to the gym; no, it’s more that I haven’t been to the gym (and more importantly, done the stretching or the ballet work) for three days so far.
Last week? 6 out of 7. This week? The 23rd, we went to San Diego for an early Christmas with my Dad. On the way home, we dropped by the Chocolate Bar in Carlsbad, and got hugs from Tameri Etherton and her fantastic hubby Dave (not to mention chocolate, and coffee drinks). Then, On Christmas Eve, there was a class from 5:30am to 6:30am. We’d gotten to the gym early. I wasn’t about to wait around for the room to be free. Plus the gym was closed on Christmas Day. Three days into the week and no ballet.
It took too long for my back to warm up this morning, another nasty side effect from not working out for three days. I spend thirty minutes on the treadmill instead of twenty, hoping to get everything even more warmed up than usual.
I finally go into the aerobics room and do my stretches. Ten minutes of stretching, then it’s time to get back on my feet. At my makeshift barre, I look in the mirror. Whether it’s the placement of my grey tee shirt or what, I catch my breath at my reflection, with only one thought on my mind.
WHY AM I SEEING MY MOTHER’S HIPS ON MY BODY? The very hips I used to be so dismissive of, so smug – my hips would never look like that. Ever. (Now I just want to bonk my head on a cement wall and curse genetics. Unfortunately, no cement wall handy.) I look again, and there they are. My Mother’s hips, somehow attached to my body.
Oh, the horror! I squinch my eyes and go about my workout, avoiding looking at anything in the mirror other than my white-socked feet. The workout ends up being brutally short, as I’m sweaty and panting after just tendus. Which is not a good thing. Mentally, I’m wailing. I’ve only been away for three days. THREE. DAYS.
Shit. This getting into shape via ballet workout is not going to be a) easy or b) fun or c) pleasant. But damn it. I’m committed. I know I’m not going to get where I was (who does?); but I’d like to get closer to her, in the photo below. Except the hair. I’ll be happy to skip the perm.
Christine Ashworth, circa 1981. Photo by Jackson/Kristoffersen & Associates, Los Angeles
So. What are you up to? Hope your Christmas was a merry one!
)O(
