Finally – title and cover reveal! Our Gentle Sins – due out June 21, 2022.
Our Gentle Sins follows the journey of Valerie who must face and rectify her mistakes and Jack is working hard to recover from his past and stay clean for his future.
But making a a new life for yourself is never easy, especially when the secrets of others are working against you.
Have you heard of Postpartum publication syndrome? It appears to be a real thing for many writers.
Many of us have heard of or referred to our “babies” when writing. The act of creation – creating – we are bringing something new into this world. A good book takes years of hard work, anxiety, and challenges.
Then it’s finished, it’s published, and we have to release it into the world. It is, in some ways, no longer ours. The precious little life we have brought into this world is out, and… well… I know we’re supposed to be excited, ecstatic, but somehow, for some reason, we’re feeling down.
It’s a gain, no doubt, but it’s also a loss. It’s a transition from one phase to another, and the hard work is not done yet. In some ways, it’s beginning again, in another way. We are no longer alone in the dark at a desk, but we got comfortable there. And this change from releasing our darling into the world is harder than we imaged.
Many writers go through a phase of mild depression once their work is published.
I’ve heard many “cures” for this postpartum publication syndrome, which include:
So – look at me – book’s not even released yet! haha. No worries! I’m okay. 🙂
.
.
.
(this post, by no means, insinuates that the very serious topic of postpartum depression new mother’s face can be solved easily or taken lightly)
My short story, All the Beautiful People, has been accepted by Hoxie Gorge for their Spring/Summer 2022 issue!
All the Beautiful People was inspired by a past time of mine – people watching. I think individuals are beautiful and one of the most wonderful things about them is that, in all their anxieties and insecurities, most seem to overlook the loveliest parts of themselves. It might be their smile, their kindness, or even their imperfections!
I spent Sunday at the Norton Simon museum. I watched a group of visitors take selfies with the Picassos and Reniors. They fussed and posed, smiled and laughed nervously. Gorgeous in their own individuality.
All the Beautiful People is told by a first person narrator who looks for this beauty even as she pushes down her own pain.
This year is a year of self care. The people I’ve met and those I’ve chatted with are seeking self fulfillment, searching for growth; it is a year of healing.
Taking care of yourself is not selfish. We are a well. Empty wells can not serve or help others. We need to refill our wells, take care of ourselves in order to be any good to our children, our spouses, family, or community.
We can heal through writing. We can find ourselves and our purpose through exercises meant to expose our deepest desires and inspire our motivation.
Many years ago, I met a woman who was in so much physical pain, she could barely walk and used a cane to get around. Through our semester together, writing exercises, guest speakers, and the process of opening up, she found what was eating away at her. Once exposed, her physical pain began to resolve. She walked with much more ease and moved with more freedom than she’d felt in years.
We can heal through writing. We can resolve our deeper issues. We can discover our purpose. I’d like to invite you to a group Writing to Wellness . The group is on facebook for the moment as that seems the platform where we can not only post and respond to writing prompts, challenges, and answer each others’ questions, but we can also do live writing groups, which I’d like to do at some point. We can also welcome speakers and post videos there.
Please feel free to join. I invite you to respond to prompts, receive writing feedback, and take part in a community dedicated to healing and wellness. Negative comments, trolling, and other uncivil behavior will not be tolerated.
We all have those moments when we feel a lack of motivation, we’re dry on inspiration, and inevitably dragged down by the same. The continuing covid plague hasn’t helped the situation. These are three things I (and other writers) have tried with some success to release the damn and restart the flow. (This is not just for writers!)
Let me know what you do to shake off the stickies.
I read an article which stated people who watch a lot of crime shows experience more anxiety. Well, I can totally relate to that. But does that include the news too? Because that’s where I’m getting most of the crime and murder stories these days.
In any case, around this time of year, my mind turns to happy holiday movies. I occasionally watch the corny ones, but many are rehashes of the same old storyline. I wanted to make a few suggestions for movies for anyone who needs a break from real life but doesn’t want to see the mushy meet-cute and sickly sweet romances that seed the streams.
From the family fun list:
Finally – ALL TIME FAVORITES!
It was suggested to me recently that I give up writing for awhile.
My mouth fell open and my eyes widened. “Give up writing?”
I was in shock. I jumped to defense, ready to tackle, grab the ball and run for the 50 yard line.
What would I do with all the voices in my head? All the characters who wrangle for a voice, the scenes that require breath to be brought to life? These are real things in writer’s heads. People, places, stories. Non-writers don’t readily understand that.
(I wonder what it’s like to live in a non-writer’s head? What goes on in there if there are no stories? Is there math? *Shudder).
Who in their write/right mind would “give up” their passion, their purpose.
She asked, “What does writing mean to you?”
I realize my defense is not really an answer. What does writing mean to me? I know what is used to mean – it was a survival mechanism. But it was more than that too.
I’m still working on it by the way – a current, present answer to what writing means to me. I just know I can’t not write.
Share with me please – what does writing mean to you?
Gosh, it’s hard to get people to review a book. I get so many nice emails and notes, yet the same people have not written reviews.
This review, however, is hilarious!
After reading Harvey Levin Can’t Die, Alex K wrote:
Thank you, Alex K. I can agree, on some level, some of my stories are strange. It’s the way my mind works – just a little different than your average person. That’s probably why I’m a writer.
Harvey Levin Can’t Die tells the story of a how a slight change can affect society. Could we live without reality tv? What better time to read this story, when reality seems so harsh!
At the beginning of the semester, there’s an effervescence in the air on campus. The air around us is charged with positive energy. Thousands of students are buzzing with dreams and goals. They are brimming with the excitement of forward motion, their brains producing dopamine, which seems to affect everyone around them.
The excitement of learning, of trying new things, of working toward something new is like a drug, makes one giddy.
Excitement is lost in routine. Some people go on about their lives, thinking they’ve done everything they need to do and they’ve reached a place of comfort. And they get lazy in that comfort, forget to be open to new adventures.
I asked someone recently about Geocaching. I think of it as finding a treasure, accomplishing mini goals; my brain already releasing happiness hormones in response to the thoughts of the challenge overcome!
His response: It sounds childish.
Yes. Maybe. And isn’t that exciting? The very beauty of youth is excitement at every new adventure, big or small! It’s an energy wrapped up in an overflow of snapping and bubbling. And it’s engaging and enigmatic!
Forward momentum – new challenges – it is what keeps us young.
Einstein was said to have been working on a new theory even on his deathbed. After he passed, his brain showed a lack of plaque. Plaque the normal brain develops with aging.
Writers are all about the new and exciting. The next scene, the next chapter, the next story!
Have fun, engage that childlike excitement, set new goals and accomplish them or fail them – it doesn’t matter – just as long as you keep moving forward!
Noreen Lace 
You must be logged in to post a comment.