Or: An optimist, a pessimist, and a realist walk into a bar
“We should open a bakery,” my sister said. We were enjoying some decadent creation, say a vanilla bean cupcake beneath a cloud of her amazing fresh strawberry buttercream, at some family event. Her daughter’s birthday, maybe. Though it could have been any random Saturday we gathered to swim in her pool. In some families, cake is a celebratory thing. In ours, it’s an expected part of any function, whether or not we’re serving dinner.
Back in those days, I loved to bake too. Hell, when I remodeled my kitchen, I appropriated a drawer for the 9 x 13 pan that held a constant rotation of bar cookies. But I was crystal clear that I would never run any type of eating establishment. “What, and get up at 4 AM every morning to mix muffins?” I replied to my sister (multiple times). Baking was fun. Operating a business? Huh-uh. That was gritty, soul-sucking work.
I held the exact same certainty around my crafting projects. Sure, I could make a few bucks on Etsy selling handpainted Christmas ornaments and greeting cards adorned with grommets and crystals and fetching snippets of ribbon. But who wants to sign up for even more work ahead of the holidays?
So instead, I published a book. Egads! What have I done?
Well, the full truth of that remains to be seen. Because I am not a pessimist (as my sister maintains) I am moving forward with the conviction that this book will do well enough to justify producing the next. But I’m not a blind optimist, either. I have no delusions that Little Pink Houses will somehow end up as July’s “Read with Jenna” pick.
Realist (ahem) that I am, I must acknowledge the facts: I did everything in my power to put out a good product, but the fun part with this one is over. From here on out, it will be hard, often scary, sometimes distasteful work. But you know what? Some of it’s actually turning out to be enjoyable! Meeting new people. Learning new skills. Reconnecting with friends I haven’t seen in ages. Letting myself be just a little excited because, no matter what happens now, there’s a book in the world with my name on it. And yeah, it feels good.
In every story I’ve written there’s a character chasing a dream—because dreams are what keep us going. What gets us through the hard and sometimes frightening reality of everyday life. What helps us find our people and, ultimately, contribute to others through our own unique skillsets, whether we’re artists, business people, burger flippers, medical professionals, or fulltime volunteers.
To be perfectly honest, I’m not sure what I’ve done, or exactly where I’m going from here. All I know is that the joy lives in the doing, not from the end result.
But if anyone has an in with Reese, would you please let me know?
WHERE TO CONNECT WITH LISA
New Section! Check here to see where I’ll be peddling my wares and connecting with new readers. Stop in if you can. I’d love to meet you in person!
Now through May 4: Goodreads Giveaway! One of the first promotions I’m trying. You’ve already got your copy, don’t you? Mentioning it here so you can tell your friends (who will be so anxious to read, they’ll decide to purchase the ebook while they wait). Three lucky winners will receive a signed paperback.
Sat, April 25: WFWA Bookfair, Morrison House, 480 King St, Alexandria VA. Bookfair open 1 – 4pm, $5 timed-entry admission. I’ll be reading at 2:55pm.
Sat, May 9: The Poisoned Pen Bookstore, 4014 N. Goldwater Ave, Scottsdale AZ, 2nd Floor. Local Author Fair, 10am – 1pm, free admission.
CALLING ALL BOOKCLUB MEMBERS! I’d love to speak with your group, in person or virtually. Reply here, or visit my website for more info.
What I’m reading: This month, I’m recommending two books. First, There’s Always a Price by Jen Sinclair. Two rich sleazeball men and the woman caught between them. The fast-paced plot will keep you guessing until the end. Second, Touch, by Courtney Maum. Darkly funny, deeply moving… my favorite kind of book! I picked it up because her upcoming release, Alan Opts Out, sounds so dang good. Preorder it now.
Pair with: It would seem a book called Touch would beg for a cozy red blend. But I’m in Phoenix, where we’ve already had 15 (no that is not a typo, I really meant 15) days of record-breaking heat and it’s barely April. My solace—rosé! If you’ve been reading my newsletters for awhile, you know how I feel about Los Milics Ita’s. But for a less expensive, more accessible option try Aix Rosé. Bright, crisp, with both citrus and berry, it’s a perfect summer wine.
Cheers!
Lisa
lisabinsfeld.com 