Forcing Myself to Learn

So, you know how my publisher went out of business last fall? At the time, I knew very little about self-publishing. But thanks to the good people at Rhemalda, I knew a LOT more about publishing than I had before I signed with them. They were very good to keep me involved in the process, patiently explaining all the hows and whys of everything they did, and because of that, I learned. And I took that knowledge with me.

Now I’m getting ready to release Birthright, the sequel to Descendant, and I’m really missing my Rhemalda family. Besides the support and friendship, I am realizing all over again how much I have left to learn. Some days it’s overwhelming. But I still know the things they taught me, and I’m adding to that arsenal of experience every day. I have some amazing, wonderful, talented friends who are patient and kind, and who have all contributed in one way or another to my success as an author. Without them, I couldn’t do this. Not the way I need to.

Even so, there’s a lot that I still don’t know. I can’t continue to ask others to help me with certain things, or have them do it for me. I have to figure out how to be a grown up author. And it’s both scary and exhilarating at the same time. There’s a certain feeling of accomplishment with each mountain of frustration I conquer and each new thing learned.  

I’m not going to lie. Publishing a book is hard. That’s why publishing houses hire entire teams of people. But I’m getting there. I’m forcing myself to learn it. Because I have no idea what’s in my future, and knowing these things can only help me grow.

Suddenly, I remember what it’s like to be in high school again, and I have a renewed sympathy for my young adult children who are having to do this kind of learning in every aspect of life. It’s hard. It’s scary. It’s exhilarating.

What about you? What scary things have you learned lately?

One of the many things I've learned this month.

I'm Back! (And a Few Things I Learned in Mexico.)

Well, sort of back. I'm  home, but not at all caught up on everything I've missed. I haven't even written my blogs for the rest of this week yet.


*Gasps*

 I even thought I did today's blog in advance, but when I checked, there wasn't one. So. Yeah. My bad.

But I did learn some stuff while I was gone, and I think I'll share them with you.

1. The current exchange rate between the Mexican Pesos and the American dollar is 12.5-$1

2. Wicker furniture is much heavier than it looks, and probably not meant to be taken outside for sleep-outs under the stars. Probably.

3. When five women go anywhere together, people take notice. It doesn't matter if you forewarned them or were accidentally way-laid due to airline misahps. They see. They remember. They take note. As in, "Oh yeah, you're the five." (Everywhere we went.)

4. Factor 15 sunscreen is not nearly strong enough, even if you reapply twice in a day. And red is not a very becoming color on me.

5. Sand dollars are extremely hard to find, but dead blow fish are everywhere. At least, in Mazatlan.

6. Just when you think you'll never see these people again, someone who knows someone you know shows up and shatters that thought to bits. As in, "I saw your wife and some other women booking it through the Houston airport, pulling pink suitcases, and wearing sandals. Very entertaining. Quite comical. Did they actually make it?" (Missed it by eight minutes, dude. Doh!)

7. Telling a Mexican merchant you're not going to buy something sparkly is like issuing a challenge, which might result in a standoff that ends in the use of a credit card or the rest of your cash.

8. Even in Mexico, when you tell people you're from Utah, they have to ask, "So, is this a sister-wives trip?" or "Do you all have the same husband?" And man, they're serious. (REALLY? We're really good friends, but not that kind of good.)

9. Just because the cell phone company offers you an international plan doesn't mean you'll actually get a signal where you're going.

10. When you end up stranded overnight in a city you didn't plan on visiting, with no luggage, Continental airlines gives you a little bag with a toothbrush, comb, and deodorant. "Thanks for flying with us. Please accept this valuable gift in lieu of a missed day at the beach. We hope you'll fly again soon!"

Yeah, I'm sure there's more. But it's way past my bed time. Hopefully, I'll be back on track by Wednesday. Good to see you all, my friends!