Saturday's sweet surprise

I am an author and I have to keep reminding myself of that. No, seriously. Yes, I love to write. I'm a writer. It's because of the words and the images you can draw on a page.

Then I receive an email from a reader who expresses her joy in my story and my heart does this little leap, bounce and quick spin before thudding back into place. Yippee! This is when I know I am an author.

Earlier in the week, I received a message about a great book review from Intense Whisper (Robin K) on my first novel, IT HAPPENS IN THREES, which I shared in a previous blog post.

On Saturday, I not only received an email from a reader, but a reader who is also an author. Joyce Sterling Scarbrough, sent out an amazing review of the very same novel that Robin just reviewed.

I just have to say I was floored to read her review and honored she took the time to share her words, not just with me but with my publisher's loop and on Amazon. It's an amazing, squishy feeling that makes your tummy quiver inside like a bowl of jelly when another author heartily endorses not only your story, but you as a writer.

I emailed Joyce Saturday morning and asked her if she would mind if I shared her review and posted about it on the blog and here is her response. "Post it anywhere you want to, Denise. I will be proud to have my name associated with such a great book and great writer!"

So, without further lip-smacking by me, take a look and see what Joyce had to say about IT HAPPENS IN THREES. Tell me if this wouldn't make you feel like there was more than one Santa Claus.

"This book is like an action flick, erotic love story, romantic comedy and crime drama all rolled into one! I love it when it's obvious that the author knows what she's talking about, and that's definitely true in this case. The technical and procedural details are spot-on and startlingly realistic, and the sex scenes are white hot! Throw in vivid descriptions of to-die-for locations and some of the snappiest dialogue around, and it makes for one enjoyable read. Looking forward to more!"

Can you believe all that?! Joyce must be a writer.

Wait! I'm not done yet. Add to that Gina Leuci's (author of A Lesson in Love) comment to Joyce's review.

"Joyce

Your review of Denise's book is spot on. Eloquently said."

Here is the thing you need to know about Gina. She is one of the few people who read and critiqued pieces of the manuscript before it was published.

Check out Joyce and Gina's books and tell them I sent you and while you visit their blogs, tell them I said, "Thanks."

Picture this . . .

Picture me, yes me, the funny redheaded blonde who loves to write and can barely squeeze it in unless. . .wait for it. . .she goes to her local watering hole, Margaritas, with her laptop and no WIFI, has a couple of "girlie" beers as a friend refers to them, and writes her fanny off. Okay, I wish it was that easy to make a fanny disappear.

Wait! That's not it. I get home, decide to log onto the computer and the first thing I see is a Facebook posting of a review by Robin K of my first novel, It Happens in Threes. And WOW! Now picture said redheaded blonde doing a dance around her house with every dang window open for the world to see.

Yes, all my neighbors, that's a dancing girl in that fishbowl of a house.

The truly funny part is that I had literally just hung up the phone with my longtime friend who has been the inspiration behind my stories and the person who Connect the Dots is dedicated to. Talk about timing!

Could there be a better compliment than this? "I do not know if a book could be written more perfectly for an easy escape of reality. Denise writes so eloquently. Her characters flow across the pages, enriched by well written landscapes and interplay. I loved being able to experience the paradise of Florida and Hawaii through the heroines eyes. The setting so entrancing I could taste the salt of the ocean and feel the warmth of the sun. I actually approached my husband about vacationing where we could scuba dive."

Robin ends the review with this. "This book is vacation anyone can afford!"

Okay, yes, I love knowing someone has enjoyed my stories. What can I say? I'm an author. OH! I can say that.

Thank you Robin for the wonderful review and I hope the winner of the bookgiveaway loves it just as much.

See Robin's full review and enter to win a copy of IT HAPPENS IN THREES at http://intensewhisper.blogspot.com/

Please drop by Robin's blog and leave her a comment.

Writing Prompt Wednesday

Prompt: The bigger man. . .


This is an interesting prompt because you know right away that there is more than one man in the character's line of site. Will you mention the other guy or will you just show us the big man? I look forward to seeing what you come up with.

The sight of granny...writing prompt response

The other week I posted a writing prompt: The sight of granny. . .

Here is my attempt.

The sight of granny tied to a chair, a purple bruise the size of a fist on her cheek, her lower lip bleeding, made Jane's blood boil with anger and fear. Reflexively, she curled her fingers into tight balls ready to pound either of the two goons, whichever one harmed Granny Pearl, both of them. Into the ground like moles in the Whack-A-Mole game at an arcade.

Wasted Time

Wasted Time


Time is wasted in a 90-minute commute
When technology gives us the ability to work from home

Time is wasted working overtime
When we could spend those hours with family, friends, self

Time is wasted regretting decisions made
When life is happening now

Time is wasted watching television
When there’s a world waiting for exploration

Time is wasted talking about writing a book
When you can put pen to paper and write your story

Time is wasted not sharing your self
When others are waiting to share themselves with you

Time is wasted not expressing feelings
When a word, a look, a touch can lead to endless possibilities

Time is wasted on unhappiness
Decide what you want and go after it

What are you waiting for? Time is wasting.

Writing Prompt Wednesday

This morning's prompt is inspired by my current WIP and a particular scene I am working on.

Writing Prompt: The sight of her granny. . .


Remember, it's not how much you write, but the quality of the words. Have fun and feel free to share what you come up with.

Great way to end the week!

You ever have one of those weeks where you just don’t get to do the things you want to do because the job and life takes over? That has been my week or last two weeks.

On the other hand, this has been a week of great enjoyment for me as a writer. On Monday, I posted about the guy who yelled out his truck, blocking traffic, to tell me he liked my latest book, CONNECT THE DOTS.

Monday night I came home to find a message from Heather Bishop of WZID who said, “I’m not a cute guy, but I REALLY like Connect the Dots!”

One of the guys who work for me out of New Jersey sent me an email on Wednesday sent me an email telling me that he started reading Connect the Dots and is with him so he can read during lunch. Mike claims, “It is non-stop movement and action.”

Friday morning, I decided to get some breakfast and ran into Scott who works for the postal service and is reading Connect the Dots during his lunch break. According to Scott, “I’m really enjoying it and it makes me want to turn the page.”

The piece de resistance is after a very long week, I come home and at 1 AM I see a Google alert in my email. I click the Google alert and it takes me to Intense Whisper’s blog where I see she posted a review and book giveaway of CONNECT THE DOTS. Not just a review, but a wonderfully worded and high-praise review that immediately put a smile on my face and made me send the link to my family at one in the morning.

Thank you all and especially Robin for making me feel loved as an author. It's always nice to hear someone say they like your story and want to read the others. What a compliment!

Please click the link above and show Robin/Intense Whisper some love by leaving a comment and entering her book giveaway.

Intense Whisper AKA Robin K and I met on Twitter and send quick quips back and forth. She is hysterical, and a great follow on Twitter.

Now, would you say this was a great week to be a writer or what?

Time to go celebrate the 15th Anniversary of my favorite bagel shop, Big Easy Bagels, in Manchester, NH. Hope to see you there.

Do you have a favorite breakfast joint?

I do. Almost every Saturday I visit Big Easy Bagel in Manchester, NH for a great bagel, a soda (not a coffee drinker but they have it), and terrific company and atmosphere.

You remember that show Cheers and how "everyone knows your name"?

Big Easy Bagel is that kind of place. You go there the first time because you notice it on the way to the Manchester airport. You go a second time because you love a good bagel and the food is delicious. After that you find yourself returning again and again not just because of the food but because you feel like family.

Lori and David (the owners), along with Cathy and Deb, and sometimes Amanda make you feel like you're a part of their family so you find yourself visiting them every Saturday for a bacon, egg, and cheese bagel sandwich, and if you have a carb craving you order the spicy fries.

Help Lori and David and the gang down at Big Easy Bagel celebrate their 15 year anniversary this week. They have lots of wonderful food and good giveaways so stop by, grabbing a bagel and a cup of coffee, and see what's going on.

Date: April 15, 2010 to April 17, 2010
Time: 6:00am - 3:00pm
Location: Big Easy Bagels
Street: 2626 Brown Avenue
City/Town: Manchester, NH

Tell them Denise sent you.

This is one way of hearing how someone likes your book

Remember a month or so back how I posted about a guy giving me his card and asking me to call him one morning while I was pumping gas at my local gas station?

This morning I had to fill-up and as I stood there freezing my tail off at the pump someone honked the horn. Figuring it was some car honking at another on the street, I didn't look up.

My mistake. The next thing I know, someone is yelling my name from the road. I look up and there is the same guy sitting in a big truck on the road. He blocked traffic to shout, "I read your book."

Cool! My response was, "Well?"

To which he replied, "I really liked it!"

"Excellent!" I hollered.

Then before he rolled away, he shouted for me to call him.

Good start to a day!

Thursday's writing prompt response

Last night as I relaxed, I sat down and came up with this little snippet to yesterday's writing prompt.

Prompt: She sat down at the counter and everything was fine until. . .

She sat down at the counter and everything was fine until the man with a moustache and the smell of her stalker sat down next to her. Then her nerves went haywire. Her stomach pitched, bile pushed at the back of her throat, and the fork slipped from her sweaty palm and dropping on the plate of scrambled eggs with a clatter.

“Are you okay?” Dawn, the waitress she’d seen once a week for almost three years asked.

“I, uh, yeah,” she lied and tossed a twenty onto the counter.

“I’ll get your change.”

“That’s okay. You keep it,” Jane said as she slid off the red vinyl stool.

“Don’t be ridiculous. I’ll get your change.”

As soon as Dawn walked off with the uneaten plate of food, check, and the twenty dollar bill, Jane shoved her garden magazine in her bag and bolted for the door and safety. If not for the fact that people would be watching her go to her car, she would have run. Instead, she calmly, but briskly strode to her car with keys in hand. Aiming the key fob at her SUV, she unlocked the vehicle, and rushed to the door. She grasped the handle and tugged. The door opened an inch then slammed back in place. When she reached for the door handle, she gasped and jumped. Her back met the hard wall of a chest as two large hands splayed along the top of the door frame, pinning her in.

A deep voice spoke into her ear. . .


What did you come up with?

See what author JD Webb wrote for Writing Prompt Thursday. See his website at www.jdwebb.com

Writing prompt Thursday

This morning I decided to go have breakfast at this little place around the corner from me and everything was just fine until. . .

Today's writing prompt: She sat down at the counter and everything was fine until. . .


Have fun with this. Write as little or as much as you can and don't forget to share what you write.

Grandmas are the greatest

I had originally planned on posting a writing prompt this morning. . .until I checked my mailbox this morning.

Inside my large white mailbox I found a package from my grandma who is known affectionately to my father as 'Mad Max'. Her real name is Maxine and she's my mother's mother.

Okay, so you know what happens when you receive a surprise package? You cannot wait to rip it open and see what is inside!

Of course, you're in your car driving and can't rip open that gosh darn tape meant to keep a 500-pound gorilla out so what did I do? I went to the little breakfast place around the corner from me, drug the box inside, and immediately asked for a pair of scissors.

After finally getting the tape off and ripping through the paper, I found a set of kitchen towels. Now these aren't just any towels. These are hand-embroidered kitchen towels that my grandmother stitched herself. They have little doggies on them doing various things and each one has the day of the week spelled out on it.

How cool is that?

Grandmas are absolutely the greatest and I am all over anything that is made by hand.

Thank you Grandma! Hugs and kisses...and lots of love!

BTW - Can I have a set of towels with kitties on them? :-)

What scary movie do you remember?

What things that go bump in the night made you afraid of the dark when you were a kid?

When I was a kid I saw this movie where these creatures/monsters came out of the fireplace in a basement only at night because they didn't like light. They would steal people.

I used to think that the movie was called The People Under the Stairs, but today I finally figured out that the movie that made me never want to sleep in the same room with a firplace was a made-for-TV horror film titled Don't be Afraid of the Dark.

The plot surrounds Sally and her husband Alex who inherit a Victorian mansion from Sally's recently deceased grandmother. Sally, exploring the house discovers a sealed and locked fireplace in the locked basement, which she thinks would make a lovely addition to her home. Little does she know why it’s been sealed up.

Despite ominous warnings from the estate's handyman, Sally opens the sealed fireplace that holds a hideous family curse. The curse comes in the shape of three little creatures, who want Sally’s soul to join them down the furnace. After seeing the creatures several times, and witnessing just what they’re capable of, Sally decides she wants to get out of the house. Her only protection is when she finds out the monsters are terrified of the light.

What movie had a huge impact on you as a youngster?

As a writer, I strive to build the kind of tension that this old film and many others and to have the reader not want to turn out the light or have to continue reading until they know they heroine is safe. . .or not.

Shopping at hardware store

I had to share this experience because it made me laugh and shake my head.

I have been waiting to trim my apple tree until it was a tad warmer outside, dreading climbing the thing and snipping off every tall spiky limb with my loppers. Last year my arms hurt for three weeks afterward.

This year, a friend of mine recommended I go get a limb saw. I wasn't exactly hot on the idea for the pur fact that the last time I tried to use a saw it did nothing but frustrate me. But what the heck.

I stopped at Home Depot on the way home from breakfast to check out a limb saw. I, of course, walked into the store and went to completely the wrong section (TOOLS) then asked a Home Depot person for directions. He walked me down to the aisle, located the limb saws and pulled one out.

Then he turned to me and said, "Is this what he was looking for?"

He? He who? Was I not standing there asking for this tool?

I replied, "The saw is for me. I'll be the one using it and climbing up in the tree to saw some limbs."

The look on this poor man's face when he realized his mistake was one of slack jaw, wide eyes, and pink cheeks.

"I'm sorry. That really was a stupid thing to say," he offered.

I gave a small laugh and smiled. "No problem. Happens all the time."

The sad part is that it really does happen all the time. If you're buying a tool you must be buying it for a man to use. Now, you're talking to a woman who has framed a wall, put up sheet rock, hung cupboards, replaced light fixtures and switches, painted every wall in her house, gutted and re-planted her own garden, built her own walking trail with more than 400 pounds of flagstone.

You should see the horrified look on the guy at the stone yard's face when I stick the flagstone and rock in the trunk of my BMW. It's similar to the young guy's faces at the nursery when I shove dirty plants in the truck. I have to explain to them, "It's just a car." Then they stutter and I laugh.

Oops! Back to the story.

Anyway, why does the fact that a woman wants to buy a tool surprise so many male salespeople?

Honestly, my ex-husband who is wicked smart when it comes to computers couldn't put together a desk without assembling it backwards, nor could he change a light switch. His version of a tool is a wire crimper for CAT-5 cabling and a mini-screwdriver for all those tiny screws on the cases of computers.

Writing Prompt Wednesday

Today's prompt idea comes from a writer friend, Michael Jensen. His blog is Miked Up and you can find him on Twitter at @mmj5170.

Instead of writing this past weekend, he went fishing. GASP! Can you believe that?

Today's writing prompt: She reeled in. . .


Have fun with this and share what you come up with. No matter how little or how much as long as you write it's all good.

And the winner is. . .

Scott Romanski!

Scott is the winner of our Boston Red Sox water bottle filled with M&Ms and a copy of my latest techno-romantic thriller, CONNECT THE DOTS.

There were some wonderful guesses to our Spring has Sprung giveaway, but Scott's guess of 757 came closest to the 934 actual M&Ms that filled the Boston Red Sox water bottle.

HOWEVER, any of you who have played games with me or participated in giveaways in the past know that I always like to do better. So, for all of the others who joined in the fun, you still have an opportunity to receive a copy of CONNECT THE DOTS.

Here's the catch . . .

You have to either come back here and tell everyone how much you loved the story, because of course you will. Just ask April of Cafe of Dreams, she'll tell you. OR, you have to blog about CONNECT THE DOTS on your own blog.

That's it! See how fun this is. Now all you have to do is email me your address/contact information along with who you would like the book signed to and I will send everything out this weekend.

April - I certainly don't want you to do without so how about a book for another giveaway or for a friend or your local library. Just email me.

How many people can say they've played a cow bell?

What does a writer do on a Saturday night?

This writer went out with some friends. . .notice the picture. Don't be frightened by the scary looking guy sitting on my left. That's David, the owner of Big Easy Bagel in Manchester and on my right is his wife and partner, Lori. She is obviously the brains and the beauty behind Big Easy, but shhh! Don't tell David.



Saturday morning, I went for my bagel sandwich and while chatting with Lori, she invited me to hang out with them at Whippersnappers to listen and watch a band called Mama Kicks.

Picture below is lead singer Lisa and in background is drummer David.



If you ever need inspiration for a story, go watch Mama Kicks. Not only was the music fantastic, but they were great entertainers. Every had a terrific time and yours truly got to people watch and take mental notes.

Seriously, someone tell the guy wearing the Boston Bruins hockey jersey that he is so NOT hot. Go put a real shirt on.

The older guy who wore a red t-shirt and a sweat jacket that was way too small should get a grip.

The woman who wore this ugly black lace top that showed basically everything, not to mention the way she danced pretty much gave you the impression that she did everything. . .should maybe get a room some place.

Then there was Nana Nancy. I call her Nana because she was by far the oldest person in the place. Let me tell you this woman had fun. She shook her polyester clad booty along with her gray hair. Go Nancy!

As for me, I sat at my front row table drinking and grinning like a fool, tapping my toes all night long while I mentally catalogued the events and the people of the evening.

Until the end that is. Then when I had just returned from the ladies' room and found myself being summoned on stage by David the guy playing. He was a blast to watch, but yeah, no, I did not want to get up on stage. Are you kidding me?

Like I had any say.



To my complete embarassment I got up on stage and was handed a cow bell and a drum stick. A cow bell? Seriously?

Now, I've had voice lessons, even worked with a musician to write a song, but no, I have never played an instrument. No laughing!

Luckily, Lisa, the lead singer of Mama Kicks coaxed Lori up on stage to play the tambourine. The Pink Boxes as Lisa so named Lori and I, played back up to the group on the last song of the night.

Do we look hot or what?

Okay, maybe not hot as in sexy, but hot as in those lights are bright.

We had a blast and we will be back to Whippersnappers to see Mama Kicks on April 10, 2010. Mark your calendars and join the fun!

Spring has sprung so let's have some fun!!

Here's your chance to take a trip down memory lane, celebrate spring and baseball, and possibly win a free copy of CONNECT THE DOTS.

When you were a kid and in school, do you remember a game your teacher would play with the whole class where you had to guess the number of jelly beans that were in a jar and the person closest to the actual number won the jar of jelly beans?

First, let me digress for a second. Didn't you ever wonder who in their right mind would actually sit there and count the jelly beans one by one?

Now you know. Some crazy author who wants to have some fun. Only, just so you know, I know why someone would volunteer to count the jelly beans that fit in a jar. The answer is simple. One for the jar, POP, one for me. One jelly bean for the jar, two jelly beans for me.

On with the fun!

Let's play jelly beans in a jar...or in this case, M&Ms in a water jug. Not just any water jug, but a Boston Red Sox water bottle. Wanna see your jar and your prize?

Here you go.

Here's how to play:

Post a comment here with your guess as to the number of M&Ms you think are in the Red Sox bottle.

Whoever comes closest to the actual count will win the jug and a copy of my latest novel, CONNECT THE DOTS.

You have until Thursday to place your guess.

The winner will be announced on Friday.

What word or words best describe you?

When I was a kid, one word best described me – SHY. Here is where most people who know me now give a choked laugh. Yes, I was one of those kids who wouldn’t shake the preacher’s hand after church, who wouldn’t pay for her own apple pie at McDonald’s, and who would rather squeeze her legs shut and pray that she could hold the gallon of water she just drank than ask a salesperson where the ladies’ room was located.

Today, the last word anyone would ever use to describe me is shy, even though I really am.

One word that has always stuck with me, even from childhood is INDEPENDENT. My parents taught me that if I wanted something or needed something done to not wait around for others, do it yourself. Here I am at the wise age of never you mind, and I am still independent. Perfect example is that while I could have hired someone to paint the interior of my house and it would have been done a lot sooner, I am just as capable and could get the satisfaction of saying, “I did it.” Every day I wake up and see my Caliente Red dining room walls and I smile because I painted those four coats, painted the bright white baseboards, arches, and crown molding, and even caulked afterwards.

Starting a few years back, I heard the words ENIGMA, PARADOX, RENAISSANCE WOMAN as the prevalent descriptors for my personality and me. I’ll be honest, I looked at these people with my brows furrowed in complete disbelief and thought, “Are you kidding me?” These are people I know well and they think I’m a mystery, a contradiction, and a woman with a wide-ranging intellect. It’s funny, but I hear these three words even more often today.

While I still believe “what you see is what you get” when it comes to me, I can see where some of these words may apply. Here’s this little blonde woman who by day manages a team of software engineers and is considered kickass at work then she goes home at night to write fiction curled up in her favorite jeans either sitting on her deck listening to the roller coaster or sitting in front of her fireplace. Then on the weekends, she tucks her mass of blonde hair underneath a Boston Sox cap, throws on the ugliest shorts or trashiest jeans she owns just to go outside and get her hands dirty by playing in the garden or attempting to do things in the house that many people either would leave be or would hire someone.

To this end, I tell you that I am all of the above and am the better for it because I have reached a balance…or almost. Sometimes the scale tips one way more than another, but it also always tips back.

So – what words best describe you? Why?

What’s your sign?

I’m a Virgo, but that wasn’t necessarily the sign I was talking about. Every day we see signs, on the street corner, on buildings, hanging on a door or wall. Then there are those signs that aren’t posted for the world to see and notice, but for the individual. If he or she is open to seeing them or even hearing them.

Perhaps the sign is a symbol to you. Something that whenever you see it makes you smile or lets you know that something is going to occur, or that you need to call someone.

There are and have been several of them in my life. They change just as I do, but they are there if I pay attention. Not all of them have been good, but more times than not they are positive.

A simple example is seeing a truck with a name of a business on it drive by me every day for a week. I kept seeing the truck and it drove me nuts because it always reminded me of a person I hadn’t talked with for months. Then bam! I heard from him. The truck was a sign.

Three years ago, I was in Kentucky on a business trip and told everyone that I was going to buy a house that weekend when I returned to New Hampshire. The people I worked with thought I was nuts. Little did they know.

The night I returned home, I sent my real estate agent 3 places I wanted to see. I had very little to go on but pictures, but I chose 3 that looked the most like what I was looking for. My real estate agent emailed me back and asked me if I could have everything in a house what would it be. I told her I wanted an open floor plan, wood floors, granite countertops, a yard (this was most important to me), and on a whim I said I wanted an apple tree and a rock wall. I have no clue where that thought came from but I threw it out there.

The first house we saw Saturday morning was my house. I knew it the moment I crossed the threshold, but my fate was sealed when I walked out onto the back deck. The first thing I heard was the rattle of the old, wooden roller coaster at the amusement park behind the tall trees followed by the screams of happy people as they zipped down the ride. While standing on the deck, I saw this big old tree so I asked what kind it was. An apple tree! The whole area had been an apple orchard about 50 years before. My heart did a little trip in my chest. Then I looked to the right of the house and what did I see? You guessed it, a rock wall. The moment my real estate agent and I walked out of the house, I told her I didn’t need to look any further. I’d found my house. Apparently, even the builders knew I was the one. The piece de resistance was when my friend who had been overseas calls me and tells me that he was back in the states and I told him I was buying a house. The next day he was here and was the first person to see my new home.

What about the signs we don’t see, the ones that while doing the most inane, day-to-day task strikes you and you know. Some might call it intuition, premonition, or déjà vu (if you’ve seen it before).

About six years ago, I was doing the spring-cleaning thing, standing in the spare bedroom folding clothes to give away when out of nowhere came a thought about my sister. I picked up the phone, called my sister, and without preamble told her, “You’re going to have a girl.”

My sister laughed and said, “What?”

Just so you know, in my family we do not have boys and girls. We have all boys or all girls. My sister already had two sons so everyone assumed the third would be a boy. It’s how my family works. But for some reason on this day, my mind said different.

We both laughed, but she told me she would know in two weeks. Two weeks later, my premonition was confirmed. Now I have a little niece who is the spitting image of my sister, right down to the button nose sprinkled with freckles.

This type of sign actually happens quite often with me. A little over a year ago, I was hanging out on my hammock drinking a beer or two waiting for a friend of mine to show up. While lazing on the hammock, swinging back and forth, I had this odd thought cross in my mind and it stayed. As soon as Rick walked over to where I was, I looked up and said, "You're moving."

Thank goodness the move was only temporary, but I knew without him saying a word. He hadn't even mentioned it as a possibility.

Almost seven years ago, I was unemployed like many others when the economy took a nosedive. I decided that there had to be more to life than technology and that I wanted something more. At first, I was depressed and all I did was read, look for a job, and clean the house. I practically ate books. I couldn’t read enough. The more I read, the more I started looking into the new things that I read about.

I tried glassblowing, cake decorating, and even chocolate making. The chocolate making stuck, but at the same time, something else happened – I started writing my own book, my first book. I became a writer and six years later, I became an author. The book was and is a huge symbol for me. It symbolizes balance in my life. The balance between left and right brain, the logical and the creative.

What signs do you see or hear? Do you pay attention?