A big day for my writer friends!

There was a time, years ago, when I'd get jealous when somebody who was not me got a book published.  

I do not feel that way anymore!

Now, I feel proud, excited, and hopeful.  

Today I get to brag about those writers who put in the work and reached their goal!

First of all, there's a party going on over at Some Mad Hope.  Heidi Willis, one of the best people I've "met" out here in blog world, is throwing a virtual party for the release of her new book, Some Kind Of Normal.

I've read this book.  I'm lucky that way because Heidi and I, along with five other brilliant women, are the Four Corners Writing Group.    

This book is worth reading.  Rather than taking my word for it, check this out:

How far would you go to save the life of someone you love? This is the question the Babcock family struggles with when 12-year-old Ashley is diagnosed with diabetes, which quickly turns deadly. A day or two in the hospital stretches into months as the doctors explore every medical alternative to find a way to cope with the mounting complications, but Ashley continues to deteriorate. If faith can cure Ashley, the folks at First Baptist Church are sure they have more than enough to keep her alive. But as Babs watches her daughter's life and death struggle and sees her family start to unravel, she turns to the Internet and science to find a solution the doctors say isn't there.

YEAH???  You'd read that and you'd be on the edge of your seat the whole time, I know it.  

We Four Corners girls have bonded pretty tightly.  We've held each other up and cheered each other on.  We've all learned that there is no easy way in this business. Heidi Willis has taken a journey full of hills and valleys to get her book published.  Even though she signed on with a small press, there was still a lot of work to do to get her manuscript into book form.  She's been completely involved in the process, and done all the right things to get it out there into the world.  I'm proud of her!

Meanwhile, I got a visit on the weekend from another of my writer friends.  If you hang here regularly, you might be familiar with Paul Tee.  He's from my big writer's group, my Monday night haunt, the group I throw ideas around with.  I miss those guys, now that I'm not in town to join every meeting.  

Paul has just gotten the copies of his self-published novel - and I've already got my copy!!! Signed and all, lucky me.  He decided to self publish because he wanted to have an actual book in his hands.  He's very realistic, having been through the submitting process many times, and knows that the selling of this book is totally up to him. From what I've heard, the selling of a book is an author's job now even with larger publishers, so I'm keeping my eye on this little project to see how it goes!

I haven't read Dreamcast yet, but I have read two of Paul's previous novels.  This guy is a natural storyteller, and even more impressive, tells those stories in a language he did not learn until he was a pre-teen.  (He was born in Hungary.)  Paul writes like most people only wish they could- with determination.  I think he's up to ten or eleven books now.  Not kidding.  And he's managed to match quantity with quality.  I've been moved to tears reading his epics!

He's got a very lyrical way with the English language.  Check out Writer At Large to read some of his prose!

Did I mention that I am part of THREE writer's groups?   I'll give a yell to Lynn Sinclair, who has just put up another of her cute posts on Christmas gifts for pets. Lynn and I and our friend Maissa are the Tiny Writers.  We're all rather small.  We all have teenage kids.  We all like tea and cookies.  I don't get to see them as much either anymore but that's what computers are for.  

I get something different and special from each of my groups.  I believe it's so important for writers to reach out to other writers.  Years ago I was quite alone as I pecked away at my sad little stories, but now I get my imagination and ambition fired up regularly.

And because of that camaraderie, I no longer feel a pang of jealousy when a writer friend reaches that goal of A REAL BOOK.  

I feel like I've helped raise that book!  Go writer friends!!!