...channeling West Side Story...OK, moving on. 

It seems like every day of this new year brings some sort of change for me. I've got projects coming out my nose (really, it's very painful) and am traveling a lot (next week, Tucson Festival of Books). There's the usual insanity of parenthood, marriage and friendship. And although I admit, there are times when I start feeling a little bit overwhelmed, it's hard not to smile. Life is good. 

When I named this blog "Kissing Authors & Astronauts," I was thinking about risk taking and facing the challenges that come in life. For me, an opportunity to produce an online news site in my hometown put me in contact with some amazing people, and yes, there was kissing involved. It started with Michael McGarrity. Michael is a very talented and charming author based out of Santa Fe. He's a big supporter of libraries, and I worked with him on several programs for our local library. I also went to Santa Fe to interview him about the first book in his upcoming series. 

During that time, I created programs about literacy, history and culture. I met authors, astronauts and artists, got in free to cover concerts at a beautiful mountain venue and explored local politics during a mayoral election. Sometimes I look back on those days and think: What if I'd said no? What if I'd decided not to take that chance? It was hard work and balancing the news site with the full-time work of my marketing firm was often a juggling act. But I did things that I never would have imagined doing. I was bold. I was brazen. I was persistent. I was unstoppable! 

Being a writer is also about taking risks. Sure, there are those enviable stories about authors who were discovered and became NYT Bestsellers on their debut novel! Yay! But most of us have to work long and hard to make progress in an industry that can easily be soul-sucking and cruel. We face lots of rejection, some of which is kind. Some, not so much. We get excited when someone loves something we've written, and then we agonize over how to translate that into a viable income base. We love to write, but for many of us, we're also trying to make a living and it's not an easy field to be in. 

So why are so many of us doing it? And what are the stories of those writers out there in the trenches who didn't find overnight success but persevered? 

Starting in March, I hope to explore those things on this blog by inviting guest posts from authors who are living the dream (and trudging along). These are funny, smart, creative, hard-working men and women who've decided that being a writer is their passion and will stop at nothing to achieve their goals. Some are full-time writers. Some have day jobs. We'll get to hear a little bit about how they got their starts, the challenges they've faced and where they are in their writing careers. Most of all, we'll be introduced to current authors and writers who are out there creating, and dreaming, every day. 

Please share these posts with your friends and family. Maybe you'll find your new favorite author right here :) 

Valentine's Day is just around the corner. Is the day of love one of your favorites or do you run and hide? Do you celebrate a day early with your girlfriends? Whatever your particular feelings about the BIG DAY, there are two things that I'm quite certain of: 1) there's no better way to celebrate ANY OCCASION than with a book, and 2) winning prizes is also super amazing!!! 

So, this year, celebrate Galentine's Day AND Valentine's Day with some #ChickLitLove! Join the Facebook event here:  https://www.facebook.com/events/648488038691371/. Then, on February 13th and 14th, hop to each authors page for chances to win great prizes.

I'm on team Valentine's Day and my assigned time slot is 12PM EST BUT you can visit my Facebook page anytime on the 14th for a chance to win a gorgeous hand-crafted necklace by Kell's Creations! It'd make a great gift for a wife, girlfriend, sister, cousin, daughter, BFF or even for yourself! 

Check out the list below for some of the other amazing authors participating in the hop. See you there!