Lynn Cahoon's Blog, page 10

Relaxing before the storm

Last week we went off the radar. My husband, the Cowboy, and I took the dogs and headed down to Oklahoma to Little Sahara. The place is basically an ATV or UTV driver's heaven. We played in the sand, walked, talked, and just relaxed. It was heaven. This week, I have a release for OF MURDER AND MEN and a book to finish. I had a stress dream last night. So I know it's time to get some things off my plate. What do you do to keep all the wheels moving? 

Mixing life and work

As a woman, I thought I knew what my role in the world was. I took care of my house, my family, and my career. In my prior marriage, I was the primary bread winner and chief bottle washer. Now, I'm still working my butt off (wouldn't that be awesome if it really worked?) but I've got help.  Which makes the world better. It's hard thinking everything rests on your shoulders, whether you are male or female. In OF MURDER AND MEN, Shauna's trying to learn the correct balance as she's in a relationship with a local developer. How she deals with the stresses of trying to make everyone happy is part of the fun. How do you manage to balance your life? Lynn

Building in Margins

The universe is talking to me lately. I've had several blogs I've read and workshops I've attended that screamed, SLOW DOWN. The problem is I have a schedule. And the schedule I set, doesn't have margins. Margins are the time in between. So if you think you can finish a project in 8 weeks, you pad and say 10. That way, if you get sick, like I did last week, you have a few days to play with.  I'm looking for ways to add in relationship time with my husband as well as friends. And some exercise time for me. Anyone have a few extra hours a week they're not using that I can borrow? Lynn

They let me back in...

I went to Canada last week. It was my first time out of the country. Customs is all very electronic now. A machine reads your passport, takes your picture and asks you a bunch of questions. Then a border guard looks at the information and asks why you are visiting. "I'm attending a mystery conference." She looked at me, surprise in her eyes. "I've seen a lot of you this morning." I guess I didn't look like a mystery author type. But by the time I got to the hotel where the convention was being held, I knew I was with my tribe.  Five days of talking about books, plots, contracts, deadlines, characters-- it was a total immersion in the writing world. When I came back to the United States, I was still on Canadian soil, but the work had been done. Again, a machine took my information and spit out a receipt with my picture. The US border guard welcomed me back to the states and I went to my gate to wait for my flight to Minneapolis.I was expecting more fanfare. More mystery. More potential crimes occurring next to me. Of course, I am a mystery author. I just wear my normal person disguise well. Lynn

Through the looking glass and back

So we had a health scare last month with my husband. The Big C was in play and we both spent a lot of time thinking and talking about what if. Probably more time thinking than talking. But for now, that's off the table. And our lives are back on some what of an even keel. It's not totally forgotten, but we're able to make plans without thinking, what if...Last weekend, I went to Penned Con and spent a lot of time chatting with a good friend who's also an author. It felt good to talk about the business, plans, marketing, and other writer-ly subjects. Sometimes normal and boring are the best conversations in the world.  Hold your loved ones tight this week. With all the craziness going on in the world, Love and Comfort are the best feelings we can have. Lynn

My favorite quotes - What are yours?

I'm in love with motivational quotes.  I really like the meme's that focus on positive change. Like this - Or this...  Einstein had it right with this...  I live by this one...  And finally, I'll leave you with this one.  Until next week.Lynn

Gratitude week

On my Facebook page this week, I did a week of gratitude.Sometimes it's so easy to think, I'll be happy when...Or If only I had (enter word here), I'll be happy.... This fall, I'm trying to be happy in the moment. So this post is all about what lately has made me happy... Harry Potter visitBaseball game with my cowboyNASCAR race with my cowboyVacation with my son and the cowboy. I had at least to moments I won't forget. The ocean walksThe dolphin cruiseMy furry babiesWhat has made you happy lately?Lynn

Planning for the fall

I've got a few more events coming up between now and the end of the year. I'll be a participating author at Penned Con which is a St. Louis conference fundraising money for Autism. I'll be there Thursday night through Saturday - September 28th-30th. ST. LOUIS CITY CENTER HOTEL & SUITES, 400 S. 14th St.St. Louis, MO 63103I'll be spending my birthday in New York. I've got a signing with my BFF, Laura Bradford on Saturday at The Book Shoppe, 519 Main Street, Medina, NY from 2-4pm. Then it's off to Lockport, Ny Train: Vineyard Express for a SIX hour dinner mystery train the next day. I might be going on the ghost tour that night too. IF I have my words done for the day. :) Then it's international to Toronto Canada. I'll be at Bouchercon. If you're  there too, make sure you reach out to talk. I'd love to meet you. I'm a sponsoring author for the local Will Write for Chocolate here in St. Louis on October 21st so if you want a signed copy of any of my books, stop in! Then finally, I'll be running up to Chicago to participate in the Midwest Mystery Authors of America signing at Century and Sleuths. I'm looking forward to visiting. If you're near any of these stops, be sure to let me know. I'm always excited to meet readers. Lynn

Labor Day check in

When does summer end for you?  Back home, it was after Labor Day. Schools started that first Tuesday in September, I had registered for school and got the classes I wanted. Of course, I was a bit of a Hermione as I wanted to take all the classes. I still have trouble with that concept. Maybe it's the writer in me that wants to explore every opportunity. I've found some things are not in my wheelhouse. Like watching a machine make plastic milk bottles and putting labels on the ones the machine got right. (Yep, a real job that sent me screaming back to college my sophomore year.)  I look at jobs now and think, I could do that. But could and enjoy are two different things. I'm working a day job now that gives me a lot of freedom in developing training opportunities as well as learning new information about different states and countries.  And there's something satisfying with completing a project on time, even if you have to start the next month and do it all over again. My friend calls me a contract collector. I've signed three contracts in the last year and have one in the legal process of getting correct before I sign. I see it less of a collector issue and more of a job security thing. Being an author, you don't have anyone where you have to punch a clock or turn in a time sheet. You also don't have someone giving you a paycheck at the end of two weeks. You are the CEO, human resources, the talent, the marketer, and the supervisor. You have to worry about taxes and retirement funds. You decide if YOU get a bonus each year. You make your travel schedule and put you on a cheaper airline because it makes financial sense. And you are the one sitting down at the keyboard and listening to the voices in your head and making them real. It's a crazy, busy job. I like doing somethings and don't like doing others but at the end of the day, I'm the only one that can be praised or blamed for the product. I kind of like that. Lynn

Fearless - a state of mind?

Hey, I'm back from vacation and getting things ready to start the new week off right. Which means lots of laundry, cleaning, and unpacking. But one of the things I thought about a lot while I was walking on the beach last week was what it would be like to be fearless. I don't mean rash, or stupid, but to face things head on, without over thinking them (as I'm prone to do). Taking the second step when you know what you need to do. And the third... A little girl was body board surfing in the waves. Her father couldn't keep up with her as she fought her way to the larger waves that would bring her back to shore. Over and over she went into the ocean. Fearless. I want to be that girl. Someone who doesn't imagine where each step will take me and then make a decision based on maybes. I'm going to throw myself into what I want to do and let it happen. Because of this decision, I saw dolphins for the first time in my life Friday. It made me happy. I like happy.