Lori L. Robinett's Blog, page 14
March 23, 2015
How to Survive When You Lose Your Job
When I was writing Fatal Impulse, I wanted to throw rocks at Andi Adams, really make things difficult for her. Like most writers, I draw upon my own experiences and emotions to make my characters fully fleshed out and dimensional. Andi is newly widowed, trying to make it on her own, trying to find her footing with her new life. She has to get a job, because her husband, who hadn’t let her work, is dead. She gets a job at a local tourism center. It’s not a high-paying job, but it’s a paycheck and it is experience to use as a stepping stone to a better job later. I’ve been in that position. When I was in college, I took a job at a University office. It wasn’t exactly glamorous (20 hours a week, plus evenings typing – yes, you read that right – the job openings newsletter that went out to alumni), but it was a paycheck and I knew it would look good on my resume after I graduated. But that isn’t enough stress for Andi. I needed to make things more difficult for her. So, I did to her what happened to me in real life. I fired her.
When you get let go, your heart drops into your stomach, and then all the way to the floor. If, like Andi, your independence hangs in the balance, what do you do?
Know this:
You found one job, you’ll find another.
That job wasn’t your dream job.
Realize that this is an opportunity: an opportunity to move, to try a different job, to take a step up on the ladder to your dream life.
Network and research and start applying for jobs that you do want.
Finally, be willing to settle. You may get a job offer that isn’t your dream job, but that position will pay the bills, add experience to your resume, and get you one step closer to seeing your dreams come true.
If you want to see how Andi handles being fired, reserve your copy of Fatal Impulse today!
March 6, 2015
#CoverReveal! Fatal Impulse
My new book, Fatal Impulse, will be released on March 28. I’m so excited, and am thrilled with my new cover. So, drumroll please . . . here it is!
Fatal ImpulseThe ebook is available for preorder now. Preorders count tremendously, so please help me spread the word!
March 3, 2015
To Do Lists
Lori L. Robinett, writerI start off every morning with a yellow pad, divided into two columns. On the left is my Daily To Do, on the right is my Ongoing To Do.
I try to put no more than five things on my Daily list, largely because I know that more things will be added throughout the day and, well, I simply know that I won’t be able to accomplish more than that. If by some miracle I do get through all five tasks, I can move over to my Ongoing list and work through it.
How do you keep track of what you need to do?
Review: Murder, Mystery & Dating Mayhem
Murder, Mystery & Dating Mayhem is the most recent book by D. E. Haggerty. The story is told from Izzy Archer’s perspective. We quickly meet her best friend, Jack, a delightfully gay sidekick. I knew I was going to like Izzy as soon as we went on a speed dating night with her –
“Excuse me,” I say as I try to catch the bartender’s attention. The bartender, however, is more interested in the young girls prancing around than in me. I sigh and lean onto the bar ensuring that the girls are visible. “Excuse me,” I say again, but this time I use a sultry voice – or at least that’s what I’m going for.
When Izzy’s grandmother, a spunky old lady, dies, her knitting group is convinced she was murdered. Izzy goes to the police with her concerns, only to come face to face with a man she met at speed dating. Unfortunately, she went on a real date with him with disastrous results. Not surprisingly, the police don’t take her concerns seriously. After all, women in their eighties die of natural causes. It happens. With the urging of the knitting group, Izzy pokes around on her own, determined to find her grandmother’s murderer. Along the way, she learns that her grandmother kept a big secret . . . and the good-looking cop is there to help her put the pieces together.
This book is a light-hearted mystery with a little romance. If you’re looking for a quick, fun read, pick up a copy!
March 2, 2015
#BookTour: Murder, Mystery & Dating Mayhem
I’m happy to be hosting D. E. Haggerty today. Join me in offering her congratulations on the release of her new novel, Murder, Mystery & Dating Mayhem. As you know, my books generally include second chances, so I asked D.E. about her second chance. Grab a cup of java and let’s chat with her . . . (and don’t forget to enter for a chance to win an Amazon gift card below!)
Secˑond chance Definition (n.) opportunity to try something again
Self-publishing is my second chance at a writing career. Despite the fact that I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t writing, whether it be short stories, novels, poems, or songs, I never thought about writing as a career. A writing career was for someone that came from an educated and wealthy household not the daughter of a factory worker. I settled on law as my career choice. From the age of five, I was determined to do anything necessary to become a lawyer. And I did. I even joined the military to profit from the GI Bill.
Although I love the law and I absolutely loved law school, being a lawyer was not for me. Not even close. I tried everything I could think of to keep in the field. I worked at a large law firm, as a company lawyer, for the public sector, and finally for a specialized law firm. It just wasn’t for me.
During one of my numerous job changes, I took a six-month break and wrote Unforeseen Consequences. I thought that this manuscript was my chance to escape from the law. I was wrong. I tried to find an agent, a publisher, anything. No dice. I ended up going back to the law, albeit in yet another position, but I just couldn’t keep at it.
Desperate for a change, I convinced my husband to move to Germany where we bought an old pension and renovated it into a Bed & Breakfast. At first, the change was good. Renovating the house and getting everything set up for the business was fun. Running the B&B on a day-in and day-out basis, however, was not. I was naïve and didn’t realize running a B&B is mostly about cleaning and making breakfast. It turns out I’m allergic to most cleaning liquids. Who knew? To be honest I hated the constant cleaning even before my hands broke out into hives.
During one of our never-ending discussions about how unhappy I was with my career, my very patient husband suggested I pull the manuscript for Unforeseen Consequences out of the attic and self-publish it. Although self-publishing has always been around to a certain extent, e-books hadn’t existed when I first wrote the book. Now it turned out I could publish my manuscript as an e-book with almost no cost. I might have pushed my hubby out of the way as I ran to the attic to get the manuscript.
Self-publishing turned into my second chance at a writing career (although to be fair giving ‘traditional’ publishing a chance for only six months wasn’t really giving it much of a chance). To be completely honest I was also incredibly lucky in that I no longer need to make a lawyer’s salary like I did when I initially wrote Unforeseen Consequences. I have the luxury of being able to spend my days writing, marketing and researching without worrying (too much) about royalties. It was thus a combination of factors that lead to my second chance. E-book self-publishing plus a great career opportunity for my husband in Istanbul meant that I could forego (at least for now) the legal salary and concentrate on writing.
Hapˑpy Definition (adj.) feeling pleasure and enjoyment because of your life, situation, etc.
Thanks, D.E.! Now that you’ve heard her story, are you interested in buying her new book? Here’s where to go:
Enter to win a $15 Amazon gift card!
Stay tuned for my review later today!
Blessings,
Lori
March 1, 2015
Happy Birthday to Me . . .
Lori L. Robinett, author
Today is my birthday. I’m not ashamed of my age (47), but I am a bit surprised at it. It’s like I woke up one day several years ago, looked in the mirror and though, damn, when did I get old?
My face is fat, my skin doesn’t have that youthful glow, and my eyes are hooded.
But I have to say, I’m very happy in my skin these days. I’ve started working out (going to 9Round – “get fit, not hit”), drinking more water. I journal more often. Buddhism and mindfulness are part of my daily routine. And my writing is, very slowly, becoming more authentic. The older I get, the less I worry about what people will think.
At one time, I thought my birthday deserved a celebration. Then, 12 years ago, I spent my birthday at my best friend’s visitation after she lost her battle with cancer, so I didn’t even want to acknowledge my birthday. And now? Now, I feel good. I’m in a good place. And am looking forward to celebrating my birthday with pizza, beer and the 2 hour season premiere of The Following.
February 26, 2015
#CritiqueGroup
Lori L. Robinett, authorThe number of people who want to write novels is quite high, but very few people actually make it happen. I get questions fairly often from aspiring writers, and a common question is how I found my critique group. My group is close-knit and I am very fortunate to have found them. Based on my experiences, here are my suggestions for finding your own group:
National Novel Writing Month . We all started as NaNo’ers. That’s how we met. When you participate in NaNo, you find others in your area who share your passion for writing. Some people might call it crazy, but we prefer to call it passion. ;o)
Network. Talk to your librarian. Tell people you work with that you are a writer. Tell your family and friends. Chances are, you’ll find other aspiring writers.
Test Drive. Don’t commit to a group until you’ve had a chance to read each other’s writing. Genre doesn’t matter as much as passion, enthusiasm, dedication, and skill level.
Find what works for you. My group meets every other week. We send a few chapters to each other by email the week before we meet, then we talk over suggested critiques face to face. But that may not work for you – do you want a high level overview of an entire novel, or are you looking for intensive line edits?
In a future post, I’ll give some tips about how to get the most out of your critique group. If you have ideas/tips, I’d love to hear them!
February 24, 2015
#Relationships
Books are about relationships, right? And those relationships aren’t perfect. In my first book, Denim & Diamonds, Beth has been estranged from her father for years. Her parents divorced when she was young and she didn’t see her dad much when she was growing up. As an adult, she didn’t have to see him, so she didn’t. But after he died, she mourned the loss of that relationship. She wanted to get that feeling of home back . . . and that’s what she spent the book doing. Searching for “home.”
Forgive. This is easier to do when the other person leaves you a lot of $$.
Realize there’s more to the story. Beth finds out that both her parents had secrets.
Breathe. Sometimes that’s all you can do. Breathe in, breathe out. Fresh country air is the best medicine.
Communicate. Be open to words from beyond the grave. Old letters can say an awful lot.
Give it time. Go on about your business, do your thing, live your life.
Move on. Literally. Beth moves to a ranch. So, it’s her daddy’s ranch . . . but the change of scenery is just what she needs.
If you want to read a light story about a woman searching for home, pick up a copy of Denim & Diamonds.
February 22, 2015
#Christians Weigh in on Religion in the #PresidentialRace
Yesterday morning, I watched Meet the Press and part of the discussion involved a question posed to Governor Scott Walker as to whether or not he thought Barack Obama is a Christian. Gov. Walker responded that he didn’t know.
As I watched, I was a bit uncomfortable. As I rolled the comments over in my mind after Meet the Press was over, I realized why. One particular word in that exchange bothered me. Christian. Does this mean that no one other than a Christian has a chance? What if, GASP, a Jew ran for President? Remember the controversy when Mitt Romney (a Mormon!) ran? I suspect some of the same people who insist that our President MUST be a Christian have no concept of how narrow that is. Apparently we can’t even conceive of a time when a humanist or atheist or Pagan would run. What would happen if someone of Neil deGrasse Tyson’s IQ ran? Does intelligence matter? Does a person’s humanity matter? What about someone’s work ethic? Compassion?
Personally, I don’t care what religion our President practices. I’m much more concerned with his/her basic values and plan for our country.
Exchanges like the one around Gov. Walker’s response does nothing to improve the way non-Christians view Christians. And whether folks in the U.S. want to admit it or not, that’s a problem in today’s world.
February 20, 2015
#FiftyShades of Reality – Part 2
That movie just opened last week and it’s still everywhere – on blogs, on Facebook, on TV, and on the tongues of women everywhere. I just watched a short trailer, and the scene showed the two characters sitting at a long dining room table, one at each end. That got me to thinking about reality vs. TV.
When I got married, I had all sorts of ideas about what married life would be like. It was all romanticized, influenced by movies and TV and books. Even though marriage hasn’t been exactly what I imagined, I’m quite happy with the reality:
Gracie & PeanutWe sleep in a king-sized bed, but with a miniature Beagle and a miniature Schnauzer wedged between us.
No long dining room table for us – we eat in the living room on our coffee table. At least it’s one of those that swings up to table height.
No gourmet meals at our house. Most nights it’s soup out of a can or grilled cheese because we’re both tired from work.
Jetting off to an exotic location isn’t in the cards, but we did spend Valentine’s Day browsing a really cool antique mall.
While TV romancers send huge bouquets of flowers for Valentine’s Day, my hubby surprised me with a drawer to hold K-cups – and my Keurig sits right on top, so there’s no lost counter space. THAT was a perfect Valentine’s Day. For me.
As I read back over this list, I realize just how lucky I am. This marriage thing may not be straight out of a romantic movie, but it makes me incredibly happy.
How about you? How different is your life than what you imagined?
