I Am Really Psyched About 2008!

I really am! I just have this feeling that this year is going to be a great one. I have all sorts of reasons why I think this, but for the purpose of this blog, I will stick mainly to talking about me. It’s my favorite topic, anyway, and I always have lots to say about it.

Here’s one of my goals for the new year… I plan to publish Book Two: The Chronicles of Anaedor ~ The Return to Anaedor. So for those of you who have been asking about the series, here’s your answer. Yes! Clarification: Yes, there is a series. And yes, I will be publishing the next book in 2008. In the meantime, while you wait anxiously for it to come out, pick up a hobby. Stamp collecting, perhaps. Or learn how to groom cats. They’ll thank you for it!

Okay, so I’m getting slap-happy. That’s just how excited I am about 2008! So what are you going to do to make this your best year ever? How are you going to make your dreams come true? I truly believe in the concept of baby steps, in taking one tiny step at a time to accomplish your goals. Before you know it, you’ll be tap dancing all over the place! Or at least, not falling as much.

When thinking about starting a project, you can’t think about it in its entirety, you have to break it up into manageable pieces, and then start with the very first little step (sometimes it’s as simple as looking up a phone number). That’s how I got through grad school. If I thought about trying to accomplish everything I had to do (4 years of classes, a thesis, a dissertation, an internship, passing the comprehensive exams, teaching, counseling, and making enough money to have a place to live and maybe some food to eat), I would never have started.

So whether you’re an author wannabe, or want to start your own business, whether you want to lose weight or make more friends, start small, but dream big!

May you have a glorious New Year, filled with success and joy…

Kristina the Optimistic

I Love the UK!

It has recently come to my attention that The Chronicles of Anaedor has been doing fairly well in the UK (for those of you thinking uck, no. UK stands for United Kingdom). Say, "hurray!" Hurray! I have never visited these countries, yet I feel as though I have. I just know I would love them at first sight. The thing is, I am your typical American mutt - no pedigrees here, you see. My heritage is a mixture of Irish, English, and Welsh (along with 4 other ethnic groups). Could it be that I have inherited this love through my collective unconscious (i.e., memories from our ancestors that have been genetically passed down)? It’s possible. I’m not sure about the Scottish part since I’m not Scottish, as far as I know. But I have watched Monarch of the Glen and loved it, so maybe there’s a hidden Scot in my ancestry just trying to get out.

Anyway, my point is that I live for the day when I can actually go to these countries rather than only visiting them in my mind or on the BBC. Maybe I could manage to finagle a book signing over there and write off the expense! Yeah, right…I’ll probably just have to go the old-fashioned way. As a stowaway, or an au pair.

What is it about these countries that inspire the romantic in us (or in some of us, anyway)? Is it the colorful characters? The moors and mountains? The endless green? The ancient houses and haunted castles? I imagine it’s all of that and more. In my American mind, I think of the UK as the land of fairies and druids, elves and magic. To us Americans, these countries offer the possiblity to find fantasy in reality. There is also something so enduring about these cultures that our country does not yet have (and may never, with all these depressing strip malls we have). I think we are searching for roots. We look to connect to something deeper and more ancient than we could ever find in our own culture.

Mostly, I think we just like the way that they speak…

I was recently asked to write a blurb for someone’s book (a cool fantasy) written by a Scottish author. He said that I didn’t need to write anything if I thought the book was utter "tosh." Tosh. What a great word! I’ve decided to steal it and make it my own. Don’t be surprised if it shows up in one my books. He also uses the phrase, "ye numpty!" in his book. Priceless! Now I can say to people, "That’s absolute tosh, ye numpty!" I can only imagine how awed they’ll be at my command of other languages.

So when you read my book and you happen across an English housekeeper and an Irish cook, a Dwarf with a Scottish accent, or some welsh-like character (I’m sure I’ve got someone in there who’s welsh-like), don’t be surprised. It’s just my inner UKer trying to express itself.

Cheerio, mates!

Happy Holidays!

This is an example of someone wimping out on her blog. It’s Christmas Eve day and I have many, many things yet to prepare for tonight and tomorrow when I attempt to make Christmas dinner. There’s so much to do - including this blog - that I even have my family helping clean. My 8-year-old is vacuuming (I hate spelling that word), my 5-year-old is dusting and my 3-year-old is giving directions. Last, but certainly not least, my husband is cleaning the toilets.

Come to think of it, I could probably crack open a bottle of wine and enjoy the day!

Anyway, I just wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah (which is already over, but what the hey!), Happy Kwanzaa, and a Wonderful Winter Solstice (that’s over, too, I think)! Did I remember everyone? I hope so. If you don’t celebrate anything, then I wish you a pleasant end of the year, full of wonder and joy just because you’re alive.

Happy New Year, too!