BOOK UPDATE!!

As you have been able to see on MY BOOK PAGE, the writing of this book has been a process. A process that's had it's ups and downs. A process that has let me down a couple times...but a process that has surprised me and reenergized me at points as well.

What I am most proud of is that I BELIEVED in my book! I believed in my vision! I let that belief guide my decisions, and NOT SETTLE for a version any less than what I would be proud to have my name on!

I didn't do it alone. Nico and our family and friends (far and near) inspired the actual idea. The encouragement of my family and (mom) friends helped me believe that the idea was worth pursuing. Peter helped me purchase the package that made the process OFFICIAL and was unknowingly and unintentionally my BIGGEST Motivator.  But I must admit that I wouldn't have been able to do it without my friend PRISCILLA SHAKUR. She helped mold my diamond in the rough into the actual GEM that is this final product.

The Publishing company itself hasn't been the easiest to work with but my author service representative, GLEN BRYCE, has been extremely cooperative and helpful, saving face for the publishing experience.

So what's the update?
THE FINAL GALLEY of the book was sent to me for approval yesterday...and I APPROVED!

Price has been set- $21.99 for Soft Cover and $31.99 for Hardcover. 

I know the price is a little more than I would pay for a book for Nico...but I have bought him a couple SPECIAL BOOKS for his collection....Like: Let's Do Nothing, Ty Cooney, Let's Race and I've really appreciated meeting the authors and getting their signature in the books, and hearing about their process. I hope that family, and friends, and family of friends and friends of family will like this book and want to share it with the ones they love.

What I want most is to share OUR STORY...and that one day Nico can be PROUD of having a mom that turns her dreams into reality, that takes life's lemons and makes lemonade...and that LOVES her life more each day because he is in it!

***Stay tuned...Website will be up soon for you to explore your purchase options***

How did Abuelo and Tia get in there???

I'm really excited about my book that is already complete and in the final stages of production. This virtual relationship that Nico has had the chance to develop with friends and family near and far is what inspired my illustrations. I hope that other families who live far from their friends and family and use things like SKYPE to keep their relationships strong... can enjoy my Book.

As we were sitting at the dinner table, Nico said...uh-ohh ABUELO? then pointed at the phone and said...uh-oh TIA?!?!

I just know he was asking himself:

How'd they get in there?

Then Nico wanted to share his dinner with TIA. 

It's amazing what technology allows us to do these days...lol.

Deadlines don't care...

I'm a little sad to say that I won't have my book available by Christmas as was my goal. Today was the deadline to submit some page layouts. I submitted all my material days ago, but instead of picking a generic layout, I chose custom layouts for each page, which they asked me to send them by today. Due to some unexpected worsening of Nico's ear infection,  my inability to finish last night (since I was exhausted by 1am), a last minute doctor's appointment today (3rd this week), and late napping action, I wasn't able to get my material out until 15 minutes after the Editor had walked out of the office-central time...It was only 4pm HERE!!!!---I know they are all excuses....but that's all I have to hold on to right now. I know it's my fault for not manning up and staying up all night when I had to, not working fast enough, and not putting MY BOOK as a PRIORITY...but I didn't.

In the grand scheme of things, my pumpkin head's health is what is most important....but TODAY i'm a little sad...I feel like I let my self down. The book might not be available til January and print til maybe 3 months from now due to the holiday season and the crazy amount of people who slid their stuff in by deadline because they made-publishing their book by christmas a priority.

It's a hard reality....Deadlines are deadlines. No one cares if you didn't sleep, if you had to tend to a mucousy, ear infected toddler who's been sick for almost 2 weeks, or a sick husband, or if you don't have a SET "work" schedule where you can accomplish what you need to accomplish....They definitely don't realize how hard it is to concentrate when your falling asleep after a long day and the only time you have to "work" is 9:30pm-12am....They also don't know how difficult it is to draw when you have a sneaky buggar head trying to take your "colors".... But I know how hard its been...And I am proud of what i've accomplished in this relatively lonely process where you basically only have yourself to push your self and keep yourself on course.

I'm happy that it's on it's way...and even if I don't get my christmas gift this year....I hope that whenever I do get it...that's it's everything I want it to be.

By the way...I wonder if I can put a deadline to Nico's ear infection...that would be nice. I just want my buggarhead to feel better and SOON! I want my pumpkinhead back by Turkey day!!!!

Hiring myself!

I've been in Austin now for a couple days. As I drive around with Peter, it feels like just yesterday I was here visiting him. It's hard to believe that I'm LIVING here now.

I've been busy looking for apartments while Peter's at work and trying to organize my life a little. I have also been job-hunting...which has turned out to be a little more difficult than I thought or hoped it would be. I haven't looked EVERYWHERE but I have looked into working in place in the area of where we plan on living. I do want to make money to CONTRIBUTE to my FAMILY =), but can't seem to find exactly what I can do. I posted some things on Craig's list and I've gotten some emails for tutoring, but that's as far as that has gone.

In the applications they always ask, "why do you want to work here?". Truth is, I have NO ANSWER. I DON'T want to work there because I have more important things to do with my time right now.. I don't want to keep applying to pointless jobs that in the end will lead me no where for a few more dollars.

As I drove by Barnes & Nobles, I thought it would be a great (inspirational) environment to work in. Though it would be another job that would lead no where in the end, I thought, it wouldn't hurt to see if they are hiring. Deciding to stop at Barnes&Nobles was just what I needed! In front of the Customer Service desk (where I picked up an application) there was a table with a little sign "Writers' Resources". Some of the titles of the books on that table were: The Power to Write by Caroline Joy Adams, How to Write What You Want & Sell it by Skip Press, and Write it Down, Make it Happen-Knowing What You Want & Getting it by Henriette Anne Klauser.
I forgot everything I had to do and found myself skimming through all 3 books at the same time. My eyes couldn't even keep up. I realized that don't want a pointless job, I want to write.

The Intro to The Power of Writing read: "What if, starting right now, you could take those glimmers of ideas that are swirling around in your mind & begin transforming them into powerfully told, intriguing stories, based on compiling real-life experiences...? If that is what you're secretly (or perhaps not so secretly) wishing you could easily do, you are definitely at the right place." As I read these words, I felt as though she was really talking to me, which I'm sure was her purpose, and her plan worked!

I have always loved writing, though most of what I've written is scattered throughout textbook margins, school notebooks, and millions of journals. Now, I want to write this book, not only for me, but for my son. I want to write about how life prepared me to answer the most important, unexpected, difficult, and life-changing call, the call to be his mom.

I owe it to myself to fully commit to this process and "make it happen", like Klauser wrote about in her book. I have always set goals for myself and accomplished them...I have even accomplished things I never thought I would do.

I am aware that when I finish, this book might never end up on a bookshelf of Barnes&Nobles or even of a tiny Book store, but it will be on MY BOOKSHELF! I can only dream right now of the day when I walk into Barnes& Nobles and see it on a table or walk by a book store at the airport and see it through the window.

Enough dreaming.This is my time to write...