Everyone wants to know the secret to life. I believe I’ve found it. You’re going to nod your head and agree when you hear my theory.
Want to know? You have to promise to follow up on your dream once you find out the secret. Ready to promise? I know I have my mom’s old Bible here somewhere, anyway, we’ll just keep going.
Okay, here it is…
The secret to life is perseverance. Yep, that’s it. Just keep going, keep hunting, keep working, and you’ll achieve your dream. Well, unless your dream is to marry Justin Timberlake (he’s a cutie!), but he’s already married.
Shelley and I started out with the same publisher. (Hi Shelley!) The Bull Rider’s Brother was a launch release for Crimson Romance and the authors all got together on a yahoo loop to talk about our promotions, marketing, and our hopes and dreams for the book and our career. I meet Shelly last year at RWA at yet another shared publisher dinner. Yep, we authors tend to wander from one publisher to another, working on building our career. Okay, so maybe some of us don’t wander, but I did. I wanted to check out everyone to see who I liked working with best and where my books sold the best.
But I’m digressing. Several of the authors who sold their first books to Crimson Romance that year are thriving in their author career. And just as many have dropped off the face of the earth, at least in writing terms.
Why? Because they didn’t keep going. When their book released, they didn’t write a second and a third. The authors that are around today, did keep writing. And we got better as authors and as marketers of our work. And we learned what worked for us in our career.
That’s why Shelley and I are still around. And why I’m releasing my fourth Tourist Trap this week. Because we kept writing and kept submitting and kept marketing.
One of my writer groups call it doing the hustle. 2015 has been deemed as the year of the hustle for our members. And my amateur sleuth, Jill Gardner, (DRESSED TO KILL –June 23, 2015) is learning that lesson in the Tourist Trap mysteries. The coffeeshop/bookstore she owns is doing well under her aunt’s management, she’s in a sweet spot in her relationship with her boyfriend, Greg King, and the local community is producing a mystery dinner to raise money for the woman’s shelter.
Then crap happens. Sherry King, Greg’s ex moves back and opens Vintage Duds, a used designer clothing shop, her aunt gets in trouble trying to help a friend, and on the night of dress rehearsal, the dead body dummy isn’t a fake body.
The secret of life, perseverance in the face of disaster.
So, what’s your secret of life?
Dressed to Kill
Jill Gardner—owner of Coffee, Books, and More in the tucked-away town of South Cove, California—is not particularly thrilled to be portraying a twenties flapper for the dinner theater murder mystery. Though it is for charity…
Of course everyone is expecting a “dead” body at the dress rehearsal…but this one isn’t acting! It turns out the main suspect is the late actor’s conniving girlfriend Sherry…who also happens to be the ex-wife of Jill’s main squeeze. Sherry is definitely a master manipulator…but is she a killer? Jill may discover the truth only when the curtain comes up on the final act…and by then, it may be far too late.
“Murder, dirty politics, pirate lore, and a hot police detective: Guidebook to Murder has it all! A cozy lover’s dream come true.” –Susan McBride, author of The Debutante Dropout Mysteries
New York Times and USA Today best-selling author, Lynn Cahoon is an Idaho native. If you’d visit the town where she grew up, you’d understand why her mysteries and romance novels focus around the depth and experience of small town life. Currently, she’s living in a small historic town on the banks of the Mississippi river where her imagination tends to wander. She lives with her husband and two fur babies.
[…] The Secret to Life by Lynn Cahoon. […]
Thanks for having me over Shelley!! So nice to keep in touch.
Lynn- great post. I (Donald) am looking forward to this book.
Thanks Donald!
Excellent post, Lynn. Your success is a testament to perseverance— and oodles of writing talent. Much continued success!
Thanks Deborah! Same back at you. 🙂
You are absolutely right Lynn – perseverance – and fun – are the secrets to a happy and productive life! Looking forward to reading Dressed to Kill!
I need to remember to add in some fun. 🙂
I could have sworn I commented but you are absolutely correct: Perseverance!
Carry on and fight the good fight against all odds. That applies to every facet of life.
The rewards are astounding when revealed in the fullness of time!
Hi Lynn! So sorry for the delayed response-I was away attending a family event. I thoroughly agree with you-Perseverance in the face of every obstacle often ensures our success in good time. Dressed To Kill sounds fantastic. I will have to get a copy. Thanks so much for joining me and sharing. Have a great week!