I was running errands today while my youngest was at school. I was rushing around trying to make sure I got everything done before the bus came and wasn’t really paying attention to my surroundings. As I was waiting in line at a store (which took forever!) from behind me, I heard a little voice call, “Mommy!”

Immediately, I spun around ready to grab my child from wherever she had fallen or gotten lost. Except, I didn’t have a child with me today. I laughed with the woman next to me and we joked about when it would be that we didn’t immediately jump when we heard “Mommy!”

Finally, I paid for my things and hustled out of the shop. While putting my things into the car (and talking on the cell phone) I saw my mother across the parking lot (a rather large strip mall). I shouted “mom!” and she immediately scanned the lot until she saw me.

Apparently, the power of the word mom transcends time and space. Once you become a mom, you will never again be able to ignore the summons. It’s almost like the Bat phone, once it rings, everything else stops in its tracks.

So, to all the moms out there, the bad news is, your knee jerk reaction will NEVER end. The good news is, you’re not alone.

Ari

Boy, I love that word!!!

Today, my new editor at Samhain asked to buy my book, LEAP OF FAITH. This story grabbed me by the throat and wouldn’t let go. I did two sets of revisions until I had it the way I wanted it. I had to delete a scene I just loved, but it made the plot work so much better, I couldn’t mourn it too long.

I’ve been feeling a tad unloved lately, so this was a huge pick me up.

Being a writer is not for the faint of heart. You have to be able to take a kick in the teeth and get right back up again. Generally, I try to do that, but sometimes you get hit harder than others and it’s darn near impossible to shake it off right away. I’ve been in a writing funk for a while. At first I blamed it on moving, which was a big part of it. Then I blamed it on going back to work during the day, which also was a big part of it.

But probably the biggest part of my writing funk was my fear of rejection. I’d gotten rejected on a book that went to the senior editor’s desk. I got rejected by my editor, who I thought liked my stuff, and another project got rejected by about everyone in New York. I’d had enough rejection to last me a while.

Getting bought soothed that ache rather well. I managed to finish a novella that will be making the rounds, and I’m excited to work on two other projects, one I hope to send to an agent I enjoyed meeting at NJRW.

Isn’t it amazing how one success can make you forget about all the pain writing can bring? Rather like recovering from childbirth, except without the drugs.