This has been a very strange year. I left my dept. Of Ed. job last August. Last April my short story from my novel in process was published in Lipstick Diaries and in less than a month I had sold over 110 books on my own. I began work transposing the completed screenplay into a novel and the short story, False Pride, is the beginning of the novel. What surprised me most of all was how easily Lipstick Diaries sold. It was almost as if they sold themselves. Probably J's cover does that. Several women who worked with me commented that they had seen the book at B & N and had planned to buy it anyway. What I liked most about this experience was how people came back to me to talk about it. Many people liked it that a white jewish woman involved with a Dominican drug dealer was a new story to them. One woman who I worked with and who only knew my "professional face" complained that I was "trying to be black" because of my writing style. J laughed when I told him and said he guessed she doesn't know any white girls from the hood.
I am always writing - even if I'm writing thoughts or writing conversations imagined or real. I've also written about 10 poems a month for the last 9 months, some of which I continue to work on. I've been working on the novel several days a week. Sometimes shit gets in the way. Emergencies, hospital visits & outpatient surgeries for either my love or me. Shit happens.
Overall, I'm content with my progress. It's unbelievable how busy one can be and not have a 9 to 5. It always struck me whenever I've had any time off how busy I am and how much there is to do. It's a wonder I had time to work when I did work!
I've also been going to the gym regularly since November and am feeling much better. Mostly I concentrate on weights. At first I was going no less than 3 times per week and now it's about 2 or 3. The good news is that I took off 35 of the 50 pounds I had put on. Yay Joy! Joy is gonna be skinny!!!! When the heat lets up I'll get back to the elliptical and treadmill. That will give me a jump start. The other great thing is that I can actually eat and not worry. My metabolism has picked up so I eat 3 or 4 times a day. I can actually eat more and weigh less. Do you love it?????
I'm about to write a few more lines on my novel b4 I join dubblex in bed. I worked on some poems that need reworking today too. Tomorrow we are meeting D's Daddy for dinner at his favorite Italian place.
Life is short and I want to enjoy my time on our planet. Gotta go now so I'll say good bye.
