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We Authors Need a Time Away from the Regular Grind …

 Over the last two weeks … I went to the high seas … at least the Caribbean to work on a few clients books and covers and just get away. Plus, it didn’t hurt that there were a few snow storms while I was away. During the two weeks, I was connected and at times unconnected–a good thing. 

The region consists of the Antilles, divided into the larger Greater Antilles which bound the sea on the north, the Lesser Antilles on the south and east (including the Leeward Antilles), the Bahamas, and the Turks and Caicos Islands or the Lucayan Archipelago, which are in fact in the Atlantic Ocean north of Cuba, not in the Caribbean Sea. Some islands in the region have relatively flat terrain of non-volcanic origin. These islands include Aruba (possessing only minor volcanic features), Barbados, Bonaire, the Cayman Islands, Saint Croix, The Bahamas or Antigua. Others possess rugged towering mountain-ranges like the islands of Cuba, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Dominica, Montserrat, Saba, Saint Kitts, Saint Lucia, Saint Thomas, Saint John, Tortola, Grenada, Saint Vincent, Guadeloupe, Martinique, and Trinidad & Tobago. The climate of the region is tropical but rainfall varies with elevation, size and water currents (cool upwellings keep the ABC islands arid). Warm, moist tradewinds blow consistently from the east creating rainforest/semidesert divisions on mountainous islands. Occasional northwesterlies affect the northern islands in the winter. The region enjoys year-round sunshine, divided into 'dry' and 'wet' seasons, with the last six months of the year being wetter than the first half. The waters of the Caribbean Sea host large, migratory schools of fish, turtles, and coral reef formations. Hurricanes, which at times batter the region, usually strike northwards of Grenada, and to the west of Barbados. The principal hurricane belt arcs to northwest of the island of Barbados in the Eastern Caribbean. The region sits in the line of several major shipping routes with the man-made Panama Canal connecting the western Caribbean Sea with the Pacific Ocean.

Noodling my next book … How to Avoid Book Publishing Blunders, Bloopers and Boo-Boos … I also came up with a few new ideas … the sea air does that to me. Writing is about risk taking …  One morning, I opened an email that said, “Congratulations … my book, The CrowdFunding Guide for Authors & Writers was the WINNER in the Writing-Publishing category with the 2015 USA Best Book Awards competition … how cool is that!writing towels

While I was in Jamaica to head up to the zipline course (excellent by the way), an idea popped in. Turning to my daughter, I shared it and said, “Please remind me when we get back to the ship so I can write it down …” Ideas come in and out. You never know when the one you’ve been look for to solve a problem, enhance a storyline … whatever … is going to drop in. Sometimes it seems like magic when the muse reminds you that it is ready to play.

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Get your ideas, you amazing stories, your unbelievable twists and turns, your juicy tidbits out. At any given time, you will be in a group of people. If you say you are an author, or working on a book, expect at least three-quarters of them to say, “I would like to write a book,” or “I have an idea for a book,” or “I wish I had the time to write a book,” or some variance to the theme. Then they will come up with reasons why they haven’t started or written it. 

I spend so much of my time working with authors, fixing their books–expanding their books–even creating their books, that mine sometimes don’t get their fair share of my time. Did they get it when I was away? Nope … I have covers I was writing and editing two books; two crises that popped up (definitely not planned) that required me to drop all and “fix” something that the authors should have known not to do, but did. I loved having Skype so available to communicate (and sometimes didn’t), but most got handled fairly efficient. Oh well.

But I did get away; I did get the sun and sea that I crave; and “time out” … we all need it and often don’t get enough. Yes,  we Authors Need a Time Away from the Regular Grind …

Back in the office … I’m off and running once again.

Wishing all a wonderful Thanksgiving week. I’m grateful you are in my life.   signature - Judith only

 

Head Shot - Judith - promo close upDr. Judith Briles is the multi-award winning and bestselling author of 35 books.  Her latest are The CrowdFunding Guide for Authors & Writers, Snappy Sassy Salty: Wise Words for Authorsand Writers and Author YOU: Creating and Building Your Author and Book Platforms. Next up is How to Avoid Book Publishing Blunders, Bloopers and Boo-Boos. 

 She’s the Founder of AuthorU.org and is known as The Book Shepherd. Her books and her mouth have generated in excess of $5,000,000 in revenues and taken her from Oprah to GMA to CNN to Time to People to the Wall Street Journal and she has survived the National Enquirer. Her websites are www.TheBookShepherd.com, www.PublishingAtSea.com and www.AuthorU.org and tune into her Monday morning Periscope, The Virtual Book Shepherd and her weekly podcast, AuthorU-Your Guide to Book Publishing.

header-logo1.pngAuthor U is a non-profit membership organization dedicated to the author who wants to be seriously successful. Monthly education programs delivered face-to-face and online, The Author Resource ezine, BookCamps and the annual Author U Extravaganza are tools designed for authors pre, during and post publishing of their books. Join AuthorU.org today.

 If you are looking for FREE author and book coaching … call in to Judith’s Author Monday Mornings at NOON Eastern each Monday. The number is 218-632-9854; Access Code 1239874444 … have your questions ready–there’s a full hour to ask and listen.