Reaching Beyond the Comforts of Home

"Mom, can we just stay home today?" my son occasionally asks.

For someone who is so set on adventuring and exploring, some days we find that home satisfies his needs. I feel that way sometimes, too.

Home is safe. We can really let it all hang out at home: we stay in our jammies until after lunch, watch an extra show on TV, splash in our kiddie pool, swing from the rope swing on our giant cedar tree, and read as many books as we can before falling asleep in the bean bag chair together. After stuffing our mouths with juicy berries . . . and maybe even some fruit snacks or otter pops (ice pops, icees, whatever your region calls them!), of course.

But, before long the kids do get antsy and we all know that means it is time to head to a park, take the dog for a walk, check out the used bookstore for a fun treasure, pick-up requested titles at the library, or meet up with friends for a play date. Those things are good for the soul, too, even if we do toss a haircut or grocery trip into the mix!

Sometimes I wish a change of pace for writing/promoting books could be so easy. How nice it would be to have a switch to flip for switching into high gear or back down into low gear. Or maybe there could be a GPS system for book publishing that calls out the next steps for me or helps redirect me if I miss my turn. Now THAT would be grand!

I've been enjoying some of that good ol' time at home recently, but know that the worker in me is antsy to get back into the swing of things - seriously.

Some ideas are brewing for new books, but now is really not the time to be thinking of publishing another title, or even sending out manuscripts to other publishers for consideration. Still, I think the ideas are worth of recording, so I need to block out some blocks of time to just sit and write, even if nothing official can happen with the work yet.

Getting out to meet readers/runners is important for promoting the book, but I've been so busy with my own running and life that a book tour hasn't panned out yet. I see some good options on the horizon, though, so one of my next steps is working to make public appearances happen.

I also hope to connect with readers more, both adults and kids. You can become a fan of We Are Girls Who Love to Run on FB (I hope you do!), I'm on twitter (http://twitter.com/writingrunner) and I do my best to visit other runners' blogs to get a good feel for the pulse in the running world. It is my hope that connecting with others virtually will help me find opportunities for face-to-face experiences (like I mentioned earlier!). See, I really do need to take that step OUT into the world to encourage girls and runners to recognize their strengths and reach their goals.

Making the book easy to buy is another goal of ours. We Are Girls Who Love to Run is listed on Amazon (you can even get a signed copy there!), but we're working to get the book into more brick and mortar stores and more on-line retail shops. That's another important step for our business to take this year. People can't buy it if they don't see it, right? Several specialty running stores in the Pacific NW carry the book, but I know there are some other good matches for it out there, Oh, and feel free to let me know if YOU know of a good place for my book!

I see that my son's desires for home days tend to come after wild weeks of inconsistency and unfamiliarity. Home is safe and home is comfortable. But I also see that my son has incredible times of growth and self-discovery when we do venture out and explore the "unknown". And my daughter? Well, she thrives on outings and outside experiences, too. In fact, I like to tell my husband that when I grow up, I want to be like HER. These photos say it all:

I'm more like my son, or maybe it is the other way around. It is easy for me to just tread water with the things I know. We can continue to sell a handful of copies each week using the few venues in place. That's easy. But, to really bring the book's message to life and reach out to girls and runners, I need to do more. It is time for me to really take a stand with this book and step into the scary "unknown" to reach our goal of selling 3,000 copies of the book this year. That's how we can make a difference. The trick is to keep it all in balance.

Scary?

Yes!

Hard?

Definitely!

Exhilarating?

I hope so!

As always: Happy running and happy summer reading!

Reflecting

After one heck of a long week, and an even tougher day today, I find myself reflecting on the optimism and positive energy of my first blog post. You can find it here:

http://balancedsteps.blogspot.com/2007/12/ref-turkey-trot.html

Wednesday: Lost in the Pages . . . quite literally

One three-hour block of time each week I'm treated to kid-free time. This is achieved by taking on my friend's two girls for a different three-hour chunk in the week so she can have some kid-free time, too. I usually reserve this time for one or more of the following:

1. A business meeting with my mom (top priority)
2. A run (if it weren't for the importance of #1, this would get top billing)
3. Finding my kitchen
4. Running errands
5. Pulling the too-small clothes out of my children's closets when they aren't there to object

Today took on a bit of a twist because I headed with my dad (a piano technician who runs his own business) to a marketing writing meeting about an hour from here. So, it was sort of like a business meeting with my mom . . . except my mom wasn't there (she was quilting, lucky gal!). And, it was sort of like running . . . except I was in my "fancy" jeans (ie - no kid spit, food, snot, etc. on them) and nice tops and the distance was covered by my car rather than my feet.

It was a great experience, despite the fact that I didn't get to do my usual kid-free stuff. We figured out a catchy headline to use for upcoming marketing stuff (that goes to print in the next 2 weeks - clock's a tickin'!) and got a few other things figured out. It also helps that I sold and signed 2 books at the interactive lecture, too.

So, you are expecting a review of Carol Goodrow's Treasure book. And you shall have it - tomorrow! I've read and digested the book and shall be prepared to report to you in tomorrow's installment of my TRUE Wednesday: Lost in the Pages . . . despite the fact that it is Thursday. I can do that because this is my blog (I say this with a mix of authority and apology!). And, this is a remarkably accurate reflection of how life has been rolling as of late - a true peek into the life of an author on a shoestring budget!

For now, I'm lost in the pages of the notes I took, those darn press releases, and another newspaper article. I can totally see why there copy writers and ad agencies that you can hire to handle these things!!! If only I had the moolah to pass on this more tricky and precise writing so I can be left to the creative end of writing - you know, the FUN stuff: special interest newspaper pieces, another book, emails to long-lost friends . . . . *sigh*

Before my brain shuts down completely for the night, I'd like to remind you that I'm looking for books and book reviewers to spotlight/do a guest review (I originally set the deadline for August 31st, but since this is the start of the school year and tends to be a chaotic time of year, I'll extend the offer to September 15th). Send your suggestions my way, folks! I'm all ears and can't wait to get my hands on the books you share!

Quest for Self-Improvement

Lately I've been immersed in reading blogs:

- about runners improving their times/distance/strength/dedication to a plan/training for a race. I keep silently shouting, "I want to do that, too!"
- about families making changes to be more eco-friendly and balanced. I keep silently shouting, "I want to do that, too!"
- about illustrators and authors working on new projects. I keep silently shouting, "I want to do that, too!"
- about people going on VACATION. I jump up and down shouting (and praying the house rattling and yelling doesn't wake my napping children), "Now I DEFINTELY want to do that!"

I don't know about you, but I can't keep the first three of those balls in the air at once, let alone sneak in the fourth (which will definitely cause the others to CRASH to the ground).

I DO have things I'd like to improve (that's the driven perfectionist in me), but think maybe at this stage in my life (wife, mother of 2 kids under the age of 4, author of newly-released book) that I should focus on ONE of those things right now (because being perfect is WAY out of reach, and my housekeeping is proof of that!).

The one that has been nagging at me the most is the first one. I keep talking/blogging/dreaming/mentioning plans to run a 10K in June, but I'm discovering that wishing and hoping just isn't making it happen. 2 fluffy runs (if that, some weeks) and a yoga class just isn't going to cut it each week to make that goal happen. I need a plan that I can sink my teeth into and make mine. I need to own this goal and turn it into a reality. I need some motivation, people! I need my yellow hat to grow a megaphone to get me in gear!