There's no way I can write 50,000 words in thirty days, but I love and embrace the spirit of National Novel Writing Month. Go writers! I'm thrilled to report that in three months, I've written 60,000 words. For me, that's awesome-balls and I have to tell you, I shed a few proud tears today. But many days, I look at what I've done and compare myself to others. The tears on those days aren't so proud. Aaargh! I'm never going to hit a best-seller list, or make those millions, or have thousands of fans at this pace. I write too slow. I should just hang it up.

But I haven't. I have a goal and once that's met, I might adjust my direction, but I won't stop. I'll plan another goal, and keep tapping on my keyboard. Because there's always hope. We only fail if we quit. And a big reason why I write is because I love books. They've been my salvation during this craptastic year. I know at the end of every day, I can crawl into a story and lose myself for a while. Bless you, authors, for helping me keep my sanity, and I hope my books help others keep theirs.

Very soon I'll be starting on what I call the third layer of my next book. That's the really fun part. I have the story-line down and logistics covered. Everyone is doing what they're supposed to do and hanging out where they're supposed to be. Now, I get to coax out all the personality quirks from my characters, and add the details that make the story shine. I'll keep at it, because the thrill of having a finished book outweighs the sad parts.

If you're in Florida, I'll be at a multi-author book signing this Saturday. Come by for goodies, giveaways and of course, books!   facebook.com/events/352208378451020/