Joys of Life

When you have been hit by a drama, it's impossible to continue looking at life in the same indifferent way. The death of a person close to you, the discovery of a health problem, the loss of a job, and other things can gnaw at your heart, make you suffer and somehow restructure your way of thinking, your perspective on life.

A French author, Alfred de Musset said, that to write beautiful poetry one must have tasted real sadness. To write a book that touches readers, an author must dig deep in his/her own emotions and write from the heart.

Having experience sadness in the last month, I felt disconcerted for a while, unable to resume my old routine, because whether I like it or not my routine has changed. In an effort to regain my self-control, I started looking around me.

And what I saw amazed me.

So many friends smiling, extending a helping hand, offering words of comfort, encouragement and support. So many of you, here on this loop and others, without whom I would have taken much longer to smile again. Thank you.

I also saw people suffering because of difficult economical circumstances and needing financial help.

I saw lonely senior citizens looking at me with sad eyes and telling me ‘your mother was lucky to have you visiting, we don’t have anyone here’.

I saw children begging me to play and laugh with them. Little did they know how their company helped me.

I saw handicaps who need a drive or someone to need them.

Again I look around and saw beautiful sceneries: a palette of amazing colors in the trees. When I lived in the North, I never missed walking through parks and taking pictures of the foliage. In Florida, a stroll on the sand while watching the waves restores my good mood and fills me with inspiration for my stories. Nature offers a whole array of joys to taste.

Socializing is something I avoided as I never had enough time to just sit with friends and chat, share a meal at home or in a restaurant, play a game or watch a movie. To think of it, I stopped watching movies or TV shows eons ago. Now I make it a point to follow the news and enjoy a few shows while knitting. Yes, knitting. To be honest, I hadn’t touched knitting needles since my son was four. Now I am knitting a long scarf for his daughter.

Another precedent for me. I volunteered to help baking at our church. Cooking I handle well but baking! Good Lord, baking is something I avoided like a virus. Baking contributes to adding pounds on my hips. But I decided it was time to show some goodwill by cooperating in the church’s kitchen. I was very proud when my cookies turned out to be nice-looking and delicious.

Now, I look around for little joys. I go after them and I enjoy them.

As always, writing is a joy, a passion and a soothing relaxation. My new story, The Greek Villa or Island of Passion—I am not sure of the title yet—is set in the island of Mikonos.

Unexpected good news can add tremendous joy. The nomination of my novel, Rx FOR TRUST as a finalist at EPICON definitely put a smile on my lips and kicked my muse back into work.

Tell me, please, where do you find your joys? How do you get over sadness, frustration or anxiety?

If you like to travel and love to read, come and enjoy my international romances. I will take you around the world through stories that simmer with emotion and sizzle with heat~

BABIES IN THE BARGAIN, winner of 2009 BEST contemporary romance at READERS FAVORITE and 2009 BEST ROMANCE NOVEL at Preditors & Editors Readers Poll.

Rx FOR TRUST: winner of 2010 BEST contemporary romance at READERS FAVORITE and 2011finalist for contemporary romance at EPICON .