Celebrate Good Times, Come On

Just a pretty flower from this summer's garden

One of my writing friends congratulated me on my book and author rankings today, which was really nice. Then she stumped me by saying "Hope you had a little celebration!" Because, see, I'm really bad at celebrating, and I think that's probably a bad way to be. That made me start doing my favorite thing - researching!

The first article I read promised to tell me "Why It's Important to Celebrate. A lot." Turns out they don't touch on celebrations so much as gratitude, but I see where they're going. And this is a great summary of why an attitude of gratitude is a key to a great life:

Daily gratitude writings resulted in higher reported levels of alertness, enthusiasm, determination, optimism and energy. Even better, those in the “gratitude” group experienced less depression and stress, were more likely to help others, exercised more consistently and made greater progress toward achieving personal goals. Dr. Emmons’ research also shows that those who celebrate their lives by practicing gratitude tend to be more creative, bounce back more quickly from adversity, have a stronger immune system and have stronger social relationships than those who don’t practice gratitude. “To say we feel grateful is not to say that everything in our lives is necessarily great,” he says, “It just means we are aware of our blessings.”

"Why It's Important to Celebrate. A lot." on Life Reimagined

But are an attitude of gratitude and celebration connected more clearly? According CoreU Coaching, they are.

Look where celebration falls [in the Authentic Cycle of Probability] – right after gratitude and just before completion. That’s an extremely powerful stage of the cycle that should not be overlooked.

Five Good Reasons to Celebrate More Often on CoreU Coaching

In that article he reminds us that "Celebration is emotional nourishment." That sounds good to me. It sounds snuggly and yummy and all sorts of other positive things. Now I want me some celebration. If you're thinking you'd like to take time to celebrate a little but don't have any ideas (that's quite often a problem of mine), check out: "50 Simple Ways to Celebrate" on Daring to Live Fully.

Now, these concepts aren't exactly new to me. I knew about the Attitude of Gratitude. And heck, for years I've owned the book "Ice Cream for Breakfast: If You Follow All the Rules You Miss Half the Fun." Quite often I'm even the life of the party... but I probably planned the party. Honestly, I'd rather plan a party than attend one. But the thing that it feels like I need (other than reminders, obviously) is to know how I should celebrate.

Dr. Alice Chan is there for me and reminds me that I should do whatever is meaningful to me. Her example of this is great because so many of us (including herself) would never choose the reward - a full day of uninterrupted exercise. She also has one of my favorite quotes on this topic. "Celebration signals to your subconscious – and your inner critic – that you are thankful for the progress you are making toward your dream." That's a lovely way to look at it. Check out "Importance of Celebration" by Dr. Alice Chan.

So what does Dr. Chan's advice tell me? I JUST CELEBRATED BY IGNORING EVERYTHING ELSE FOR 30 MINUTES AND RESEARCHING CELEBRATION. I really do love research. My husband gave me the nickname Soogle.

Meanwhile, that author who triggered this pontification? USA Today Bestseller Julie Johnstone, the same one who encouraged me to apply to BookBub again (the ad responsible for said surge in book and author rankings). I'm very grateful to have Julie in my life. She can be your BFF (Book Friend Forever) if you go visit her over at her website http://juliejohnstoneauthor.com/ where you can check out her Romantic Regency Romps.

Gone, Baby, Gone

You may have noticed that I called a social media blackout while working on my shipping, but then I realized "I have the blogger app on my phone. Blogging isn't really social media." The lies we tell ourselves. Have you ever declared a social media blackout? Why? How did it work out?

I'm basically Gracie Hart...

There are quite a few scenes in Miss Congeniality (2000) that I've always related to, but this one has become nearer and dearer to my heart since I've gotten involved in the romance publishing business.

Dear Peter Dinklage,

You were the main draw for me in starting to watch Game of Thrones. I first noticed you on the short-lived television show Threshold, and always keep an eye out for things you are in. I had only ever read the first book in Martin's series and Tyrion was, for lack of a better term, one of the most likeable characters. I had hopes. You, of course, exceeded them. That's part of why I'll watch pretty much anything you do.

Now I've gotta hope you're going to be in something else soon. See, I'm finally giving up on Game of Thrones and the only thing I'll regret is not seeing you. That's why I'm writing this letter. If the ratings drop, I want you to know that I didn't stop watching because they killed my favorite character. I stopped watching because everything around you became so dismal and abusive that I couldn't stand it. If we use the analogy of quitting Game of Thrones being like escaping an abusive husband, that means you're the child I left behind. I feel bad. I feel guilty. I just have to hope he treats you better than he ever treated me.

Meanwhile, you seem to have some new things already lined up, according to IMDB. We look forward to seeing you in them. Just... don't tell dad I called. I can't stand that m'fer.

Hugs and kisses,
:) Sue

Merry Nerdmas

Hope that you are having a Merry Little Christmas, if you celebrate it. Here at Chateau de London we're having a geeky good time. My nerd-cred is yet again supported by the things I've received.

• Action figures
• Hong Kong Phooey
• Captain America
• Rocket Raccoon
• Rocket Raccoon with sound and lights
• DVDs
• Jonny Quest, Season One (classic, of course)
• Scooby Doo, complete series
• Maleficent
• Three books on the Wars of the Roses!
• T-shirts
• Black cat with witch books
• Hoth/Icee

Here's wishing you get everything you were hoping for this holiday season! And a few things you didn't even know to hope for.

Giveaway: Autographed Paperback of Common Christmas

Goodreads Book Giveaway

A Common Christmas

by Sue London

Giveaway ends November 30, 2014.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

"To be alive is to be vulnerable"

I was actually a little surprised at this result in the "What Emotion Are You Guided By?" quiz. Then again, I'm an INFP. We cover it up in various ways, but emotional vulnerability is kinda our thing. Feel free to share your result or thoughts in the comments below.

Vulnerability

You are a very emotional, sensitive person. You act upon your feelings, even if it's hurting you, and your strong and vivid emotions tend to get the best of you. Being vulnerable is not a negative thing - it makes you more aware of other people's emotions and when they might be hurt. Trying to grow a thicker skin might be a good idea, but don't hurry. Keep your tender soul alive for as long as you can, it's precious

It doesn't take a talent to be mean
Your words can crush things that are unseen
So please be careful with me, I'm sensitive
And I'd like to stay that way.
                       ~ Jewel, I'm Sensitive

“When we were children, we used to think that when we were grown-up we would no longer be vulnerable. But to grow up is to accept vulnerability... To be alive is to be vulnerable.” ~ Madeline L'Engle

Guest Post: Career Choice: Writer or Supervillain?

by Nicholas Olivo

It's no surprise that many people struggle with the choice of becoming writers or supervillains. The required skillsets often overlap and leave many people debating whether to choose a pen name like Mark Twain or a more colorful moniker like "The Evil Midnight Bomber What Bombs at Midnight." To that end, I created this brief survey to set folks in the right direction. To set things up, grab a piece of paper and a pen. Draw a vertical line down the middle of the page and label one side Writer and the other side Supervillain. We're ready to begin.

Do you enjoy building themed incendiary devices (e.g., exploding chattering teeth, dynamite filled rubber duckies, pumpkin bombs)? If yes, put a tick mark in the Supervillain column.

Have you ever killed an entire race/planet/bloodline solely for backstory purposes? If yes, put a tick in the Writer column.

Do you prefer to dress in spandex (tick Supervillain) or sweats (tick Writer)? 

Tick Supervillain if you'd like to kill your mother-in-law. Tick Writer if you'd like to kill her over and over again.*

Have you ever created a person solely to foil your own plans? If yes, tick Writer.

When planning a bank robbery, do you note all details, including the lobby's upholstery patterns, carpet texture and what the tellers had for lunch? If yes, tick Writer. If no, tick Supervillain. 

When crafting a poison, do you know the Latin derivative of the poison's name and at least three famous people who died because of it? If no, tick Supervillain. If yes, tick Writer.

Do you prefer to monologue to a captive hero (tick Supervillain) or to yourself (tick Writer)?

Can the hero easily escape from your overly complicated death traps? Tick Supervillain if yes, Writer if no.

When building a giant death dealing robot, do you ever pause to consider the men and women who inevitably died during its construction? If yes, tick Writer. If no, tick Supervillain.

*Also tick Writer if you like your mother-in-law. People need to hear those stories.

And there you have it. Add up your tick marks and it should be pretty clear which career path you need to head down. I look forward to seeing you in the headlines, one way or another. ;)

Today's guest blogger is Nicholas Olivo, author of Imperium and other Caulborn stories, and friend of the show. You can chat with Nick on Twitter at @NicholasOlivo.

Happy St. Paddy's Day! Sue-has-the-Blarney-edition

Most people celebrate St. Patrick's Day by wearing green and drinking (also perhaps wearing beer and drinking green). But me? This year I celebrated by grabbing a co-author and writing a little book about Werechauns.

What's a Werechaun you ask? Someone who turns into a Leprechaun, obviously. Or is it a Leprechaun that turns into an animal? Or is it both? Well, it's certainly not someone who turns into both, right? Now I'm really confused. But not as confused as Kyle Monaghan, a typical Bostonian 20-something who finds out that he IS a Werechaun. And not just any Werechaun, but one who might change the fate of all the humans and all the Leprechauns.

American Werechaun in Dublin $2.99 on Amazon

Kyle Monaghan has a problem. Sometimes, on nights of the full moon, he blacks out. When he wakes up he finds gold coins in his pockets. It sounds like a good problem to have, but he lives in fear of arrest or worse. This year he decided to travel back to his grandfather’s home in Ireland to see if he can solve the riddle. The last thing he expected was to step into the middle of a clan war with all of the gold at stake.

Genre: urban fairy tale

Want to meet my co-author? You can find Andy Click over on his Tumblr One Click Too Many or on Twitter @overclicked.

Lucky Me! Werechaun book in the works

Proving how fast things can happen in the 21st century, I teased my buddy Andy with a joke and now we're coming out with a really cool ebook just in time for St. Patrick's Day based on the concept.

That concept? Were-leprechauns.

Come on, you know that made you laugh.

If you want to laugh for a few hours (and enjoy some thrills, chills, and a really cool new leprechaun mythos), pre-order American Werechaun in Dublin, exclusively on Amazon Kindle.

Kyle Monaghan has a problem. Sometimes, on nights of the full moon, he blacks out. When he wakes up he finds gold coins in his pockets. It sounds like a good problem to have, but he lives in fear of arrest or worse. This year he decided to travel back to his grandfather’s home in Ireland to see if he can solve the riddle. The last thing he expected was to step into the middle of a clan war with all of the gold at stake.

Check my author website for Werechaun updates.