I'm either looking really good or homeless today! A man on the train just tried to give me money.

Riding public transit, it's pretty common to see people asking for change. Some of them are dirty, smelly, and you're not really sure when the last time was that they had a roof over their heads. Some of them look like college kids who maybe forgot their wallets that day. Some of them tell you heartbreaking stories, and some of them will simply say they want to buy a burger or to ride the train back home.

​I try to treat each of them with respect; although, I typically will not give them cash. if I have an extra water or something like that, then I gladly hand it over. I try to smile at each person I see regardless of what they look like (and maybe that's why I have so many adventures on the train!)

​One very early morning, I was standing at the station waiting for the train when a man approached me. He said, "Excuse me."

I smiled at him and waited for his story of why he wanted money. Instead, he said, "Do you need some change?"

​Me: Um, no, thank you.
​Him: Are you sure? (He holds out his hand, and it has some coins in it.) You can have this if you want it.
​Me: I'm good. Thanks, anyway.
​Him: OK, if you're sure. (He walks away.)

​I didn't see him offer anyone else any money. So, I wasn't exactly sure what to think of it. Either he thought I was homeless or maybe he was flirting. I guess I'll never know.

How is 2017 going for you?

For my family, it is a year of celebrations - milestone birthdays, a wedding (or 2?), graduations. There's so much time spent planning how we'll celebrate each of these events, and we want to give each occasion the attention it deserves.

The question is - How?

I have all my lists (and I LOVE my lists) with all the due dates for each task, and every time I think I've captured it all, I remember something else that needs to be done (or my dear husband reminds me of something I've forgotten). Like prom dress shopping - that's kind of important!

When each event comes, I'm going to enjoy it to the fullest. I just have to survive the planning and prep for each event.

What about you? How do you plan celebrations and keep your sanity? (Because the lists aren't quite keeping me sane.)

I have several friends and family who love writing as much as I do, and occasionally, they ask me for advice on publishing. I thought I'd share my advice with you, too. So, I've created a new category called Write Advice, and I'll periodically post some things I think you need to consider if you want to publish your own stories.

​My Journey
You may wonder why I feel qualified to give advice on publishing, so I thought I'd share a little of my journey -- not to brag, but to let you know I've learned a lot in the years I've researched publishing and pitched my work to professionals.

​When I first decided to publish my work, I realized immediately that I had no clue what I was doing. So, I joined Romance Writers of America. This group has been invaluable to my success as an author. Through this organization, I learned so much about publishing and met established and up-and-coming authors. I had the opportunity to pitch my stories to editors at Kensington and Harlequin, and one of the most exciting events of my life was looking at the caller ID and seeing Harlequin on the screen. Unfortunately, I didn't sell to Kensington or Harlequin, but those editors gave me valuable, personal advice that I'm deeply appreciative for.
​
I've pitched to industry-leading agents, as well, and received incredible advice from them.

​Although I eventually decided to self-publish, I wouldn't be the writer I am today without the help of industry professionals. Therefore, I want to share some of the things I know and, hopefully, help you on your journey.
​
My Advice to You
The first piece of advice I can give, and it may sound cliché, is to write the best story you can.

​Remember all those rules your past grammar teachers drilled into your head? They're kind of important! Sure, lots of published authors have sentence fragments, run-on sentences, and other significant errors that make English teachers everywhere cringe in horror. They do it on purpose to create the reader's experience, NOT because they don't know better.

​I had someone tell me one time that he wasn't going to worry about that stuff because the publishing house would have editors to clean it up. That's not exactly the editor's job. They aren't there to clean up your mistakes. Sure, copy editors are looking for those types of easy-to-make errors that you may have overlooked. However, if you're story isn't strong enough, it will never make it to a copy editor's desk.

​Continue learning the craft of writing. Read well-written books. Study literary devices like themes, irony, metaphors. Even if you're not planning on writing the literary masterpiece, why not put out the best work you can possibly produce? It can only help your story.

I got the best text the other day.

​Hi beautiful! We haven't talked in awhile. How are you?

Isn't that a sweet way to catch up with someone? The problem is I've never talked to that person. It was from an area code I recognized, but I knew I didn't have any friends who lived there. I typically don't reply to random, wrong number texts because 1. I don't know if they're phishing for active numbers to spam and 2. I hate embarrassing people.

​This one, though, I had to respond to. Because she kept sending messages. She told me her last name had changed and where she was currently working. I had to stop her before she shared anything else!

So, I told her.

And she didn't believe me.

​Most people say sorry and end the conversation. She texted me with details about her friend.

​Her: Katie (name changed), don't you remember me? We met on this date at this place.

Me: I'm sorry. I'm not Katie. You have the wrong number.

Her:​ I thought this was Katie's number.

​Me: Sorry, no.

She asked me another question, and I decided not to respond and hoped she'd finally believe I wasn't Katie. Better to let her move on instead of continuing the conversation. Although, she did accidentally call me beautiful. Maybe I should have kept talking to her and made a new friend.

​Have you ever had a bizarre wrong number before?

We're officially in March! Can you believe it?

This year is flying by for me. I have a lot of big goals set for myself, and I've got to keep working hard! I've committed to publishing four more short stories (to finish the A Boy Named... series) and two full-length books (Granted to finish the Wished series and What I Hear to start The Listeners series) in 2017. It makes me tired just thinking about how much work there is left to do. However, your responses to Jackson, Parker, and Just Another Stupid Boy have been so positive that they have energized me to keep pushing forward.

Which is why I can't wait for Spring Break. Instead of relaxing on a beach somewhere, I plan to hammer away at my stories and make a big dent in all of my goals.

What are you doing for Spring Break? Are you being productive or taking a much-needed rest?

If you're going to a beach somewhere, soak up some Vitamin D for me! You know where I'll be....