I AM BEING COURTED!

Yes, I'm being courted and my dad would be so happy. It's not that I'm a spinster or anything like that but being courted is something that every man wants for his daughter, right?

Well, my dad might be a litle disappointed to know that I am being courted by two women and a man. Actually, I guess you can say that want me to be a part of their group.

Now before you jump up and down and get yourself into a frenzy. I'm not talking about THAT kind of group; get your minds out of the gutter people. (not that's there's anything wrong with that)

I'm talking about being courted by a literary agency. That's right! Me, little ol me is being courted by one of the biggest agency's for literature and I am all aglow. (that's a word, right)

I was treated to a fancy dinner on Saturday then I got to go to a party where the First Lady was there and took note of my dress! Yes, my dress was a hit with the first lady. And let me just say this, she is really tall. I'm not short by any means, but even with my 6 inch heels on; she still had me by about 2 inches.

And, I got a car...I mean, not like Oprah, but they had a car and that is how we got to the party and I felt like Oprah or at the very least some rich spoiled kid. They laid out all that they 'could do for me' because they say I am "very marketable".

And do you want to know why this happened? It happened because of Thrillerfest! I owe all of this goodness to being at Thrillerfest and standing up and 'buzzing' my book!

I'm sure you are looking up Creatures,Crimes and Creativity right now because there will be agents there. There is still time to sign up!

So I guess you are wondering what my decision is: well I haven't made it yet. I know you are probably shouting, WHY NOT. The simple answer is: I have a lot of things to take into consideration and I don't want to jump into something that will impact the rest of my life. Just like buying a home, you have to KNOW that you want it. Oh trust me, I want it alright but they gave me two weeks to think it over...and that is exactly what I am going to do.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Today is July 25, 2013 and I have a brace on my left arm. You will see why that date is so important. Well, technically it is on my wrist.

You may be thinking...oh she must have carpal tunnel or maybe tendonitis, right? Wrong!

On Monday, July 20 I closed my door of my car and noticed a sharp pain in my wrist but didn't want to stop what I was doing long enough because in the words of Sugar Brown, "aint nobody got time for that". So I bared the pain and kept it moving.

That was until July 23, when I was headed to dance class. Yes, I am dancing like a fool every Tuesday night and having a blast. That's a different blog. Back to the story. So on Tuesday, I got out of the car and put my hand down on the seat as I got out and let me just tell ya; the pain that shot through my arm all but sent me sprawling onto the pavement. I wanted to cry like a 6 week old baby wanting her bottle but I tried to pull myself together. It didn't work. The pain got worse and worse; kinda like a contraction when you go into labor and just like a contraction, it went away.

Now on July 24th, I was sitting in my sitting room doing a little writing and sat my laptop down beside me and went to get up. Placed my hand down, to help myself up and when I opened my eyes; I was looking at the ceiling! What! What! Goodness I passed out from the pain and that is when I decided that maybe, just maybe, I needed to see a doctor.

So at noon on July 24th I went to the doctors and at 4pm I walked out with this on my arm. Courtesy of two cracks in the bone in my wrist. 

So for four days, I walked around with a fractured wrist; thinking that the pain would go away if I didn't touch anything!

Moral of this story: If you hear a crack, or pull something or are in pain. Go to the doctors.

Because I didn't make time, I have to wear this thing for at least two weeks; making my life much harder. (note: I probably would have still had to wear it but the pain was something that could have been handled with the right pain meds)

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE SHOES.....

I know you didn't think I was done with the shoes, fun and all around good times that I had at +ThrillerFest, now did you?

I learned a lot of things on how to "Buzz My Book" from +MJ Rose and +Meryl Moss

They invited people to stand up and say one line about their novel..."but don't go into plot" MJ Rose warned, "or I will stop you."

After a few people went, I got a nudge from the president of Intrigue Publishing, to Buzz you book....I let one more person go by and when they announced 'we have time for a couple more'..I took the chance.

I sheepishly put my hand up and they picked someone else but then..it happened. MJ Rose called on me...I was up! It was my turn...dear lord, please don't let me become a rambling fool!  


I stood, straightened my shirt, pulled in a quick breath and said, "My name is B. Swangin Webster, but really its Sandra and I write under that name"...and then I felt myself getting ready to slip in the bumbling, rambling stage...I had to think quick or they were going to make me sit down.

I found the courage and said, "I'm working on a novel about twin sisters, who are killing off professional men and it's called The Stiletto Stalker." Whew..it was over, I couldn't sit down fast enough and then it happened.

They both lit up...well at least I think they did, and began to tell me how great that idea was and how I should find shoe stores, small ones at first and set up signings in there...+Zappos.com would be a great place...but not right now...maybe in the future...but according to Meryl..."that's such a great title...and great shoes".

Oh my gosh! She noticed my shoes....and you could peel me from the ceiling...Me and my green shoes were a hit...they gave me the confidence I needed to buzz my book...and I kept that momentum going all weekend. Yes...me and my shoes, made a big splash...

Now...to stop shopping for more shoes and finish #TheStilettoStalker before next year...

#THRILLER13-----ITS OVER

Can I tell you just how much fun I had at ThrillerFest...oh my gosh!

I have always had a great time there and this year was no different. Of course for me, it is always all about the shoes...and let me just tell you...I have to always be on point with my shoes...they are my way of branding myself.

First let's talk about the shoes...oh my...my shoes were a hit...and of course I knew they would be. I should be tooting my own horn, shouldn't I....give me a minute

  
BEEP BEEP BEEP

Now back to the business at hand.

I searched high and low for shoes that would make me the stand out in the crowd and you know, I found them. Imagine my surprise as I was standing in line to get one of the FREE...yes that's right FREE books that they were giving away and a woman walked up to me and said..."you are her...you're the woman on twitter with the shoes" I politely said "yes I am'' and she proceeded to say..."ok, let me see" a little dumbfounded I lifted my pant leg and she squealed...yes, she actually squealed. I am not kidding!

She then said, "I will be right back" and she did, she came right back with four other people who had "to see my shoes"

See this is one thing that I do well...shoes are my life! I know them like...well like the bottoms of my feet.

From the moment ThrillerFest started, everyone who saw me, didn't say hello; they said, "Ok, let me see them"...now if I a comedian, I could make that mean so many different things but I knew they were talking about my shoes...oh and trust me...when you see them...you will be envious ...yes, very envious!

Later this week, I will be talking about some rabbits with a 'bite'...and the woman that tries to tame them...

The heart will always guide you

We don't want to think about the mistakes we have made because we were foolishly following our head instead of our heart.

You know the heart is the most wonderful part of the body and yet we don't listen to it enough.

When that girl/guy comes into our lives, we want to follow our heart but in reality we are following our minds. Our minds tell us to overlook those little things that would otherwise bother us with any other person. Our minds will tell us that "he is just a messy person" when in our hearts we know, he just might be lazy.

When your mind tells you that you can't write that novel, what does your heart tell you.

If you have had that nagging pull, small ache in your chest whenever you think about picking up a pen or opening up your tablet/laptop and then you don't. That would be your heart telling you that you need to follow it.

Our heart will lead us to where we need to be. Our heart is the thing that will tell us to follow our dream, even when our mind and sometimes our friends, are telling us not to.

I listened to my heart about five years ago and now I have two published novels and working on numbers three and four. If I had listened to my head, I wouldn't have taken that step. Instead I followed my heart and I can say that I am so glad that I did.

I dare you to try it, with anything that you want to do. Follow your heart, you will be amazed.

What plans do you have for this week?

I used to think I was the most organized person, ever! Yep, there was never a time that I wouldn't know what my day, week or month would bring.

Now, I'm not so sure about it. All I know is now I am trying to make it through each day and remind myself to take my medications or put eye drops in my eye.

Instead of planning out my day I know try and enjoy each moment as it comes. I want to remember the day, not the 'things' that I did in the day.



Isaiah



Some days it is hard to remember my name, or to even remember the names of my children and grandchildren. Now with the addition of my newest grandson, I find myself pushing the 'planned' events out of the way, so I can spend time with Isaiah. Babies + the new baby smell= forgotten appointments, talking in a baby voice and hoping that when you burb him, the milk doesn't stain that new dress you put on.

Yes, plans are great for people that don't want to enjoy life to the fullest. For the rest of us, plans are meant to be 'adjusted' when life 'happens'.

So I ask you, what are your plans this week?

Let the fun times begin

Summer vacation....

That can mean a lot of things to a lot of different people.

For me, it means, more writing and this year I am looking forward to it much more than usual.

I have been on hiatus lately. I've been doing so many things, for so many people; that I have forgotten to do the one thing that I loved.

Enter..."Shawny". She is the Stiletto Stalker and she tapped me on the shoulder. Well, not really, she kind of kicked me in the head on night and jolted me from my sleep and told me, "you better start writing my story or you will be sorry".

At first I blinked hard and then said, "really because you aren't real and you can't do anything to me." Her response...."watch me"

I tried to go back to sleep and for some reason, I couldn't. I was restless with all of the scenarios playing out in my head and before I knew it, I was up with a notebook in my hand re-writing the first scene of The Stiletto Stalker. I guess she told me, huh?

After a day of writing her, she came back and said..."let the fun times begin...now let's see if you can figure out how I killed him." What...you killed a man? Was my response and she walked off in her stylish shoes and turned to me with a wicked grin and said..."hey, it wouldn't be a murder mystery without a crime, now would it?"

I was shocked, dismayed and confused. I have never written a murder mystery and need a little help. So I guess I need to call up my good friends +Lauren Carr or +Austin Camacho and his problem solver, Hannibal Jones because this looks like it might be a problem only the three of them can help me with.

Let the fun begin....I think.