It’s A Little Bit Funny, This Feeling Inside

It’s been a big week already and it’s only Tuesday!  I have nothing tangible to show so even though it’s April Fool’s Day, you’ll have to trust me.  It’s more of a sense of accomplishment that is difficult to quantify or qualify.  But I’ll try…

I finished my fourth novel and submitted it to the publisher last night. Woohoo! My personal goal to have it completed by January obviously missed the mark.  However, I’m not too bummed. It wasn’t ready until yesterday (at 11pm). I’m learning you can’t force creativity in any form.  It’s like pulling cookies out of the oven before they’re done.  Messy and not so tasty.  Now the waiting begins.  This is probably my least favorite part, however I have something exciting coming soon to keep me occupied.  Drum roll please…

A new release!  Hooray!  Better Than Friends is scheduled for a May/June release.  I’m not sure of the exact date yet, but I’ll keep you posted.  I turned in the 3rd round of edits today which means we’re nearing the finish line.  I’m very excited about this book.  It’s different from the first two Better Than Stories though it features all the characters from the first 2 books (lots of Aaron and Matt).  May is around the proverbial corner, but I can’t wait!

Last and usually I’d consider this least (I’m not so sure this time), I went to Vegas this past weekend and saw Elton John.  Big deal, you say?  Well, normally I’d agree.  Except for a couple things.  Let me preface this by admitting I don’t love Vegas.  I like it fine, but I’m not a gambler.  I don’t mind a little debauchery ;-), but I wasn’t with that crowd.  I admit I love seeing some of the hotels.  The Cosmopolitan is gorgeous!  The Palazzo, where we stayed, is also beautiful.  The restaurants are some of the best in the country.  Seriously.  We went to Cut in the Palazzo on Friday night.  The late reservation was wasted on me (I can’t eat at 10pm), but I happily enjoyed a glass of fabulous wine.  The sommelier slash waiter was very knowledgable and attentive.  So even though I ate a pretzel roll while the rest of my table dined on filet mignon, I was very happy.  So nice hotel, restaurants, shopping (yes, I did) and pleasant company.  All these factors made for a great Vegas trip.  

Seeing Elton John though, was like having a dark chocolate salted caramel to go with your vintage glass of cabernet.  It made the trip that much better.  Why? you ask.  I’ve seen him a couple times, but these were by far the best seats.  Plus he played greatest hits, so I knew every song and sang along off key to them all.  I was especially happy he played Your Song.  Matt and Aaron’s song.  It was sublime.  When he introduced the song he said he read the lyrics written by Bernie Taupin forty something years ago and knew this was something special.  It became the song that ultimately brought him fame in America and he told the audience he owed that song his career.  Wow.  

I know this is a stretch, but it seems poignant to me Your Song is featured in Better Than Good,  Matt and Aaron’s story.  It’s the book that jumpstarted something new and special for me so I can’t help but feel a little sentimental about the music I associate with it. There is a great quote by Tennessee Williams “In memory everything happens to music“.  So very true.  Every story has a personal soundtrack that will always mean more to you than anyone else.  In a sense, it’s the perfect blending of art forms.  Reading and music.  Writing and music. Art and music.  

There’s probably another saying about blank pages being extremely frightening to a writer, and I’m currently facing that hurdle.  My outline is written for my next story (& the one after 🙂 ).  The page won’t be blank for long.  Maybe I’ll start with a song lyric to ease the way… “It’s a little bit funny, this feeling inside…”

Happy April 1st!

Lane xo