This Writer's Journey (continued)

It's not quite Wed. yet (my regular day to post) but it's close enough. My Wed. will be filled with 8 hours of working (not ready to quit the day job!) on New Year's Eve day, followed by a dinner of black-eyed peas and hog jowls (Yuck. Well, maybe just roast pork) with my extended family.

So today I write. And a few other promo essentials.

I started at 5 am constructing queries to both online and print magazine editors about possible articles about my upcoming spring release, Mom Needs Chocolate. A long shot, maybe, but a recent query to the editor of a large city newspaper (Tampa Tribune)landed me a nice two-page spread in the 1/3/09 Saturday Faith Matters column. So a diligent writer keeps trying.

Worked on some editing for a friend's back cover copy (her book will be released in March) and finalized the Young Writer's program I'll be conducting at an Orlando high school next week.

I heard from my publisher's PR gal that she has several podcast and radio interviews in the works for me and an April signing at a Virginia B & N practically sewn up (I'll be up there on a family vacation and it seemed like a good idea to mix business with pleasure).

In the afternoon, I received two inquiries about speaking engagements (Yay God!)and several requests for signed copies of Billowing Sails (newly released). I was pleased to get another entry for the "Sail Away" contest detailed on my website, www.DeboraCoty.com (people send in pictures of their favorite chill-out location and the most creative will win an awesome prize package). I've been blown away by the responses and have immensely enjoyed looking at photos of lots of amazing places that I'll likely never visit. What fun to live vicariously!

And now at 10:20 pm, it's bedtime. As I don my candy cane jammies, I wish you terrific success in your own writing journey during 2009. So scarf down those black eyed peas and have a safe and Happy New Year!