Resuscitation, Revival, Renewal

In Pennsylvania, spring has come early. Rotatillers, openly displayed pedicures, and eating outside on the deck--all of those before the month of March hit is teens. Spring has always been about renewal for me. Our family is taking a big trip this spring, so I have to admit that I didn't have my sights set on specific acts renewal this year. No new exercise regiments, and I have yet to crack open a gardening catalog. I am, however, revelling in this weather and the spurt of energy that has come with it.
Into this early spring, a letter arrived from my agent. With no fully formed efforts to show, I have been hiding from my agent. But the letter announced good news: SUMMERS AT BLUE LAKE has been released from my publisher so that I am free to pursue other avenues of publication. More specifically, I am free to pursue my novel's publication as an e-book. E-books were around when SUMMERS was published, but Nook, Kindle, iPads had yet to be the go-to gift at the holidays.
Now, in anticipation of pitching my book to one of the biggies, I must explore an online marking strategy. Twitter, Facebook, Linked In as the holy trinity, with my website/blog keeping pace. As much as technology can be daunting with its sparkle and speed, I am welcoming this chance to revitalize my career. E-books? It seems less threatening than a printed books somehow. Don't get me wrong; I love the printed page. But if I blunder about in my attempt for another novel, I won't be killing off any trees or picturing skids of books abandoned in a warehouse somewhere.
And so, I will keep this first entry of my revived blog on the short side. I have some other writing to do and a career to resusitate.

So many things in Spring

I have a lot going on this spring...to say the least. In additional to my professional activities, the kids are participating in track and a musical, both of which require lots of practices and lots of surreying (the word sounds more bucolic than taxiing). Mark and I are making a few weekend trips both as a couple and with our family. One of those trips includes us all running in a road race--my first in two years. Yikes! Another includes matron-of-honor duties. Double Yikes! I am teaching religious education to my son's class. The curriculum centers on tapping into the creation forces that made life possible and becoming creators ourselves. Art, poetry, music--It is right up my ally. (Except that music part. Seven years of piano lessons for naught.) I am also accompanying my daughter on an overnight environmental field trip in which I will teach about the food chain.

But it is the professional doings that I want to highlight. I spent the morning updating the NEWS section of my site, and I hope that folks will check it out. A variety of interesting stuff going on with which I am pleased to be involved. The Lancaster Literary Guild is having its first ever literary festival. The Lancaster YWCA is hosting an art show as an avenue of hope in the fight against domestic violence. Other things, too. Check them out and let me know what looks interesting to you.