Let me not forget... #Gratitude #Thanksgiving #ERWA #MFRWOrg

Image by Michal Jarmoluk from Pixabay

Today is Thanksgiving, of course. Since my family members are half a planet away, I won’t be celebrating with turkey and pumpkin pie. (My husband is allergic to poultry anyway, which has always made the holiday somewhat fraught!) It’s a work day for me, indeed one of the days when I have to endure my two and a half hour commute (there and back).

That’s fine, though. As tough as the trip sometimes is, it reminds me how fortunate I am to have found my current job, which is truly a perfect fit for both my talents and my personality. I’m willing to put up with the negatives in order to enjoy the positives, which honestly weigh far more heavily on the scale.

So I can focus today on the true meaning of Thanksgiving – gratitude. My life is full of blessings: decent health, love and companionship, relative financial security, satisfying and challenging work, and a fascinating, sometimes exotic but usually comfortable environment.

In particular, though, I want to say thanks today to all my writing friends and colleagues. In the twenty-plus years I’ve been publishing, I’ve become closer to some of my fellow authors than I am to my “real life” friends – even though in many cases I know them only through the Internet.

I’ve been a member/contributor/hanger-on at the Erotica Readers and Writers Association for almost my entire “career” and a member of Marketing for Romance Writers for almost as long. Both groups have been a tremendous source of enthusiasm, support, knowledge and yes, love. It has been a privilege getting to know these creative, offbeat and generous people.

In the last three years, the ERWA Storytime critique group has been a lifeline. The other members have suffered through close to three full-length novels with me, offering suggestions and corrections chapter by chapter. As I approach the end of the final Toymakers Guild book, I realize how much I’ve depended on their feedback and encouragement.

I’ve tried to give back whenever I can – critique groups don’t work unless everyone participates – but honestly I don’t know if it’s an even deal. That doesn’t really matter, of course. I am a huge believer in Writers’ Karma. It’s not about a bargain or an exchange. You help whomever you can. You get help back, not necessarily from the same source. But it’s all part of the flow of creativity and grace.

So if you’ve ever written me a review, or shared my promo with my readers, or given me a marketing tip, or helped me wrestle with some creative quandry – thank you!

I sincerely hope you’re as deeply fortunate as I am.