Change is good

New publication title, new direction, same old me.

Now that the new novel has been released, it’s time for me to get back on the signing circuit. I’m easing myself into book signings and markets this month with only two events. I will be making smarter choices with where I spend my time this season; I burned out last year and missed spending weekends camping with my hubby. Also, I now have that bookstore gig, so….more about this below.

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Good morning friend,

You might have noticed that my email landed in your inbox with a new title and a new photo this morning. I have been chewing on a name change for a while, but nothing I came up with stuck. On Friday though, when I pulled out my current notebook to start re-working the next novel (for, like, the fifth time), I was getting a new idea. I have a shelf on my bookcase where I house all my notebooks: book planning notebooks, a manifesting journal, the notebook where I take notes when I have calls with clients, gorgeous leather journals I fill with educational stuff from workshops and classes I’ve taken as well outlines for courses I offer, a camping logbook, a travel journal, and a notebook where I practice craft with prompts, freestyle writing, and other quirky exercises.

The current state of notebooks. The grey box has empty journals that fit into the green and burgundy leather-bound journals.

I’m telling you this because when I looked at the shelf, I saw the last decade of my writing career. That’s how the new name for this newsletter came to me.

The Writer’s Notebook.

This new name will be more reflective of the content you’ll find in your inbox on Sunday mornings: stories about writing, books, and the bookstore. Notes where I reflect on life and travel. Weird stuff that makes me laugh. Ranting when I need to vent. Oh, and I plan on including more photos, because a wall of text is boring.

I am also changing the frequency. This email will now be sent bi-weekly. Our inboxes are inundated with emails we don’t have time/don’t want to read and I’d rather my newsletter not be one of those. The byproduct of this change is twofold: it will make for more interesting content and it will ease the pressure off me to come up with content every week. Working at the bookstore takes chunks out of my writing time and sometimes drains my creative well. I don’t want either of these passions to suffer. I can’t choose a favourite, so I have to find the way to give both of these endeavours the time to flourish.

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Last week went by in a blur. We came back from an 11-day vacation and I was right back to my desk, editing a legal video, working on book layout for two authors and getting things ready for my launch at Owl's Nest Books. After days upon days of disregarding the time of day and the day of the week, it was nice to have purpose.

The launch was intimate and exactly what I needed to realize how lucky I am to have great people around me. Those who matter show up for you, online and in real life.

Only a few photos. I guess I am so engaging, my guests forget to take pictures. 😂😂

Friday morning, I grabbed a notebook to make notes for this newsletter. Two sentences in, my fountain pen ran dry. I can’t think of anything worse than being in a richly creative space and having it derailed by an empty pen. Couldn’t I just grab another pen? No. My fountain pen is part of the process. I cannot just use another pen anymore than you can decide to start sleeping naked after a lifetime of getting into your pyjamas at bedtime. That’s not how life works.

Fortunately, filling the pen is not hard. A little messy, though. I did not have inky fingers on my list today, but…

This was after I scrubbed at my fingers and thumb.

I am closing off this week’s email with four important photos from our vacation. We were in Florida, heading onto a cruise. We spent one day at DisneyWorld. Jeff is a Disneyphile; me, not at all. I agreed to a single park on a single day. Look how happy he is.

He is in his happy place and doesn't seem to care that I am not. The things we do for love.

I survived the day at the park and was all smiles from there on. These next two photos are an example of just how good I am feeling now that I have lost about 65 pounds. For the first time in 46 years, I wore a bikini. I didn’t care what other people saw because this was my celebration. I felt great. Proud. Lighter (both physically and emotionally).

Wait, is that an ab forming?

When we hit the mall, it dawned on me that I was able to shop off the rack again. I spied this Karl Lagerfeld dress and immediately decided if it fit it was coming home with me. I had so many emotions in that fitting room. Disbelief. Joy. Confidence. I can’t wait for warmer weather so I can wear it every day.

Stay tuned for more good things from the new and improved newsletter and the new and improved me.

xo Dana