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Abundance – The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

This month we've been talking about abundance, which can be good, bad, or downright ugly. Abundant health – good, abundance of adverbs in your story – bad, abundance of drive-thru meals after two weeks of football practices, and eating said meal in the car in the dark – downright ugly. The shriveled up lettuce always lands in cracks too small to reach, and left-overs get shoved underneath the seat, only to be found when the aroma finally overwhelms the smell of well-used football equipment.




But I’ve had an abundance of good news this year. First, in preparation for my agent submitting my story, I got my website. Now I was worried about getting a website, because if you knew me better, you’d know I’m totally rotten at decision making. There are some things I know right off that I want. I’m going to get it no matter what, other things…well, I can deliberate for hours, sucking everything around me into the void of confusion. When eating out, my husband pleads with me to just let him order the food because I’m going to change my mind once I get it anyway, and then he’ll feel guilty for enjoying his meal while I’m scowling at mine and looking longingly at his. I’ll buy something and make three trips back to the store to exchange it because I keep changing my mind. Abundance of indecision…definitely ugly. Thankfully, I found Rae Monet, my web designer. I told her what I wanted and she nailed it. Just like that. It was almost magical.


Then, BIG ABUNDANT NEWS…I sold to Deb after the story had been submitted for a very short time. Awaken the Highland Warrior, the first in the series, will be released May 2011. That was awesome. I have a phobia (joking…sort of) about promotion and blogging, but I put my apprehensions aside and dove into Facebook and Twitter. Talk about an abundance. Since February, I’ve gotten over 1000 friends on Facebook and I’m not sure who they are. I get requests every day and unless they look suspicious, I accept. I could do a whole new blog about pros and cons, time sucks, and how perverts can look normal on Facebook, but for now, I’m still accepting the requests. Honestly, they're mostly friends or other writers looking to do the same thing as me, promote, promote, but it was a great feeling to conquer that social media fear. I guest blog occasionally, and now I’m honored to be part of this group blog with such a talented bunch of ladies. They've made me feel so welcomed and like I belong to the the Casablanca family.


Last but not least…I finally got my cover. The first time EVER seeing my name on a book cover was just awesome. Surely, that's an abundance of muscles...







So, I'd love to know what's the worst abundance you've had.

Comments

  1. Loved your post, Anita! And loved your adorable Highland cover!!! Sourcebooks does it right! Your hamburger in the car story reminds me of a friend of mine whose daughter wanted to keep her Easter egg, so hid it from her mother in the glove box. :) And forgot about it. My kids used to spill their bottles of milk in the back seat, and it wasn't noticeable for a couple of days. Pheww!

    My worst abundance? With the storms hitting the Texas coast for the last couple of days, I had an overabundance of water--inside the house. The bedroom carpeting smells like the abominable stench in Labrynth--in the ooglyet (sp?) And then, I usually can get away from the BAAAD smell by going into any other part of the house, but I enter the kitchen and it smells BAAAAD. Okay, so I'd overcooked garlic noodles, and had let the ones stuck to the pan soak--for a little too long and the butter used in the saucepan had gone rancid--which means it's time to go to work--so I can breathe some fresh air. LOL :) What a horrible thought! :)

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  2. Thanks, Terry. I'm really so glad to be part of this group. It was so amazing to see my name on a cover. What a feeling!

    Sorry about the bad weather and all the water in the house. That's terrible. How can water be cleansing but so smelly when it sits? And my kids have done the spilled milk thing too. Very bad smell.

    My hubby had back surgery on Tuesday and my mom stayed with the kids that night. I forgot to tell her Wednesday was trash day, so she was thrilled that she remembered on her own. Problem was, she thought it ran early in the morning, so she dragged the can out to the street, then dragged it back to the house...BEFORE IT HAD PICKED UP. When we got home, oh the smell. I loaded it in the truck to take to our local trash compactor when I got back. Of course it's closed the day I go.

    I hope you get your water situation resolved and the library move accomplished.

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  3. LOL about the garbage, Anita! :) I'm going to have to rip up the carpet and put tile down. :( The library---argh!!!! Have a super day! I'm off to work!

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  4. LOL! He has an abundance of veins, too, which is always a plus in my (nurse's) book.
    Overabundance of bad stuff? Can you say s**t? Both literal and figurative....

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  5. Anita--I Love your cover! There are so many different elements and it's like you find something new hidden in it each time.

    Let's see...worst abundace... this past weekend on Friday night, a bbq and WAY too much red wine--the next day was rough.

    Have a great weekend, everyone!

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  6. Cute post, Anita. and do I ever relate to always wishing I had ordered whatever my dining partner has. :-)

    The first sight of the first cover? There's no thrill quite like it!

    My worst abundance? I think it was the time a friend of my husband's had offered us the use of a camper he kept parked at an amenity-less place on the coast.

    We arrived and unlocked it. Our heads were knocked back by the overwhelmingly musty smell. But that wasn't the worst. I'm adaptable. I can take things in stride. Hey, we were at the beach--site of constant breezes. Open all the windows, and it would air out while we went and had dinner.

    We moved through the camper, opening every aperture. My ankle itched. I rubbed it with the other foot. Then the other ankle itched. Then I became aware, it wasn't just my ankles. It was my whole legs. I looked down. Both legs were covered with black dots and even as I looked, more jumped on.

    "Fleas!" I screamed.

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  7. Chronic health conditions abound in my immediate and extended family. I WISH I had an abundance of veins like Cheryl's hubby. Blood draws are always such a production; I'm what phlebotomists call "a tough stick." It's a PITA, but...ya do what you have to do, right?

    Anita, what a beautiful cover! I can't wait to read your book. And I hear you about online timesucks. I'm continually striving to find a more workable balance.

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  8. worst abundance = abundance of angst. and that's all I'll say b/c I'm still dealing with it.. sigh.

    Love those abundant muscles! And if you think seeing your cover is great (and it is, don't get me wrong; it's still great after 5 covers...), wait until you hold your author copies in your hands. Tears flow in abundance. :)

    congrats and welcome again, Anita!

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  9. The worst abundance is having everything come at once--a deadline, a book out, copyedits, revisions. So it's good abundance but a lot to deal with.

    Terry, I am so sorry about the water in your house. I live in Texas too and though we were spared this go-round, I have so been there. Hugs!

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  10. Cheryl, he does have an abundance of veins. I have blood drawn occasionally and I have great veins so I can appreciate it. My poor hubby has veins that hide and roll. And he hates needles.

    Oh, I have an over-abundance of STUFF too. Crap in my car, crap in my closets. I need to have a giant yard sale.

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  11. ---> I need to have a giant yard sale.

    Alas, when my sisters and I do this every couple of years, we simply ...exchange stuff.

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  12. Danielle, I'm so glad you like the cover. I love all the different elements too.

    Okay, your abundance sounds like a a darned good abundance.

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  13. Oh no, Mary Margaret. I'd totally forgotten until I read your story. I had the same thing happen. We had a Cocker Spaniel taht the fleas loved. We left for three weeks and didn't realize she'd left some critters behind. Well, when we got back home, they had multiplied and were starving without the dog there. My legs were covered in black spots by the time I'd crossed the living room. I'm itching just thinking about it.

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  14. Thanks, Tamara. You and my husband both have vein problems. And he hates needles.

    Yep, I need to find balance, whether online stuff or just the clutter.

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  15. Judi, I can't wait for those tears of joy. It must be incredible to hold the book, not just see it on the screen. Now, I'm getting excited.

    I hope your angst fades. I should've blogged about frustration. I have way too much of it.

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  16. Hi Shana. I agree, too many good things at once can be a giant headache. I'm dealing with edits on the first book now, and the second book is due in just a few months. I still have to finish the rough draft. And I haven't started the third one. Thank goodness the kids are back in school.

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  17. I see another abundance in my blog. I have too many spaces between paragraphs. Must have done something wrong. At least I got it posted, and with the picture too. Me and technology are not a happy pair.

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  18. Anita, you nailed it! How can you have too much of a good thing? I've never thought I had too much ice cream or chocolate! But it is so easy to have too much of a bad thing. Too many wrinkles on the face, in the dress, and with the plot! :-)
    Amelia

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  19. I had to laugh at the abundance of indecision -- I can do that sometimes too, but it's because I can always see the abundance of OPTIONS. LOL

    Right now it feels like I have an abundance of. . waiting. LOL And it feels like I'm using up too much of my time trying to make it go faster, so it doesn't FEEL like I'm waiting. LOL

    I'm definitely looking forward to your book being out. :)

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  20. Great blog, Anita. I can't wait until I have that abundantly muscled highlander in my hands in 2011! I just know I'll love that story.

    Today ... I'm feeling so blessed to have an abundance of friends. Writers and readers are about the nicest folks ever!

    Hugs and happy weekend wishes to everyone.
    Nancy Naigle
    Love stories from the crossroad of small town and suspense.
    www.NancyNaigle.com
    Drewryville, VA

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  21. Amelia...don't even talk about food. Oh, my waist line...where did it go? Thirteen years later, I'm still trying to find it.

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  22. Hi Donna. An abundance of time is great, unless you're waiting on news...like THE CALL. Hang in there!

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  23. Hi Nancy. LOL! Glad you like my Highlander.

    Lots of friends are a blessing. And you're definitely one. Especially as writers, because we often need those pats on the back and sympathetic ears.

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  24. Anita, I prefer to think of positive abundance! Certainly writing Romance has given me an abundance of friends. I treasure that!

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  25. Excellent point, Diane. Writers to make wonderful friends. A true treasure. Thanks so much for stopping by.

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  26. It really is a great cover, Anita. Kudos to the SourceBooks Art Department.

    I'm anxious to buy the book and reread it to see what all you changed. I can't imagine it getting any better.

    My worst abundance - the nail biting while waiting to hear back from someone who is reading your story. You're so afraid they will hate it, yet so unbelieving when they don't.

    Good blog, my friend.

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  27. Hi Anita! Great cover - looks like a fabulous book! Hope your hubby is recovering from back surgery - ouch.

    I have an abundance of stuff in my garage. When I was a kid I never understood why my parents used the garage to put "stuff" and not cars. Now I know.

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  28. Hi Anita-
    Great cover.

    I have an abundance of dirty dishes at home in the sink and an abundance of clutter. I know it's time to clean house when I'd rather stay at work than go home. I might have time to clean if it were not for this abundance of deadlines. But those are happy abundances because it means I'm going to be multi-published. Yay!

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  29. Hi Anita! Love the book cover.

    I have a wonderful abundance of love, family, and friendship.

    I also have a not-so wonderful abundance of bills. I really hate that.

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  30. Excellent blog, Anita. And I love your book cover. Mme. Moreno and I are so looking forward to the book.

    Meanwhile...our worst abundance ever? Would have to be the collection of "noseemums" bites, amassed during our spring trip to the Catskills. Can you say calamine lotion?

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  31. First, Congrats on the book and the absolutely fabulous cover. I think Sourcebooks has some of the best covers ever.

    Second, Have you been hanging around my car? That's exactly the abundance in my life right now with 1 football player and 2 cheerleaders, all under 11 years old. You totally made me laugh with that opening.

    I am not yet published (still on the agent hunt), but like you, I have a phobia about promoting. My web presence right now is zero. If you keep writing funny posts like this, promotion should go well for you.

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  32. Liz, I hear you on the nail biting. It's miserable waiting...hoping. It won't be long until we're on the shelves!

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  33. Thanks, Amanda. Austin is doing very well. Sore but better now that he has that gigantic ruptured disk gone.

    Your garage sounds like ours. Austin has a motorcycle and tools and then there's stuff and more stuff. No cars!

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  34. Olivia, I think you're sneaking in my house. Problem is, I don't have a job to escape to. I've been so behind on everything, but thank God for moms. Mine came down while I was with hubby was in the hospital and caught up my laundry and did some housework AND took care of the kids. Is that awesome or what?

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  35. Robin, I know you have an abundance of friends because you are such a great one yourself.

    Now the bills...ugh! I have too many of those too. I'd rather pick lettuce out of the cracks of my upholstery any day.

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  36. Ah, Mozart, how honored I am that one so talented as yourself would drop by our humble blog.

    The little bitting critters, I do feel for you. We have lots of mosquitoes here and they drive me crazy. I want to take my laptop outide and write, but they just swarm all around me.

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  37. Ah, Mozart, how honored I am that one so talented as yourself would drop by our humble blog.

    The little bitting critters, I do feel for you. We have lots of mosquitoes here and they drive me crazy. I want to take my laptop outide and write, but they just swarm all around me.

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  38. Hi Shannyn, so you know about the Bermuda Triangles of cars? Things go in and they disappear. One day if I don't show up for a blog...

    You know, I really did have a huge fear of promoting. I still do, but I'm beginning to see that it's do-able. I started with getting a website, which I highly recommend. I wish I'd gotten one even sooner. Then I did Facebook and Twitter. I'm a baby when it comes to all this, but I figure if I'm doing something, unless it's totally tasteless, it's probably better tnan nothing.

    Hang in there. It's frustrating waiting for an agent, and then waiting on an editor, and feeling like you'd have a better shot at winning the lottery, but it'll pay off in the long run. In the meantime, do what my agent told me. Polish, polish, polish. Make that story shine, so when the call comes, you're ready! Good luck!

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  39. Great post and LOVE your cover, Anita. Congratulations and best of luck to you. I really enjoyed the part about the food disappearing in the car until the smell gave it away. Isn't t amazing how a french fry can take on a personality all its own?

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  40. Thanks, Maeve! LOL! I've found some horrible things in my car. I do believe it's time for a good car-cleaning. I think I'll wait until after the football game tomorrow.

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  41. Kathryne,thanks so much for the welcome. I'm happy to be here.

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  42. What a great post! Congrats on your upcoming book release. It looks hot! Hmmmm. Worst abundance? I suppose the abundance of bug bites I got this summer. I got absolutely devoured by mesquitos at my Grandmother's house. I looked like I had some kind of bizarre disease...but only on my calves. Ewwww. Definitely the worst!

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  43. Thanks, Sara. Oh I hate bug bites. They're the worst. They just eat my son up. Something about his blood. I get frustrated because I love to sit outside and write, but the mosquitoes swarm around me, and bug spray smells so bad.

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