When I was six years old, I was DETERMINED to be a magician. I had an old silk bathrobe of my grandmother's. It had a tied-on belt. I used that as my cape, and I'd swoosh around the house in my sea-foam-green disguise as I performed "magic tricks" for my family. These tricks were almost always making stuff disappear. Usually marshmallows.
When I was about ten, my mom told me I should become a massage therapist. I'm pretty sure she just told me that so I'd practice on her. She's sort of sneaky, my mom.
When I was a teenager, I didn't really want to do anything but theatre. Oh, and fall in love and get married. I was sure I'd probably have to have another job besides acting, but I didn't really think of cultivating a career. My biggest dream was finding a phenomenal guy to sweep me off my feet.
And now, here I am, about to debut my first mainstream romance novel in just under six weeks. Now I can't imagine wanting to be anything other than a full-time novelist. And I'll get there, hopefully! My dream guy is super supportive, and in a crazy way, I'm really glad that I've failed as much as I have in my life.
No really. I mean that.
Every time I've fallen flat on my backside, I've had to re-evaluate things. Discover new ways to live, to work, to create. I've done some incredibly stupid things in my life. Most recently, slicing off a bit of my left index fingertip. Yeah. I know. It was just the skin, and it's growing back, and I've learned that I can definitely type with only nine fingers.
If we succeeded at everything we thought we wanted, then our lives wouldn't be as rich and full as they truly are. I really believe that. If I'd succeeded in becoming a magician, I might never have learned to give a kickass massage. If I'd succeeded in becoming a massage therapist, I wouldn't have learned so much about character development and storytelling. If I'd succeeded in becoming a famous actress, then I'd never have started writing.
Sometimes things really do work out for the best. I'm super happy to be where I am today, no matter how many screw-ups it took to get here.
In THE GEEK GIRL AND THE SCANDALOUS EARL, if Jamie and her boyfriend hadn't broken up, then Jamie wouldn't have fallen through a bureau mirror and landed with her true love. If she hadn't loved a jerk, she wouldn't understand how incredible her earl really is. If she hadn't risked everything for the man she loved, she wouldn't...
Well, I can't spoil the ending, can I? ;)
The Stakes Have Never Been Higher...
An avid gamer, Jamie Marten loves to escape into online adventure. But when she falls through an antique mirror into a lavish bedchamber—200 years in the past!—she realizes she may have escaped a little too far.
Micah Axelby, Earl of Dunnington, has just kicked one mistress out of his bed and isn't looking to fill it with another—least of all this sassy, nearly naked woman who claims to be from the future. Yet something about her is undeniably enticing...
Jamie and Micah are worlds apart. He's a peer of the realm. She can barely make rent. He's horse-drawn. She's Wi-Fi. But in the game of love, these two will risk everything to win.
It's great to meet all of you! Feel free to stalk me on the interweb. I don't bite! (well, if you don't like that sort of thing.)
Sounds interesting! One nice thing about failure. You can always find a way to use it in a book! ;)
ReplyDeleteIn the army, they said it was a chance to excel! :) And like Cheryl said, makes great fodder for books!
ReplyDeleteI am so glad I failed at several things I *really* wanted at the time. I cannot imagine myself as a clinical psychologst!
ReplyDeleteFailure often means moving on and moving on means finding "at last" what really brings happiness. One of my favorite quotes: Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted.
ReplyDeleteLOVE your cover! Sounds like you've got a wonderful story between the covers (hmmm, I really meant the covers of the book but then...)!
You are so right! It's our failures, and how we react to them, that truly define us. I try to remember that every time I have another painful setback. :-/
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the lovely replies!!
ReplyDelete@Cheryl, yes, there are several mistakes of mine wound through my stories. I'll never confess which ones, though! ;)
@Terry, that's a great way to think of mistakes. I'm going to write that down. :)
@Shana, you're so right. In the moment, it's hard to think of anything else but that one goal. But hindsight proves we don't always know what's the best thing for us. Things really do work out!
@Carolyn, what a good quote! Writing that one down too. And I hope both the story within the book covers and the bed covers are equally compelling!! Hehehe.
@Rosalie, yeah, it's so hard to remember that in the midst of disappointment. But you're right. Getting back up makes us stronger. And that is what defines us.
You guys rock!
Gina
Oh, I so love time travel! Thanks for bringing us such an inventive story.
ReplyDeleteFailure makes you stronger. And you learn from the mistakes. And if you can just blink and end up going through the looking glass. and finding your Prince Charming instead of the Wicked witch. I'm all for that. I like to read this book. It sounds like my dreams after pizza.
ReplyDelete@Mia, aw, thanks! I really hope you enjoy it. :)
ReplyDelete@Diva, you're so right. Failure makes us better. I definitely laughed at your pizza dreams!! They sound like fun. ;)
Everything we do in life adds one more interesting facet to who and what we are...great blog, Gina. LOVED the blurb and the cover! SB rocks:)
ReplyDeletePS...I wonder how different my life would have been if my mom hadn't discouraged me from my first dream of becoming a dancer in a cage --wearing totally cool white zip up the back gogo boots--Shindig and Where The Action Is...look out. LOL!
Awesome post and I adore the title of your book!
ReplyDeleteWhen I injured my shoulders and had to quit being a mechanic, at first I was devastated... until I rediscovered my love of writing.