To New Beginnings

The year 2008 ended "not with a bang, but a whimper". Okay, so maybe there were a few bangs going off outside in the form of fireworks, but the activities throughout the year certainly gave most of us something to whimper about. I am an optimist by nature, and personally I love the new year and all the promises it holds. It is time to let go of what occurred in the past and anticipate what might be around the corner for us in the future. I already know that 2009 will present some emotionally charged events. My baby will graduate from high school, and I'll no sooner have adjusted to that and she'll be headed off to college. In my mind I have been looking forward to the time when my husband and I return to a child-free household, but I know my heart will have other things to say about it when the time comes. There will be some highs in 2009 as well, as we take our businesses to the next level. And my book, which is now complete and waiting for design and editing, will be published. That will be the culmination of a huge personal goal, and I can't wait to see where the publishing road takes me.

The Big Read

Today is The Big Read, a nationwide celebration encouraging people to read. It also offers opportunities to learn about book writing and publishing and to listen to published authors. In St. Louis, one of the segments is called PITCH-A-PALOOZA, in which a would-be author has one minute to pitch his or her book idea to a literary agent. The winner gets a free consultation with the agent. I signed up to pitch my book "Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed(room)? Researching the History of Your St. Louis County Home." While I'm not convinced that a New York literary agent will be at all interested in a book of such local interest, I figured this would be a good learning experience for me. And you never know who might be in the audience. Maybe the elusive President of local Virginia Publishing Company, to whom I have submitted a query letter regarding my book.