The HEA Cafe

It was my birthday this week, and I celebrated by doing something different. I signed up for a zipline safari at a Florida site that specializes in eco-tourism. I’d never done anything like this before, but my thought was, what’s the point of surviving another year if you don’t live it to its fullest? In addition, now that I’m middle aged, I’m in a better position than ever to try something new. My kids are grown (the oldest asked if he was still listed on my life insurance, the younger said, “You rock, Mom!”), and while my husband was nervous about me flying through the air on a cable he didn’t try to talk me out of it. After 34 years of marriage, he knows better.

It was a little scary, though not as frightening as when I went spelunking in Florida caves while researching The Bride and the Buccaneer. Never knew I was prone to claustrophobia until that day. But I did it anyway, because I wasn’t about to wimp out after having come that far.

It’s like that with writing a novel as well. When I first started writing Pirate’s Price, I didn’t tell anyone I was writing a novel. I wasn’t sure at that time if I could finish it, or sell it, or if anybody would want to read it. But I managed to accomplish all three of those things and win an Eppie Award for it as well.

Even now, in the midst of writing my next novel, I reach a point where I wonder, “Can I finish this? Can I sell it? Will anyone want to read it?” But I grit my teeth and tell myself, “You’ve been small craft sailing and spelunking for research, you’ve gone ziplining through the backwoods of Florida, you’ve hiked around old Cracker homesteads full of insects, snakes and possums–you did all of that and got four books published and won awards…you can finish another damn novel!”

And I do. It’s as exhilarating as ziplining, and as scary, but just like ziplining there’s a strong sense of accomplishment and satisfaction at the end. Now I’m ready to do the nighttime zipline safari!

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