My life isn't any different than yours. It is full of excitement, adventure, drama, sadness and joy. Everyone has these aspects in their lives, maybe not at the same time, but all the same they are there if you look for them. (I don't necessarily look for the sadness, it just finds its way in. However, it makes the happiness and joy even better when you have something to compare it to.)
I've been busy moving my family 700 miles from Idaho to the Portland, Oregon area of the Pacific Northwest. It's been a dramatic change both visually and emotionally and my husband and children are settling in well. There have been ups and downs, and a few "inside outs" (for lack of a better description,) but we are all doing well now.
Earlier in the year, back in Idaho, we opened our home to a friend from Holland for a couple months. He brought a different perspective of how to view the world and the people in it, and while he was there I learned about meditation, quantum physics and how to enjoy brown rice. I also experienced the harsh judgment from the ultra-conservative community for having a male house guest in my home; this coming from a community that touts, "Judge not, lest ye be judged." Funny ole world, isn't it? Good thing my husband and I have grown thick skin ... how we grew that skin is a whole different story. Ah, maybe I'll write my own memoir. My tens of fans would love it!
Through it all, I've grown as a writer and am busily working on my manuscript. A Diamond in my Pocket remains on Barnes&Noble's Teen Bestseller list ranking #130 as of 11/12/2012. It has been as low as #100. The fact that it's free has brought it a lot of attention, and NOOK fans have been absolutely awesome with their reviews and comments! The book ranks #7 on the Teen low to high pricing list. The last number of total downloads from the different Internet outlets for all four of my titles was just under 70,000. Not bad for being on the Internet for a year and a half.
I apologize for the delay in completing The Diamond of Freedom, I am working on it on a daily basis. Rest assured I'm not going to release it until I feel the storyline is gripping enough to please my dedicated fans.
The phrase, "When life hands you lemons, make lemonade," is similar to, "finding the silver lining in the clouds." There is always something good that comes from a storm, the trick is to open your eyes and see it. My experiences of 2012 will definitely find their way into my future books in some way or another making my silver lining the richness and depth I've developed personally and lived firsthand.
~Lorena
