FEATURED AUTHOR: EMMANUELLA HRISTOVA

ABOUT THE BOOK

The Day My Kisses Tasted Like Disorder is a collection of poems that explores a tumultuous year of love, heartbreak, and all kinds of unimaginable loss. Emmanuella's debut poetry book documents the birth and death of a relationship, and the death of her sister. Each poem is an emotional time-stamp that plunges the reader into the depths of the author’s feelings as they burgeon and wane. The book reads like a diary and chronicles the boundaries of the things that we all feel: passion, heartache, and pain that gives way to hope.




Book Details:

Title: The Day My Kisses Tasted Like Disorder    

Author’s name: Emmanuella Hristova

Genre: Poetry 


Publisher: Self-published through Lulu (April, 2018)

Print length: 50 pages

INTERVIEW WITH EMMANUELLA HRISTOVA

Q: Emmanuella, how long have you been writing, and how did you start?
A: I started writing when I was young, but I didn’t know it. When I traveled with my mom, I took copious amounts of descriptive notes about each trip we would take. Then, as a teenager I wrote short emo love quotes for my Xanga page (which I later deleted, much to my regret). But as for poetry, I didn’t start writing what I would now categorize as poetry until I was in graduate school, three years ago.

Q: What inspired you to write this book?
A: When I graduated with my bachelor’s degree, a young woman I used to mentor gave me a green Moleskin notebook. She told me to document all of my adventures. My undergraduate graduation characterized many changes in my life, and at the time I was working out my own definition of feminism. But what began as short musings about sexism jotted down on the BART train, eventually became woeful poems about oppression, harassment, and assault.
And then, two months later, I fell in love for the first time. I never decided to write my poetry collection; it came out of me, rather. I documented the relationship from beginning to end, birth to death. I wrote to express my feelings and sentiments. It wasn’t intentional. Pent-up emotions swelled up inside of me, and they didn’t have any place to spill other than onto blank pages. Eventually, that green Moleskin became a chronological account of one of the darkest periods of my life.

Q: How long did it take you to write this book?
A: I wrote all the poems in The Day My Kisses Tasted Like Disorder over a period of one year, from June 2015 – June 2016. Then I let the completed word document sit in my computer for about two years, because I wasn’t ready to face it. And, I was still in love with my ex-boyfriend for quite some time after we split. So, I couldn’t face what I had written about him and what I had written about my sister’s passing. It wasn’t until two years after my sister passed away that I opened up the document again and read some poems to a friend. She told me to publish. I worked with a dear coworker of mine, Maria Ciccone, who helped me edit the content and order of the poems. That took about two months because we both did it while we were teaching full time. The editing and putting myself out there were the hardest parts, even harder than writing the collection.

Q: What do you hope readers will get from this book?
A: When I first began this book, it was my diary. It helped me heal through the most difficult part of my life. I took the time and effort to craft and edit what I had written during that time period, in order to give it to others so they too can heal. I published the most intimate parts of myself in order to help others going through a heartbreak or losing someone to cancer. I especially wrote it for women, as a lot of the poetry is written through a lamenting, feminist lens. As one reviewer put it, I am “simply a woman in a man’s world, and this period in [my] life has acted as a catalyst for [my] revolution”. The final chapter is dedicated to grieving and healing women:
The aftermath.

For crying girls everywhere, 

hiding in the bathroom stall.

May you find your healing.

Q: How did you come up with the title of your book?
A: The title of my book came from a poem in the collection called “October 7th.” The line is:
The inexpression of my

internal sexuality 

spilled out to my lips and 

my kisses tasted like disorder.


It’s about wanting to proceed in a relationship, but being unable to due to lack of trust. It’s about wanting, but not acting, and your world coming undone as a result. The title The Day My Kisses Tasted Like Disorder refers to the fact that most poems are named after the day they were written; it reads like a diary because it was my diary. The title is different and unique, and I love it for that.

Q: Do you have a day job?

A: I was a high school ESL teacher for two years, but I’ve taken a break from full-time work to finish writing my first novel. I moved to Vietnam, so I could live off of my savings and write for enjoyment.

Q: How would you describe your book in a tweet?
A: Reads like a diary and chronicles the boundaries of the things that we all feel: love, heartache, and pain that gives way to hope.

Q: How did you come up with your cover art?
A: The cover art is very special to me. It began as a painting that I completed while I was writing my book, when I was depressed over a spurned lover. It perfectly characterized the raw emotions I felt at the time through a bleak, black background and dark red paint splatters. When it came time to self-publish my book, I designed everything myself using Photoshop. My painting became the background, then I overlayed simple text on top that that included the title, my name, and a short description. I wanted something minimalistic, that could look good while small for the eBook market, and something that represented me and the themes of the book. 


Q: Tell us about your favorite chapter in the book.
A: Even though it’s really hard to pick a favorite, I love the fourth chapter called “The end.”
The end.
I cannot stop writing 

about you without

seeing the end of everything.


It’s up to debate, but the fourth chapter is arguably the darkest chapter of the whole book, since it deals with my breakup and finding out that my sister was dying. I love this chapter because it holds some of my favorite poems. When I was at my lowest point, my poetry got the most raw and angry. There’s something about embracing anger and scorn that evokes the most powerful and real emotion.

Q: Who are your favorite authors?
A: My biggest influence would be Georgi Gospodinov--his novel The Physics of Sorrow in particular. He's a contemporary Bulgarian author, and the novel is about a sense of apathy and identity-finding following the communist fall in Bulgaria. It also dabbles slightly in magical realism, which is surprising to see outside of Latin American literature, but it's fantastic.
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez is also another novel that has kept inspiring me long after I finished it.
Sylvia Plath is one of my favorite poets; her boldness in exploring her own darkness encourages me to explore mine.
Similarly, the musical artist BANKS and her album Goddess is the soundtrack to which I wrote The Day My Kisses Tasted Like Disorder.
rupi kaur inspired me to self-publish and promote myself on Instagram! And, I also think we have similar writing styles and themes.
I also really enjoy supporting female authors. Yaa Gyasi wrote one of my favorite books that I read in 2018: Homegoing.
And then lastly, George Orwell and Charles Dickens stand as two of my favorite classic authors; their novels 1984 and Tale of Two Cities still resonate with me to this day.

Q: What book are you currently reading and in what format (e-book/paperback/hardcover)?
A: Currently, I’m reading Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children on my Kindle. It’s such a breathtaking and imaginative story! I also love how the author writes, it’s both figurative and curt at times.


Q: Where do you prefer to do your writing?
A: Back at home in the Bay Area, I frequent the same writing cafés: Caffè Strada in Berkeley, Farley's in Oakland, Barrelista in Martinez, Coffee Shop in Walnut Creek. The ambiance needs to be peaceful and romantic; twinkling lights, kitschy furniture, and a patio are preferable. I like to write with a delicious latte in hand and a luxurious string of words on my mind. Now that I’m in Vietnam, I still go to cafés but I drink a Vietnamese iced coffee instead—they’re equally delicious. 

Q: Where do you call home? 

A: Home is the San Francisco Bay Area in California. The west coast is the best coast!



Q: Are you an introvert or an extrovert?
A: 
I’m a very social introvert, but an introvert nonetheless. That’s why I write, to express the feelings I struggle to say out loud. 



Q: What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever had to write?
A: The hardest thing I ever had to write was one of the final chapters in the novel I’m currently working on. One of the closing scenes is a literal description of my sister passing away in front of me. There’s also another incredible aspect about that scene that happened that I can’t share, lest I give away the end of the book. In order to write the chapter, I had to listen to a sound recording of the day she passed away. I’ve had that sound recording in my computer for almost three years, but haven’t touched it. And I put off writing that chapter for a long time. I’m actually still working on it; it’s holding up the completion of my novel.

Q: What are you working on now?
A: Currently, I'm writing my first novel. It's about my life, but it's written in novel form. It tells the story of a young Emmy, a gifted daughter born to Bulgarian immigrants in the United States. Upon moving, they never imagined that they’d lose everything. And not even Emmy’s gift of prophesy and her religious faith could have prevented the deaths of most of her family members. Meanwhile in another realm, a golden statue of a young girl wakes up. Once Zoe realizes who she is and why she's there, she embarks on the perilous mission to get Emmy out of the labyrinth-like castle. Meanwhile, Emmy's left to deal with the psychological trauma of losing loved ones too soon, and with her inability to make the American Dream materialize. She turns inward--to the fantastical world she's built for herself to hide from her grief. However, this home she's created is holding her captive, and she can't seem to get out of her own mind. Guided by some fantastical sidekicks, she loses herself inside the dream-world that she hasn't shared with anyone. The world in her dreams, and in between dreams, and she doesn’t know if she’ll make it out alive.




ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Emmanuella Hristova was born in Oakland, California and grew up in the Bay Area. She is the third daughter to Bulgarian parents who immigrated to California shortly before she was born. She began drawing at the ripe age of four, and studied the fine arts for five years in high school. There, she received many art accolades including a Congressional award for her piece "Boy in Red" in 2009. In 2015, she received her Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics from the University of California, Berkeley. She began writing poetry at age twenty-four when she was in graduate school. She earned her Master's in Education from the same alma mater in 2017. Emmanuella spent two years as an English teacher in Richmond, California. During that time, she self-published her first poetry collection: The Day My Kisses Tasted Like Disorder. Currently, she is writing her first novel. She speaks English, Bulgarian, Spanish and is now learning French.



Connect with Emmanuella:
Website  |  Goodreads  |  Instagram


Buy the book:
Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  iBooks  |  Kobo  |  Lulu  |  Bookshout 


Featured Author: Remy Landon

My guest today wrote one of my favorite books of 2013 under her real name. Because her new contemporary romance is a little (okay, word is it's a lot) steamy, she's written Point of Submission as Remy Landon. I hope you enjoy my interview with the mystery woman as well as an excerpt from her book.

About the book:

Cassandra Larsen is not the type to give in. But Carlo Leone is not the type to give up. The 27-year-old CEO of a prominent industrial company, Carlo is rich. Powerful. And devastatingly handsome. Tragic events in his past have caused him to be guarded, to view women as playthings in a provocative game he and his colleague created. When Carlo meets 21-year-old Cassandra at the horse stable he owns, he is instantly drawn to her beauty and feisty nature, but beneath her spunk, there is vulnerability and want. She will be a challenge--a perfect candidate for the contest.

Wary of relationships due to her rocky history, Cassandra is determined to resist Carlo’s smoldering eyes and maddening charm. Will she surrender? And will Carlo discover that this has become more than just a game--before it’s too late?

What they're saying:

"A wildly delicious story...Remy Landon, you have a hit here!" ~ Gloria Herrera, As You Wish Reviews

"Great read and brilliant author...desperately waiting on the next book!" ~ Country Gals Sexy Reads

"Entertaining and teasingly hot. Both Carlo and Cassandra will have you flipping pages." ~ Pamela Carrion, The Book Avenue Review

"Cassandra and Carlo's story was mesmerizing...a great page turner. The characters were rich and complex. And I cannot wait to see how this story unfolds." ~ Denise Holley, Books and Beyond Fifty Shades

Interview with Remy Landon

Remy, how long have you been writing, and how did you start?

I was first an avid reader, bringing stacks of books everywhere I went. When I was ten, I wrote a story called The Talking Cat and discovered, to my delight, that writing could be an enjoyable escape for me, just as reading was. I scribbled stories in a thick spiral notebook with doodles on the front, sitting in a yellow beanbag chair in my room and loving that I could create characters and make them come to life. One story became so real to me that I actually cried when I had the character die! The spiral notebook has been replaced by a laptop, but the pleasure I get is still the same. I heard somewhere that you should have a career based on what you loved to do when you were ten...I'd love nothing more than to follow that advice!

Do you have another job outside of writing?

I am currently a middle school teacher. It's been a wonderful profession for me, but I am actively pursuing a full-time writing career.

How did you create the plot for Point of Submission?

I knew that I wanted to write a romance, and I've always liked the combination of a cocky but charming male paired with a feisty female who does her best to resist him. In teaching writing to my students, I tell them that the “formula” for most books is to create a character and give that character a problem or issue. I came up with an issue for both Carlo and Cassandra. Since I know horses, I decided to have Cassandra work in a horse stable and thought since Carlo was rich, he could own that stable. I wanted to add an element of intrigue and decided on the “contest” Carlo and Brock play.

Sounds intriguing! What’s your favorite line from a book?

If I can pick two lines :), I'd say the end of Charlotte's Web – It is not often that someone who is a true friend and a good writer. Charlotte was both.

The rules can be bent for Charlotte. Which character did you most enjoy writing?

I really enjoyed writing Carlo, because he's multi-faceted. On the outside, he has it all—-looks, brains, charm, success, money—-but inside, he's troubled and dark. I found myself wanting to know him better, if that makes sense. I wanted to show the reader his vulnerable side, and this will be explored further in the sequel.

I also liked writing Estelle Perry, his secretary, because of her dry humor and the warmth she projects, despite her no-nonsense attitude.

Are any of your characters inspired by real people?

I imagined Carlo to look like David Gandy. David gets my vote for sexiest man alive. I find it helpful to envision real people when I write the characters.

If you could be one of your characters, which one would you choose?

Cassandra, of course, because I'd get to experience Carlo :).

And what girl wouldn't want to be Cassandra?! Tell us about your favorite scene in the book.

I have several favorites :), but one that comes to mind is when Cassandra and Carlo are at the horse show in a private moment. The tables turn when she becomes a bit bold with him, pressing him to tell her what's going on inside him. She senses a rare vulnerability in Carlo and realizes at the end of the chapter that he is probably giving her all that he can. I also like the hayloft scene. Very much ;).


Do you have a routine for writing?

I usually sit at my writing desk, overlooking our porch, front lawn and fields. I like to have a glass of water with ice and lemon, and will sometimes have a Hershey's kiss (dark chocolate) – okay, maybe two. I call those “author vitamins” :). I am usually joined by one of my cats or dogs. I reread what I've written last and will sometimes just sit there for a while to get “warmed up,” and then hopefully, the words start to flow.

Author vitamins! I need some of those. Talk about your journey to self-publication. What steps to publication did you personally do, and what did you hire someone to do? Is there anyone you’d recommend for a particular service?

I had an agent for a book I'd written several years ago. It came agonizingly close to publication, and I decided to self-publish after I'd seen an article on Amazon featuring the success of Jessica Park. While it's a bit scary, it's also very liberating and empowering to be able to do it on my own. My English/teaching background has come in handy in terms of editing...I don't hire an editor for that. I had Michelle Preast of indiebookcovers for my cover art (love her!), and Pamela Carrion of The Book Avenue Review set up my blog tour - she has been absolutely wonderful. I'd recommend my husband as an editor, formatter, staunch supporter and barn builder, but he's too busy doing stuff for me to have time to take on anyone else :).

Does he have a brother? Just kidding. Sort of. What’s one of your favorite quotes?

"Be the person your dog thinks you are." I love dogs so much...I have four of them, all rescues. I love how you can be gone for a half hour or a half day, and their reaction is the same when they greet you at the door.

Very true. What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

I love to be around my horses—-my husband and I have a small farm, and he built me the most beautiful barn, which is my happy place, along with Target. I also enjoy walking the dogs in our fields, and I do a lot of networking on Facebook for shelter dogs in need—-sharing them with rescues. Working in rescue has been very eye-opening—-both heartbreaking and rewarding.

What are you working on now?

I'm currently trying to market like crazy...it's challenging, because I'm using a pen name and starting from scratch with no fan base—yet :). I am also beginning the sequel which I'm very excited about.

Excerpt from Point of Submission

Late-day sunlight blazing in from the open door at the end of the barn swathed the visitor in a brilliant glow. Cassandra narrowed her eyes against the glare. It was a man. As he came into view, she could see that he was attractive. Correction: very, very attractive. Perfectly tousled, thick black hair and a broad-shouldered build tapering to a fit waist. His attire was completely inappropriate for a barn: a pristine white dress shirt, dark pants (which looked to be tailored), expensive-looking shiny shoes. A pair of aviator sunglasses hung in the V at the top of his shirt. He walked with confidence and purpose and style. Masculine elegance, Cassandra thought, as color unexpectedly rushed to her cheeks.

    She felt a twinge of excitement edged with uneasiness as he approached. Random men didn't usually visit Windswept Stable, unless they were accompanied by a horse-crazy young daughter or seeking riding lessons for said daughter. This man definitely did not look like a dad.

    Cassandra returned her attention to filling the water pail, then decided it was rude to not at least greet him. Adjusting the valve to slow the stream of water, she turned toward him. He had slowed his steps, looking at the empty horse stalls with a stern, almost brooding expression.

    Anxiety bubbled up inside her with each step he took. Don't be an idiot over some random guy, she chided herself. You should know better by now.

    Cassandra decided he might be lost and in need of directions. When he was two stalls away from her, she addressed him. “Hello. Can I help you?”

    The man stopped. His expression seemed to brighten, his lips parting slightly. He took a few steps closer until he was standing just a few feet away.

    Cassandra drew in her breath. Oh, God. He had a beautiful mouth, a classic Grecian nose and eyes the color of smoke with just a hint of blue, hooded by thick but neatly-trimmed black eyebrows. His face was deeply tanned, a striking contrast to the crisp white shirt, and although Cassandra was not usually a fan of facial hair, the shadow of a mustache and goatee gave him an aura that hinted rebellion.

From Carlo's POV:
    Carlo recalled the image of Cassandra as he sped down Route 72, the cornfields a blur on either side of him. What was it about her that had intrigued him? The obvious answer was her beauty. The uniquely-stunning color of her hair, the way wisps of it framed her delicate face. Those aquamarine eyes that changed each time he looked into them: not only the color, but what they projected: boldness, innocence, allure. And he was quite convinced he had seen curiosity and a hint of arousal. Remembering this made him harden.

    But there was more. It was the contradictions he saw in her: the feisty attitude juxtaposed with the wariness, the confidence opposite the vulnerability.

    Most of all, it was the challenge. He'd known from the moment they met.

    Without taking his eyes off the road, Carlo reached for his iPhone and commanded Siri to send a text.

    There were three words: I found one.

About the author:

Living on a small farm in New England with her husband, Remy Landon does some of her best thinking while mucking stalls. An avid animal lover, she would like to publicly thank her husband for putting up with the pet hair, the dogs on the bed, the things the cats hack up and the repeated requests for goats. It's a wonderful life.

Connect with Remy:
Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads |

Buy the book:
Amazon | Smashwords 

Featured Author: Annie Wood

CLP Blog Tours brings Annie Wood here today, to guest blog about finding time, to talk about her romantic comedy, Dandy Day, and to treat us to an excerpt from the book. Plus, don't miss the Rafflecopter at the end of this post for a chance to win a $20 Amazon gift card.

About the book:

Dandy Day is a thirty-five-year-old free spirited commitment-phobic, Venice Boardwalk roller skating waitress. When Dandy is suddenly dumped by her therapist, right when they were on the brink of figuring out why her relationships last only a whopping three months, Dandy decides to take her relationship issues into her own hands.

With the reluctant help of her lifelong best friend, Simon, Dandy tracks down her exes one by one and does a relationship autopsy on each of them in order to get to the bottom of her relationship challenged life.

Interview with Annie Wood

Annie, by my count, this is your fifth book, plus you write screenplays and a web-series. How long have you been writing, and how did you start?

I remember, around the age of six or so, having an idea about a leprechaun and a pot of gold. The idea was immediately followed by an intense need to write it down. The point of the story was that instead of the pot of gold being on the other side of the rainbow, the leprechaun had the pot of gold all along. It was under his hat. (I didn’t know how to spell leprechaun back then and I still don’t now. Spell check is my favorite invention.)

How did you come up with the title Dandy Day?

I like old-timey phrases, so I once I told someone to have a “dandy day.” Then the thought occurred to me, what if their name was Dandy? And, like Doris, what if their last name was Day? Would they constantly feel pressure to have a dandy day because they are Dandy Day? These are the things that keep me up at night. Until I write them down. So, I did.

Do you have another job outside of writing?
 
I’m an actress, on-camera as well as voice-over. I also write comedic scenes for actors on a “writer-for-hire” basis.

In the past I have done all sorts of stuff. I was a nanny, I taught acting to kids and teens, I sold Bonsai trees and rain sticks that I made at swap meets, and my first real job was as a front office receptionist at a talent agency when I was 15.

Wow. I am such a slacker. How would you describe your book in a tweet? (140 characters or less.)

A short novel about love, friendship and grown ups, (sort of), growing up (sort of).
#DandyDay

Do you have imaginary friends? When do they talk to you? Do they tell you what to write or do you poke them with a Q-tip?

They wake me up in the middle of the night! Usually whatever characters want to be written about next. The characters nudge me and then put them in situations. That’s usually how it works for me. They don’t poke me with a Q-tip though. They gently massage me. (I’ve trained them well.)

In that case, can you have your imaginary friends talk to my imaginary friends? I love massages...but I digress. When you start a new book, do you know what the entire cast will be?

I usually know the main character. After I allow myself to get to know him/her better, they introduce me to their friends, like a host at a party.

As it should be. Which character did you most enjoy writing?

Simon’s niece, Ashley and Dandy’s Grandpa. I love writing kids and seniors. I feel a great respect for kids and seniors because I think they know things the rest of us have either forgotten or haven’t learned yet. Plus, there’s such a freedom in being very young and being very old. You usually say what you mean and mean what you say, without a filter. That’s appealing to me.

I’m constantly on the lookout for new names. How do you name your characters?

I love this question! (Actually all of your questions are damn good.) Why thank you! I enjoy name searching. I’m in Italy right now, and I’ve been keeping a list of Italian names of people I meet for my next book. (Part of it takes place in Italy.) I sometimes, with permission, use friends’ names. I also search online sometimes for baby names that were popular when my characters were born.

What would Dandy say about you?

Dandy would be very impressed with my happily married state. Then I would remind her that I had to go through much of what she went through before I was rewarded with this curtain state of being. Then we’d drink some wine and tell stories. I think we’d be pals.

Are you like any of your characters?

I was like Dandy in the over-thinking way. I was like Debbie in the free spirit way. I was like Ashley in the “tell it like it is” way. Now, I’m a calmer version of all of them. Grown up but not entirely. Never entirely.
 
Who is? What song would you pick to go with your book?

I always have a soundtrack in mind when I write something. This book was based on my screenplay by the same name and in the first scene I had in my mind the song "Tell Him" by The Exciters (1962.) I LOVE that song! The chorus repeats the line - "I know something about love" (which is what I always thought the title of the song was). The tune is so optimistic, and it was in one of my favorite movies, The Big Chill.

Is there anything in particular that you do to help the writing flow? Music? Acting out the scene? Long showers?

I sometimes create a playlist to write to. Working out on the treadmill and chilling on my hammock in the front yard helps with the flow. So does driving. I do act out the dialogue often. But mostly, when I sleep at night, those characters gently massage me awake and lead me to my office where I write by the light of the silvery moon. (If this romantic idea of the silvery moon is not practical on any given night because the moon is not at it’s silveryest, I will turn on a small, amber light and light a candle.)
 
What are you working on now?
 
Another novel (or novella, not sure yet) La Tua Casa, based on my screenplay, Martin’s Theory. It’s another romantic comedy, this time with a male lead finding the love of his life in a parallel life where he manages a B&B in Italy. Which is ironic because in his current life he hates traveling, hates the country and doesn’t much care for other people either. Here’s the logline: With the help of an eccentric professor and his book, a lonely man discovers the ability to travel to his parallel lives, falling for the woman of his dreams in one of them while trying desperately to avoid some of the others.

Thank you so much, Amy! I really enjoyed answering this terrific questions!
Love and Peace,
Annie Wood

Thanks for being here, Annie! Come back anytime.

Animated Excerpt

Excerpt from Dandy Day

Dandy:

I’m in the middle of a field, with my arms outstretched. It starts with Robert Downey Jr, then Johnny Depp, quickly followed by Colin Farrel, Bradley Cooper and then Hugh Jackman. They all come raining down upon me from the sky, each one trapped inside their own personal raindrop. I feel like I can catch them all, save them all and then, by doing so, save myself. I reach out my arms, preparing to gather the man-droplets but something goes horribly wrong. They are much heavier than I expected, and it turns out the raindrops are made of glass. The weight of the droplets is just too much for me so I drop them and then watch in horror as they loudly crash to the ground. Bradley, Hugh, Colin, all of them shatter into a million little pieces right before my very eyes. All because I wasn’t able to hold on.

I think about crying, but instead...

I wake up.

My alarm clock is playing the same tune it always plays, I Know Something About Love. I’m a fan of irony. My recurring raining-men dream doesn’t bother me so much anymore. I’ve grown accustomed to it. Although, there’s always a moment, when I’m watching them slip through my fingers, where I’m deeply saddened. Saddened because I know it’s inevitable.

The crash.
The shatter.
The end.

I grab my breakfast, which consists of one large chocolate Yoo-Hoo, and I put on my roller skates. I remind myself to try a strawberry Yoo-Hoo one day to shake things up a bit. It’s another sunny day on the Venice boardwalk and I’m ready to skate on over to my head-shrinking visit. Why am I getting my head shrunk? Because, I live in Los Angeles. It’s what we do here. Besides, my health insurance covers it and I was curious as to what my subconscious is up to. Mostly about men. I love men. I think they love me but seemingly just in small bursts, then, “POOF” the love is gone. I can’t seem to make a relationship stick.

I’m thirty-five years old. 

I’d really like one to stick.

Other books by Annie Wood:

Guest Post

Time Finding

by Annie Wood


I’m a life long actress and writer and a big fan of creating my own stuff. Short films, web-series, books, plays, you name it, I’m creating it. I do it because I need to create. I need to create and share stories or else I’d go bonkers. Because of this driving need, I often have a continuous outflow of projects. The question I get all of the time is, How do you find the time?

My answer has remained the same for years now. “I just do it.” Sometimes the simple answer is the most honest, useful answer that was used in a Nike shoe campaign. In this hustle and bustle world, how does any of us find time to do anything at all? Because the honest, simple truth of the matter is, when we want it bad enough, we find the time. Or better yet, we create the time.

It’s true that we can’t actually create time by adding additional hours to the day but it’s also true that we can get up earlier, stay up later or replace facebook time with writing (or whatever it is you want to have the time to do). Since life is a series of choices, we, at any time, can change or add to those choices.  For me that sometimes means not going out on the weekends and waiting to watch my favorite TV show on TiVo tomorrow instead of immediately (averting my eyes while on twitter to avoid spoilers.) For me, those aren’t such huge sacrifices. If you have family obligations, by all means tend to them, but remember that your family wants you to be a complete, fulfilled, happy person so explain to them that in order for that to happen you are taking the time to get what you need to get done for yourself.  Even if that’s just thirty minutes a day, take it! You’d be surprised how quickly it all adds up and by the end of the week you could have a short story written, a new drawing, new ideas, a song, whatever it is you’re doing, it can be done if you create the time for it each day.

Seriously. Just do it.

About the author:

 
Annie was born in Hollywood, raised in the valley. She avoided the valley girl accent by speaking backwards for the first 15 years of her life. As an actress she has guest starred on several TV shows. You may remember her best in her recurring role on Becker with Ted Danson, Lara in Good Luck Chuck and as the host of her own nationally syndicated dating show, BZZZ! which she also co-produced. As a writer, she is a produced and published playwright and recently had a comedic scene in the NBC/UNIVERSAL showcase. Her web-series, Karma’s a B*tch was chosen by Virgin America as BEST OF THE WEB, and season 2 is now in the works. Her books of comedic scenes, Snapshots! & Act Up & Make a Scene have been performed on Hollywood stages and is available on Amazon. She lives in Los Angeles with her charming, Italian husband and her equally charming, Jewish/Buddhist/Italian dog, Lucy.



Connect with Annie!
Website | Blog (Annie occasionally blogs at SheWrites) | Lucy's Blog (Annie's dog, Lucy, blogs when they travel each year to Italy, where Annie's husband is from.)
Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads

Buy the Book!
Amazon

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