Happy Valentine’s Day!

Yikes, finally, only four months late, I am posting on my blog. Excuse me…..newsletter! I have the nicest boss. She understands my routine: sipping cappuccinos, unstacking and restacking catalogs, studying fashion trends, trolling Facebook, and organizing my paint tubes. I like her generosity and patience. It’s a darn good thing I am the boss of me, otherwise, I would have been fired three months ago. Okay, four months ago.

There is still a February chill in our Florida air. Even so, my french doors are wide open, with Pandora playing and birds singing backup.

2014 is gone, just like that. Only ten months are left in 2015. Yep, I bet that probably made your heart skip a beat. Good, let’s all feel some pressure and be on the same page here. It flies, I’m telling you.

Far Outside the Ordinary — a.k.a. FOTO — has taken on a life all its own. Seriously! I am honored, humbled and awed as I watch from the sidelines.  It’s as if those butterfly wings have taken flight and soared, much further than I ever imagined. Honestly, when I wrote my journey of loss, regret and rekindled love, I never dreamed it would travel so far and be read by so many. And the number of readers who have reached out to me with their praise and kind words, then sharing their love for FOTO with other readers. Just wow! It swells my heart to realize how my story impacted so many who are now suffering, have suffered, or perhaps feel hopeless in their unrecognized life. Truly, there is no greater reward for me than realizing my personal journey has helped another person traveling the unchartered, treacherous road of grief.

I am asked on a daily basis, “So Prissy, what’s happening with your book?” Well, for you, my subscriber friend, I will tell you…. even if you didn’t ask!

FOTO has been acquired by Beaufort Books, a publishing company in New York and will be distributed nationwide by Midpoint Trade Books. I met Megan Trank, managing editor, and Eric Kampmann, President, when I was at the National Publicity Summit in October. Our negotiations for the FOTO acquirement began shortly thereafter. I am excited about this merger and so delighted to partner with this wonderful company and these individuals.

Yes, I am writing the next book. My hope is to have it finished by summer, then send it off to the smart team. They will critique, edit and advise as to exactly how many dangling modifiers I must correct.  Hopefully, after that nourishment, it will be full term and healthy, ready to be delivered to you by the end of 2015, or maybe, the beginning of 2016.

Over the last four months I’ve been enjoying FOTO signing events, book club invitations, and various speaking engagements. Somewhere in between these FOTO adventures, I also co-hosted a fund-raising event with Leanne Gibbs, founder of Fresh New Start. Together, with the help of Katrice Howell and Space at Feather Oaks, we threw a Far{M} Outside the Ordinary party to raise awareness and money for  young widows just out of the trenches of caregiving.  A week later, our home was opened to the public for The Tallahassee Symphony Christmas Tour of Homes.  As you may have read in my book, I am a tiny bit OCD. It just about took me Dale over the edge. It was a lovely event with charming people and beautiful weather. I was happy to ‘pay it forward’ by signing books and donating to this fundraiser.

So there you go. Now it’s time for me to move some stacks and drink some more coffee, especially since I know the boss can’t fire me. But before I leave, I was thinking I might give you a personal house tour, your feet up, sipping some whatever you sip, without one of the sixteen docents escorting you around my house, reminding you to wipe your feet. It is just you, me, and your mouse. Welcome to my hood and enjoy the tour:-)

 

 

 

 

 

Dale’s office