In Like a Lion

I know today is leap day, but March is roaring in. It all began late last night. Winter arrived with full force!

The winter season has been pretty light here in my little piece of heaven. We really haven't had a lot of snow and the temperatures have been pretty bearable. Since late last week, the weather men have been calling for some horrendous snow fall amounts. We cringed, but braced ourselves for the worst. It was supposed to have started Sunday night. I was anticipating the cancelling of college classes for Monday morning, but when I awoke at 6am to begin the process of walking dogs...nothing. I will admit I was a little disappointed. Given the option of climbing back into bed with my warm, snuggly husband or venturing out the door for college classes, I will choose  the warm, snuggly husband every time. Off to school I went and learned a lot of interesting things.

Then, the weather men said that the storm was going to hit Tuesday night. We went to our Tuesday afternoon classes and stopped to pick up the necessities to get us through a few days should we get hit with as big a storm as they were calling for. Milk, snacks, chocolate...you know the essentials:) We got home and readied for the worst. It wasn't too bad when we walked the dogs before bed last night, but it was coming in hard and fast.

This morning, I got up at 3 am to go to the bathroom and looked outside...I shut off the alarm clock (which was set for 6 am) and crawled back into bed with my darling husband and snuggled into his warm waiting arms. The storm had hit and it was not pretty outside. Snow has blowing in from the lake and the mixture of sleet/rain was making it horrible outdoors. I forced myself to get out of bed at 8 am and ventured out the door. It took some pushing and shoving to get the door open (there was about 5 inches against the door). We are used to the lovely, fluffy, light snow here. Instead, the heavy, wet, icky snow landed.

So, after shoveling the drive and some of the patio (so we can get out with the dogs), I'm hunkered down inside, with a warm hubby, a big bowl of freshly popped popcorn and a pot of chili simmering on the stove. I think I'll escape into the pages of a book before tackling the next couple of chapters in the new book I'm working on.

 

Hopefully, spring isn't too far away. In fact, I've heard rumors that we will have temperatures in the 50s by early next week! Fingers crossed!

Wherever you are, may you be comfortable and happy!

Happy Valentine's Day

It is that time of year again. The time when women are hoping and waiting for their darlings to give them goodies. Whether it is jewelry, candy, flowers or dinner out (sometimes all of it), as women we can be a greedy lot. That sounds pretty bad, I know, but I realized yesterday just how much I really want it all.

I have been with the same man for the last (almost) 20 years of my life. He's worked hard so that I didn't have to. He dutifully brought home his paycheck and handed it to me to pay the bills. Now, I'm not saying I didn't do a lot, I'm merely saying that I may have taken him for granted. I cooked, cleaned, payed the bills and run the errands. Was it as hard as standing on my feet for 8-10 hours a day for sometimes 6 or 7 days a week? Not by any means. 

What did my darling husband ask for in return? Nothing. Dinner wasn't expected to be on the table when he walked through the door at night. He didn't nitpick if the carpet hadn't been swept or there was dust on the television. He simply did what he did without asking for anything.

I've heard a lot of housewives/domestic goddesses complain about their husband's demands. Is it really his demands or are the demands your own? We don't have kids to run everywhere so I haven't had to deal with that drama. I really think the kids probably demand more than the husbands do. Or maybe I'm just extremely lucky. No, there's no maybe to it. I AM extremely lucky!

Good Morning

It has been a whirlwind of activity at our house these last few weeks. Classes, studying, homework, writing, plus having a bit of a life...whew! Sleep is highly overrated and much desired! Just when I think I could sleep the day away, my mind begins to spin the next scene of the book I'm working on. Well, you know I won't be able to sleep until I get it down on paper (or at least on hard drive).

Which is why I was awake as the sun began to brighten the Upper Peninsula sky. It is truly a beautiful sight to see the sun coming up. This morning it was a brilliant orange with lines of lavender, blue and pink radiating off of it causing the lake to reflect the colors in the deep blue water. Of course, I didn't have my camera ready. I simply took a moment (or three) to enjoy the sight.

Yes, I am often in awe at the beauty that surrounds me here in my little cottage. From the lakes to the forest, the wonders never cease. Late spring and early summer, you'll find me on our patio with a drink of some sort, just being in the moment. I've seen a little gray fox and a porcupine in my backyard. They never venture too far from the cover of the woods, but just far enough for me to catch a glimpse.

The ultimate sight was a bald eagle perched in the birch tree in my front yard last spring. I was on my way out with one of the canine kids when I caught something out of the corner of my eye. I could only stand and stare in amazement. Later on, we counted at least 8 of these magnificent beings flying over the lake. It was my first sighting and it left me feeling extremely blessed.

One Week Down

I am one week into my first semester of college and I'm already wondering what on earth I was thinking! *grin* As if my life weren't full enough, I just tripled my responsibilities. That being said, I LOVE my classes. I'm already learning so much. A lot of what I've learned so far is that I didn't lose half of what I thought I'd lost over the last 20 years.

The weather here hasn't been as bad in previous years, but, then again, it hasn't been horrible in other areas either. I would just like our temps to stay steady instead of the constant fluctuation. We have gotten hardly any snow which has disappointed the furkids, but I'm pretty happy about that. The lake has finally frozen over. I can't wait to see if we end up with any more icebergs on the lake
. 

(This is from Spring 2011 and, yes, that is a tree in the frame.)

I just finished a book by one of my favorite authors. I hate that each of his books ends on a pretty sad note. No HEAs (happily ever afters) for this author. However, I'm hopelessly addicted to his books. Every time a new one comes out, I am waiting in line at the bookstore so that I can get my copy. How about you? Do you search for books with ONLY happy endings or do you not need the HEA?

Well, my studies are calling me. I need to write an argumentative paper for my English class. I'm feeling the need to argue for some reason.

If weather is cold and snowy in your corner of the world, remember Spring is just around the corner. (This is from my backyard.)

 

Have a wonderful weekend!

Happy Sunday

Talk about a weird and wild week! I got my publishing contract signed and sent back. I sent back the first edits for my book. I've been working on making this website a place where you will all feel welcome. Plus, I went and picked up my books for my first semester of college.

Yes, college. I'm at the age where I should be sending children off to college. However, there are no children to worry about (except for the 5 four-legged furry kids). My darling husband is on his 3rd semester of college, working towards his Engineering degree. With the unexpected things Life has a habit of throwing at us, I decided to take my turn at working on my college degree. I'll be working on my English degree.

I started this whole college process before I knew anything about being published. There are people in my life who believed I could become an author, but I didn't see it happening. Goes to know what I know, right? I tell my husband every day, "You believed in me when I wouldn't believe in myself." I'm not sure how I am going to juggle the various balls that are threatening to fall, but I'm going to try.

I have found inspiration to get my booty back to working on the next 3 books in the series I've been writing. Lucky for me, I an hour between my classes to write while I'm at school.

Wow!

These last few days feel like a dream. I've been walking around with my head in the clouds. I've actually had to step back and take a moment to enjoy the rush of emotions. This whole journey seems a little surreal right now.

Good news is that ideas for other books in this series are flowing like water. I just have to find a way to keep up with it all.

This is the area where my upcoming book is set. In Michigan's gorgeous Upper Peninsula, there are spots that will blow your mind. I was born and raised in lower Michigan. I had never been to the U.P. I've lived in a couple of different states, but this place is breathtaking. In the movie, "Escanaba in da Moonlight," there is a line where Albert Soady gives you an idea of where we reside. "Nort' of the bridge and just south of heaven."
Where else could you imagine living? Me? This is my heaven. Yes, even in the winter. But with the abundance of people, animals and nature, this seemed like the perfect setting for a book. I hope you agree.

Hello World!

Hello, world! That seems like the appropriate title to this first post. I need to introduce myself. I am Gemma K. Murray, the alter-ego of a woman who likes to keep her private life, well, private. I am married and have five furry kids to keep our lives busy. *Takes a deep breath* I am also an author. A dream that I never thought would come true.

I've been writing since I was about 11 or 12. In my senior year of high school, I had an English teacher who planted the seedling in my brain that maybe, just maybe, I could write. Family struggles ensued as they often do and the dream of being a writer got put on the back burner. It was about 10 years ago that I was feeling lost. I didn't know what I wanted to do or who I wanted to be. My husband looked at me and asked, "What is it that you've always wanted to do?" Without hesitation, I replied, "I want to be an author." His response was, "So? Write!" I bought notebooks, pens and started writing. The words poured out of the pens and across the paper. It was amazing the worlds that came out.

The folders filled with papers began to line the shelves of my cabinet. One day, my husband asked, "What are you going to do with those?" I simply shrugged and said, "I don't know. Publish them someday, I guess." I never dreamed that I would be good enough to be published.

I finally got up the nerve to submit a manuscript to a few publishers, but the lack of/negative remarks can certainly discourage a person from pursuing this dream. A couple of author friends told me to keep at it. Their words encouraged me. I asked a friend to tell me where I went wrong and here I am today...An author.

J.K. Rowling says it best: "It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might not have lived at all- in which case you fail by default."