If you happen to see a flying marshmallow or four, don’t be alarmed. It’s only my guest, romance author, Gina Lamm, demonstrating her astounding mouth popping abilities.
Most writers are more introspective than outgoing. We spend a lot of time lost in the worlds we are creating. We know very well our faults and failings. It's hard not to get tangled up in doubts and worries. Gina’s topic today is how not to get lost in navel gazing aka artistic depression.
Hi! I want to thank Sia (which is an incredibly cool name,
btw) for having me for coffee today. I’m sipping on my overly sweetened coffee
with almond milk while writing this, so it’s totally appropriate. J
Today I thought I’d talk a little bit about the hard times.
It’s not always sunshine and roses being an author. There are days when the
to-do list seems like it’s as long as a stretch of desert with no water.
Being an author is a pretty lonely occupation. Sure, it’s
not my only job. For my 9 to 5, I work in a doctor’s office, answering phones,
doing paperwork, and being generally pleasant. But, like a lot of authors, I’m
somewhat of an introvert. Especially on days like today, when it seems that
there’s no chance to get everything done, all I want to do is hide. But that’s
not possible, so I smile, keep working, and secretly pray that somehow I’ll get
everything done on time.
I read a statistic somewhere that creative types—authors,
artists, etc.—are about three times as likely to be clinically depressed as
other types. I believe it. When you spend so much time alone, being
introspective, climbing for the goal of always improving your craft, it’s hard
not to see all your failings. But we creative types have a responsibility to
each other. To keep ourselves from navel-gazing too long. To show each other
that there’s a beautiful world outside of our mind’s eye, one that feeds our
muses and soothes our souls.
So here’s what I do to keep the over-introspection at bay. I
read. I play video games. I spend time with my wonderful and loving husband and
family. I chat with my writer friends online, or on the phone. I try to be
there for them when their own doubts catch up with them. And I keep on ticking
the bullets off my to-do list. With each check, it seems that three more tasks
leap to fill the space. But I keep working, and with each tick, I get a sense
of accomplishment.
There are things I could have done differently in any one of
my books. There are things that I’m not as pleased with as I could be. But
those books are done. They’re behind me. And each book has taught me something
about writing, about life, and about me. Even the ones that didn't make it to
publication were important, were critical to my growth as an author and a
person. And for that reason, it’s important to keep moving forward.
THE GEEK GIRL AND THE SCANDALOUS EARL taught me a lot.
Almost more than any other book I've written to date. It taught me that a great
idea is what it takes to snag the attention of a great editor. It taught me
that when I want something badly enough, I can make it happen, including
writing a full-length novel in about 8 weeks. It also taught me that I have a
unique voice, a unique perspective, and that my work is worth sharing. It taught
me to believe in myself as an author.
- What helps to keep you moving forward? Are you a creative type? How do you feed your muse and keep your doubts at bay?
Thanks again to Sia. I’m so grateful to have been here!
An avid gamer, Jamie Marten loves to escape into online
adventure. But when she falls through an antique mirror into a lavish
bedchamber—200 years in the past!—she realizes she may have escaped a little
too far.
Micah Axelby, Earl of Dunnington, has just kicked one mistress out of his bed and isn't looking to fill it with another—least of all this sassy, nearly naked woman who claims to be from the future. Yet something about her is undeniably enticing...
Jamie and Micah are worlds apart. He's a peer of the realm. She can barely make rent. He's horse-drawn. She's Wi-Fi. But in the game of love, these two will risk everything to win.
Becoming a magician proved to be less
interesting than Gina Lamm had anticipated when she was six, so in her adult
life, she’s turned to writing.
Married
to a real live superhero, she and her family live in North Carolina, surrounded
by tobacco farms, possums, and the occasional hurricane.
 |
| AMAZON, BARNES & NOBLE |
THE GEEK GIRL AND THE SCANDALOUS EARL
Gina Lamm
The Stakes Have Never Been
Higher...
Micah Axelby, Earl of Dunnington, has just kicked one mistress out of his bed and isn't looking to fill it with another—least of all this sassy, nearly naked woman who claims to be from the future. Yet something about her is undeniably enticing...
Jamie and Micah are worlds apart. He's a peer of the realm. She can barely make rent. He's horse-drawn. She's Wi-Fi. But in the game of love, these two will risk everything to win.
Becoming a magician proved to be less
interesting than Gina Lamm had anticipated when she was six, so in her adult
life, she’s turned to writing.
This
belly-dancing, wisecracking, marshmallow-addicted mother of three energetic
fur-children loves nothing more than penning funny, emotional tales of love,
lust, and entertaining mishaps.
