Wednesday, March 27, 2013

MOVING FORWARD WITH GINA LAMM





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!

                                                                                                                                       
AMAZON, BARNES & NOBLE
THE GEEK GIRL AND THE SCANDALOUS EARL
Gina Lamm

The Stakes Have Never Been Higher...

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.

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.

Married to a real live superhero, she and her family live in North Carolina, surrounded by tobacco farms, possums, and the occasional hurricane.