Life is a balancing act. I’m sure I’m not the first to say that - I just can’t remember who the famous person was who first uttered those words. They’re so true. We all balance every day. We balance our time between: work and play, quality time with family or friends and time alone, obligations and relaxation… I’m sure you can think of more. My own balancing act, that I’m constantly trying to work out, is between finding quiet, alone time to write and time with my husband, family and friends. FLOURISH, the novel I’ve been writing, pulls me to the keyboard like iron to a magnet, but I don’t want to lose myself in the tunnel of writing and miss out on wonderful times with the people I love. So, it is taking me a bit longer than planned to expand and polish my story. It’s almost done, though.  Just one more scene needed, some more editing, and I’ll be off on the agent hunt.

I’ve blogged a bit about writing my first novel, FLOURISH, so here’s a little taste from the first chapter.

 

Liz Bergen was only half the woman she would become when, one month before harvest season, her husband left - this time for good. She lay in bed, her eyes wide open. Visions of her hillside vineyard with its succulent ripe fruit hovered, dominating her thoughts. The shadow from the half-empty closet loomed across the room. The void smacked her right in the gut. 

Clutching the tear stained pillow close to her chest, Liz bent over and buried her head in its soft foam. She didn’t want her kids to hear. They’d been through enough already. “Damn you, Dick. What am I supposed to do with all this land?” she muttered. “We were supposed to do this together.”

Dick had been the love of her life when they married in the late ‘60s.  A few years later they bought a farm in Pennsylvania and dreamed of living off the land. Now, Liz had rows upon rows of beautiful plump fruit, full to bursting, clinging to vines ready to be picked, and she desperately needed help to accomplish the task.

She lifted her head and took another sip of Cabernet, her comforting night time companion, and then slapped the glass down on the bedside table. You had to go wreck it with your drinking and drugs – and those damn letters. You really thought I’d never find them? 

To be continued…

Did you notice the background color is the same as a Cabernet, or maybe more of a Merlot. I hope someday you'll be able to read the published novel and "taste" the wine made from the grapes from Liz Bergen's vineyard.

Keep watching for more of my blog posts on balance. This one is the literary side of The Literary Leotard. The next will be the leotard side with exercises to help improve your physical balance. We all need that if we want to remain independent for the rest of our lives.