Giving Thanks
by Addison Carmichael / NOVEMBER -2019
This month of November, we celebrate a holiday here known as Thanksgiving. Yes, I know there are many controversies surrounding the actual historical event, but it’s still a great reminder to always live with an “attitude of gratitude”. I also use this time to count all the personal blessings I’m thankful for in my life.
It happens to fall during my favorite season—Fall. As I walk the neighborhood park each morning and evening now, I take in the beautiful gold, amber, and scarlet leaves blazing the scenery here in the Pacific Northwest, breathe in the sugar maples, wood smoke, and vanilla and pumpkin cookies I love to bake. It’s a time when I gratefully get together with friends and family while we break bread and pass the stuffing and cheesecake, laugh and recall memories of events and holidays past. Kiss the grandkids and babies until they pucker with annoyance.
One thing I’m very thankful for this year is the direction of my writing into the Paranormal Romance genre. Although I love to read and write just about everything, this is a particularly favorite genre of mine, and a niche that fits me perfectly.
I thank my first and fateful beta reader Tamara for reading one of my original PNR stories and exclaiming, “You need to publish this!” After much consideration and some expanding and rewriting it into a four-prequel/four-book series, Sons of the Alpha was born and the compass of my future writing firmly pointed north. In fact, next year’s four-book series Black Sky Dragons is a spinoff PNR (shifters) series, and I’m already planning ahead to 2021 that will take an interesting turn in the PNR genre (details later, but trust me, you’re going to loooove it!).
I’m thankful for the expansion of my team this year: my additional beta reader, my new editor, my book cover and banner designer, my ARC readers and reviewers. I’m thankful for all the wonderful authors I’ve met and worked with this year. It’s a new day in the publishing industry where we actually help and support one another rather than angrily compete. I’m thankful for all the bloggers out there who tirelessly pull together new, interesting and helpful internet articles on a regular basis, and who have helped me spread the word about my books. It’s a tedious, time-consuming and often thankless job (my hat off to you awesome heroes!).
Most of all, I’m thankful for all you readers out there who have taken a chance on my stories. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules for your ratings and reviews. They are appreciated more than you know. I hope I’ve done my job by transporting you to a new and exciting world and have entertained you in the process. That brings me bliss.
One reader wrote and asked me to please keep writing my stories. I responded with the smiling emoji that if he kept reading them, I’ll keep writing them. And I’m very, very grateful for the ability now to do so.
What are you thankful for this year, this season? I do hope you are mindful of it every day, and it warms your heart and soul during the upcoming cold winter days and nights. Then pick up a new hot read and have a piece of pumpkin pie a la mode. Might as well sweeten your tongue and warm your belly in the process!
Happy Thanksgiving, my lovelies!
Addison Carmichael
