Join me and 32 other Colorado Book Award finalists for a reading at the Denver Press Club, 1330 Glenarm Place, Denver, CO 80204. The event is from 6-9pm on Thursday, April 25.

Sponsored by Colorado Humanities, the Colorado Book Awards recognizes outstanding contributions by Colorado authors, editors, illustrators and photographers in multiple categories.

There will be hors d’oeuvres, a cash bar, and readings by finalists in fourteen categories, followed by a book sale and signing.

Tickets are $7 at the door, but please RSVP goff@coloradohumanities.org if you plan to attend. Adjacent parking is only $4 after 6 p.m.

Winners will be announced on Friday afternoon, June 21, 2013, during the 22nd Annual Colorado Book Awards ceremony.

I have long prided myself on being a multi-tasker. The ability to multi-task, to take on two or five tasks at once, helped me sail through college and kick-started my Air Force career. Even as recently as a couple of years ago, I gloried in watching TV and working the NYT crossword simultaneously, having a phone conversation and writing a book synopsis, compiling a grocery list while having sex (Did I say that out loud?), or painting my toenails while sorting expense receipts for my taxes. People frequently told me I got more done by Monday noon than most people accomplished in a week.

Not All It’s Cracked Up to Be

It’s not that I can’t multi-task effectively anymore (although it’s getting tougher as my aging brain has more trouble retrieving specific files). It’s no longer satisfying. I find myself wanting to lose myself in one activity at a time, wanting to focus on doing one task well, rather than three or four things half-assed and quickly. This is especially true when other people are involved. It’s hard to be really engaged in a conversation, really listening to someone, if a sliver of my brain is trying to come up with a seven-letter word for obstreperous, and another sliver is keeping an eye on the latest episode of Dancing with the Stars. Ooh, love the fringe on that samba ensemble . . . Fractious? Defiant? . . . What kind of cancer did you say you have? My friends and family deserve my full attention. (Telemarketers . . . not so much.) My wake-up call came when I realized that the irritation I felt when people texted while we were lunching or having a conversation was hypocritical. I’d essentially been doing the same thing, just on a landline (remember those?) where the other person didn’t necessarily know I was half-ignoring him.

A Moratorium on Multi-tasking

So, I’m working on letting go of my compulsion to multi-task. Clearly, I haven’t totally succeeded, since I’ve checked my email twice while writing this post. Gaaagh! However, I’m making strides. I’m trying to be “in the moment,” to focus on each task consecutively, to inhabit a task, rather than trying to distract myself from it. There is a certain satisfaction in scrubbing oatmeal blobs off the counter, writing a heart-felt thank-you note to a friend, and noticing the variety of bird calls while on a walk (rather than simultaneously trying to sort out a sticky plot point). The payoff seems to be a calmer mind, less stress, and a greater enjoyment of each activity.
I may get less done now that I’ve (mostly) given up multi-tasking, but since I’ve gradually come to realize that much of what I (we?) do has little intrinsic value anyway, that may be an added bonus: it compels me to focus on what’s really important. What about you? Do you think multi-tasking has more pluses or minuses?

Letting Go Is a Journey

In some respect, letting go is freeing, exhilarating. In others, it’s scary. Like most things in life, it’s a process, a journey. I’m sure I’m still clinging to some things I ought to release, and I may be letting go of some things I ought to hang onto (friendships that seem to have stalled, cleaning habits, etc.), but I’m making progress. It’s making my husband somewhat nervous, especially when I start poking around in the basement—his lair—muttering about Goodwill and recycling. I have a sneaking suspicion that I’m focused on ridding the house of clutter because I’m not yet ready to do the hard work on my attitudes, habits and assumptions, but I’ll get there.

One In, One Out

My New Year’s resolution to not buy anything, to not add to the clutter, has been a good first step. I’ve stuck with it except for one T-shirt purchase at Target this past weekend. It’s a workout T, bright pink, designed to encourage me to get to the gym more often this spring. Believing that “one in, one out” is a good de-clutter practice, I ejected two tired shirts from my drawer to make room for it. Part of my urge to make do with less has to do with my changing understanding of my role as Christ’s disciple, and his direction to care for those less fortunate, but I’m not ready or prepared to articulate all I’m struggling with along those lines, so that will have to wait.

In the meantime, I hope you’ll tune in for most posts on what I’m calling “The Year of Letting Go.”

Overview

One of them has been eliminated … permanently.

The traveling TV dance show, Ballroom with the B-Listers, is coming to Washington, D.C., and ballroom dancer Stacy Graysin is first in line to participate. Not only will the publicity propel Graysin Motion, Stacy’s dance studio, into the limelight, but the prize money could help offset her looming debt. Plus, Stacy’s teen idol, heartthrob Zane Savage, specifically requested to be her partner.

But the whirlwind reality contest stumbles when the show’s coproducer, Tessa King, is found dead in the Potomac River. All the clues point to Tessa being murdered—and the suspects are the contestants and crew of B-Listers. Now Zane and the rest of the B-Listers must promenade back to fame, and Stacy will need to hustle to maintain her reputation, win the competition, and catch a killer.

Third in the Ballroom Dance mystery series. Also enjoy Quickstep to Murder and Dead Man Waltzing.

Details

Get ready for a second take.

With a famous action star for a father, mall cop EJ Ferris is used to the Hollywood hullabaloo. But when her mall becomes his movie set, the cameramen aren’t the only ones who start shooting…

Protecting the shoppers at the Fernglen Galleria may not be EJ’s dream job, but neither is working for her father’s film production company. That’s why EJ is less than thrilled when her dad arranges to shoot his upcoming film, Mafia Mistress, in her mall. With the arrival of the movie entourage, EJ suddenly has more than shoplifting teens to worry about.

Bombarded by overeager assistants and fan mail, EJ’s famous father makes for an easy target—especially after a scare involving a gun loaded with blanks. Zoe, the prop master, blames herself for the mistake. But when a real bullet is fired and Zoe is killed, Fernglen Galleria is shaken by more than just Hollywood drama. Cut the cameras—there’s a real gunman on the loose…

My response:

Now 50, I wish I’d recognized that the joy in life comes not from the result, but from the process, the journey. It’s not crossing the finish line first that brings joy, it’s the race itself. It’s not the diploma that validates, it’s the work and learning that went into earning it. It’s not seeing my books for sale in bookstores that fulfills me, but the process of writing. I still struggle to remind myself of that in our results-oriented culture. (Pretty much the only place this doesn’t apply is with babies and pregnancy! In that case, it’s the result-the baby–that brings joy, and not the gestation process complete with morning sickness, heartburn, and discomfort!)

Read the original article for its many addditional perspectives on life, self-belief, risk-taking, and joy,

Solving Mysteries Worldwide!

My favorite mystery series, though, the series that made me a die-hard fan, was Cherry Ames. For those of you unfamiliar with the books, Cherry Ames was a nurse who solved mysteries. Written by Helen Wells, and later Julie Campbell Tatham, the books followed Cherry’s progression from student nurse to various nursing assignments around the globe.

But What About Nancy Drew?

Looking back, I think the reasons Cherry, rather than Nancy, won my allegiance were her career, her independence, and her travels. Nancy was circumscribed by River Heights and environs, and had Carson Drew and Hannah Gruen to answer to. She could only go so far in her blue roadster. Cherry, on the other hand, was an independent career woman. She changed locales and jobs with every book. Dude ranch nurse in one book, cruise nurse, flight nurse, and ski nurse in subsequent books. (There are 27 books in the series.) For a little girl (moi) raised in a military family, Cherry’s reality paralleled mine—frequent moves and adjustments to new communities.

I can’t say why Nancy seems to have endured better than Cherry. Maybe it’s because …

Read entire original article at CriminalElement.com.

I Have Enough

Let me hasten to point out that I’m not a shopaholic—not even close—and my resolution isn’t about saving my family from the financial ruin of overdrawn bank accounts and maxed out credit cards. I don’t have 400 pairs of shoes, a closet full of designer labels or every kitchen gadget created by the inventive people at Williams-Sonoma. I don’t replace my furniture as often as my disposable razors, and the van I drive is a 2001 model that hemorrhages oil. I live a solidly middle class existence. But what I have is enough. I don’t need more.

I have enough clothes to keep me from going naked until I’m 87, unless my weight balloons or plummets. I have chairs and beds that keep me off the floor, and a vehicle that gets me where I need to go (mostly to my kids’ activities). I have a roof over my head and healthy food on the table (unless the aforementioned kids talk me into making pre-packaged mac-n-cheese for dinner–blecch). I am happy with my “enough,” so why does the urge to shop overcome me from time to time?

A Hollow Prize

I have enjoyed shopping since I was young, as much for its social aspects as its acquisitional nature. I can remember specific shopping outings with my mom and with various friends, including a spree in San Diego on a business trip with my buddy Linda. Buying a great sweater for 70% off gave me a buzz. Finding just the right necklace to go with a jacket put a spring in my step. Still does. But those feelings are so transitory and mostly don’t survive the first wearing (or use) of the new item.

In recent years, I have “rewarded” myself for accomplishing something—finishing a book, completing some other task—with permission to go shopping. I headed off to the mall or the outlets and spent four to six hours cruising the sale racks or shelves, frequently coming home with new merchandise, having spent a hundred bucks or so. But—and here’s the kicker—I was finding the shopping less and less fun, never mind fulfilling or renewing. I was driving home at the end of the day with the feeling I’d wasted my time. The dry mall air sucked the joie de vivre out of me. Trying on a new camisole with the jackets I already owned felt . . . shallow, self-indulgent, pointless. I felt uncomfortable thinking endlessly about my adornment, or stuff, stuff, stuff to clutter my already-too-cluttered house. (I did mention I have teen girls and a husband, right?–so you understand why my house looks like someone set off a tactical nuke).

Many of you are saying, “Duh, Laura. Shopping is pointless; it perpetuates a consumerist culture that portends the end of our society.” You never liked shopping to start with, or you’ve always been better at budgeting, or you have more of a social conscience and donate the money I’d have spent on a new lipstick to the Sierra Club or a battered women’s shelter. What can I say? You’re more evolved and mature than I am. However, I’m making progress . . .

Cold Turkey

I decided to give up shopping cold turkey. No more impulse magazine or nail polish buys at the King Soopers. No more “just browsing” at Stein Mart. No more shopping . . . period. With that resolution, though, I needed to look for new ways of rewarding myself or giving myself a break. I wanted to find activities that renewed or relaxed me, that made me feel better about myself and my life. I confess, even though I haven’t shopped at all this year—okay, I still buy groceries, but no clothes, home goods, make-up, etc.—I haven’t found a new activity to reward myself with. I made a list at the first of the year of things I thought would be rewards—meditate, visit the art museum, hike on a new trail, do a colored pencil drawing—but none of that really fits the bill. (I already exercise—some would say obsessively—so don’t bother pointing out I could go to the gym.) I’m not sure why, but I’m pondering it. And even though I haven’t yet embraced a new activity, I’m not returning to my old shopping ways. I’m happy with my shopping cessation plan . . . I just need to find a new way to give myself a break.

What’s Your Reward?

Please share your thoughts. What do you do with “me” time? How do you reward yourself for reaching a goal?

The awards will be voted on at the convention and presented at a banquet on Saturday, March 23, at the Cheyenne Mountain Resort in Colorado Springs, Colorado, at the 23rd annual LCC convention: “Where Murder Is the Last Resort.” The nominees are for books published in 2012.

The Lefty has been awarded for the best humorous mystery novel since 1996. This year’s nominees are:

• Mike Befeler, Cruising in Your Eighties Is Murder (Five Star)
• Laura DiSilverio, Swift Run (Minotaur)
• Jess Lourey, December Dread (Midnight Ink)
• Lisa Lutz, Trail of the Spellmans (Simon & Schuster)
• Brad Parks, The Girl Next Door (Minotaur)
• Nancy Glass West, Fit To Be Dead (Southwest Publications)

The Bruce Alexander Memorial Historical Mystery Award (first awarded in 2004) is given to mystery novels covering events before 1960. This year’s nominees are:

• Rhys Bowen, The Twelve Clues of Christmas (Berkley Prime Crime)
• Rebecca Cantrell, A City of Broken Glass (Forge)
• Dennis Lehane, Live by Night (William Morrow)
• Catronia McPherson, Dandy Gilver and an Unsuitable Day for a Murder (Minotaur)
• Jacqueline Winspear, Elegy for Eddie (HarperCollins)

The Rocky, for the best mystery novel set in the Left Coast Crime Geographical Region (first awarded in 2004). The nominees are:

• Margaret Coel, Buffalo Bill’s Dead Now (Berkley Prime Crime)
• Chuck Greaves, Hush Money (Minotaur)
• Beth Groundwater, Wicked Eddies (Midnight Ink)
• Darrell James, Sonora Crossing (Midnight Ink)
• Craig Johnson, As the Crow Flies (Viking)

The Watson, for the mystery novel with the best sidekick (first awarded in 2011). The nominees are:

• Juliet Blackwell, In a Witch’s Wardrobe (Obsidian)
• Robert Crais, Taken (Putnam)
• Chris Grabenstein, Fun House (Pegasus)
• L.C. Hayden, When the Past Haunts You (CreateSpace)
• Rochelle Staab, Brouja Brouhaha (Berkley Prime Crime)

The Left Coast Crime Convention is an annual event sponsored by fans of mystery literature for fans of mystery literature, including both readers and authors. Usually held in the western half of North America, LCC’s intent is to provide an event where mystery fans can gather in convivial surroundings to pursue their mutual interests.

The 23rd annual Left Coast Crime Convention will take place in Colorado Springs, CO, March 21–24, 2013. This year’s Guests of Honor are authors Craig Johnson and Laura Lippman. Actor Lou Diamond Phillips is a Special Guest. Tom and Enid Schantz are the Fan Guests of Honor. Author David Corbett will serve as Toastmaster, and Parnell Hall will entertain as the “Last Resort” Troubadour.

I’ll state up front that I didn’t live as bravely as I’d hoped I might.  I didn’t take on any huge physical challenges, face up to my fear of sky diving or roller coasters or spiders.  I didn’t exactly plan to tackle any of those things, but the fact that I didn’t try makes me feel that I didn’t commit myself whole-heartedly to the experiment.  I made some headway in honesty in relationships, but wasn’t brave enough to say all the things that needed saying . . . or, I’m sure, hear all the things others were trying to tell me.  There’s still time, of course.  One of the most valuable outcomes of this experiment was a heightened awareness of moments when courage is needed.  Even if I failed to step up to the plate at any given moment this year, I can work my way toward what needs saying or doing in the upcoming months.

A Braver Voice

I’d say my most significant act of courage was writing a different kind of book, a book I don’t have a contract on, one that is deeper and more serious than my usual humorous fare, one that exposes a lot more of me to the reading public.  I’m proud of this book, THE RECKONING STONES, and I learned a lot about myself in the process of writing it.  It humbled me in many ways and made me come to grips with some ideas I’d never wanted to wrestle with.  I think it was a little bit brave of me to open myself to that and take on a new writing challenge.

One of my biggest hopes for 2013 is that I’ll continue to have the courage to write only those things that are truly meaningful to me (and, hopefully, to readers), and not let my creative process get tangled up with worries about getting book contracts, how many books I’m selling, promotional activities, etc.   I need to be brave enough to focus on the thinking/writing process and the end product (a book), and not worry about what happens after that.  I still feel strongly that the Lord has called me to write, and so I will continue to let the words and ideas flow, shape them into worlds and characters and situations, and try not to concern myself with what kind of an impact they have—or don’t have—once they’re out in the world.

No Courage Too Small

In the face of Connecticut principals sacrificing their lives to try to protect their students from homicidal gunmen, and Muslim girls facing death by insisting on their right, and the right of other women, to be educated, and American servicemen and women putting their lives on the line to protect freedoms around the globe, and firefighters running toward the flames to save lives and homes during the Waldo Canyon fire, my efforts at trying to live more courageously seem puny and almost laughable.

And yet.

And yet, if we do not choose to live each day more bravely than the day before, in whatever ways are open to us, then the world is a lesser place.  Although I don’t plan to blog about living courageously in 2013, I hope we all live more courageously this year, that we run into the flames if it is called for, that we are honest and vulnerable with our loved ones, that we look up and out as well as in, that we risk failure in trying something new or difficult, and that we applaud others’ acts of bravery no matter what form they take.

May it be so for me.

May it be so for you.