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Dear Reader,
Today's guest author, Janice MacLeod, creates letters about Paris, paints them, personalizes them, and mails them out monthly to adoring fans. A former advertising copywriter and associate creative director, she saved up enough money to quit her life in the fast lane for a slow stroll in Paris. Paris Letters is her third book.
Please welcome Janice to the book club, and when you say "hello" you'll also be entered in her Paris Letters book giveaway. Email: janicemacleod@gmail.com
Take it away Janice...
I have an addiction to completion. The gurus agree that the journey should be the destination, that the present is gift, that the power is in The Now.
But that's just not me. At least, not for now.
My motivation for doing a project is driven by the peace I feel AFTER the finish line has been reached. This is probably why I was attracted to creating a monthly letter subscription service, sending illustrated notes from Paris to readers around the world. Each month I haul a big sack of letters to the post office, drop them in the box and feel the sweet relief of a big job being done. From that vantage point, all I have in front of me a full glorious month to create the next letter so I can, in 30 days, feel the thrill of yet another satisfying finale.
I'm currently working my way through an Italian language course. I have begun the lessons in earnest, not so much because of my desire to learn the language, but because finishing each lesson fills me with exhilaration. Lesson after lesson, I smile and exhale. Done. Finished. Glee. I smile at where I place my bookmark in the textbook, remembering how far I've come and that progress is being made. Then I look beyond my bookmark to the future lesson, delighting in the knowledge that eventually the book will be behind me. That I will have accomplished something. I'm not sure if I'll be able to successfully order my spaghetti in Rome, but I know for certain I will have completed a lesson about it. And that, for now, is enough to keep me going.
I suppose my love of the ending of things is about noticing the passing of time. The sight of a candle that burned down its wick reminds me of my midnight kiss on New Year's Eve with the romantic glow flickering nearby. And an empty box of matchsticks? I recall the day I bought them, too, delighted by the intricate design on the front cover and the thrill of striking the first match along the virgin strip on the side of the box.
So perhaps my obsession with the finish line really is about enjoying the present moment. I just happen to be enjoying it a little later.
--Janice MacLeod
janicemacleod@gmail.com
Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.
Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
AUTHORBUZZ: WISHING ON BUTTERCUPS (Fiction) by Miralee Ferrell
Have you ever struggled with fears, emotional scars, or insecurities, whether imaginary or real? While Wishing on Buttercups is definitely a romance, you'll also find sections that will make you dig deep. I love weaving strong women into my books, which has gotten attention from movie producers and reviewers alike. If you love historical romance, I believe you'll enjoy this second book in the Love Blossoms in Oregon series.
Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on WISHING ON BUTTERCUPS to find out more about the book and the author, Miralee Ferrell. Send her an email, she'd love to hear from you.
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