Gratitude

I’ve seen many people doing thirty days of thankfulness for November. They’ve posted on social media each day of the month about what they are most thankful for. I didn’t participate this month, (though I have in the past) but one thing I’m feeling particularly thankful for this week are a couple of wonderful friends and mentors who have helped me along the path to becoming an actual professional writer person.

Let me start with the gorgeous gal on the right, Rebecca Regnier.

 She was my supervisor back in my TV news days and she pushed me to finally stop talking about writing and go out there and get my butt published. She was the one who said, “Quit your day job!” and “You can do it.” So I did.  I call her my fairy-god-author and I mean it. Rebecca swears she’s going to put that on her business card and I’m all for it. She just left behind a very successful career as an on-air personality in TV news to pursue her dreams and publish the delight Widow’s Bay cozy mystery series. I had the pleasure of hanging out with her at a book signing tonight.

If you enjoy a good cozy, paranormal mystery, you’ll want to give these a try. Click here to check them out on Amazon. 

My second bout of gratitude comes from a Facebook reminder that I’m celebrating two years of Facebook friendship with the marvelous Emma Jameson.

I’ve been a fan of hers for years and a couple of years ago I commented on a post on her author Facebook page. Another fan of hers asked me if I was the same Cyn Mackley that wrote American Goth. As a newly published author that bit of recognition was a thrill. The fan also commented that both my Killer Clowns From Out of State and Emma’s Marriage Can Be Murder begin with the main character getting hit by a car. A week or so later, I received a message from Emma. She’d started my book and liked it. Seeing that I was new to publishing she offered to help me out by answering any questions I had about publishing. Turns out we had a lot in common besides being mystery writers. Comic books, cats, a love of all things English, baking, and a thousand and one nerdish pursuits. So, not only did I get a fantastic mentor, I made a great pal.

If you haven’t read her two amazing series, you can click here to check them out. 

And then last spring, we bonded over our love of a comic book retelling of the King Arthur legend that we’d both enjoyed back in the 1980s. “You should update that for modern times,” I said.  “No, you should update it,” said Emma. Then finally both of us hesitantly said, “Maybe we should update it?”

And thus was born one of the most exciting creative projects of my life, our upcoming novel, Camelot, West Virginia.  We’re both working hard to bring the idea to life but creating a whole new world is never easy. But, getting the opportunity to write a book with your favorite mystery writer is one heck of an opportunity. I will be forever grateful for it. But even more grateful to have made a marvelous friend.

I will wrap up this month of Thanksgiving by giving thanks to two awesome ladies who’ve given me the push I needed. Thank you, Rebecca and Emma!

I promise to try as hard as I can to pay it forward.  And I would certainly be remiss not to thank my readers. From my friends and family who started out reading my original scribblings so many years ago to all the wonderful folks who read my daily tech tips and the equally wonderful readers who have enjoyed my mysteries and give me such unwavering support in my endeavors.  I cannot thank you enough, but I will try. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.

I am blessed in abundance.

If you are so inclined, check out my mysteries at this link.

And, of course, I’m here daily with tech tips at http://www.cynmackley.com.