Okay, I’ll admit it. I’m a modern woman. Email, telephones, the microwave—what’s a girl to do without them? During the snow and ice storms that hit not only my hometown but all the eastern United States, I found out pretty fast. We were stranded. My two children ages five and seven, myself and a husband who lives for his electronic gadgets. Can we say cabin fever?

A writer’s life is never as we’d like it to be, is it? Life is hectic and noisy with impossible schedules to keep, and we’d all like to retreat to a quiet location where needy family members, bosses, telephones and emails can’t disturb us.

Have any of you discovered that the more you learn about writing, the harder it is to find a book to lose yourself in? Reading for pleasure isn’t as easy as it used to be.

Last month I attended RWA’s National Convention in Reno, Nevada, as a newly published author. The coveted pink ribbon hung from my name badge as a source of pride, and I couldn’t help but smile each and every time someone congratulated me on my first sale. How could I not? This was my sixth conference and with every one, I’d done the same – congratulated those who’ve managed to claw their way into the publishing world by way of hard work, determination and perseverance.