Go and grab the last few tissues from that 175 ct. box of see-thru dollar store one-ply "kleenex" you've used for your dripping sinuses. . .  I've had a revelation.

Y'all recall that story about the ant and the grasshopper? The ant worked steadily thru the summer and fall so that when winter showed up, the ant was sittin' kinda pretty? And the grasshopper ended up being an ice pop on a stick?

Well, meet Cynth'ya the grasshopper of frozen computer files. Confession Time:

There have been people literally begging, chastising and even threatening to smack my fingers with a ruler on a daily basis (email style) about getting a real copy of a real book by a company other than the one that takes up residence inside one of my grown children's old bedrooms . . . which of course once the oldest left home became "Mom's Office..."

Well, when the newscasters talks about that nasty virus running around, and we should pay attention to it. . .guess who didn't pay attention and update the virus protection?

Since my recent computer lock-up (ewww, virus. . .BAD one!) I had to give my husband permission to clear ALL the info from my hard drive to function again. . . and bye-bye went ALL of my projects in my "C" drive.

There went my book contest entry manuscript; there went my files with a wonderful 88 year old--now 99 years young woman I consider my best friend and have written stories about the lessons I've learned from here from the time we met in 1996 until this present day--and there went my procrastination.

So my husband and I purchased THREE--count 'em--THREE 1-gig portable key chain storage drives (I ain't that technical all I know is if I loose my keys I lose my book. . .so guess who keeps close track on her keys more now than ever before?)

So, come spring . . . and I'm gettin' too old to put things off any longer, the first book will be published thru LULU.com because they don't cheat people and I think I can trust them. (The Better Biz Bureau thinks they're cool and they aren't run by the federal government.)

So by summer 2007 the goal is to have an ISBN number so people around the world who frequent Authors Den will be able to take my little book with them and enjoy sharing smiles, laughter, just bust a gut until the tears roll out . . . and even a nice poetic prayer when life goes all willy nilly.

And knowing my writing as some of you do, this project will be totally unpredictable from one page to the next. In fact, the title is somewhere in this note. So like JK Rowling's website (I figured out the Harry Potter final movie title!), there's a clue where you least expect it. Life is magical all by itself.

As far as the times before when I'd lost a book project yet to be published when not taking  God's cue to get busy with the keyboard. . .I'd just say a prayer, bid farewell to my work as it soared to Computer File Heaven and then curl up in a fetal position for days eating ruffled potato chips.

But this time, with the "third death" of my complete filing system, THREE is a number that always gets my attention. (Thank The Lord!)

So in honor of my first colonoscopy in March, a book is coming Spring 2007. 

(Yes, finally I give. Finally I publish for the mass market.  Maybe it's like life insurance. . .want to leave a lil' sump'n behind 'cause shoot I'm gettin' old!)

blessin's

cynth'ya