Janet Spurr’s Blog

Independent Book Publishers of America is one of the best organizations that I belong to as an author.  What I have learned at the past Publishing University workshops and the people that I’ve met there are all the best.  Actually, words can’t describe how great of an experience it has been.

Pub U will be help at the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago on April 26-27.  The workshops and speakers are incredible this year and it’s the best investment that I’ve made in the past toward my publishing career.  If you want to publish and meet some of the best people in the business, be there in Chicago 4/26-27.  I’ll be teaching one of the last workshops with two other great speakers on 4/27 at 3:15.

Hope to see you,

Janet Spurr

Author of Beach Chair Diaries and speaker

     So when did people start believing that Groundhogs really know what they’re doing?  Well something went wrong with the early spring in New England.  We’re expecting our third snowstorm in three weeks.  At this point, most people I talk to are sick of the winter.  I used to love to ski as much as possible and don’t really mind the snow as much as the cold.  The other night I came home and filed a complaint with God regarding the extremely cold weather.  I said to him, “Winter….is not Your best work.”  Needless to say, when it gets to be around 35 degrees it’s like a day in May.

    A few weeks ago I was up at Colby-Sawyer college, which I graduated from a few years back.  When I attended it was all women and in 1991 became coed.  I love that beautiful campus and the kids that attend now are great.  CSC has many international students, including 35 from Nepal.  When I met a group of these, very cool, women, we had a nice chat and as they were leaving I bowed my head to say Namaste and mentioned how nice it was to say it to them rather than a group of sweaty women after an hour of yoga.  Anyway, Namaste, my spring come soon.

Been traveling for business and stayed at so many Marriotts that I don’t remember what day it is.  One Marriott I stay at is on 28th St. in NYC and in the flower district, which is SO beautiful during a cold January day.  Being a Silver Marriott Rewards member helps me to usually have a nicer room too, with flowers lining the sidewalk below.  The weather in Boston has been so cold that I’ve suggested people to say out loud,  “Please pass the suntan lotion.  Oh, I love the smell of coconut.  I want to go swimming.  Ouch, the sand is burning my feet.”  If that doesn’t warm you up, pick up a copy of Beach Chair Diaries and read the second to last essay, That August Day.  I wrote the essay because I hate winter and the cold and want everyone to feel the warm of summer even on the coldest January day.

Dear Friends, Wanted to wish you all a Happy New Year and hope that it finds you warm, happy and healthy.  Just had that very popular flu, which I don’t recommend, but I was able to enjoy John Grisham’s new book, while resting.  While on vacation in November, read the book, Honolulu.  Which I had to read after reading, Alan Brennert’s other book, Moloka’i.   The main character in Moloka’i was so great, that will out to dinner, I would miss the character and cried after I finished Moloka’i.  I’m can’t wait for his next book and love his work.  Someday, I hope to write a fiction book as great as Alan Brennert’s books.

This year, one of the funniest movies that I’ve seen is TED.  It is not for children.  Yesterday, I was running around about 2:30 p.m. shopping and went into Best Buy to grab a copy.  At the display, stood a young woman trying to decide if she should buy it.  I told her, it’s the funniest movie, but NOT for kids.  We ended up being in line together and about ten seconds later an older woman came up behind us and said, “Do you believe this, they have just one register open?  Can you believe this, doesn’t it bother you to be waiting in line.”  The young woman and I gave each other the eye, because we had been waiting about 30 seconds.  The older woman kept at us, “Do you believe this, doesn’t this bother you?”  I pointed to the copy of TED and told her,  “You need to see this movie.”  The older woman left and mentioned that she was going to get a manager to open another register.  She came back, continued to complain and tried her hardest to get us to be upset.  I finally said, “Look, a friend of mine is dying of cancer, so waiting in line for 90 seconds, doesn’t really bother me.”

The younger woman suggested the older woman go ahead of us and then the younger woman bought me the copy of TED.  The Christmas Spirit stunned me and sent me running to my car to get a copy of my book for her.  As I ran back into the store, I asked her if she loved the beach.  She mentioned how she and her husband usually go to St. John, but she just found out she was pregnant and they won’t be going this winter.  We gave each other a big hug and the story gets better.

During my next stop at a Dollar Store, I noticed two men coming in, dressed in black work clothes, obviously on a mission, on the phone and covered with paint.  I was in the next aisle when I heard the man on the phone say, “This is Pastor Noris and the store doesn’t have the candles we need.”  I quickly went to the aisle he was in and suggested another store, then said, “Can I make a donation towards the candles?”  I love Christmas and it’s all about the hugs, smiles and love.

Last week, I was up at Colby-Sawyer College, which I graduated from years ago.  I was asked to speak to three freshman writing classes.  For some reason I was really nervous, but had practiced my ten minute talk on writing about place and how I love to do research when writing (which I do).  I ended my talk by saying Go for Your Dreams No Matter How Long It takes.  After my talk the students wrote about what they learned and were called on to read.  I was so touched and surprised that most of the students where inspired to go for their dreams.  Actually, looking back, now they have inspired me.

When I was growing up, I had 2 great cats.  A black and white one named Casey, who my dad rescued late one night off of the highway.  Casey was a very cool cat, but left after being with us for about a year.  I then went to a shelter with my Mom and picked out a huge orange cat named Tommy.  Tommy was like a dog.  He would come when called, retrieve things and was so loving.  After five great years, Tommy had to be put to sleep.  I pretended for years after that I really didn’t like cats.  I do have to admit that I am a dog lover.  Well, over the last few years, my neighbor’s cat Mehitabel has been visiting me.  She is a total character who gets up on her hind legs when you pet her, speaks to everyone and even knows how to use an Iphone.  Actually, I’m kidding about the Iphone.  Anyway, Mehitabel would wait for me on my front porch when I would come home at night.  I have no idea how she did this, because my schedule is never the same.  Recently she was hit by a car, and broke her back leg.  Today, I saw her for the first time in a few weeks.  I missed her so much and was so happy to see her.  I guess I am cat lover, if not a Mehitabel Lover.

So last week as I drove up to Vermont for business, just past New London, New Hampshire, the foliage was so colorful, I felt as if I could grab it and be filled with the colors.  Each year I’m so overwhelmed by this unique beauty that I will compare it to the most inspiring place in nature that I know, the ocean in Maui.  Really.

Another very funny thing happened while I was teaching a class on How to Publish and Promote Your Book.  I had  a class of 11 and 6 people were early and the rest came in after I started the course.  One individual who was dressed in orange, maybe trying to compete with the foliage, arrived late, and continued to ask so many questions that the other students were giving the evil eye.  At one point I realized something was a little off when she asked questions on material that I had just covered.  Another student asked if anyone minded if she ate her dinner.  Someone joked as long as there was enough for everyone.  Then the strangest thing happened with the unique student dressed in orange.  First I heard her moving around the brown paper bag and next, out of the corner of my eye, saw her unscrew a cap and raise the bag with a dark brown bottle, to her mouth.  I’m still stunned, but have to laugh, thinking, I hope she brought enough for everyone.

Well, I just looked at the last date of my blog and sorry, but I’ve been at the beach (Oh and working too) but this summer was the BEST for swimming, paddleboarding and enjoying the season.  Today, was actually the first day of summer.  I was on my way into Boston when a my body surfing buddy Facebooked me to let me know that the water was warm and there were finally WAVES at the beach in Marblehead.  Well, I couldn’t get my boogie board out of the house quick enough and had the best time in 4-5 foot waves, screaming all the way.  The water wasn’t that warm, but it didn’t matter.  Happy Autumn.