Happy New Year!
And…we’re off! New year, new goals, new challenges, new attitude, right?
I don’t know about you, but sometimes all the hoopla about self improvement gets on my nerves. The implication is that we’ve collectively let ourselves slide into inert blobs composed of sweets and artery-hardening processed foods.
Okay, maybe that was just me, and maybe it was just for a couple of weeks.
But I digress…
Still, if you reside in a cold climate as I do, it’s hard to resist the idea of nestling under a warm blanket, dogs cuddled up and catching up on NINE SEASONS of a show you missed the first time it came out.
Or, in my case, I took the holiday break to watch (among other things) the Netflix documentary about L’Oréal heiress Lilian Bettencourt and the scandal around the mismanagement of her enormous wealth. Setting aside the dubious political contributions, one thing that struck me about Ms. Bettencourt was that she seemed profoundly lonely. So when people paid attention to her, she showered them with gifts. Which encouraged them to pay more attention to her. It was clear where this was going, long before her daughter stepped in and put a stop to it.
At the very end, a journalist asked Ms. Bettencourt if she had any regrets. Her answer moved me (quite unexpectedly I should add):
“Would you regret, if you could, being too generous?”
That’s when I decided 2024 will be a year where I will have no regrets. I encounter people all the time who have ideas and plans that somehow fall away. Lots of people have told me they’ve considered writing a book. To them I say: DO IT! There’s a reason the Nike commercial was so successful. JUST DO IT is a pretty easy concept to remember. Not always easy to execute, but I’m going to make it my primary motto for 2024.
In writing news, I’m starting to pull together the research for book #2, about my prosecution of the wife of Minnesota Viking Joe Senser. I’m really excited to see where this project goes. I love, love, love research, and even though you’d think I know everything there is to know about the case, twelve years time can expose memory loss, but also bring new and different perspectives. Rather than a dry recitation of yet another true crime story, I want to tap into themes of ignorance, arrogance and my new favorite theme: the dysfunctional family. 😊
Finally, for my paid subscribers, I’ll be adding a feature here where I answer reader questions. The first question I will answer is the one I’ve gotten the most:
Does your mother know about the book?
If you have a question about Crossing Fifty-One, feel free to reply to this email, or leave a comment. I plan to answer one question a month.
I’m always looking for more honest book reviews, so if you’d like to leave one, you can do so HERE! Even just a rating helps boost the book to other Amazon readers.
Did you set goals or resolutions for 2024? Let me know in the comments!
Until next month,
~ Debbie
January Podcast Recommendation:
I can’t remember if I recommended this book as one of my nonfiction picks, but it was one of those I would characterize as life changing. I’m someone who has always cared WAY too much about too many things and the book helped me to think about that differently. The relief I feel now is palpable.
I may soon run out of podcast selections, so if you have one you like, let me know and I can share it!
January Book Recommendations:
Nonfiction:
One thing I think helps to bridge cultural divides is a story about an individual person. We all experience joy, pain, anger and love albeit in different ways. If we can start to accept the suffering of others, we can see our shared humanity. The Warmth of Other Suns tells the stories of three real people and their journeys from the deep south north to what they thought would be a better life.
Fiction:
The Plot came out just as I was in the throes of submitting Crossing Fifty-One to publishers and it gave me pause when I considered how much ego is invested in trying to make it as a published author. It’s a good mystery and some solve it sooner than others. It’s also a reminder that most fiction is born from real life!