Lifelines

 

The things I am grateful for have changed over the last year and a half, as they have for most of us. After having to stay home more, our focus shifted to other things.  

So grateful for the gifts that my writing life has bestowed on me this past year. Couldn’t do it if it weren’t for my family and Rooby-Doo, our precocious golden retriever, who is my writing buddy. If not for them, writing just wouldn’t happen.

As much as I used to grumble about the evils of the Internet, I realized that without it, becoming an author would not have happened either. I took on a “What do I have to lose?” frame of mind, as I approached everything. I jumped in and took risks I was afraid to take before when it came to writing.

Grateful for my fun Anchorage girlfriends. We laugh so hard when we have lunch we forget about food and are shocked no one kicks us out of the restaurants. Grateful for my writing friends in Alaska and Outside. They’ve taught me so much. I’m awed by the generosity of the writing community everywhere. Writers are so giving and generous with advice, and freely share their wisdom.

I don’t take anything for granted anymore after this past year and a half. Before, I attended every writer’s conference I could afford. One of the highlights was traveling from Alaska to Dayton, Ohio, on the east coast for the Erma Bombeck Humor Writers Workshop. Back then I wanted to be a humor writer, so took a session where they made us get up onstage and tell a joke. Despite decades of comedy theatre acting I was terrified and stage-struck. All I could think of was to do my Sarah Palin imitation about seeing Russia from my Eagle River house. It brought the house down. I made the East Coasters laugh! That’s all I wanted—to make people laugh and forget their problems if only for a few seconds. I was so thankful I was able to do that.

I miss traveling. I had finally retired and hooked up with my cousin’s travel group out of California. We went everywhere the first three years…Spain, France, Portugal. Then the following year Germany, Austria and Eastern Europe. So much fun. I’m grateful for the friendships I formed with my new California travel family. Last year’s trip was canceled and this year’s as well. Fingers crossed we can go next year. In the meantime we all stay in touch online and through phone calls.

At the beginning of each year, our local writing group has us each set goals. I set the goal of publishing my first novel by the end of last year and it happened. Through our constant Zoom calls and efforts to stay in touch with each other, we helped each other stay on track. I’m so thankful for all of them. I made some new online friends that we can’t wait to meet each other in real life, whenever it’s more practical to do so.

It seems like now, I am more “in the moment” than I have ever been. Not seeing extended family and friends this past year taught me that every moment is precious, to be savored with all the gusto I can fit into my heart. Looking back, in some ways I felt cut off from so many. But in other ways, I connected with people I may not have otherwise…some became good friends and kindred souls that became lifelines for me in all kinds of ways.

And for all of this I am grateful. So very grateful.

LoLo Paige was a wildland firefighter for the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, Alaska Fire Service. She's an award-winning author of two novels in the Blazing Hearts Wildfire Series, Alaska Spark and Alaska Inferno. Her stories contain edge-of-the-seat, invigorating action, strong-willed female firefighters, and romantic suspense. LoLo and her husband divide their time between their beach house in Kachemak Bay, Alaska and sunny Arizona. 

What readers have said about LoLo's books... 

"I could almost feel the heat of the wildfires that surrounded the crews as they staved off threats..."

"The men are wild and yummy and the women are strong and lovingly feisty. The plot moves along at a fast pace..."   Watch the book trailer for ALASKA INFERNO!   

 GET INFERNO HERE!

Website / Bookbub / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / Pinterest