Things To Be Grateful For

Last week was a pain in my bum, with Blogger issues, work issues, having to do nasty yard work... I was cranky.  And I hate being cranky.  Which then made me crankier.


So, I thought I'd start this week off right by listing some things that made me really happy over the last few days :).


1)  I got a seriously awesome review for my short story WRITE OR DIE from a total stranger!  It's title was "Remove one note, and there is diminishment, Salieri," so already I was excited because I LOVE the movie Amadeus.  Mozart rocks.  Seriously.


This kind gentleman wrote:  "A great read. It leaves you wanting more but you realize it's perfect. You want more detail but realize if you close your eyes and just wander around the room it's all there, neat, nothing out of place. Highly recommended."


Wow.  


The great thing about this review is that this is a short story that I've worked on for literally years.  I'd write most of it, give up, then finish, then give up, then re-write, then quit, then try to find a market for it, then get confused because it's a modern day ghost story and where the heck do you even send that?


This review made all of that confusion completely worthwhile.  The reviews for that story are the first feedback I've gotten, and fill my heart with something akin to... purpose?  Like, all of that worrying and work finally paid off in something people enjoy :).  That makes me incredibly happy.


2)  I set a goal, and I met it!  I wanted to add another, longer short story called "Heartless" to the short story collection NO REST FOR THE WICKED by this weekend.  I worked on new cover art (pictured above), edited my story, ran it by some betas, formatted, obsessed, uploaded, and finally the new two-story version is up for sale on Amazon and Smashwords. 


I'm proud of myself for creating something I believe in, in a a timeframe I set for myself :).  Small victories are sometimes the sweetest.


3)  I've found a group of book lovers who are incredibly kind, generous, and helpful on the Kindle Boards.  Whether you are a traditionally published author, and indie publisher, or just a book lover, this group will take you under their wings and steer you toward wonderful reads.  They helped me with cover art, my descriptions on Amazon, and frankly, just have fascinating discussions about some of my favorite books.


Whenever I find a group of people online who act like a small town, I want to share.  It's rare for a forum to be full to the brim with such lovely people who care so much about books.  Thank you, Kindle Boards!


So, my question to you is:  What made your week?  What turned an ok day around and made it great?