Thursday, May 3, 2012

Grandma's Advice

Is anyone still out there? I'm sorry I've been away for so long. I've been trying to figure out how to do this whole "contracted author" thing. The first book I ever completed (Desires of the Soul, scheduled for release June 2013) took me 1 year to write and 2 years after that to get it right. Then I become contracted through my awesomesauce publisher, Entangled Publishing, and suddenly I find myself in a situation where I need to write an entire book in a fraction of the time it took me for DotS.

I'd wanted to write my As-of-Yet-Untitled Indulgence in less time that it took, but I still finished an entire book in less than two months!! So, for my first time, I'd say that's not too shabby. Hopefully I'll be a little more present on the interwebz now that the rough draft crunch time is over...you know, until I'm in editing crunch time. ;p

But today I want to share something with you I found earlier this week while going through a container of old kid projects and other such things. It's a letter from my grandma, dated October 19, 2004. 

She's referring to an email I sent to my family giving the blow-by-blow happenings of when I accompanied my baby sister to the American Idol auditions in Las Vegas. As you all know, short-and-sweet is not my thing. I think it was some 4 pages long detailing the crazy trials and tribulations of our amazing 3-day trip. Since my grandma doesn't have a computer, one of my aunts gave her a copy, and this is the letter she sent me after reading it. I didn't remember this letter, so it was a sweet moment to read it again.

(I'll leave out all of the impertinent things with ellipses, but the rest of it is just as she wrote it.)

Gina, Loretta sent me a copy of your experience in Vegas. The way you wrote it I could just see you girls with all the problems you faced. And the humor you faced it with... It is so well written and so much detail that I could see everything as though I had been there. We all agree that you should be a writer. Jerry had that talent too... Anyway, I wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed your story and I still think you should take up writing. Love, Gramma

Jerry was my father who passed away when I was 10 years old. His brother, Tom, is an incredible writer as well, so the writing bug is definitely in the family. I loved that I found this letter now, eight years later, just as I'm about to embark on my authorial debut.

When I finally signed my contracts I had called my grandma (who is now 95 years old and has a brain sharp as a tack) to give her the good news. She was ecstatic and told me how proud she was and how she couldn't wait to read my books.

O_o <---- That was the look on my face when I thought about my sweet, almost-century-old grandmother reading some of the scenes in my books!

Then my (wonderfully fantastic) Aunt Marlene tells me a couple of days ago that she was discussing my books with my grandma who again mentioned wanting to read them. My aunt told her that some of my romance scene descriptions were "hot and racy" and we weren't sure she'd feel comfortable reading things like that.

To which she replied, "Oh, well, I'm a big girl. That's not gonna bother me."

(Bwahahahahaaaa! I wonder if dear old Grandma Bisbee has any idea what she's in for. ;) I'll make sure to report back when I get her review.)

Anyway, thanks, Grandma, for believing in me years before I even knew what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. I love you dearly. <3

Sincerely,
Jerry's eldest, Gina Leigh

19 comments:

  1. Oh Gina...what a beautiful story! Your Grandma sounds like quite a character! Even brought a little tear to my eye! Perfect tribute for Mother's Day.
    Can't wait to hear her review!! I bet it will be one of your favorites! Your on your way, Gina!

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    1. Thanks, Pat, she IS quite a character! I hadn't thought about the Mother's
      Day angle. Perhaps I should've held off a couple of weeks to run this. ;)

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  2. What a beautiful story! Grandma's are the best. I had a great-Grandmother who loved to tell us girls to VOTE! She still remembered when women couldn't...

    Enjoy your success! Please remember us "little people" when you are a big star! mylilypad

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    1. Thanks for stopping by, mylilypad! I'll always remember my blogging and facebook friends, and never will I consider you at "little." :)

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  3. Totally makes me want to read the book :)

    ........dhole

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  4. Gramma never fails to surprise us. I told her about the problems I had while installing my sprinkler system and she blew me away when she explained the pressure loss I should have expected using different sized pipes. She must have remembered Dad explaining that sort of thing as it applies to fire hoses.

    She had seven kids, so she must remember something about romance!

    Keep up the great work. I've always wanted to know a celebrity!

    Love,
    Uncle Tom

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    1. That's amazing, Uncle Tom! I love hearing her stories of the things she had to do to raise the seven of you...right up until the time where she tells me I should start sewing my kids' clothes instead of buying them. Then all I can think of is the drape outfits from the Sound of Music. And the fact that I have a hard time resewing a button on a shirt! LOL

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  5. o_O <--- lolol :) Also, I never told you that I like your new pics! I wasn't on Twitter the day you mentioned it, and then it seemed weird to mention it after the fact ...

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    1. Thanks, T! It's never weird to give people compliments, no matter when it is. Remember, flattery will get you everywhere, dahlink. ;)

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  6. Gina, that is definitely something to treasure. And how wonderful that she's still here and sharp enough to appreciate what you've accomplished. Be proud of yourself, but thankful, too. Good genes really do make a difference!

    You go girl!!!

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    1. Thanks, Kate. I'm SO grateful to have my grandma still with me, and I dread the day when she's not. I'll make sure I let you know what her review is. ;)

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  7. This might be one of the sweetest things I've ever read. :) My grandparents were so dear to me, but I didn't get to keep any of them beyond the age of 13. I think this would be enough encouragement to keep me going a few years.

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    1. Thanks, E.J. Yes, I'm lucky to have her as both of my grandfathers died when I was two and my maternal grandmother (whom I was also very close to) died when I was 18. She has defied all odds and only has 5 years left until she can brag about hanging around for a century! :)

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  8. What a wonderful story, Gina! So happy you listened to your grandma's wise advice. Can't wait to hear what she thinks of Dom! :)

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    1. Thanks, Jamie-girl. Oh my goodness, I hadn't even thought about her reading Dom's story! *headdesk* LOL

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  9. You're a sweetie pie!

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  10. That is super awesome. See? We kids were always told when we were little,"You better start listening to that lady on the porch!" (that's where Gramma's sewing room was...windows all around so she could see us when we were outside. tee hee)So,now its your turn...'you better listen to that lady on the porch.' Whenever she hollered for us to 'quit that!' or 'get down from there!' or 'you're going to fall and break your neck!' So, if we didn't listen, and got hurt we heard that quote above. hee hee hee Love you honey...keep on writing, it was meant to be.

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