Do not stand at my grave and weep;
I am not there, I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.

When you awaken in the morning’s hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry;
I am not there, I did not die.

– Anonymous 

*

It’s been a while folks. 

Hardly any social media and NO blogging (after I promised to be updating my Blog regularly, how rude of me!)

A lot can happen in a few months.

2012 has been life changing, heady, happy, dream making, nightmare forming, an absolute heart breaker of a year. Bookwise, I published my beloved novel BEING LARA in April of 2012 in the whole of the United States.  Seeing it displayed in stores like Barnes and Noble and Target and at the airport as I was just about to catch a flight felt AMAZING. Another dream came true in 2012 – a wonderful book review appeared in Ebony magazine for err… MY BOOK!! – and that too felt absolutely amazing.

Add in a few crazy occurrences in between (good and bad) and it had already been a ‘different’ year.  Then in September of 2012 I lost my beautiful Mama.

As I said, 2012 has been different.

As Mary Mary so beautifully sang; ‘I survive’.

Thanks be to God

Thanks to my WONDERFUL family and friends (the ones who are also your family, regardless of blood) who have been ace (you know who you are).

For a while there, it was hard to write, hard to breath but I am still here. Nothing will ever feel normal again, but perhaps it’s time to embrace a ‘new normal’.

Time will tell.

So for now… I’m all about resuming with the novel I had started writing in July. That part at least feels… normal… (now I just have to figure out how to stop starting sentences with ‘But’ and ‘ And’… any ideas?)

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OF YOU AND NEVER STOP CHASING THOSE DREAMS OR REACHING FOR THE STARS… NEVER STOP BELIEVING!!

LOLA