L.J. HOLMES...IT'S FEBRUARY. WILL SHE SEE HER SHADOW? (Part one)

Getting my mom author

L.J.Holmes, to come out from behind her shyness and actually BRAG about herself is something I have been trying to do since before

I was born.

Don't believe me...well ask Mom about the orange juice exposé I did upon her. Then you'll have no doubts how determined I have been in bringing her out of her comfort zone.

Regardless of her timidity, and because she'd never leave me in a lurch, Mom stepped forward and offered to let me carve her up when the author I had originally scheduled for this glorious month must have seen her shadow early and returned to her hibernation way beneath the perma-frost of winter.

So Mom, are you ready?

Let's start by telling everyone how you came to be a storyteller.

Oh Dear. I think I've told this story a time or two already, but your wish, within reason, is my command.

I was a fortunate kid because my Grandma lived with us, and actually raised me. She had this rocking chair she'd sit in with me nestled in her arms weaving stories I probably didn't absorb the first hundred or so tellings,

but just like the stories I told you when you were little, eventually,

I could lip synch them right along with her.

She enchanted me and I so wanted to be like her. By the time I was walking, I'd often head for the garden, plop myself down, stretch out and watch the lacy white bells of the

lilies of the valley fluttering ever so gently on their small stems in the breeze whispering around us.

I'd imagine fairies were flitting by with the movement of their wings creating that gentle breeze.

At other times, I'd watch the upside down flute of a daffodil, and wonder what magic sea beneath the soil created that one clear globule of moisture clinging to the center of that flute. Again fairies came to mind. Hmmm...do you think I was obsessed with the wee folks?

Later, after my Grandmother passed on, I'd weave stories with my German Shepherd dog, finding armies, and warriors, elves, brave knights, and yes, fairy princesss in the clouds drifting past us. Heidi was a great listener.

I didn't have an unbiased audience until I reached high school. The storyline I created for my classmates I am now embarrassed to talk about...it was THAT ridiculous, but it was my first exposure to others reactions to my story weavings.

I created this bizarre teenaged couple, Katana Lee and Ty Rano, living the cool life in Hawaii. I wrote three separate books surrounding their life, but I'm glad they didn't survive.

(Later when your Uncle Don married Sierra from Hawaii, I was amazed to learn how much of my ridiculous story acurately described Hawaii. Makes me wonder if I channeled Pelé.)

My first published piece was a poem in my college paper. I was eighteen, the Viet Nam war was raging and the poem A MOTHER'S WAR made it into the school's paper. It was weird. Either I was precocious when I thought I was sleeping, (since Heidi slept at the foot of my bed, I doubt that,) or I can express emotions I've never experienced.

Life happened after that. I did have one more poem published in a local poem anthology. My poem, BROKEN, won a spot...no money, but it was neat seeing my poem in print! I don't know why my poetry gets published, cause I really hate writing it.

Pentameter is NOT my friend!

I was content letting life happen, until you, my persistent nettle started bugging me to submit my stuff after you became a

Best Selling Author in 2009. Have you any idea how annoying you can be when you get an idea in your head?

December 2010 my first REAL story released from Muse It Up Publishing called

SANTA IS A LADY, and less than six weeks later it took fifth place in the 2010 Preditors and Editors reading poll for its category. Since then there's been no turning back...not that you'd let me.

Santa is a Lady I wrote as a stand alone, but you taunted me about making it a series...Thanks Kat...so now Santa is a Lady is book one of my Christmas Miracles Series,

The Christmas War, book two just came out this past December, and I am three chapters into writing Book Three, Christmas Goes Green as we speak. It's about a half

Leprechaun so I'm back to the wee folk. I do believe I've come full circle?

Thank you L.J. Holmes, (MOM), for coming over to my blog and sharing with others why I think you're extremely talented, but before I let you go, I want you to swear before all my readers that you'll be back for Part TWO of L.J. HOLMES...IT'S FEBRUARY. WILL SHE SEE HER SHADOW?

Tell me again why I love you?


Okay, okay! Yes, I promise I will return.