One little word-life-holds the very essence of everything we know, we feel and we endure.
There is a song, can't remember the name, but heard it recently sung by Nana Mouskouri, "the pleasures of love last but for a moment, the regrets of love last a lifetime." Very romantic indeed and also very true.
That pronouncement applies to life and how we live it, the regrets we share, the things we wish we'd done and the things we're afraid to do. Yikes, I'm becoming maudlin.
As we age, I think some of us are more prone on taking a chance on life and adventure. Our time becomes shorter, moving forward we realize the future as we know it now, is more limited.
No, I'm not going to take up downhill skiing, tried it once in my youth and hugged every tree and post I slid by; nor will I take up extreme anything, I'm perfectly comfortable on terra firma.
I'm more into introspective growth, to become more patient, travel to places that may not be considered safe, but are filled with history and survival against great odds. I might actually learn something and become more tolerant of others.
My bucket list is growing, there is Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Aqaba, Jordan, passage through the Suez Canal and of course Alexandria, Egypt.
My visit to Alexandria and Cairo this year was cancelled, however Israel is still in place.
I may even take up snorkeling...nope...tried it once, and couldn't see anything, my goggles kept fogging up and I swallowed what seemed to feel like gallons of salty water.
Maybe after all, I'm not the adventurous type.
Till next time,
Margot Justes
A Hotel in Paris
www.mjustes.com
Showing posts with label Margot Justes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Margot Justes. Show all posts
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Procrastination and Editing by Margot Justes
Editing a manuscript is not for the faint of heart. I've been working on my novella for the last two weeks and barely finished ten pages.
This weekend is free and I planned to spend it in my office, but I decided to bake bread instead. The last time oven I turned the oven was in December. That should tell you how often I use it. Anything to delay the editing. It's called procrastination and I'm really, really good at it.
I turned the oven on, and nothing happened, it's on the fritz. Drat. I can't bake in a cold oven, no freshly baked bread for breakfast.
Next, I did the laundry, made pasta sauce, grated cheese to go with the pasta, in the process I drank a pot of coffee and cleaned my office. Now I'm tired and out of things I'm willing to do. A Fire Within awaits, got it back from the editor and have to finish it.
Oh wait, the cat needs fresh water and food, have to go downstairs and feed kitty.
Till next time,
Margot Justes
A Hotel in Paris
www.mjustes.com
This weekend is free and I planned to spend it in my office, but I decided to bake bread instead. The last time oven I turned the oven was in December. That should tell you how often I use it. Anything to delay the editing. It's called procrastination and I'm really, really good at it.
I turned the oven on, and nothing happened, it's on the fritz. Drat. I can't bake in a cold oven, no freshly baked bread for breakfast.
Next, I did the laundry, made pasta sauce, grated cheese to go with the pasta, in the process I drank a pot of coffee and cleaned my office. Now I'm tired and out of things I'm willing to do. A Fire Within awaits, got it back from the editor and have to finish it.
Oh wait, the cat needs fresh water and food, have to go downstairs and feed kitty.
Till next time,
Margot Justes
A Hotel in Paris
www.mjustes.com
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Fire Museum by Margot Justes
Two weeks ago, we spent the day without power due to a storm that blanketed the area with darkness. About one o'clock Saturday morning the power went out as did the sump pump and an hour later the back-up pump quit. All is now under control.
The weekend before that I spent time with Dina, and we paid a visit to Indianapolis, Indiana. After breakfast at the Hilton, (which was delicious and highly recommended) we opted for a walking tour of the city.
The heat and humidity notwithstanding, Indy is a great city to see on foot. We hiked to Massachusetts Ave and the highly anticipated 'best chocolate in town' shop, it didn't disappoint and the gelato was a welcome surprise in the stifling heat.
There were a couple of art boutiques, where we browsed and a few galleries which unfortunately were closed on Saturdays.
The highlight of the day was a visit to the Indianapolis Fire Museum, an amazing place that opened in 1996 in a remodeled fire station. The fire station dates back to 1872, the building bought by the fire fighters union has been fully restored and also serves as the Union Headquarters.
Guided tours are offered by retired fire fighters. It is a living and breathing memorial to past, present and future fire fighters. I got a tiny glimpse of life in a fire station, beautifully restored, the building has antique fire equipment on display, and 'the Survive Alive program' which teaches children what to do in case of fire. According to the brochure, about 20,000 children participate in the program annually.
A visit to that particular museum in Indianapolis should not be missed. I came away with a better understanding of the demands of the job. Chatting with our guide, I got the sense of the camaraderie that exists within the community and the willingness of that community to help others. It is not just a job, it is a profound calling to help others, and holds immense pride and shared brotherhood.
Evocative memories of those lost in the line of duty and the continuous support of family members were always within reach. The names were carved in the bricks, wall plaques, or simply the fire fighter telling me about comrades who lost their lives in various wars, fires and 09/11.
It was a deeply moving visit.
Till next time,
Margot Justes
A Hotel in Paris
www.mjustes.com
The weekend before that I spent time with Dina, and we paid a visit to Indianapolis, Indiana. After breakfast at the Hilton, (which was delicious and highly recommended) we opted for a walking tour of the city.
The heat and humidity notwithstanding, Indy is a great city to see on foot. We hiked to Massachusetts Ave and the highly anticipated 'best chocolate in town' shop, it didn't disappoint and the gelato was a welcome surprise in the stifling heat.
There were a couple of art boutiques, where we browsed and a few galleries which unfortunately were closed on Saturdays.
The highlight of the day was a visit to the Indianapolis Fire Museum, an amazing place that opened in 1996 in a remodeled fire station. The fire station dates back to 1872, the building bought by the fire fighters union has been fully restored and also serves as the Union Headquarters.
Guided tours are offered by retired fire fighters. It is a living and breathing memorial to past, present and future fire fighters. I got a tiny glimpse of life in a fire station, beautifully restored, the building has antique fire equipment on display, and 'the Survive Alive program' which teaches children what to do in case of fire. According to the brochure, about 20,000 children participate in the program annually.
A visit to that particular museum in Indianapolis should not be missed. I came away with a better understanding of the demands of the job. Chatting with our guide, I got the sense of the camaraderie that exists within the community and the willingness of that community to help others. It is not just a job, it is a profound calling to help others, and holds immense pride and shared brotherhood.
Evocative memories of those lost in the line of duty and the continuous support of family members were always within reach. The names were carved in the bricks, wall plaques, or simply the fire fighter telling me about comrades who lost their lives in various wars, fires and 09/11.
It was a deeply moving visit.
Till next time,
Margot Justes
A Hotel in Paris
www.mjustes.com
Saturday, August 15, 2009
I would like to introduce Terry Kate from Romance in the Backseat. I spent a bit of time with Terry on the phone,and received some great advice on internet marketing, and quickly asked Terry to share. She graciously accepted. Thank you Terry,
Margot Justes
www.mjustes.com
Hello,
I want to thank Margot so much for having me on this fabulous blog!
I'm going to tell all you fabulous authors out there a little story, readers please chime in and tell me if you agree. My accidental fall into the area of PR consulting.
I started my site http://www.romanceinthebackseat.com" with the idea that the more video interviews I did, literally in the backseat - think Taxicab Confessions - the more readers would discover the site. Each author would bring in their viewers and the site would grow and grow and I would be a fabulous success.
It didn't work.
In order for it to work authors would need to be in touch with their fans. Some are, most... are not. So I had to take on the duty of reaching out to readers and not only that often tell the occasionally clueless how to reach out to their own readers!
I know you took the time to write the book, but guess what? The job ain't done. Great book... sitting there... collecting dust... You can write something 10x as excellent, funny, suspenseful, as the next person and not sell as well. Why?
Readers did not know to pick your most excellent book up!
So here are a few tips - and just a few - Like I said I consult, you want more - email me.
1- Please, Please, PLEASE , look at your site statistics. If you are not looking at them you are running blind. What are you doing online that is working? What is a wast of your time? Readers where do you find out about new authors? That is the type of thing you NEED to know.
2- DO NOT LURK!
If you are an author or aspiring author you are not allowed to lurk online. What good is that for getting your name out there? Even if you are not yet published there are a TON of things you can be doing that will put you in a position of power next time you sit down with an editor or agent.
3- Leave an ACTIVE link when you comment under your name. I know I know this often means you have to write out some code, but too bad, suck it up, it is one line of code you need to learn once. DO IT!
So does that help? Are you already doing all of the above? If the answer is yes then awesome! If not, please start. Help yourself get the word out, I do not care WHO your publisher is or HOW much attention you think your House is giving you. YOU always have to do it for yourself. I have worked with very high profile NYT Bestsellers with direct phone calls from the head publicists from the biggest name houses and it did diddly. People who put in the leg work get thousands of hits a day!
I know it can stink that once you finish a great book there is still tons more work to do, but it is sadly true. If anyone has any questions about the article please leave a comment and I will check in and answer on the blog here.
Feel free to email me at romanceinthebackseat @ gmail.com
Thank you again for having me here,
Terry Kate
http://www.romanceinthebackseat.com
Margot Justes
www.mjustes.com
Hello,
I want to thank Margot so much for having me on this fabulous blog!
I'm going to tell all you fabulous authors out there a little story, readers please chime in and tell me if you agree. My accidental fall into the area of PR consulting.
I started my site http://www.romanceinthebackseat.com" with the idea that the more video interviews I did, literally in the backseat - think Taxicab Confessions - the more readers would discover the site. Each author would bring in their viewers and the site would grow and grow and I would be a fabulous success.
It didn't work.
In order for it to work authors would need to be in touch with their fans. Some are, most... are not. So I had to take on the duty of reaching out to readers and not only that often tell the occasionally clueless how to reach out to their own readers!
I know you took the time to write the book, but guess what? The job ain't done. Great book... sitting there... collecting dust... You can write something 10x as excellent, funny, suspenseful, as the next person and not sell as well. Why?
Readers did not know to pick your most excellent book up!
So here are a few tips - and just a few - Like I said I consult, you want more - email me.
1- Please, Please, PLEASE , look at your site statistics. If you are not looking at them you are running blind. What are you doing online that is working? What is a wast of your time? Readers where do you find out about new authors? That is the type of thing you NEED to know.
2- DO NOT LURK!
If you are an author or aspiring author you are not allowed to lurk online. What good is that for getting your name out there? Even if you are not yet published there are a TON of things you can be doing that will put you in a position of power next time you sit down with an editor or agent.
3- Leave an ACTIVE link when you comment under your name. I know I know this often means you have to write out some code, but too bad, suck it up, it is one line of code you need to learn once. DO IT!
So does that help? Are you already doing all of the above? If the answer is yes then awesome! If not, please start. Help yourself get the word out, I do not care WHO your publisher is or HOW much attention you think your House is giving you. YOU always have to do it for yourself. I have worked with very high profile NYT Bestsellers with direct phone calls from the head publicists from the biggest name houses and it did diddly. People who put in the leg work get thousands of hits a day!
I know it can stink that once you finish a great book there is still tons more work to do, but it is sadly true. If anyone has any questions about the article please leave a comment and I will check in and answer on the blog here.
Feel free to email me at romanceinthebackseat @ gmail.com
Thank you again for having me here,
Terry Kate
http://www.romanceinthebackseat.com
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Romance in Paris by Margot Justes
Catch Margot Justes' interview on Sunday, April 19 at Books and Blogs on Blog Talk Radio at http://blogtalkradio.com/booksandblogs from 4-4:15pm Central Daylight Savings Time (Illinois time)
It is spring at least according to the calendar. It is cold, damp and dreary, the flowers are barely sprouting, grass is still brown and potential for snow not an impossibility. You keep waiting for it to improve. And it will. Eventually.
Ah, that is because you’re home. It’s the everyday expectation in our existence. We perform our daily rituals.
So instead, let’s hop on a plane and go for a ride, a change of scenery if you will.
Let’s imagine we’re in Paris in the spring, walking along in the Luxembourg Gardens. The gentle mist falling on the tree branches leaving a crystal reflection, a heavenly clean earthy smell permeates your nostrils as you take a deep breath.
Walk along the gravel path and hear it crunch beneath your feet. Listen to the birds chirp as they spread their wings and take flight only to land perched on a shoulder of a statue.
Watch the grass as it seems to become greener right in front of your eyes, the rain still falling and sinking deep into the earth.
Leave the peace of the gardens and walk out through the wrought iron fence. Go across the street while the gentle rain is still falling, sit down in the café, order your favorite brew and observe the wet wrought iron glisten in the golden sun peeking through the clouds.
While in Paris, I have done exactly that many times and have found that a gentle rain, overcast sky can be as romantic as anything else-whether you’re alone strolling and day dreaming or walking with someone special by your side. It’s what you make of any given moment.
Truly, in Paris every little thing that you take for granted at home becomes incredibly special. Every moment counts and is treasured. There is something magical about the city.
Maybe that tell us we should not take anything for granted when at home but seize every moment. I’ll leave that up to you.
Till next time,
Margot Justes
http://margotsmuse.blogspot.com
http://www.mjustes.com/
A Hotel in Paris ISBN 978-1-59080-534-3
Art brought her to Paris, then a stranger’s death changes her life.
Missing ISBN 978-1-59080-611 1
available on amazon.com
It is spring at least according to the calendar. It is cold, damp and dreary, the flowers are barely sprouting, grass is still brown and potential for snow not an impossibility. You keep waiting for it to improve. And it will. Eventually.
Ah, that is because you’re home. It’s the everyday expectation in our existence. We perform our daily rituals.
So instead, let’s hop on a plane and go for a ride, a change of scenery if you will.
Let’s imagine we’re in Paris in the spring, walking along in the Luxembourg Gardens. The gentle mist falling on the tree branches leaving a crystal reflection, a heavenly clean earthy smell permeates your nostrils as you take a deep breath.
Walk along the gravel path and hear it crunch beneath your feet. Listen to the birds chirp as they spread their wings and take flight only to land perched on a shoulder of a statue.
Watch the grass as it seems to become greener right in front of your eyes, the rain still falling and sinking deep into the earth.
Leave the peace of the gardens and walk out through the wrought iron fence. Go across the street while the gentle rain is still falling, sit down in the café, order your favorite brew and observe the wet wrought iron glisten in the golden sun peeking through the clouds.
While in Paris, I have done exactly that many times and have found that a gentle rain, overcast sky can be as romantic as anything else-whether you’re alone strolling and day dreaming or walking with someone special by your side. It’s what you make of any given moment.
Truly, in Paris every little thing that you take for granted at home becomes incredibly special. Every moment counts and is treasured. There is something magical about the city.
Maybe that tell us we should not take anything for granted when at home but seize every moment. I’ll leave that up to you.
Till next time,
Margot Justes
http://margotsmuse.blogspot.com
http://www.mjustes.com/
A Hotel in Paris ISBN 978-1-59080-534-3
Art brought her to Paris, then a stranger’s death changes her life.
Missing ISBN 978-1-59080-611 1
available on amazon.com
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
FESTIVAL FUN By Morgan Mandel
Photo Right Above: Romantic Suspense Author, Margot Justes, Young Adult Author, June Sproat. In the back - Morgan Mandel, Mystery and Romantic Comedy Author.This year for the local Festival, myself, along with two fellow Acme Authors Link bloggers, Margot Justes and June Sproat, decided to try something different. I knew from past years of attending the five-day Frontier Days Festival in Arlington Heights that it’s a popular happening. Marketplace, where the arts and crafters reside on Saturday and Sunday, is one of the many events which pulls in a huge crowd.
With high hopes we set up our designated spot. We assembled the canopy lent to us by Debra St. John, another Acme Authors Link blogger, set up the card tables and chairs, arranged our books and promotional material and hoped for the best.
Would people come to our booth? If so, would an arts and crafts crowd have any interest in reading? I have to say we were pleasantly surprised. Our group, which we called Area Authors, held up well to the surrounding competition.
Right from the start on Saturday, the busiest of the two days, peopled stopped by, checked out the books, turned them over, looked at the blurbs and the first pages as readers are apt to do.
I was totally unprepared and terrifically happy when one lady mentioned she’d read my first book, Two Wrongs, at the library and came back to find more. Fortunately, Girl of My Dreams had been published by then and she could read it as well. That wasn’t enough. When she saw me, she decided to buy autographed copies of both books for her friend.
For those who said they used the library or had run out of money at the other booths, we made sure to offer bookmarks so they wouldn't forget us and would know where to order.
Invariably, we asked the question, “Do you like to read?” Many times we got the response, “Yes, but I don’t have enough time.”
Sadly, too many people have given up reading in favor of TV, movies and other pastimes which don’t require much effort or thought.
On Sunday, a gentleman representing the opposite side of the spectrum stopped by to visit, mentioning his library consisted of 1,000 books. Now it’s one thousand and one, since I sold Two Wrongs to him!
Another person said, “I’ve never heard of you,” to all of us, which made me even more determined to get my brand out to the public.
Then there was the guy who stepped up to our booth, picked up Two Wrongs and bought it without even looking at it. I didn’t complain. It was gratifying to see that my first book, is still doing as well as the new release, though it’s been out longer.
All in all, I recommend going the Festival route and will sign up for this one again. It was a fun, gratifying, hot and tiring day, but well worth it!
Morgan Mandel
www.morganmandel.com
www.myspace.com/morganmandel
http://bookplace.ning.com
http://mysteryturtles.blogspot.com
www.juniorscave.com/morganmandel.html
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