Who’s an Old Fart?

There’s something about turning another year older that always makes me reflect on my life – where it’s been and where it’s going.

If someone five years ago had told me that I’d:

• Publish a book with a scam publisher
• Sue to get the rights back
• Open up a publishing company with hubby
• Have said scam publishing company try to frighten and intimidate me
• Grow said publishing company into a respected name that respected agents are submitting to
• See our books hit store shelves and garner wonderful reviews
• AND become an award-winning author

I’d have said that person had ingested some great drugs.

But it happened. With the birth of two lively characters and a plot that centers around the alternative medicine controversy, an entire chapter of my own life was written. The initial begining affected many people around us and has continued to explode at a prodigious rate.

I’m a big fan of karma. You live your life to screw people and that’s what you’re going to attract. I feel this element is what defines my previous “publisher.” He’s a mean, terrible little man who went out of his way to publicly humiliate me, along with ruining my book. Publishers just don’t do this. Not the honest ones. They’re too busy selling books. I know because I do this every day of my life.

This is a story that I’ve kept under my hat for a number of years. I was too embarrassed for anyone to know that I’d been an idiot and got sucked into a scam. But rather than let it destroy me (and my writing) like it did a number of other people I know, I transcended that experience into a positive. Good fortune was on our side time and time again as insiders helped us along the way.

All my friends have been working at their jobs for many years, and they’re looking at retirement in the not-so-distant future. We’re just starting out anew. Am I mad? Maybe so, but I’m having the time of my life.

So while there’s an added candle on my cake and it takes more wind to blow the little bastards out, I also have a recaptured novel that has gone on to light up a lot of people’s lives, a burgeoning publishing company that is starting to kick some serious ass, and more fun than anyone has a right to. So, thank you, skank publisher. Without you, I wouldn't be having the time of my life.

I guess turning another year older wasn’t so bad after all.