I saw this definition online. It perfectly describes that hangover-like feeling readers get when they stay up all night reading a good book. Yesterday, I asked my readers to recommend their favorite reads, and they gave me a wonderful list of books. Our group seems to enjoy books with mystery/adventure, comedy, romance, and a bit of fantasy. I picked a book from one of the recommendations. Now I’m suffering from chaptigue this morning, but unlike the alcohol hangover, this one leaves me feeling tired without the nausea and headache. Plus, I’m still buzzing from the fun characters and exciting plot from the story. I’m already looking forward to reading this evening after I make my daily writing quota.

I would imagine that most writers are enthusiastic readers like I am. One of the benefits of chaptigue as a writer is that my inner-voice editor is quiet. She must be sleeping off last night’s reading binge. Without my editor’s constant critique of my sentence structure, I can write a lot faster. Writers do tend to have lots of voices in their heads. If it’s not an editor monitoring every word and punctuation recorded on the page, it’s a character trying to get more page time. I’ll save that for another post.

Until then, cheers to good books, the ones we love to read and write! May you be blessed with many days of chaptigue!

 

When I’m writing, these two make sure that I step away from my computer. Simply resting a head or paw on my lap is enough to remind me to take a break. I take them on walks in the great outdoors (no matter the weather), throw a ball for a fun game of fetch, and of course, receive an abundance of love in the form of wet kisses.

When I got down on the floor with them for this photo (left), they thought we were playing, and both large dogs attempted to climb in my lap. We eventually got the photo that I wanted (on the right), but I have to say, the first one is my favorite.

These pups are such beautiful part of my life. My goal is to embrace life with the joy and enthusiasm of my golden retrievers. It’s no wonder there’s usually a dog or two in my books. When you find one in the story, you can be sure that the inspiration came from them. Is there a special four-legged friend in your life that makes you want to be a better human? #authorlife #goldenretrievers

I’ve always loved writing and reading mysteries/adventures and romances. When I was in elementary school, my favorite book series was Nancy Drew Mysteries. I’d write up stories that my sister, cousins and I would act out. In college, I majored in Business-Marketing, but squeezed in a creative writing class for fun – I’m such a nerd. After graduation, I worked full-time in a marketing department for Verizon, married the love of my life, and raised a family. Life was extremely busy then, so I dabbled with some story writing, but spent most of my free time reading.

Fast-forward two decades. My kids were grown and in college when I finally decided to go after my dream of becoming a bestselling author. On January 1, 2018, I finished my final draft of Repo Girl. I had considered finding an agent and getting my book published with one of the major publishers, but that can take years. I didn’t want to wait a minute longer, so two weeks later, I opened my own publishing company – Blue Morpho Books. On March 15, 2018, I published Repo Girl! It’s been such an exciting adventure, and I continue to learn new things every day.

I just turned 55 and am now an international and bestselling author of three books! I’ve got another three stories that are ready to be written – hopefully this year. It’s never too late to chase those dreams.

Do you have a dream that you’d love to make a part of your reality? Please share your dream in the comments.