The Road to Success from Atlanta RWA 2013

It’s taken me almost a week to recover from the RWA national conference in Atlanta. The conference was amazing. The speakers were awesome. And the opportunities for networking were astounding. I had a great time and I learned a lot. While I came away exhausted--because the days were long and the nights were short--I also came away recharged and encouraged about the book industry and my place in it. Maybe it’s because I went into this year’s conference with a different energy and expectation that I got more out of it. But I think it was more than that, too.

R8 Members: Evie, Me, Lisa, and Keely

The landscape is entirely different than it was even a year ago. The most popular workshops seemed to be those directed at learning about indie publishing. There were still our old favorites: regular spotlights on traditional publishing, craft-oriented workshops for beginner to pro, an arena sized book signing for traditionally published authors, PAN workshops, pitch sessions, and networking parties. But this year RWA shifted the focus slightly and allowed indie publishing to take a place at the table. Successful indie authors shared their secrets about their success and RWA sponsored a book signing & giveaway for indie authors. The energy was high, and the mood was collaborative and positive.

The clear message? This is the best time to be a writer because of all the options available to us. We can traditionally publish, we can publish with a small press, we can publish with an e-publisher, we can indie publish, we can hold our digital rights and sell our print rights, and so on and so on. Or, we can be a hybrid author who does all of the above. If we want. We have choices. Writers hold the power card.

The trick is knowing what you want. What brings you the validation that you require to continue writing what you want to write? Is it seeing your book in print? Knowing that readers are reading it? The distribution? Is it being able to make a living from your book sales? There’s a lot of self-discovery necessary these days to make your way in the book industry. You need to know what you want and why you want it. But if you’re honest with yourself and willing to work hard and write, write, write, there are no limits, and there’s no single pathway to success.

 

 Have you thought about what success looks like for you? When will you know you've arrived?

If you attended RWA Nationals in Atlanta this year, what was your favorite part?

Scratch and Sift

How familiar is this? You attend yet another writer's conference, and the keynote speaker has just regaled the audience on how she wrote her breakout first novel, which of course not only became a bestseller, but also launched a movie franchise. She tells us that she'd never written before, except maybe a sweet little article for a parenting magazine. But one morning, after a pitiful night's sleep due to 3 sick children and a dog that ate her husband's socks, she awakened with the entire plot for the book. Complete with sparkly skin. And she's never read books about leprechauns, either.

It had just come to her.

Maybe she was also down on her luck, living on food stamps, and one dream later, she's wearing Prada to walk the dog. She demurs, she giggles, she tells us we just have to pay attention to our dreams because an absolute fabbie story is just waiting to pop out with the morning bowl of cornflakes.

I don't know about you, but I find these inspirational stories kinda depressing, and more likely to send me to the gentle comfort of cheesecake and vodka than to my notebook. Because Ima Bess Eller didn't mention the seven drafts that she went through or the edits her editor demanded just to make the book saleable. No, as far as I know, that best seller was birthed from her forehead like Athena springing from Zeus. And perfectionist that I can be, I don't want to start something that doesn't arrive fully written.

This week, I signed up for a design class taught by WeeksRingle. In the intro, she mentioned Twyla Tharpe's book, The Creative Habit, and shared Ms Tharpe's idea of "scratching". Chickens walk through the yard - at least the free range ones do  - scratching for corn. They don't know for sure if there is grain. Sometimes they pluck up a pebble or stone. But they still continue to scratch and sample, seeking all day long for something tasty.

Like chickens, artists, choreographers and yes, even writers, must learn to be continuous scratchers, living in the expectation of the spark of an idea. And then not to be bound to that idea, either, because sometimes an idea is simply the doorway to the next one. 

Back in the day when dinosaurs roamed the earth and I was in high school, my creative writing teacher had us read. All the time. To see how other writers handled words, conveyed ideas. We looked at theme and cadence, at conflict and arc. Then we would do writing exercises. My writing teacher had no expectation of any story or poem arriving fully formed. Nor was every idea that we scratched about with meant to become a completed story. I can't tell you where the transition was made in my mind. Perhaps my procrastination forced my perfectionism's hand, or vice versa. But I love the freedom in trial and error, even if I haven't the patience always for gathering and trying and drafting and thinking. But I think my writing will only get better if I allow myself to just scratch about and see where an idea might carry me. 

Yes, You Really Are Special

This week the Rockville 8 is honored to welcome NYT best selling author Cathy Maxwell. Her latest book, The Devil's Heart, is available in stores now!

Cathy gave the closing talk at our local chapter's retreat this past April, and I'm thrilled to be able to share her wisdom with you here.

Thank you so much for joining us, Cathy!

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Yes, You Really Are Special

gift noun \ˈgift\
1: a notable capacity, talent, or endowment
2: something voluntarily transferred by one person to another without compensation
3: the act, right, or power of giving
Merriam-Webster Dictionary

When my friend, the writer Felicia Mason speaks to student groups, she will ask, “Who hears stories in your head?”

Several hands will go up.  Not many, but a number.  Felicia will point out that those who raise their hands are the storytellers and although it may seem simple to them to weave tales, it is mystery to the rest of the world. What they have is a gift they are born with.

And the gift for story telling, just like any other innate gift such as a talent for math or athletic ability, needs discipline to be developed. That means that of the small number of students who raised their hands, maybe only one will become a writer.

I admit, “discipline” is one of those more-than-four-letter words that annoys me. It has taken me years to come to terms with it—and I admit to far too many relapses.

So, if you are storyteller who longs to share your stories, here is a thought or two on how to develop DISCIPLINE:

1. You don’t need to write the whole story in one sitting.  Books, scripts, any writing always begins, for me, in fits and starts.  A good sentence can make me happy.  One sentence leads to a paragraph and then a page.  Sometimes, to help my concentration, I’ll set a timer.  I bargain with myself—let me give fifteen minutes to the discipline of writing and then after that, I can go do something else and I’m not picky what that is.  I burst out of my office like a fifth-grader on the last day of school.
2. Recognize when your best creative time is and then use it.  There is no point in forcing a night owl to rise with the sun to write. Or vice versa.  I’ve discovered my best writing time seems to start at one in the afternoon and last until six.  After that, I’m shot.  So why battle my natural inclinations?  Oh, by the way, I used to write first thing in the morning, but my creative clock changed.  Sometimes it resets for the a.m. I roll with it.
3. Good books are in the rewrites.  I run into people who believe the first draft is the product.  Not so.  The first draft is to fill blank pages and develop a story arc.  It is like a big, ugly lump of clay.  Once I have an idea of where I want to go, then I can finesse.  And finesse.  And finesse again until I have it right/write.  
4. Goals help.  I have daily writing goals and monthly writing goals.  I have used critique groups, workbooks, software programs, voodoo, and sage burning to help me achieve them. Fortunately, I’m competitive enough that goals work for me.
5. You aren’t going to be happy until you try.  The stories will keep swirling inside you.  I did mention this is a gift?  That means it is unique to you.  It was born inside you and is part of what you have to offer the world.  Please, don’t back away from it.  Embrace it.  Using your gift isn’t about becoming a mega-millionaire writer (trust me, there are easier ways to earn money that story-telling).  It is about bringing yourself into the fullness of your being.  This is one of the many things you can offer the world that others can’t.  It is worth the exploration . . . and the discipline.  Trust me.

Cathy Maxwell has been in publishing over twenty years.  Over the course of those two decades, Cathy has written over twenty-five historical romances, hit the New York Times and USA Today lists, been nominated for and, occasionally, won some nice awards, made dynamite writing friends, and has had the time of her life.

The Long and Winding Road to being Brand New… again.

This week the Rockville 8 welcomes Emelle Gamble! She's been an invaluable resource for me, personally, and I am thrilled about her new book, Secret Sister, hitting the virtual shelves. You can find her at www.EmelleGamble.com and on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Emelle.Gamble

*~*~*

On Wednesday, July 10, 2013, Secret Sister by Emelle Gamble will go on sale at Amazon.

It's  my first new book for sale in over a decade. I won’t bore you with the details of why this is (but it is spelled L-I-F-E), but let me say that, while it's just as exciting now being a ‘new author’ as it was the first time,  it’s also a lot more nerve-wracking and challenging the second time around.

In my past life as Harlequin Intrigue writer M.L. Gamble, when I got a new  idea for a book (always the ending first, then the title), I’d get a thrilling, chilling little ‘pop’ of excitement inside my head. Sharp inhale. I knew the creative process had begun.

Very soon after that I’d begin plotting, outlining, and note card noting…The evenings saw the first pages blooming on my computer screen, the next weeks would find me bundling those exciting ‘first three’ chapters off (surely they were perfect) to my critique group. This would be followed by hearing from my honest, supportive and encouraging critique group that the chapters were, in fact, not perfect. So I wrote and rewrote, suffered middle book malaise, last chapter loathing, and re-evaluation jitters, but completed the first draft. And the second draft. And the fifth draft.

A few days before the contract deadline (most of the time) I printed the whole thing out on paper. Addressed a big-ass envelope. Drove to the United States Post Office. Bought postage and insurance (“It’s a manuscript, I’m a writer.” This sentence was always worked into conversation with the postal worker). Watched the now impressed (surely) postal employee throw  the package in a bin, giddy with the knowledge it was going to end up on my New York Editor’s desk in 48 hours.

Over the next few months, after a couple of exchanges of edits, and proofed copy checks, art approval (which meant saying, “Yes, I like it” even though my concept of a hot guy on a motorcycle turned into a psycho bowler - see If Looks Could Kill cover), the creative work was done.

Then four to six months later there would be a knock on the door and you’d get a box of books. Beautiful books. Your books. This was the reason for the long hours and hard work.  (The reason you lived!)

Exhale. Delirium. My book will be read, my story will be shared. I’m a new author.

Now, ten years later, the creative process hasn’t much changed, except for the fact it’s done electronically instead of on paper. But everything else, and I mean EVERYTHING else has changed.

Though I am still contracted with a publisher, albeit a smaller one, in this new publishing environment I immediately discovered that there was much, much more I had to do to give my new book a chance of success. For many publishing houses now no longer support authors as they did in the Wizard of Oz olden days when I was at Harlequin. Publishers expect you, as an author, especially a new author, to not only write a great book, but hunt down your prospective readers and introduce yourself..

On behalf of Secret Sister, I’ve personally contacted over twenty review sites with email pitches for review consideration. I’ve asked friends, family members, and fellow authors to read an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) and consider posting a review on Amazon and/or Goodreads, and have offered to spend the time required to read others’ books and return the favor.

I’ve spent hundreds of hours working with a pro to set up a website, without a pro to set up a Facebook Author page, a twitter account, a Goodreads Author account. And a blog. (Worth the ten hours it took figuring that out just to see the look on hubby’s face when I explained what a blog was. HA!)

I’ve designed storyboards to help create a book trailer and put it up on YouTube. I’ve talked to half a dozen local book sellers, three librarians, and two newspaper columnists about Secret Sister. I’ve spent money on a website, book covers, copy editors, and a top notch review/ARC giveaway site, Netgalley. I’ve spent money on a Facebook ad campaign and a Goodreads ad campaign and a publicity Blog tour campaign with a highly recommended company named Goddess Fish Promotions. (And I have the surreal Paypal receipt for the IRS to prove it!)  I spent money on an ‘expert’ social media consultant who advised me to do everything I’d already done. And frankly, I have no idea if any of this effort is going to result in my finding an audience for Secret Sister.

Which brings me back to Wednesday, July 10, 2013.

Exhale. Delirium. My book will be read, my story will be shared. I’ll be a new author.

Secret Sister by Emelle Gamble is a romantic novel with a paranormal twist. It came to me (with that thrilling, chilling little pop of excitement) when I thought of a single question… “  What if everything about you changed, would your true love recognize you?”

It’s a contemporary story set in Southern California about Nick and Cathy, happily married. And Cathy and Roxanne, best friends forever. It’s about faith and friendship and true love, secrets and lies and the ties that bind. And an extraordinary twist of fate.

It’s a brand new book from a brand new author in this brand new world. I hope you’ll enjoy it.

Watch the Secret Sister trailer here.

www.EmelleGamble.com

https://www.facebook.com/Emelle.Gamble

Petticoat Sleuths

I look to my wonderfully creative friends for inspiration and they do not fail me—ever.  Over the past few weeks, Nichole Christoff has inspire me with her summer reading list and last week's blog guest, Christine Trent, inspired me to focus my reading on what I'm dubbing:  "petticoat sleuths." That's right, those crime-fighting women of the sub-sub-genre: historical mystery with female protagonist. 

Happily, this is fertile ground and there are many choices. For your reading pleasure, I've assembled a selection of authors and their creations spanning 13 centuries and two continents. The selected books all feature a female amateur sleuth with or without a husband, lover or boyfriend.  For a more in-depth listing of the genre over many centuries go to Women In World History by clicking here or see this slide show at Huffington Post here.

7th Century Ireland
Sister Fidelma Mysteries by Peter Tremayne. Sister Fidelma is a Celtic religieuse and a dalaigh, an advocate of the ancient law courts of Ireland.  Fidelma usually solves crimes with her partner (and eventually husband) Brother Eadulf, a Saxon religieux.  I've read a number of these books and they're fascinating.  The series focuses on domestic and royal crimes.

Regency England
The Mr. and Mrs. Darcy Mysteries by Carrie Bebris. This series feature newlyweds Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice as reluctant sleuths who become embroiled in intrigues surrounding their friends and family. The series offers plenty of lively dialogue, suspense, and romantic interplay, with eerie twists reminiscent of the gothic novels so popular in Austen's day. I've read a few of these and found them delightful.  A good spinoff on JA's work and the tone of the time.


Death and the Courtesan by Pamela Christie.  Pamela Christie’s sparkling historical mystery goes beyond the modest drawing rooms of Regency London in the company of the city’s most esteemed and scandalous courtesan Arabella Beaumont.  It falls to Arabella and her resourceful sister, Belinda, to clear her good—or at least innocent—name. Utilizing all the talents in her arsenal, the irrepressible Miss Beaumont will endeavor to catch the real culprit, before the hangman catches up to her… Haven't read this, but just put it on my wish list. I like a feisty heroine who bucking the system.


19th Century England

The Amelia Peabody Series is a series of nineteen mystery novels and one nonfiction companion volume written by Elizabeth Peters, featuring Egyptologist Amelia Peabody Emerson. Everybody knows the famed egyptologist Amelia Peabody. 'nuff said.

Charlotte & Thomas Pitt Series by Anne Perry. Victorian policeman Thomas Pitt and his well-born wife Charlotte solve mysteries. About the first book, The Carter Street Hangman, reviewers said: "An ingenious mystery and an excellent example of manners and caste systems of the Victorian era." 
 

19th Century New York
The Gaslight Mystery Series by Victoria Thompson. "Turn-of-the-century New York, a courageous midwife-sleuth, a fast-paced plot, and plenty of authentic period atmosphere," says one reviewer. Edgar® Nominated author Victoria Thompson writes series feature midwife Sarah Brandt and Detective Sergeant Frank Malloy of the New York City Police. Apparently Sara and Frank have been solving mysteries and gradually falling in love over the first 14 books. I've read one and I'm going back for more.

Early 20th Century England
Edgar-winning mystery writer Laurie R. King writes the Mary Russell series. May is partner/wife to Sherlock Holmes. Mary became first Holmes's apprentice, then his partner. Starting with The Beekeeper’s Apprentice, Russell and Holmes move through the ’teens and ’twenties in amiable discord, challenging each other to ever greater feats of detection, traveling the world from Sussex to Simla. Haven't read this series yet but it has come highly recommended.


England WWII
The Maggie Hope Mystery Series by Susan Elia MacNeal features whip-smart heroine Maggie Hope. MacNeal introduced the remarkable Maggie Hope in her acclaimed debut, Mr. Churchill’s Secretary. Maggie graduated at the top of her college class and possesses all the skills of the finest minds in British intelligence, but her gender qualifies her only to be the newest typist at No. 10 Downing Street. Her indefatigable spirit and remarkable gifts for code breaking, though, rival those of even the highest men in government, and Maggie finds that working for the prime minister affords her a level of clearance she could never have imagined—and opportunities she will not let pass.  That sounds like a great premise to me!  Sign me up.

Mid-20th Century England
Miss Jane Marple Series by Agatha Christie. Miss Marple is an elderly spinster who lives in the village of St. Mary Mead and acts as an amateur detective. Alongside Hercule Poirot, she is one of the most loved and famous of Christie's characters and has been portrayed numerous times on screen. My personal favorite actress to play JM is Joan Hickson.

This is just the tip of the ice berg and I’m sure I've left off YOUR favorite sleuth. In fact, I've left off a lot of favorites.  A thousand pardons. Please, enlighten me and our readers by leaving a comment with the petticoat sleuth you like the best.

An Interview with Christine Trent, Lady of Ashes

The Rockville 8 is pleased to welcome historical-fiction writer Christine Trent to our blog. Christine is the author of four novels set in England and France during the Industrial Revolution. Her newest novel, Lady of Ashes from Kensington Books, was released in March 2013 and tells the story of Violet Morgan, a Victorian lady undertaker.

Perhaps you're wondering if I mistyped that. Undertaker? That's right; the book's feisty and resolute heroine is a dismal housekeeper, but a very successful undertaker. When the book opens, Violet Morgan operates a funerary business with her then-husband Graham. As the story evolves, the reader quickly learns that it is Violet--her business savvy,  hard work and empathy--that makes Morgan Undertaking a success. Let's chat with Christine and learn a little bit about her heroine, her creative process and historical research.

R8: Christine, most historical fiction focuses on women of leisure but Lady of Ashes (LOA) is the fourth in what I call your "career woman" series. What draws you to create stories about working women during this time period?

CT: Well, I’ve actually written about working women from the late 18th century through the middle of the 19th century.  The Queen’s Dollmaker, about a dollmaker to Marie Antoinette, was set in France and England of the Revolutionary period.  I’ve also written about an apprentice to the great waxworker, Madame Tussaud (A Royal Likeness), as well as having written a Regency-set piece about a cloth merchant (By the King’s Design).

I think a lot of traditional professions (seamstresses, fan-makers, lacemakers, and so forth) have been done really well by several authors, and I thought it would be interesting to explore more off-beat professions a woman might have.  The ideas for the professions mostly stem from my own interests. 

For example, I have an extensive doll collection, and when I learned that Marie Antoinette collected dolls, it really made me wonder about who would have supplied them to the queen.  I’ve also visited Madame Tussauds in several cities, and have always been fascinated by the art of waxworks.  In By the King’s Design, the hero is a cabinetmaker, which is homage to my husband, who is my very own talented cabinetmaker hero.

R8: What prompted your interest in undertaking and funerary occupations for your characters? In your research, did you find examples of women undertakers?  Was this an unusual occupation for a woman?

CT: The idea for Lady of Ashes actually came from a writer friend of mine, Mary Oldham, who suggested to me that an undertaker would be a “fun” profession to explore for a heroine.  Indeed it was.  I was amazed at how much there was to the funeral business beyond black dresses, black bunting on the windows, and those silly bell-ringer coffins.  For example, did you know that when someone died, all of the household clocks would be stopped?  It was a signal that time had stopped for the deceased, and he needed to know this so that he could move on to the other side.

Also, embalming was not widely practiced until the U.S. started using it during the Civil War, to preserve the bodies of dead soldiers who might need to make long train rides home.  British Victorians found embalming to be a very un-Christian practice, because it amounted to filling a body full of nasty chemicals and then committing it to the ground.  Who says the Victorians weren’t environmentally conscious?

As for existing female undertakers…they would be unusual indeed.  I have no doubt that there were women who worked in undertaker shops with their husbands, and who may have inherited the shops when their husbands died, but it wouldn’t have generally been a “seemly” practice for a woman.  After all, women did not frequently even attend funerals, much less coordinate them!

It was difficult to find detailed information about specific undertakers of the Victorian era.  I think this was primarily because funerary practices were—and still are today—closely held secrets.  Now, if you want to hear about a Victorian era undertaking scandal, let me know, and I’ll tell you about the undertaking team of Hutton and Williams…

R8: Not only is Violet a career-minded woman, but she is also interested in medicine and science—almost unheard of I assume at that time period. Further, Violet is a self-proclaimed failure as housekeeper. Why were these traits important in developing Violet's character?

CT: I wanted Violet to be a really great, scrupulous undertaker.  But I didn’t want her to be perfect, because that would be boring.  So I decided that as a lousy housekeeper, she would be a Victorian rarity—a woman who isn’t domestic AND dallies in a man’s profession.

R8: LOA is set in a very realistic London between 1861 and 1865. How do you research the time period for one of your books?

The Buckingham Palace Mews (horse stables) will figure prominently in 

the book I am currently writing.  Here I am with an audio tour.

CT: Lots of books and lots of Internet time, but I also do original research too.  I always try to find several significant historical events during my time period that I can weave my characters through, as well as having them interact with real historical personages (some famous, and some obscure).

R8: As a reader, I love learning little tidbits of historical information. While several things caught my eye, I'll mention one here: Mr. Crapper and his amazing flush toilet. Unlike our good friends with the X and Y chromosomes, I'm usually not interested in scatological detail, but when I read that Violet's home had one of "Mr. Thomas Crapper's brand-new water closet mechanisms," I admit I ran to Wikipedia right away to learn more.  So, how did this piece of information come to your attention? And what did you learn about Crapper & Co and their slogan,"a certain flush with every pull?"

CT: Well, this goes back to the “lots of books” part of my research.  I have a book called The Compleat Loo.  Enough said.  After all, who isn’t interested in how people once did their business?

R8: In LOA and your earlier novels, the heroine's story is intertwined with royalty and famous people of the time. Tell us about weaving Albert and Victoria into Violet's story.

CT: Actually, my editor liked the weaving of my heroine with Marie Antoinette in The Queen’s Dollmaker, and wanted me to continue the practice of commoners interacting with royalty in subsequent books.  Prior to writing Lady of Ashes, I knew quite a bit about Victoria, but almost nothing about Albert.  Theirs was quite an interesting romance, and she was completely devastated when he died. 

Rockville 8 members may be interested to

 learn that I ran into fellow WRW chapter-mate, Mindy Klasky,

 while standing inside Walter Raleigh’s prison cell at the

 Tower of London.  How weird is that??

I knew that Albert’s death and a female undertaker were an irresistible combination, so I have my heroine work on Albert’s funeral.  Now that was some interesting research!  Did you know that Albert’s body was not only not embalmed, but he was left out to, er, mature, for nearly two weeks before he was buried?  Grenadier guards were stationed at his coffin inside Windsor Chapel, and they had to be changed out every hour or so because they were passing out from the smell.

You learn some really weird stuff when you research undertaking.

R8: With LOA you introduced an element of intrigue and mystery. How did that come about and where do you think that will take you?

CT: As I researched historical events in my time period, I learned about an unusual killer who was on the loose at the time.  I’ll say no more lest I spoil the plot.  But I really wanted to incorporate the killer, which led me to a bit of a side mystery plot.  As a result, Lady of Ashes is becoming a series, with the heroine now an amateur detective.

R8: Can you give us a sneak peek of what you're working on next?

CT: I’ve turned in the first sequel to Lady of Ashes, and am working on the next book of Violet’s adventures.  You can expect more details about Victorian-era undertaking in each book.  Fingers crossed that my publisher will want to buy more.

R8: In the photo on the right, Christine is standing on the very windy Westminster Bridge where Violet will have a harrowing experience in the sequel to Lady of Ashes, so stay tuned for the next book in the Lady of Ashes series (click here).

Haven't read Lady of Ashes?  Win a free book and get started!


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A Father's Words of Wisdom

My dad is a visionary leader, a droll raconteur, and a sentimental slob who loves his kids and grandkids and chortles like a hopped-up Santa at his own jokes. He’s the best and I love him.

In tribute to him and fathers around the world this Father’s Day season, I bring you some of his parenting wisdom.

Upon the whining of his kids at the prospect of Yet Another Cultural Learning Opportunity:

“You know, it’s my job as the parent to present you with educational experiences and it’s your job as the child to pretend not to like it.”  

His take on the Serenity prayer:

“If you’re happy, I’m ecstatic.”

On being a tourist:

“Always leave something left unexplored so you have a reason to come back.”

Career Advice Part One:

“If you write a page a day, in a year, you’ll have written a book.”

Career Advice Part Two:

“If you wake up in the morning and you’re not at least a little bit excited about going to work, then quit. Life’s too short to be unhappy with your job.”

Later this summer, my dad and I will head out on a short vacation together, a little father-daughter time to hang out, and explore, and crack each other up, and be serious. We will eat good food and drink good wine and we might remember to take pictures of  all the venues we visit. We’ll grin at odd moments and think how lucky we are to enjoy each other as adults and it won’t even cross my mind to pretend not to like it, cuz it will be awesome.

How about you? Has your dad gifted you with any sage advice that helps you navigate life?