The last sultry days of summer are slipping silently into the mist of early autumn mornings. Intricate spider webs hang precariously from twisted branches of gnarled old oaks. Subtle shades of sun-drenched red and gold begin to emerge along winding country roads.
Tonight I sit alone on my deck overlooking Whitefish Lake as waves crash beneath me. As shadows slip into an endless lake. As wild winds penetrate the pitch of night. Tonight there is no moon. There are no stars. All I can see is black leaves rustling and swaying to the rhythm of the night, dipping and dancing against a blackened sky that seems to threaten the world below.
I wait - as winds begin to howl, as thunder booms across the universe, as jagged spikes of white lightning sizzle across my lake. It's time to retreat into the safety of my home, I think, as the heavens unleash a downpour of icy rain.
As I slam my windows shut against the fickle whims of nature, I ponder the seasons of life that provide balance in our lives, that inspire us to write, to create, and to dream. I long to fling these windows wide open,to let the creative juices flow in again. And I know that they will, when the time is right...
Stay tuned, and please stay in touch!
Janet Kay
www.watersofthedancingsky.com
Monday, August 30, 2010
Monday, August 23, 2010
"On The Edge..."
"If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much space," an unknown author once wrote. I wholeheartedly agree!
What does it mean to live "on the edge?" For me, it implies taking a few risks in life, exploring the unknown, being open to new things and ideas. I've tried to do this in my own life, not always successfully, I might add! I've parasailed off the Florida coast, ventured deep into the heart of the jungles of Honduras in a crude dug-out(canoe), snorkeled in the turquoise waters of Hawaii,and jumped into the frigid waters of the Arctic Ocean in Alaska (my initiation into the "polar bear club")I've also gone dog sledding in Wyoming...an adventure that came to an abrupt halt when I broke my back. Still, it was an amazing experience, one that will show up in my writing someday.
Living on the edge also means finally writing that novel that has been bubbling around in your subconscious for years. Unless you try, how do you know if you can really do it?
It means thinking out of the box, interpreting life's experiences. I once wrote a poem entitled "On the Edge":
What is real and what is not?
Who is to be the judge of that...
you or me?
For it's a different world that we each see,
shaped by who we are,
by where our paths have led us.
A fine line it is we cross at times,
weaving back and forth
between inner and outer space,
balancing the shifting realities of life.
Sometimes we stand shivering
on the edge...
on the brink of conflicting realities,
wondering where "reality" really ends...
or if it even
exists at all."
between i
Here's to life on the edge!
Stay tuned and please stay in touch.
Janet Kay
www.watersofthedancingsky.com
What does it mean to live "on the edge?" For me, it implies taking a few risks in life, exploring the unknown, being open to new things and ideas. I've tried to do this in my own life, not always successfully, I might add! I've parasailed off the Florida coast, ventured deep into the heart of the jungles of Honduras in a crude dug-out(canoe), snorkeled in the turquoise waters of Hawaii,and jumped into the frigid waters of the Arctic Ocean in Alaska (my initiation into the "polar bear club")I've also gone dog sledding in Wyoming...an adventure that came to an abrupt halt when I broke my back. Still, it was an amazing experience, one that will show up in my writing someday.
Living on the edge also means finally writing that novel that has been bubbling around in your subconscious for years. Unless you try, how do you know if you can really do it?
It means thinking out of the box, interpreting life's experiences. I once wrote a poem entitled "On the Edge":
What is real and what is not?
Who is to be the judge of that...
you or me?
For it's a different world that we each see,
shaped by who we are,
by where our paths have led us.
A fine line it is we cross at times,
weaving back and forth
between inner and outer space,
balancing the shifting realities of life.
Sometimes we stand shivering
on the edge...
on the brink of conflicting realities,
wondering where "reality" really ends...
or if it even
exists at all."
between i
Here's to life on the edge!
Stay tuned and please stay in touch.
Janet Kay
www.watersofthedancingsky.com
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
SO... NOW WHAT?
Now that I've accomplished my goal of publishing my first novel, WATERS OF THE DANCING SKY, I'm asking myself the question that all authors seem to ask post-publication - "So now what?"
Although I'm buried in marketing efforts - and it is paying off - it's time to set some new goals, right? After all, I'm on a roll...I think... My book reviews are great. I continue to get wonderful notes from my readers. Many are asking for a sequel to "Waters," not wanting to let go of my characters and their lives on Rainy Lake. They want more! Some of them are even sending me some wild and crazy ideas for a sequel - what fun!
Yes, a sequel is in the works, currently hibernating in the recesses of my mind as it comes to life. I'm lovin' all the input from my readers. If any of you have suggestions for this next book, please let me know.
Stay tuned and please stay in touch!
Janet Kay
www.watersofthedancingsky.com
Although I'm buried in marketing efforts - and it is paying off - it's time to set some new goals, right? After all, I'm on a roll...I think... My book reviews are great. I continue to get wonderful notes from my readers. Many are asking for a sequel to "Waters," not wanting to let go of my characters and their lives on Rainy Lake. They want more! Some of them are even sending me some wild and crazy ideas for a sequel - what fun!
Yes, a sequel is in the works, currently hibernating in the recesses of my mind as it comes to life. I'm lovin' all the input from my readers. If any of you have suggestions for this next book, please let me know.
Stay tuned and please stay in touch!
Janet Kay
www.watersofthedancingsky.com
Monday, August 9, 2010
Retreating into the world of nature
Sigurd Olson, the renowned environmentalist and lover of nature once wrote,"If we can somehow retain places where we can always sense the mystery of the unknown,our lives will be richer." I wholeheartedly agree!
I was fortunate to spend a week recently on a remote wilderness island of Rainy Lake along the Minnesota/Ontario international border...the place where my novel,"Waters of the Dancing Sky,"is set. I spent the week with 9 of my St. Croix Writer's friends - sharing evening meals and campfires, taking cool dips in the lake, participating in workshops together. During the day, we worked on our individual writing projects,roamed around the island picking blueberries, absorbing the nature and the history of this magical place.
Here,far from home, we reatreated into a world of the past. As I sat on my rustic deck late at night, immersed in the call of the loons and a full moon glistening across rippling waters, I slipped back into the days when Ernest Oberholtzer lived here...in this house. I felt his presence, his love of nature, his dedication to preserving this part of the wilderness for us all.
Somehow, nature soothes - and releases creative forces bubbling deep within us all. Now and then, we need to retreat into the world of nature, taking time to balance our lives and renew our energy. We need to rediscover the mystery of unknown places.
Stay tuned and please stay in touch!
Janet Kay
www.watersofthedancingsky.com
I was fortunate to spend a week recently on a remote wilderness island of Rainy Lake along the Minnesota/Ontario international border...the place where my novel,"Waters of the Dancing Sky,"is set. I spent the week with 9 of my St. Croix Writer's friends - sharing evening meals and campfires, taking cool dips in the lake, participating in workshops together. During the day, we worked on our individual writing projects,roamed around the island picking blueberries, absorbing the nature and the history of this magical place.
Here,far from home, we reatreated into a world of the past. As I sat on my rustic deck late at night, immersed in the call of the loons and a full moon glistening across rippling waters, I slipped back into the days when Ernest Oberholtzer lived here...in this house. I felt his presence, his love of nature, his dedication to preserving this part of the wilderness for us all.
Somehow, nature soothes - and releases creative forces bubbling deep within us all. Now and then, we need to retreat into the world of nature, taking time to balance our lives and renew our energy. We need to rediscover the mystery of unknown places.
Stay tuned and please stay in touch!
Janet Kay
www.watersofthedancingsky.com
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