M.C. Cairns's Blog

This year has started off with more emphasis on my "other job" than on writing (although I am really missing my writing time). Some of you may already know what that other job is, but for those of you who don't, it's being a mom to several daughters. I love my time with my girls and watching them all grow and blossom at their different stages. But, that growing part...well, that's the part this post is focused on. These kids grow like weeds. And to grow, they gotta eat. And eat. And eat. Holy cow, they eat a lot. Not that it's a bad thing, but if I don't make a plan, we are going to be out of food and money before we know it. So, my goal for this month is to make a monthly meal plan. I sat down and started thinking about the foods I make that they will eat (this is a very small list - picky girls) and started my list. This ended up being harder than I imagined. I want them to have a variety and not have to eat the same foods all the time, but I also want to save some money and not be buying special ingredients for every meal. The less time I have to spend at the store, the more writing I could get done, right?So, I am reaching out to all of you. If you have a meal that you - and especially your kids - love that works on a budget, please share! I could use all the ideas I can get to feed our herd. Crock pot ideas are always welcome, too!

It has been two months since the release of my debut novel, The Dagda's Cauldron, and I continue to learn more every day. The main thing I have learned? I have a long way to go. In an effort to be as transparent as possible, I will tell you that all in all so far I have sold somewhere around 30 books. And I bought 8 of those for giveaways and gifts. Not exactly tearing up the bestseller charts here. However, I also know that being successful can be measured on an infinite number of levels. So, today, I will celebrate my successes:1. I wrote a book. To me, that is the ultimate success in this endeavor. I stuck it out, I finished it, and it is published.2. Those who have read it, tell me they love it and can't wait for the second book in the series. Could they be lying? Maybe. Could they be stroking my ego? Maybe (and I thank you for this ). But the bottom line is there are people who genuinely love the book that I wrote. Wow. Do you know how amazing that feels?3. I'm not quitting. Book 2 is already well under way and I love it just as much as book 1. I lose myself in the writing like I did when I read books as a kid - and even as an adult, just ask my kids. To me, finding something I love enough to keep doing, no matter what anyone else says or how they measure my success is a sign of a truly successful endeavor.4. I have always said that if I reached just one reader and connected with them, then I would consider that a success. And I have. More than one actually. And when those people approach me and say, "I just love so-and-so in your book. I felt like I was right there and I could really feel the emotion." or "That's something I have dealt with in my life, too, and it was great to see it in a book." That's worth every minute I spent writing and editing.So, do I consider myself a success at this author thing. You bet. That doesn't mean I don't want to reach those goals of selling hundreds and thousands of books, but for now, I am going to celebrate every step along the way and enjoy the hike.

Let me start off by saying I have come to love (and hate) every part of the writing process. I talked before about all of the skills I have learned through this venture and there isn't one part of it that doesn't have my whole heart in it. (Ok, maybe the blurb...that part is horrible.) But the one thing I have found motivates me on those days I just don't want to write or can't get past a scene is working on the cover. I love the creativity I am able to tap into when I am playing with and tweaking covers. I'm not a professional by any means, but I can tell that I get better with each one and when I learn how to do something new I get really excited.That being said, I have been working on the cover for Book 2 of The Faeling Sisters series, and I am truly in love with what I have. So here it is, the cover for The Stone of Fal (minus the original art by Annie Cairns because you have to keep some things a surprise, right? )

I have been working on my Goodreads author page and there is a section where followers can ask you questions. One of the pre-loaded questions is "Where do you find your inspiration?" I actually smiled when I answered this question. Here's why:Yes, some of my inspiration is obviously from mythology and fairy tales. Those are just super fun genres that I love to learn more about and worlds I can dive right into.However, my characters have their own source of inspiration -- my girls. My days are spent (during the school year) with two little girls who can make a day crazier than a cat on a catnip high. Although trying at times, they are the best to spend time with. My mornings and evenings/nights are filled with all the girls and their entertaining ways. They cover the entire spectrum and it's amazing to see the differences in where they are in life and how they react to different things, not to mention the fact that six sisters could be so different from each other. It is a bottomless well of research and inspiration disguised as everyday life.I have had people read my first book and say that I have a knack for writing teenage girls. Well, let me tell you, most of what I have written were things I know my daughters would actually say. As I write, I usually see my girls in place of the character modeled after them. It makes things much easier to envision and, apparently, lends a touch of authenticity to the story. I guess that's why they say to write what you know.So, to those crazy girls I love so very much, THANK YOU. Thank you for being you and for inspiring me to be me.

I am new to the Indie Author Movement. The shift in the publishing world started several years ago, but my shift in perspective began just this year. Only a few months ago, in fact, when I talked to my husband about writing a book during my time home with our two youngest daughters. I thought he would blow me off, but he was on board and supported my dream (thank you, honey). So I started to write a book.Now, if any of you know me, you know that I can get, well, almost obsessive about some things, and writing a book became my new obsession (sorry, honey). I dove in head first, getting all the information I could about authors and publishing and all the different paths I could take, all while writing the book that was in my head. Through the whole process, I was drawn to the Indie path. I questioned myself many times. Is this really the path I want to go? Why not try the traditional route? My answer to that is: I'm a control freak. I want to have complete control of the whole process. I want it to be my dream realized, not what other people think will sell. I have since completed that book, and am in the process of several rounds of editing before its launch in three weeks. During that time, these are the things I have learned how to do for myself:I created my own website. I learned how to create what I think is a beautiful website that works on desktops and mobile devices. How cool is that? Now, am I a web designer? Not even close. I am so grateful for sites like this one that allow me to use their tools. But, I did it. By myself. And I think that is awesome.I designed my own marketing tools. In the last month, I have made ads, teasers, and bookmarks that are getting my book out there for other people to see. My first (and second and third) attempts at making anything related to my book were, let's be honest, they were ugly. I am so glad I didn't put those out there for anyone to see (other than some of the author groups I am on, who were kind enough to rip them apart and tell me how to fix them). But the more I do it, the more I learn. And the more I learn, the better they get and I am proud of them and myself for making them.I'm still learning to format my book for e-book and print. I've learned the basics, but I still have a long way to go to make it pretty. But the big thing here is that I AM learning it.The most important thing I have learned through this process is that I can do these things and anything else I want to. Being an entrepreneur is hard work. It sucks sometimes, but those moments of triumph when something I created is beautiful and works, are worth every minute of it. I wrote a book! Not many people can say that. (More than you'd think, but still it's a small group.) Even less of those people can say, "I wrote a book, marketed it, published it, and it's all mine. I'm proud to say those things. That's another thing I've learned - to be proud of myself. And it's an amazing feeling.

It's really amazing what you find out about yourself when you write. At least it has been for me. I knew I loved young adult fiction and I have always known that a good fantasy book will draw me in every single time. What I didn't know is that I view those worlds as a safe escape from the harsh reality of the world we live in. My mom has been reading my manuscript along the way - which is amazing in itself that my 70-year-old mother would read a Fantasy Young Adult book, but I digress - and at one point I had added a superfluous word. It wasn't a bad curse word, but it served only the purpose of coloring the language. When I typed it, it felt wrong. But I left it because I thought I was being authentic to the way teens are today. When she read it, she was shocked that I had added it and questioned me about it. Props to her for not pushing me to remove it, but she did make her point that it isn't necessary and really didn't seem to mesh with the feel of the rest of the book.I thought about this word for a long time, trying to decide if it was needed. Ultimately, I realized it actually detracted from my book. You know why? Because my book is a safe place for middle grade and young adult readers to escape from the harsh reality of the world we live in. It's not all sunshine and rainbows and it addresses some very real themes, but it does that without adding cursing, or sex, or gory violence. And I want it that way. I want my daughters to be able to escape from all the negativity and not be exposed (or assaulted) by those elements. I want all my readers to have that experience and I want them to know that it's okay to not follow the crowd and do things just because everyone else is doing them. The best way I know to get that message across is to set an example by doing it myself.

I debated not writing this blog post. I could have taken the easy way out and written about something nobody really cares about. But then, why write in the first place if I don't want anyone to care?I have a tendency to hide in my home and not participate with the great big world out there. I don't watch the news as much as I should. I don't get involved with community events as much as I should. I often choose to not leave my home for days because I just don't want to deal with people. Because of these things, I don't often feel I should insert my opinion into anything political or controversial. But, today, I am going to.Yesterday I had to pick up my husband from the St. Louis airport. He warned me to stay away from the city because a verdict had come down and many of the citizens were not happy about it. I had to google what verdict because I didn't even know there was a controversial case happening in St. Louis. I read several articles about the 2011 shooting of Mr. Smith by Officer Stockley and I read several articles about the judge's decision. I hurt for Mr. Smith's family and friends. The loss of a loved one is always difficult, but to have lost him in this manner multiplies that pain. I worry about our honorablepolice officers who make split second decisions every day and are now having to second guess everything for fear of being prosecuted. I am sad for everyone involved in this case, but I most especially feel for the judge.Judge Wilson was tasked with a nearly impossible job: determine if this white cop is innocent or guilty of murdering a black man 6 years ago, oh, and try not to upset the community because they have already threatened to shut down the city if you come back and say not guilty. Nobody wants that job. But Judge Wilson took it on. He listened to testimony, he got all the evidence provided to him, he pored over it for hours upon hours, he reread the court transcripts, he checked the evidence again just to make sure he didn't miss anything and he came back with an acquittal. An acquittal. Not that Officer Stockley was innocent. He didn't say, "That police officer did not commit this crime." Just that the prosecution did not prove BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT that he was guilty. That is our justice system. That is how it is supposed to work. The prosecution bears the burden of proof. They are the ones who have to prove to a judge or a jury that the accused absolutely committed this crime, beyond question. And in this case, there were just too many questions not answered with proof. Judge Timothy Wilson deserves to be praised for doing his job the way it was intended. He did something most people are unable to do: he remained neutral, listened, and followed the evidence. He did what our justice system is supposed to do. And I commend him for that.

There are those moments in history that always beg the question "Where were you?" Where were you when the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded?Where were you when Kennedy was assassinated?Where were you when the Berlin Wall came down?Today is one of those days people will inevitably ask "Where were you?" It is such an infamous date in history that the event is defined by the date alone. "Where were you on 9/11?" Nobody has to ask what year, because they remember. They remember the day our illusion (or delusion, maybe) of being untouchable came crashing down with the towers in New York. They remember the heart of our country's defense system, The Pentagon, having no line of defense as a plane came barreling at them. They remember the brave men and women who sacrificed themselves in a Pennsylvania field to save countless others. I remember where I was. I had just dropped off my oldest daughter at the babysitter and was on my way to work when I heard it on the radio. It didn't seem real at first. I was actually angry at the guys on the morning radio show because I thought it was the worst kind of joke. But when I got to work, I found out it was true. Keep in mind, this was sixteen years ago and I did not have a cell phone to call family and friends. I didn't have anyone near any of the crash sites, but on that day, everyone wondered when it would end. Where would the next plane crash? Are there more attacks coming? Our country felt like a war zone and all I wanted to do was get my daughter and husband and go home, where I felt safe. Or at least I should have felt safe. That day and for days after all that was on the television was replays of the attacks. Understandable, as this was a major event, but also damaging to the psyche.In those moments, our country pulled together. Nobody cared if the person standing next to them was black white, hispanic, or Asian. They didn't ask if someone was gay, trans, straight, Christian, or atheist. We pulled together and stood united against our enemy. We were a stronger country because we were a united people. I know that anyone under the age of 21 probably doesn't remember much about this day in history. But when I see the headlines today and I see all the division and hate in our society, I think about those people who experienced 9/11 and I wonder, "Where were you? And why don't you remember?"

I am 40 years old. I should be at a point in my life where I am well established in my career, my family, and my beliefs, right? If you had asked me that question at 20, or even 30, I would have answered with an emphatic "Yes! Absoultely!" But, here I am, 40 years old, and still finding my passion. In all fairness, I have tried everything - well, not everything, but a lot. I went to college at 18 and that wasn't for me. I joined the military before I turned 19 and the only thing I really loved about that was writing and editing for the newspaper. I was also lucky enough to meet my husband while in Japan, so the military showed me the two loves of my life. Once I was out of the service, I had years of jumping from one thing to another. I was a waitress/bartender, managed several gas stations (all for the same company), finally went back to college and worked at my daughters' school as a substitute/assistant while I was in school, and graduated with a degree in middle school English education, which I truly enjoy. But none of those things were my passion. They didn't lift my soul and I didn't feel complete.So what did I do? I looked back over all those experiences that made me who I am today and realized one thing: in every capacity of my past life, I found a way to incorporate writing, and reading. But could I really write and read for a living? I didn't know if I could or not (honestly, I still don't know for sure) but I knew I wanted to try. I cautiously approached my husband with the idea and he was, amazingly, on board with me. He said he always felt that is what I was supposed to do. Really? You couldn't have told me years ago? No. He couldn't. Because if he had told me then, I wouldn't have believed him. I had to grow. I had to live. I had to discover it myself. I am very lucky to have a partner who supports me enough to let me find myself.You are probably wondering, "What is she trying to say?" Let me lay it out for you: It is never too late to find your passion. You have to live and experience life to discover what makes your soul light up. And when you do, take the leap. It won't be easy. You will still have to work hard. But you will love it. You will want to do it. It will complete you.