Putting it all in perspective

The May issue of Romantic Times Book Reviews is out and my August 2006 release Anya's Dream is reviewed. It's certainly not a stellar review and it's not one I will ever brag about. The reviewer gave it two stars and all my previous works reviewed there received three or four. I am, in a word, disappointed. Unless you subscribe to the magazine, you'll have to wait until the June issue is released before the May reviews will go online. The ad created to advertise the entire Texoma Series, of which Anya is the last, is wonderful. I doubt it will be online.

So, naturally, I've been in a bit of a funk over this. An author wants wonderful reviews; she wants everyone to love her work. In fact, this is the book that when reviewed by Romance Junkies garnered an invitation to send the rest of the series because the reviewer liked it so much. Needless to say, the rest of the series was zapped off immediately.

All of this is to say, things have to be kept in perspective. No sooner did I receive this review than a good friend was diagnosed with leukemia. Hel-lo. There's something to be in a funk about. With that diagnosis, your life, for all practical purposes, stops. Nothing is going forward until you've fought this. And fight he is. Diagnosed on Friday, into the cancer center on Monday, chemo begun on Wednesday. They've started a website How Is Pat to keep us informed about his progress.

More perspective keeping: our first grandchild, who will--of course!--be the prettiest, smartest, and most charming little girl around, is not due to make her appearance for five more weeks, in mid-May. According to the doctor, she will appear before then. Hopefully, not too much before then. We're hoping for a couple more weeks in the "oven" in order to ward off any light-weight problems which might occur.

So what's a less-than-wonderful review? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I've got other things, much more important things, to be concerned about as I keep my world in perspective.