Sunday, May 23, 2010

Finding the Magic!


by KJ Howe

Please welcome Gabi Stevens who is going to share a little magic with us today!

Sometimes life gets in the way of, well, life. You have a day job, dentist appointment, a headache, shopping to do, or dinner to make. Something. Anything that keeps you from doing what you want. Let’s face it; life isn’t all about lollipops and unicorns. We have responsibilities and things we have to do, not necessarily things we want to do. So how do we find the magic when life is getting in the way of life?

Attitude. One of my favorite sayings is “Fake it ‘til you make it.” Studies have shown that if you pretend to be happy, the actual emotion is more likely to follow. Attitude is everything. Finding the fun in a job you have to do is half the battle to make it a joy instead of a chore. Of course, finding the fun isn’t always easy. But here’s your chance to be creative. Dance while you do the dishes, sing in the grocery store (I confess I have done this. It’s especially fun if you have teenaged daughters who are mortified at your behavior.), have a laundry folding contest. My husband and I used to play crazy eights to see who had to climb out of bed and turn out the lights.

In my novel, THE WISH LIST, one of the themes I hope the reader takes from the story is to celebrate whenever you can. Kristin Montgomery, my heroine, faces many challenges in the course of the story, but she grabs her moments, even if they are just moments. I learned this lesson from my father. He was a man who worked diligently, hated no man, and knew how to play. He always kept a bottle of champagne in the fridge with a back-up case in the garage just in case. I’ll never forget the time my husband and I, driving from Illinois, arrived for a visit at 2:00 AM. After we woke my parents up, my father immediately popped open a bottle to celebrate our safe arrival. That’s right. At 2:00AM.

Magic is everywhere if you look for it. I don’t mean the take your wand out and zap yourself a hot fudge sundae. I mean the moments that are filled with laughter, satisfaction and love. The ones where you win the Monopoly game, or sing to a great song on the radio as you’re driving with the window down, or just smell the lilacs in bloom.When you make that perfect pot roast (a moment that still eludes me--I am not a cook), when you get recognized at work for just being you. Magic moments can happen at any time; you just have to recognize them. Or create them for yourself.

I hope you’ll enjoy my novel, THE WISH LIST. It has actual magic in it and a whole bunch of magic moments.

We'd love to hear about your magic moments! Please feel free to share ones that you've experienced, or ones that you would like to experience. Thanks for joining us today Gabi!!!

Gabi Stevens was born in SoCal to Hungarian parents. After spending time in boarding school, college, and studying abroad, she’s still in the classroom trying to teach eighth graders the joys of literature. An award winning author, Gabi writes in New Mexico where she lives with her robotics engineer husband, three daughters, and a neurotic dog. She loves to play games, has a wicked addiction to reading, avoids housework and cooking, and doesn’t travel nearly as much as she would like to.

Her latest book is THE WISH LIST, from Tor Books, May 2010. It is the first book in a trilogy. You can reach her at PO Box 20958, Albuquerque, NM 87154-0958 or through her web site at www.GabiStevens.com.

43 comments:

Donna MacMeans said...

Not sure if the rooster is coming to me. My internet is doing strange things - must be due to the midnight hour.

Hi Gabi - Welcome to the lair. Magic moments? Well finding the Romance Bandits had to be magic at work - the very best kind.

I believe as you that you have to look for magic and enjoy life everyday. Otherwise - what's the point? I'll have to check out The Wish List.

Natalie Hatch said...

Wow Donna you are quick off the mark.

Minna said...

Magic moments? The light that had vanished from my computer screen came back on it's own. Knocking on wood here that it would also stay there...

Abracadabra
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R81mIiX5z6I

Gillian Layne said...

What a wonderful Monday post! I may have to print this out. I have been accused of having a 'Pollyanna' attitude more than once, but I'd rather it be that than so darned cynical all the time. Cynical is tiring!

My recent magic moment is corny, but I'll share anyway cause I love it here in Banditaville. On GH announcement day this March I was at work, and it was a miserably cold and wet day. I had to visit six different schools, and by noon I knew I hadn't finaled, and my shoes were wet, and I decided a candy bar for lunch wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.

By two o'clock I was back at my desk, and finally able to check the internet--and my phone rang. While I was trying to form a coherent sentence, sunlight burst through the clouds and flooded the room. Seriously, it was beautiful. And another finalist in the Midwest said the same thing happened to her. :)

Gabi, your cover is beautiful, and I'm very much looking forward to reading The Wish List.

Helen said...

Donna he is going to your place today I say make him work LOL

Hi Gabi
This book sounds really interesting I love magical moments and yes making fun is the best.

Some of my most magical moments have been seeing the birth of 3 of my 5 grandchildren there is nothing like watching that bundle of joy enter the world and watching the parents have their first cuddle then of course handing them to Nana for my cuddle.

Have Fun
Helen

Nancy said...

Donna, you have the GR! I hope you keep him very busy.

Nancy said...

Gabi, welcome to the Lair!

Magic moments are all around us, I think, but it's easy to become distracted and miss them. You make a great point about paying attention and seizing those moments.

My own recent magic moment--the boy and I came out of a store last Friday just in time to see the fading light filtering through puffy, irregular gray clouds, remnants of a rainy day. The combination of the light and the clouds gave that part of the sky a silvery, almost Elvish cast. Had we walked out ten minutes earlier or later, or had we gone to the store at any other time, we'd have missed it.

KJ Howe said...

Congratulations, Donna! Have fun with the GR today.

KJ Howe said...

Welcome to the lair, Natalie!

KJ Howe said...

Minna, you crack me up...yes, the vanishing of a computer program rates right up there on the magic moment meter!

KJ Howe said...

Gillian, getting that call was definitely a magic moment! I hope it leads a very successful career.

KJ Howe said...

Helen, you definitely have the right idea--people make everything magical!

KJ Howe said...

Nancy, I love nature and the beauty of the world. I was at a local lake training for a triathlon yesterday and the beauty of the park was incredibly magical.

Susan Sey said...

Good morning, Gabi! Congrat on the release! That's wonderful news. Can't wait to get my hands on Wish List. A little magic is always welcome around here. :-)

Gabi said...

I believe finding the magic often takes a concentrated effort, but it's always worth it.
--Gabi

Barbara Monajem said...

I'm addicted to magic of all kinds. Life is more fun when it's larger than life - or maybe it's just that with the right attitude, we see life as it really is.

My father always had a great attitude. When I was young, I wondered how he could be cheerful about EVERYTHING. Well, actually, I still wonder, but I'm also still striving to follow his example. And having fun doing it.

Nancy said...

Kim, the triathlon sounds way cool. Good luck with it.

Nancy said...

Gabi, can you tell us a little more about your book? It sounds interesting.

jo robertson said...

Hi, Gabi, welcome to the Lair. It's good to have you here.

Can you tell us a little more about THE WISH LIST?

Unknown said...

Congrats on the rooster Donna!

Hi Gabi, great post! I think I miss out on Magic moments a lot of times because my head is always somewhere else!

Enjoy your Magic moments!

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Hey Donna! You got the rooster! grins.

Welcome Gabi! Great post, Kim. :>

Minna, I'm with you on feeling the computer coming back on is a magic moment.

Gillian...awww, that's so COOL!

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

I'm with the others, Gabi, tell us more about your book!

Also, I'm with Donna in that I think you have to look for the magic every day. The more you find it each day, the more days will be magic. Grins.

Hey, it's pretty magical around here, so it must be working!

KJ Howe said...

Thanks for stopping in, Susan. I think we all need a little magic!

KJ Howe said...

Nancy, it's been on "my wish list" to do a triathlon, so this is the year! Magic everywhere!

KJ Howe said...

Hey Jo! I'd also love to know more about Gabi's book!

KJ Howe said...

Virginia, one of things I'm trying to do this year is live "in the moment" more, which allows us to experience those magic times. :)

KJ Howe said...

The Romance Bandits site has so much magic, we should rename it Merlin's Castle! Great to see you, Jeanne!

Anna Sugden said...

Hi Gabi and welcome to the Lair! Another great guest, KJ.

Thanks for the reminder to look for magic moments in every day. It's so easy to forget!

I love stories with magic in them - I'm a big fan of light woo-woo. Can you tell us more about The Wish List?

Gabi said...

Wow, go away for a few minutes to teach (Yup, I'm sneaking this in during the day job) and you all get active. :)

THE WISH LIST is the story of Kristin Montgomery, a CPA in San Diego, who discovers her three aunts are fairy godmothers and she's next in line for the job. She didn't even know there was magic in the world. She has to juggle burgeoning powers and an arbiter who isn't happy to be saddled with her. Tennyson is a historian who wants to study Merlin's long lost Lagaboc, which he found, rather than chaperon a newbie to magic. But they have to work together to stop a threat to the magical and non-magical world.

THE WISH LIST is a lighter paranormal. I hope I make you laugh or at least chuckle while you read.
--Gabi

Doris Rose said...

Gabi, I recently picked up the Wish List, it is a truly delightful read. Great characters! and a fun read.

Gabi said...

Thanks, Doris.
-Gabi

Beth Andrews said...

Welcome to the lair, Gabi! Loved your post and The Wish List sounds fantastic *g*

My most recent magic moment was Friday night when my son and a group of his friends had dinner here before their prom. I loved seeing the boys all dressed up (some of his buddies have been coming here since they were all in kindergarten) and the girls were so beautiful :-)

Thanks for hanging out with us today!

Nancy said...

Gabi, the book sounds like fun. A hero who's into Merlin seems particularly intriguing.

Nancy said...

Natalie, nice to see you again. :-)

Deb said...

Hi, Gabi. I like the premise of this book; it sounds great!

I agree with a lot of the comments here that there are magic moments every day and sometimes we miss them. The most important one to me, besides marrying my DH, was when I held my baby daughter in my arms for the first time---well over an hour after she was born because I had an asthmatic reaction to the meds I was given. She was, and still is, beautiful and precious. (Even when we are butting heads.)

Sarah Storme said...

Gabi, you're so right! Gotta have those magic moments every day. If you ain't havin' fun, you're just wastin' space! (Yes, one of my characters told me that.)

The Wish List provided many magic moments, so thank you!!

~Sarah

KJ Howe said...

Anna, hope you are doing well across the ocean! We miss you!

KJ Howe said...

Doris, thanks for stopping by and sharing your delight in The Wish List!

KJ Howe said...

Beth, I'd sure love to see those pics. I have a friend who recently went through the same magic moment. I couldn't believe how amazing everyone looked all dressed up!

KJ Howe said...

Hey Sarah, thanks for stopping by to support Gabi. We need more lighthearted books...the world can be a challenging place and I love the idea of escaping into The Wish List!

Louisa Cornell said...

Wow, Donna! It has been a while since you've had him in your clutches. Make him behave!

Hi Gabi! What a great post and a great attitude. I LOVE the story about your Dad!

The joke where I work is "Like the Baptist mother said to her daughter about her honeymoon - Well if all else fails, honey, act like you're having a good time!" We tell each other that all the time "Well, honey, at least ACT like you're having a good time!"

One of my favorite magic moments was when the six month old Dutch Shepherd I got from a rescue organization (he'd been severely abused) after six weeks of living in my bathroom and hiding behind the toilet one night after we all went to bed crawled up onto the bed with the other dogs and I. He crawled up on the foot of the bed, settled in a gave a big sigh. My little "mama" dog, Isis moved down to lay next to him. It was just magic. And after that Bane slowly but surely came out of his shell. It has been 15 years and Bane is an old gray-haired fella, but I count every day I have with him as magic.

Gabi Stevens said...

Kim, I am so learning about leaving comments from you. Thanks for leading the way. (I'm still such a newbie at this)
For the rest of you, I loved reading about your magic moments. Gillian, I remember when I was finalist too many years ago. What fun. Helen, some of my favorite moments involve kids or parents. Nancy, we have incredible rainbows here in NM and I enjoy every one of them. Nature does some spectacular stuff. Susan, thanks for saying you're going to pick up the book. Barbara, I wish I still had my dad to spend time with, but I have so many memories. I treasure them all.
Louisa, we just recently got a puppy and she is a joy!
And a special "hi" to Sarah.
--Gabi

Darynda said...

Great post, Gabi!!!

Magic moments. Hmmm...there are so many for me on a daily basis. Today, I would have to say the fact that I got to cuddle with my nephew and watch a movie together made my day all the merrier. We also had a potluck at school and someone made some killer enchiladas. Just a nice day overall.