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.