other mothers

No–not like the “other mother” in Coraline!  I’m talking about all the amazing, older women I’ve encountered in my life who have offered me advice, love, support, guidance, and encouragement.  I think I wrote before about my high school English teacher–she was the first person to tell me I could be a writer if I knew that was what I wanted.  We reconnected a few months ago, and she has since read several of my books.  Of course, her eagle eye found all the errors in my writing–agh!  But in the end, it was worth it to be humbled that way because the result was a better book.  A few weeks ago, Nancy refused my offer of a free copy of A Wish After Midnight and instead bought it on Amazon.com–which actually *is* a big deal, b/c Amazon.ca doesn’t carry my Create Space books, and buying from the US site means a $12 book costs Canadians close to $30 (exchange rate + shipping).  Anyway, today she sent me this lovely email:

I’m heading up to Toronto next week, and we’ve agreed to meet for tea–I haven’t seen her since 1990!  There are so many wonderful women who have mentored me over the years…and a couple of extraordinary men!  I read a book once that said if your birth family fails you, it’s because the universe has prepared a better family for you someplace else.  In some ways I’ve given up on the idea of family, but community can expand endlessly, and I’m grateful that so many of the people who helped me in the past are still present and willing to help me today.