Aw... Grand Paris

I've just returned from a week in Paris. I was fortunate to be presenting at a conference there, so my way was paid. However, I did get in one day of sight seeing before I left and tried to fit in as much as possible. If you are interested in seeing more of my pictures visit my website at http://maggiejaimeson.com and click on Paris Conference in the Photo Gallery section of the menu.


The Eiffel Tower was an engineering masterpiece and the views of Paris were wonderful. Notre Dame is absolutely amazing. I've never seen so many different stained glass windows in one building, and candlelight everywhere.















Of course the history and the streets were also so different from the U.S. Though many people spoke some English, there was one time when I was lost that I walked for nearly two miles and no one admitted to speaking any English. My French is VERY minimal, so it really made me wish that my husband had been able to come with me. He speaks French fluently. Of course, if he'd been there I wouldn't have been lost either due to his unerring sense of direction.

There were many things I didn't get to see like the Arc de Triomphe or the Louvre. I just ran out of time. The best part is that the conference was a great success. I met people from all around the world. So, now I have new friends and invitations to visit. I also have many memories that have already spurned new ideas for story locations and conflicts for future novels.

Graduation Transitions

The past two weeks have been very busy. Our youngest son graduated from college and we had a house full of relatives and friends. It's a strange feeling to have both boys now off on their own. Though they are three years apart, it seems like it was less than a year ago that they were graduating from high school, and only a year or two before that they were graduating from junior high school. It's hard to believe that the oldest is currently on his second tour in Iraq, and the youngest is now starting off is career as a special agent. It seems they couldn't possibly be old enough to take on those types of responsibilities. Yet, I know they both are ready and have in fact been doing their jobs well. All those who have been a part of their lives are very proud of both of them.

Relatives came from Virginia, Indiana, New York, and Colorado to wish the graduate well. In this picture he is with his younger cousin from New York. We made enough food to feed twice as many people, took trips to the coast and downtown Portland. Laughed, reminisced, and thanked all the wonderful people who have been part of his life and helped to make him the fine young man he has become.

Some parents suffer great grief during this transition, or soon after. I don't think that will be the case for me or my husband. We are both excited to see him making his own way. We are both proud of the choices he has made and how he has come through some difficult times in his life. Things will be different now. We won't be seeing him very often. He is likely to move far away, or even overseas, with his job. Though we will miss him, we are also looking forward to the next chapter in our life together. I'm sure we have many more surprises ahead--new relationships with our children, and a different and once again deepening relationship with each other. Hmmm...life is good.

Vacations are Important for the Soul

Like many Americans I spend far too much time working and little time playing. Though I know, intellectually, that it is important to play--to take time away from work, it just seems so hard to do. There is always one more project to get done, a need to get a head start to avoid panic later, or just responding "yes" to one more opportunity. It's easy to work all day and then through the night, because there is always something more to do. I'm very good at convincing others to take vacations and to forget about work, but when it comes to me I don't always listen to myself.

However, this past week I did go to Vancouver Island and did not take any work with me. I never logged in to look at emails and most of the time I was quite successful in not thinking about anything except the splendid moment of time I was experiencing. My husband and I spent 3 days in Victoria visiting the Butchart Gardens, the British Columbia Museum of History, and enjoying the food and city. We then escaped to the west coast of the island, Tofino, where the coast is still wild and the beaches are pristine. We kayaked between islands, hiked in Pacific Rim National Park,and visited Hot Springs Cove where sulfur hotsprings spew from the earth emptying into four pools nestled into the rocks, then flow to the sea. We even saw a grey whale while boating.


Taking the time to enjoy being with my husband, interacting with nature, and basking in all the individual moments was renewing to my soul. I've returned refreshed and with a better attitude toward the daily tasks of work and plenty of new ideas for stories, locations, characters, and descriptions. Our last night in Tofino provided us with the most magnificent sunset.



It was as if we were offered a special blessing at the end of our vacation together--a reminder of the importance of taking time to be quiet, to just stop and listen, to breathe in the moment and hold it in our souls. It was glorious!

Of course, I've come home with the promise to arrange these vacations more often. If you are interested, I'll be posting more pics at my website later today.

Happy Mother's Day

I know that the majority of people who read this blog are mothers. I hope all of you had a day of celebration and acknowledgment of who you are and thanks for taking your time to raise a child. It is the most important work of our nation.

As many know who have followed this blog, I have two step-sons who are fine young men. One is currently serving his second tour in Iraq, and the other is graduating from college this year with a major in criminal justice. Though they have much in common in terms of their sense of responsibility to the world community and to family, they are also two very different young men with ideas of their own--many of which don't agree with each other.

The relationship between step-mother's and step-children can be fraught with minefields, and I certainly admit to hitting some of them in our journey together. However, in the end it is all worth it. I have been fortunate to be a part of their lives. On a day like today, when I have received Happy Mother's Day greetings from each of them, I feel particularly blessed.

Hug your children if you can. If they are not near you, be sure to send virtual hugs.

Happy Easter! Happy Spring Equinox!

Easter has always been one of my favorite holidays. Certainly when I was young it was all the traditions of the easter egg hunt. I grew up with lots of cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents , so the celebration was one we all did together. From decorating the eggs to hunting them at one of our homes. Then on Easter Sunday, I loved getting dressed up for church, followed by a family gathering with all my cousins spending the entire day playing, having a wonderful feast of Ham with all the trimmings, and of course eating far too many hard-boiled eggs.

This morning as my husband and I rose for the sunrise service, I asked myself why I continue to do this year after year. Really, who in their right mind would get up at 5:30am to get ready for church, to sing at 7:00--especially in the cold, rainy, Pacific Northwest. As always, sometime during the service, my answer came. The heralding of Spring is reflected in the Easter story, the end of Winter, the resurrection of new life as flowers come back, as the earth renews itself, and in some small way I feel that we get the chance to renew ourselves as well.

Though the New Year is usually a mental break in the struggle of Winter, it is often short lived as the weather continues to be cold and the days short. However, once Easter arrives hope is renewed. We see physical evidence of Spring with the first daffodils in bloom. We know that we can awake to new life once more.

The struggles in our mind give way to hope again, just as Winter rain and gray skies give way to hints of sunshine and warmer temperatures. So, why go to a sunrise service? Why not wait until 9am or 11am? I guess I want to start the process as soon as possible. I want to be there as the dawn breaks and experience the resurrection of life at the earliest possible moment. I want to be reminded of the Easter story and begin my day with that same renewal of spirit. It's worth it.

I hope all of you, no matter your spiritual beliefs, have a chance to experience the renewal of life that begins with the Spring Equinox. I hope you take a moment to see the changes around you, to see what bounty the earth brings forth, and that those changes give you renewed hope. I hope that whatever struggles you carried in your heart throughout the winter can be lessened, at least a little, as Spring knocks on your door.

Happy Valentines Day

How can any romance writer not talk about Valentines Day? This is one of those days that you either absolutely love or hate. Some attribute the holiday to Hallmark marketing efforts, others attribute it to St. Valentine. No matter what, I love the day. I have fond memories of getting those boxes of valentines card and carefully choosing which of the four possibilities fit which classmate. Then writing clever notes to those who were extra special.

In addition to the classroom exchange, my family was always big on Valentines. All the cousins, aunts, and uncles would get together and exchange cards. I remember particularly my parents and grandparents would always pick out these lovely, heartfelt cards that made me feel so very special and loved. All this was way before the thought of exchanging valentines with a boyfriend.

In many ways, those early valentines are even more treasured than the typical boyfriend, or even spouse, valentines. I think because those early valentines were for the whole person I was even as a child--a reinforcement of my being. Later in life, valentines tended to be always related to the romantic part of my life--not necessarily incorporating the whole person. Of course, now that I'm married, valentines are a combination of both.

A wonderful writer, Delilah Marvelle, in my chapter offers a brief historical review of how Valentines Day actually came about. It was not Hallmark invented after all. :) If you are interested, check into her blog to read about the struggle to have a Valentines celebration.

Whether you are sending valentines for romance or for just letting people know how much you value them in your life, I hope you truly enjoy this special time when we can let people know we love them.

Split Personality

Goodness, I can't believe I haven't blogged since December and here it is February already. Lots of things happening. We had a great holiday with both our sons. The eldest, back from Iraq in time for the holidays, was able to fly out from Camp Lejeune and bring his fiancee with him. The youngest, on winter break from college, also was here. It was great having the whole family together for once. The Marine returns to Iraq again in March. I'm praying that is his last tour, as he is determined to return and go to law school next (either with the Corps blessing or getting out of the Corps).

Also over the holidays and into January I finished my latest romantic suspense novel. Some of you may have seen it on my website as Unholy Proposition. After some edits and a round of reviews I decided to change the title to Expendable as I think it better fits the themes of the novel. Of course, once it is bought by a publisher the title may change again before it comes out.

The completion of my second romantic suspense brought me to another crossroads. Can I maintain two personas--a contemporary and a suspense persona? Should I write under two different names? At first I thought, yes. I built a new website and transferred everything over. After living with it for a week, I decided no. Though the genres are different, they are still romance and the stories still deal with love and loss, guilt and redemption, woundedness and healing. I hope my readers will read both, but I don't believe they are so different that those who accidentally cross-over will be surprised or offended.

It's interesting how life ends up. When I was younger I did a lot of acting, primarily on stage but also some in bit parts in movies. I loved being able to immerse myself in different characters and exercise all different sides of my personality. Though there has been 30 intervening years since those days and a career, coming back to writing brings back all that joy and creativity. So, split personalities are not a new thing for me afterall. :)