Hello and Happy Holidays,

The other day I received an e-mail from this person who saw a message I left on Fodors the travel site asking for information on the Western Sahara for my novel The Geography of Love. The person opened the letter with a question: Are you the Lori who is a writer? The question made me smile “the writer”. I said yes with all my heart I am “the writer” because if I don’t believe it and prove it to my self again and again, no one else will believe it either.

My belief in myself as “a writer” can wax and wane depending on how the writing is going. If it’s not going well because I hadn’t researched enough, don't feel smart enough to write this story or didn’t complete more pages I wanted for the day, then I feel less a writer and more a failure. But when my writing is sailing along, every word the right word, filled pages are flying one after the other (though rare for me) I know then I’m the best writer I can be.

If I had to list who I am, my qualities, no matter how my writing is going, “writer” would make one of the top three defining myself. It was nice to get that message asking if I am the writer; of course I am and always will be.

If you have any comments or suggestions, please e-mail me at: matwrite1@hotmail. com. I’ll love to hear from you.

Until next time God willing,

Lori