I’d like to welcome RL Naquin to my blog today. RL is an author with Carina Press and her brand new release, Monster in My Closet is due out on Monday 30th July. Frankly, she had me at “monster” and I can’t wait for my pre-order to fly into my Kindle, so I can start reading. Meantime, let’s hand out the drinks and cakes and welcome RL.
A Dream Is a Wish
Shelley, thanks so much for inviting me over. Virtual New Zealand is lovely, and your chairs are quite comfy. Why yes, thank you, I’d love another of those little cakes. They’re delicious! Glad you’re enjoying them. It’s a new recipe 
I grew up with an absolute, soul-deep belief in the lessons taught to me by Disney movies. Let your conscience be your guide. Goodness is rewarded with a Happily Ever After. Be kind to people and animals. Bad guys will always be punished. Love conquers all.
Most of all, if you believe in your dreams, they’ll come true.
Later, the book The Secret came out and unveiled this as some sort of New Age-y system for getting what you want out of life. Sure. I read it. Everybody read it. When I was done, all I could think was “Duh.” That’s what Walt Disney taught me a long time ago.
Throughout my life, I’ve had a lot of dreams. I’ve traveled, had two amazing kids, and even managed to get my Happily Ever After. But there was always that one dream, that one crazy thing at the back of my mind always whispering in my ear: I wanted to be a published author.
It took me a while to stop dreaming about it and actually do something to make it happen. To be fair, until The Princess and the Frog came out, Disney forgot to tell us the rest of the formula. You have to make it happen. It’s the strange, alchemical mixture of hard work and belief that makes dreams come true.
Now that Monster in My Closet comes out Monday—and the next book in the series, Pooka in My Pantry, follows close behind—I’ve learned something else: Dreams grow. The single book I dreamed of publishing has grown to a six-book series, with a second spinoff series of at least three. That’s the dream, anyway. I just have to make it happen by doing the work.
Call them dreams, call them goals, but everyone has them. That guy you see every week loading your groceries in your cart at the grocery store? He’s training for a marathon. The lady up the street who doesn’t come out of her house except to get the mail? She’s in there creating jewelry so popular she sells out the minute she puts them up on Etsy. The college dropout you pay to mow your lawn? He dropped out so he can save money for the equipment to start his own landscaping business.
Everyone has dreams. It doesn’t matter how old you are. It’s not too late to start doing something about them. My first book releases 20 days after my 44th birthday. I’m no spring chicken, but I’m nowhere near my expiration date, either.
What’s your dream? What voice whispers “I wish” in your ear? Are you listening? What are you doing to make it happen? No matter how big or how small, it starts with a wish. It gets moving when you stand up and do something about it. And if you believe very hard, it can happen.
Uncle Walt promised.
Blurb:
I stopped believing in monsters long ago. But I knew I wasn’t imagining things when I found one in my kitchen baking muffins. I’d seen him before: lurking in my closet, scaring the crap out of my five-year-old self. Turns out that was a misunderstanding, and now Maurice needs a place to stay. How could I say no?
After all, I’ve always been a magnet for the emotionally needy, and not just in my work as a wedding planner. Being able to sense the feelings of others can be a major pain. Don’t get me wrong, I like helping people—and non-people. But this ability has turned me into a gourmet feast for an incubus, a demon that feeds off emotional energy. Now, brides are dropping dead all over town, and my home has become a safe house for the supernatural. I must learn to focus my powers and defeat the demon before he snacks on another innocent woman and comes looking for the main course…
Buy links:
Carina Press | Amazon | B&N
Bio
Rachel lives in a world slightly askew from the rest of us. She is an expert in monsters, urban legends, and mythological creatures. In her spare time, she ponders the care and feeding of cryptozoological creatures.
Originally from Northern California, Rachel has a tendency to move every few years. She has lived in seven different states, and had a six-year stint in England. Currently, she’s hiding in the Heartland, planning her next grand adventure. She has one heroic husband, two genius kids, three annoyed cats, and an imaginary dog named Waffles. She doesn’t have time for a real dog.
www.rlnaquin.com
https://www.facebook.com/rlnaquin
https://twitter.com/#!/RLNaquin
July 27th, 2012 at 8:08 am · Link
That’s very true, wishes only come true if you do something to make them come true.
July 27th, 2012 at 8:32 am · Link
I tried sitting around waiting, and nothing happened. Believing is important, but it’s not enough.
July 27th, 2012 at 9:53 am · Link
Hello Rachel! Your series sound fun, I’m interested. Great post.
July 27th, 2012 at 10:37 am · Link
Thanks, Hildie! I hope you enjoy Zoey’s odd little world.
July 27th, 2012 at 10:36 am · Link
I love this blurb and cover. It’s going on my iPad Kindle app. :)
July 27th, 2012 at 10:41 am · Link
I’m especially happy that they managed to get her holding a toilet brush on the cover. Enjoy the book, Brinda!
July 27th, 2012 at 11:27 am · Link
First off love the cover and the book has my attention. I do look forward to reading it.
July 27th, 2012 at 6:38 pm · Link
Thanks, Savannah! I think the cover artist did a great job capturing the feel of the story. Hope you enjoy it!
July 27th, 2012 at 12:02 pm · Link
GREAT inspiration! Congratulations on making your dreams come true!
July 27th, 2012 at 2:01 pm · Link
Thank you, Alexa. Glad you stopped by to read it!
July 27th, 2012 at 1:41 pm · Link
What a fun blurb. :) Sounds great. I thought I was reading the bio at first instead of the blurb. LOL Yep, I’m a dork.
July 27th, 2012 at 2:02 pm · Link
My life isn’t nearly that interesting. ;-)
July 27th, 2012 at 4:24 pm · Link
LOL – I can understand. Both are fun to read.
July 27th, 2012 at 4:23 pm · Link
Hi Rachel,
Welcome again. I loved your post since I’ve always scrambled after my dreams. Still doing it :)
Travel and writing have always been my dreams, and I’ve been lucky enough to catch the tail of both.
All the best with your upcoming release. I can’t wait to read it.
July 27th, 2012 at 8:25 pm · Link
Thank you so much for having me, Shelley. You’ve got great readers. I’m overwhelmed with all the good wishes.
Anytime you need a break for a day, I’ll be happy to come back!
July 29th, 2012 at 1:19 am · Link
You’re very welcome, Rachel. I enjoyed your visit :)
July 27th, 2012 at 5:56 pm · Link
I’ve been waiting for Monster in my Closet FOREVER! (and how rude am I hijacking Shelley’s lovely blog to complain about the slowness of the calendar? Sorry, Shelley :) )
I agree 100% on the importance of dreams. Great post!
July 27th, 2012 at 6:33 pm · Link
Jenny, enthusiasm is awesome! Thanks for being so supportive!
July 27th, 2012 at 7:21 pm · Link
No, I totally get where you’re coming from, Jenny. I’ve been waiting impatiently too!
July 29th, 2012 at 11:12 am · Link
Good luck with this. Sounds like a fun read.
August 2nd, 2012 at 5:55 am · Link
Thank you, Sandra!
August 1st, 2012 at 7:21 am · Link
When my daughter was in pre- school she went through this. Her teacher suggested making monster spray. We used a spray bottle and she helped me mix up water and spices. We then sprayed her room every night before we went to bed. She had a water bed, so there wasn’t really an “under the bed”, just behind it and in the closet. After a little while of doing this every night she was no longer afraid.
August 2nd, 2012 at 6:00 am · Link
That’s a wonderful idea! I wish I’d thought of it. I kept a jewelry box filled with pretty stones, crystals, feathers, pinecones–whatever I picked up. The kids called it my magic box, and whenever they were scared, I let them pick one “magic” item to take to bed. Later on, I bought a couple of those eggs you can get at music stores. They have bee bees inside and make a cool noise. The sound scares monsters, so whenever the kids were scared, they shook the egg.