Let me get this out of the way first: this is NOT a political blog post. Yes, I voted for Hillary and I’m damn proud of it. Proud of her too. Yes I am way more than just disappointed. As an advocate for LGBTQIA civil rights, as a Jew, as a woman, as a survivor of child abuse, as a public sector lawyer, as a parent of two children, and as the grandchild of immigrants, I’m fearful of what the next four years will mean for our country. I doubt you’re surprised.

I woke up Wednesday in the wee hours of the morning to check the election returns and was stunned. Angry. Depressed. I despaired. I took to Facebook and Twitter, bonded with like-minded people. Vented. I avoided listening to the news. I cranked up my favorite playlist (Coldplay, Fountains of Wayne, Neil Diamond, David Garrett). I grieved. I had several (cough, cough, four) shots of really good tequila.

Then I woke up today and decided to let it go. No, that doesn’t mean I won’t consider protesting if things go particularly south. I’m not letting go of what I believe is RIGHT. But I’m letting go of the dark cloud that dogged me yesterday. Bit by tiny bit. Because let’s face it—it’s not that easy to let go.

Something Rhys Ford (one of my favorite people on the planet) said on Facebook yesterday made me think. In a nutshell, she said she didn’t have time to waste. She has a book to write. Deadlines to meet. What she’s saying is bigger than a single book, of course. She’s saying life goes on. We can choose to dwell on our pain, or we can focus on something constructive. We all have lives. As writers, we need to create. That’s how we move forward.

I’ve got a book due to my publisher November 1st. A series to finish. I’ve got edits. Blog posts to write. Stories to outline. I don’t have time to wallow or lick my wounds.

The even bigger picture? Life is still good. Rich. Filled with amazing things. Creative things like books, art, music. THOSE are the things we should dwell on and embrace with our whole hearts. Those are the things that will help me let go and move on.

Peace and love. –Shira

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Shira’s latest book is Take Two, a sweet, funny, and sometimes a little angsty novel about second chances and true love that just won’t quit.

Blurb: Shiver me timbers! When Professor Wesley Coolidge accepts a summer job as a historical consultant to a pirate movie being filmed in North Carolina, the last person he expects to bump into is his soon-to-be-ex, movie star Sander Carson. Just like the flamboyant pirate he’s playing, Sander, aka Sam Carr, is used to getting what he wants, and he makes it clear he wants Wesley back in his life.

Sam acknowledges it’s his fault they split up. He lost Wesley when he left their life in New York City behind for a career in Hollywood. But Wesley has finally managed to put the pieces of his heart back together, and he isn’t interested in Sam and Wesley: The Sequel. Sam soon realizes that convincing Wesley to give their relationship a second chance will take much more than apologies and reminders of good times past. If he wants Wesley back, Sam will have to show Wesley that they really can sail into the sunset together—a real-life happily-ever-after that won’t end once the final credits roll.

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About Shira: Shira Anthony was a professional opera singer in her last incarnation, performing roles in such operas as Tosca, i Pagliacci, and La Traviata, among others. She’s given up TV for evenings spent with her laptop, and she never goes anywhere without a pile of unread M/M romance on her Kindle. You can hear Shira singing “Vissi d’arte” from Puccini’s Tosca by clicking here: Shira’s Singing

Shira loves a great happily-ever-after and never writes a story without one. She’s happy to write what her muse tells her, whether it’s fantasy, sci fi, paranormal, or contemporary romance. She particularly loves writing series, because she thinks of her characters as old friends and she wants to visit them even after their stories are told.

In real life, Shira sang professionally for 14 years, and she currently works as a public sector attorney advocating for children. She’s happy to have made writing her second full-time job, even if it means she rarely has time to watch TV or go to the movies. Shira writes about the things she knows and loves, whether it’s music and musicians, the ocean, or the places she’s lived or traveled to. She spent her middle school years living in France, and tries to visit as often as she can.

Shira and her husband spend as many weekends as they can aboard their 36′ catamaran sailboat, Land’s Zen, at the Carolina Coast. Not only has sailing inspired her to write about pirates and mermen, her sailboat is her favorite place to write. And although the only mermen she’s found to date are in her own imagination, she keeps a sharp lookout for them when she’s on the water.

Website: http://www.shiraanthony.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/shira.anthony

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/4641776.Shira_Anthony

Twitter: @WriterShira

Email: shiraanthony@hotmail.com