Why You Should Just Go for It!

A couple of months ago, I did something that was fairly trivial but felt significant and brave to me at the time. I organized a group around something that interested me - food literature. I ignored my inner negative voice and followed an positive impulse. Guess what happened? At first, not a whole lot. And maybe still not a whole lot. But I can’t help but be ecstatic about an e-mail I received this week from a lady at Houghton Mifflin publishers in New York.

Having noticed my group on Goodreads.com and my profile, she wanted to know if I would be interested in being added to a book distribution list for a newly published novel that she thought might interest me. Here is a synopsis of "The Spice Necklace":

"While sailing around the Caribbean, Ann Vanderhoof and her husband Steve track wild oregano-eating goats in the cactus-covered hills of the Dominican Republic, gather nutmegs on an old estate in Grenada, make searing-hot pepper sauce in a Trinidadian kitchen, cram for a chocolate-tasting test at the University of the West Indies, and sip moonshine straight out of hidden back-country stills. Along the way, they are befriended by a collection of unforgettable island characters: Dwight, the skin-diving fisherman who always brings them something from his catch and critiques her efforts to cook it; Greta, who harvests seamoss on St. Lucia and turns it into potent Island-Viagra; sweet-hand Pat, who dispenses hugs and impromptu dance lessons along with cooking tips in her Port of Spain kitchen.

Back in her galley, Ann practices making curry like a Trini, dog sauce like a Martiniquais, and coo-coo like a Carriacouan. And for those who want to take these adventures into their own kitchens, she pulls 71 delicious recipes from the stories she tells, which she places at the end of the relevant chapters. The Spice Necklace is a wonderful escape into a life filled with sunshine (and hurricanes), delicious food, irreplaceable company, and island traditions. "

So basically, I am getting a shiny, brand new novel mailed to me for free. I'm sure the publishing company hopes that readers who receive a free copy will enjoy it and share our impressions with others on Goodreads.com or otherwise like-minded friends. And I am so excited not only to read the book but to pursue more things that I'm afraid of. I have learned that when you listen to the voice that says you can and go for it, you never know what unexpected positive things will happen in your life!