So now that I have published a book, I feel like I am trying to merge two identities, and things might get a little confusing. So I want to have this post explain a little bit about what is going on for any new travelers to the squeaky world of Jess and Paula.

My name is Jessica Smith. I publish under a pen name of Paula Jean Ferri. The two names are interchangeable in my mind though. While I was born as Jessica, around the age of 17, I developed a new lifelong friend, who I affectionately call Paula. Her name is a little more searchable than mine is. Besides, I probably wouldn't have had anything to write about without her, so she became the author.

Feel free to wander the blog and discover a little more about Paula's antics. I am also on Medium writing as often as I can between my three outlets (books, blog and Medium). I would LOVE to hear more about you and any questions you may have. Please send an email to Paulajeanferri@gmail.com.

Last, but CERTAINLY not least... I can't thank you enough for visiting!! I LOVE that you are here and hope to see more of you! Be sure to keep up to date on my website:

paulajeanferri.com

Miracles Happen

Ooof! It's been a minute, but what a month I have had! We have officially moved into craft fair season, which where I'm from runs opposite of the summertime farmer's markets and is an indoor event. I was hoping to have something new published and available, but sadly, did not accomplish this. I still did well enough to order more copies for the rest of the season at least.

BUT here is the really exciting part that has been going on while I have been away! There have been full miracles happening in my life and towards my career. It has left me in tears of gratitude more than once and I still tear up talking about it with others. 

I was accepted into a two week Residency program at the Chateau D'Orquevaux in FRANCE! 

And given my next novel I am writing takes place during the French Revolution, I am THRILLED to be able to do a bit of on site research while I am there with no distractions to work on this story.

But here is the really cool part. I had also received a grant to cover about 30% of the tuition cost for this residency. The Chateau had split the balance into three payments; the first due in two weeks from the offer and spread out over several months, the balance due in February. The payments equaled about $1,500 in dollars after the exchange rate. And quite frankly, my husband and I don't have that much to just drop at a moment's notice. So I set up a GoFundMe account for help.

Things started out really slowly. I was starting to really stress about making the payment and making the trip at all, even though it is scheduled for next summer. 

So I mentioned this to an organization I am working with that is helping me to create a business plan and support my career. Mostly just to share where my headspace was at and to get some of the stress out. My advisor said she thought it would be possible to help, but she had to check with her boss. Which shocked me. I honestly wasn't expecting this. The thing about this organization is that it is funded by the state government... meaning things are SLOW and take time and paperwork, etc.

But I didn't have much time. 

A day or two after this, I got a phone call from a dear friend congratulating me on this opportunity. She asked for the details of what it would cost to get me there. I told her about the possible support of this organization and how things were all so much up in the air. 

This. Woman.

She said she had been talking with her husband. They both strongly support education and know how hard I work and wanted to support me in this endeavor, so if things didn't happen with the organization, I could rest easy knowing my deposit was at least covered. 

And I cried.

Still tearing up as I write this and it's been almost a month.

Turns out, the organization not only covered my deposit, but my entire tuition. And this dear friend still wrote a check for $1,500 to pay for my plane ticket. 

The funny part is that after all of this went down... the GoFundMe suddenly started doing much better. Which is wonderful, since I still have to pay for either a rental car or public transit (still figuring out which is the better option) as well as a few extra days of food and lodging to see the actual chateaux that I will be writing about at Guermantes and Denonville, if I can arrange that with the current owners. So I am still hoping for donations to cover those costs as well. 

So if you are able, I am still hoping for donations to cover the costs of additional research, but at least now, I can breathe. I am going to France and am in the process of updating my passport, as well as studying the language and finally starting an actual outline for the story.

It has been an crazy month, to say the least, but in all the good ways. This month has felt like nothing short of a miracle. Maybe even a series of them. Either way, it has been beautiful to watch and very humbling in a way to see that I don't always have to be in control of how things happen, because things can fall in to place beautifully and on it's own.

So Much Progress.

How is August already come and gone? The past few weeks have been VERY full and there has been some awesome progress made in the business plan I am writing. Except that it is no longer for the publishing house. I had a different idea form and have gotten some great feedback in my initial research. This new project feels SO right and is moving so quickly and I will officially share the idea soon!

In other news, there have been some great opportunities popping up, one specifically that I am really excited about that involves a scholarship that I applied for. I won't know if I got it for a few months, so I am hesitant to share that as well. Partially because if I do get it, I won't be able to shut up about it for months. So I am really thinking of you and trying not to make you sick of me.

Lastly, there has been great progress made on one of my writing projects. In fact, I'm working towards building a Kickstarter campaign to help fund it. However, I need photos from the wife of a Vietnam vet and we are having some tech challenges, so it may not happen quickly either. But at least the story is finally getting some good work on it. 

The author is Vietnam veteran James Richardson Stewart (not to be confused with actor Jimmy Stewart). Jim typed his story of the war on a typewriter, so there are currently only two physical copies in existence. I have one that he gave me when I met him, just a week or so before he passed away. He was a sweet man and I feel so honored that he trusted me with this project. 

First things first, I have to make a digital copy. Which I am working on as his wife prepares photos so we can fund editors and other needed expenses to cover the cost of the book. 

But it is so exciting to see things finally moving forward!

Resting, Recharging, and Refocusing

Well, would you look at that! I managed to get a post in on time! I love that I am able to spend a month at a time with my family, especially when help is needed. That is easily my favorite part of being an author and building a life where this is possible. I'm so grateful. 

While it does throw off my routine a little bit, it has been a much needed rest that has brought a lot of clarity to the direction I want to go next. Which means I have to put a few projects on hold and pick up some projects that have been on the back burner. 

I do want to make the distinction that it is just on hold, not off the table completely. 

However, the thing I have realized the most while on this trip is that certain projects have time constraints that others don't. As well as remember that there are things that are important, but also some are more urgent. 

For example, I have long felt that I wanted to write a book about my great-grandfather (where I get the surname Ferri from in my pen name, Paula Jean Ferri), as well as my grandmother. However, she is 88 years old. If I am going to gather information from her, I need to do that now.

The same idea with one of my clients. He was a Vietnam vet who recorded his story. I was able to meet him and pick up a physical manuscript shortly before he passed away. I am now working with his wife, but this is also a time-sensitive project. 

Eulalie's story will always be there. It is started and very high up on my list. However, timing is key with the first two. 

I have also made a pivot on the business I am working on. The publishing house, again, is still a work in progress, but given that publishing houses are much more common these days, I had an idea. There is a gap needing to be filled. This will be the first focus, because timing. 

Anywho, I have a family member who is very anxious to play marbles, so I am going to enjoy my family. Hope you have a marvelous week!

Books, Books, Books!

Apparently this year is for every other week updates instead of weekly. I have been considering moving over to Substack instead of just a regular blog, but I would be posting more in depth articles, sometimes straight from my personal journal.

I'm not certain, but it is an idea I am toying with. After all, I am a writer and working on building a career out of this. 

Speaking of my career... the publishing house is currently on hold. I will still take care of my current clients, but I have an idea that has completely taken over my mind and heart at this point. I'm still researching if this is an idea worth pursuing before jumping in headfirst (as I am prone to do!). So this will remain under wraps for now.

But it is, of course, book related. As all of my hobbies tend to become.

It's hard not to. Since books contain literally anything and everything you could ever want, and some things you don't.

Want to learn a new hobby? Buy a book.

New places/people/language/culture? Buy a book.

Want a pleasant distraction? Buy a book.

Any time period, anywhere in the world, anything under the sun... all can be found in some way, shape, or form within a book.

So, of course, with my love of books that is going to spill into everything else that I do.

Also, as a side note, I have managed to read an absurd amount of books while I've been traveling on vacation. I'm so grateful for the chance to slow down and fill my cup in addition to all of the learning along side my research. It's fantastic.

As Time Goes By

Time is a funny thing. I find it interesting how my life is suddenly in a place where I'm attending reunions for things I have done DECADES ago. Even talking with a friend of mine yesterday, I mentioned that my husband and I have been married for four years and she responded with, "No way, you two were just married." 

To which I emphatically agreed.

So to think it has been decades since I have done certain things in my life that feel like it was just a few years ago simply blows my mind. 

This weekend, I returned to one of my old college campuses (I transferred and attended 2 different schools). So much feels the same and so much feels so different.

There is a new library on campus. (I am DROOLING over this place!) As I walked the stacks, I couldn't help but be amazed at some of the amazing books that were here. Unfortunately, I didn't spend much time in the library. Now that I have a few decades on my younger self, I can't help but think I wasted my time.

Which is not true at all. College provided me with so much growth and expansion getting to know new people, discover new things about myself, learn how to make friends and socialize, and be more physically active than I had ever been before.

Fun fact, I lost the "freshman 15" my first semester, then lost another set my second semester.

This place was so good to me. I needed it and I loved it. But I can't help but wish I had done more. 

The cool part is that in 20 years... there is a chance that I'll be saying the same thing about my time now. Things I wish I had done before I had children and raised a family. Things that I wish I had done while I had more energy. Things that I simply want to do now.

I have no regrets about my past. Not at all. Even if it may sound like I do. It was exactly what I needed at the time. But the things that I wish I had done are actually things I want to do NOW. And that is something that I do have control over. 

It may not always be at THIS library. I would love that, my soul just wants to be there. But the concept is the same. Whether it is my local library, my personal library, or even a local bookstore. I want to be surrounded by books, either reading or writing in my journal, or even in front of my laptop. 

This is a time of focus I may not ever have again, especially when my husband and I start having children.

And I intend to enjoy every precious moment.

Whoops

It's been a few weeks since I've been on here. The holiday has completely thrown me off on one end, and I have been buried in work on the other. It doesn't seem like it has been a very exciting few weeks when I look back, but then I realize that there has been a lot of laughter with family and friends, and while it feels small, there has been progress on my business plan and various projects.

One of the highlights was spending time with some friends from another state that comes to visit during the 4th of July. This year, their daughter is three years old. She LOVED Paula.

Every time I would tic, she would whip her head around at me with the biggest smile on her face and laugh. She even asked me to do it again. When I told her I can't do it again... she tried to coach me on how to do it. "Say AR."

Children and animals are always my favorite when it comes to having Tourette syndrome and I just love how joyful it makes them.