Two Summer Godwink Moments

​The Definition of Godwink
Godwink – An occurrence so odd and out of ordinary, it had to be put in place by God. A wink from God letting you know you’re in the right direction.
Source: https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=godwink

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How A Lost Purse Winked at Me
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Last July I was running errands and took a few minutes to shop. At dinnertime I discovered my purse was missing, probably for a couple hours. I was losing so many things, and that’s one of my signs of stress.
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​When you lose something, the best thing to do is backtrack to all the places you visited. I was sure I knew where I’d left it, at the store where I shopped. I could picture it – on the shelf, by the cash register, where I set it down. I’d already checked my house and my car. Where else could it be?
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I called the shop, and Melissa checked. It wasn’t there. I couldn’t believe it, and I was starting to panic.

Melissa invited me to stop by. She was waiting for a vendor so I hurried back. No purse., but there was a guy who wanted in. It was the vendor. Melissa let him in, plus a couple ladies who’d been looking in the window. They took a quick look and headed out again. 
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I ran down the street to check another store. No luck!

When I returned, the ladies were still there. We chatted again. I was so glad to see and talk to people after so much lockdown isolation. One of the moms connected me to my book, NEIL ARMSTRONG’S WIND TUNNEL DREAM. She’d given it to her daughter, and I’d autographed it for them.
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We also discovered that I’d subbed in her daughter’s room. She’d come home with tales of me and said it was the best day she’d had all year. 
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That was my Godwink Moment. I’d been feeling lonely and depressed.

It meant the world that this mother and daughter remembered me. It came when I needed a boost, when I needed to know I’d made a difference. And it all happened because I’d been out looking for a lost purse.
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As for the purse, it was sitting on a chair at my dining room table the whole time. I couldn’t see it because of all the clutter I’d thrown around it, which sounds a lot like my life last July.

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​How A Table with a River of Blue Winked at Me
Do you see the table below, with a river running through it? It’s a gorgeous piece of work, and it even lights up in the dark. I love it, but it’s way more than I’m allowed to spend. I was in Riverside Art Center where things like tables and art, jewelry and books are for sale. 
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It was July, and I was either shopping at Riverside or selling books. I think I was doing both. That’s when the designer/builder of the table stopped in. I wound up chatting with him about the table and my book. He was surprised to discover LAKE FUN is about Norris Lake.

His sister owns a house. She lives there and rents it out. He was going to take a book mark, but decided to buy the book for her. He thought it would make a great gift for her renters. Melissa said someone else looked at my book and had the same idea. It was a Godwink moment, and I actually recognized it that day!
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Usually it takes longer for me to get it, but I realized, that day at Riverside, that my market for LAKE FUN wasn’t in the marinas. It was in the rentals. Thanks for the wink, God!

I approached my favorite marinas about their rentals in July, but they didn’t want to think about it. By July their season was almost over. They said to check back with them in March. 
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A month later in August I did the Indie Workshop with Brooke. She has her own small publishing house. I started wondering if a hardback book might sell better in the rental market. Writing isn’t just about words on a page. It’s also about sales. If you can’t sell an idea to an agent, publisher, or customer, there is no book.

I thought those rental owners might prefer to give out hardbacks as gifts. They’re nicer. The opportunity cost is only $10 more. That’s tiny compared to the price of each lake rental unit. Brooke thought it was a great idea. She picked us up. Then she suggested turning LAKE FUN into a chapter book.  

The first night I wasn’t ready to change, but I thought about it. Especially for my target audience. They’re age 7-11, grades 1-5. They’re not into picture books.

Sharp first graders want to read chapter books. By the next morning I decided a chapter book would be a better fit for them, for the marketplace, and for me. I made the change, all because of that Godwink moment. I’ll let you know how ZOE’S SCAVENGER HUNT FUN does. I should know before summer starts.
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If you’d like to read more about my journey, and ZOE’s with BiblioKid author, click on this link: http://www.rindabeach.com/blog/me-a-bibliokid-author

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