For those of you who don’t know, PNWA stands for Pacific Northwest Writer’s Association. I signed up for membership in the fall of last year as part of my resolve to get back to writing seriously, and specifically to attend their annual conference at a discount .
Almost like the philosophical butterfly whose wings change the universe, not long after, New Libri accepted Painted Black for publication. Then I got a freelance job writing how to articles after answering only three ads looking for writers.
Granted, this doesn’t equal a big life changing deal with a huge advance and movie rights. But considering how little I had been doing with my writing for years, it was a giant step forward.
So now I am attending the conference I originally joined for. I am getting ideas for how to market myself and my work. I pitched my next novel to an agent and an editor, both of whom want to see samples of my work. Nothing may come of any of it. Or maybe the butterfly is fluttering its wings again. If so, lets see where we are next year.
Debra R. Borys 
I think it’s fantastic new life is being breathed back into your writing career. Tell me, did your joining the association have much to do with your work being accepted or was this just coincidence?
I wouldn’t call it coincidence so much as synchronicity. There was no direct connection between joining PNWA and getting the contract offer. It’s not like I met my publishers through PNWA or pitched my novel to them at one of their events. It was more that by putting my foot forward, I generated a positive energy that led to another step and another until eventually I found myself being offered a publishing contract. Some might call it coincidence, or maybe even cause and effect, but I can’t help thinking there is even more to it. That on some “other” level (spiritual? universal? magical?) when you put positive energy out like that, it almost takes on a life of its own, affecting/effecting other energy that influences decisions and options. It works the same with negative energy. When you have a negative attitude, you tend to find negativity. I often need to remind myself of this.