Last week I got a Tweet telling me I won another book, which brought my book winning total in the last couple of months to seven.
My husband told me it was time for me to play the lottery, because apparently I was experiencing a lucky streak.
“Luck affects everything; let your hook always be cast; in the stream where you least expect it, there will be a fish.” -Ovid
So, luck is success born out of chance, not just something indigenous to the Irish.
IRELAND, LAND OF THE LUCKY.
Although my father in law once handed me cash just because I was standing next to him in a casino when he won. He said his good fortune was due to my presence ie,“luck of the Irish.”
Still I may need to rethink the “I’m Irish” heading on my next batch of queries.
But luck is more than just a matter of chance. In fact I think the real clue to luck in Ovid’s quote is: Let your hook always be cast.
Because luck usually requires some effort.
“I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it.”
Thomas Jefferson
Seven books didn’t just fall out of the ether. There was a little work–I entered contests.
Although I did get one of the books from the very generous author Barry Lyga, simply because I’m a blogger.
Or Irish (I’m kidding, Barry Lyga is not profiling Irish writers).
No, the real reason Barry sent me a book was because I saw one of his Tweets that read something along the lines of Free books to bloggers!
So while “art depends on luck and talent,” as Francis Ford Coppola once said. It also requires effort like Thomas Jefferson so wisely put.
Like say spending some time in a casino, sidling up next to the Black Jack table wearing my VIP badge, Very Irish Person.
Or, entering that Breaking Dawn premiere contest.
Maybe. But I do know that I can’t win if I don’t try.
I’ve got to put in some effort if I want to see Taylor Lautner -–uh, I mean the older actor who plays Bella’s father.
A pound of pluck is worth a ton of luck. –James A. Garfield
Do you think some people are just lucky in life?
Drop me a comment below and you could win a SIGNED copy of Barry Lyga’s GOTH GIRL RISING (result determined by random, or is it?)
***Congrats to Karen McFarland who won last week’s giveaway of WHAT WOULD MY CELLPHONE DO?***
Coleen Patrick 
I agree – a fair amount of luck comes from putting yourself out there. This goes for book submissions, too – if you don’t submit, no editor will ever say yes 🙂
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Luck, I’ve been told, is 99% perspiration and 1% being in the right place and the right time. (Oh, wait. That’s genius. Well, luck is about the same, right?)
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Very true! 7 books is good going. (not entering btw just saying hi)
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Congrats on the 7 free books! Wow, that’s like Christmas 🙂 I’m more of a believer in serendipity than luck. I think if you’re following your own true path in life, things are easier…sort of like finding the current that carries you instead of fighting it. I also love Adele’s song lyric “throw your soul through every open door.” Pretty much says it all, right? 🙂
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Books come to you! Have you read “The Sugar Queen” by Sarah Addison? There’s a character in there who is blessed/cursed by books that just show up, topically tuned in to her so that they are just the exact book she needs to read at the moment. Maybe you’ve got some of that magic, too. And signing up for contests to get free books doesn’t hurt either. 🙂
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Great post, Coleen! Though I believe that hard work and putting yourself out there lend themselves to “luck,” it’s tough to deny that some people seem down right lucky. Perhaps it’s because stay open to possibilities…the belief that ‘hey, if I just enter the drawing, I might win!,’ rather than assuming the odds are against them. My mom is lucky in this way. She’s won a trip to Mexico, among other things.
Hope your lucky streak is endless! 😉
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I love Jefferson’s quote. Very true.
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You can’t win the lottery if you don’t buy a ticket!
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Really? I won something? An Irish girl won something? Come on Coleen, you’re joking right?
Actually, I never win anything, so this is really cool! But no one can hold a candle to your streak. I’ve got to get on twitter more.
Love, love, love that picture. It looks like Dingle, Ireland.
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Hi Colleen. Yes I believe some folks are luckier than others. Whether it be alignment of stars or whatever, I think some have more luck than others. I also believe it’s how we approach life. Positive people are luckier I think. Negative people always look for the bad and usually find it somewhere if they look hard enough.
I tend to win random door prizes when I attend functions offering them. Don’t know why, just do. I’m also quite successful with raffle prizes. The crap table and blackjack, not so much.
Thanks for the post. It’s always fun to read about other people’s secret little quirks.
Patricia Rickrode
w/a Jansen Schmidt
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What a fun post! I definately think it is a combo of those quotes. People are lucky when they believe they are lucky and when they work toward the things they want. Part of it is the mindset and the other part is taking action. You’re much more likely to be lucky if you are working toward what you want. I also like to think about the everyday ways that I’m lucky, like when I’m reading a good book or eating ice cream. How lucky I am!
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I’m one of those people that put their raffle tickets in, never to hear their name called. I’m not bitter. Not TOO much anyway! I have won a book once and was over the moon. It doesn’t happen often and I do put a little bit of effort in. I sign up for contests and drawings for things that really intrigue me. I figure they have to pull a name. I MIGHT get lucky! Most of the time, I’m very (honestly!) happy for the winner, who is rarely me. hee hee
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Congratulations on winning the bounty of books! I think some people just naturally attract luck, but it could be a result of their positive attitude and their willingness to “do”. Loved the quotes!
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Yes, I do think some people are born lucky. Either that or maybe they sold their soul? My friend’s sister wins at casinos every time she goes or at Bingo at a church carnival or senior mobile home park Bingo pot luck. It happened at the senior center so often that the other seniors snubbed her and wouldn’t talk to her because she always won. Haha! I’ve been lucky at times and at other times not. Now, the hard work part, I completely agree on that, and I love the “cast your hook” quote.
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I’m anonymous. I thought my info was already in here.
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I agree with you in that I think you have to work a little at being lucky. I love your quotes!
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That’s so cool! Congrats on all the book wins. As for whether or not I believe some people are just lucky . . . I think it depends. When it comes to a random draw, I think some people are just lucky (like my mom who seems to win well over 50% of what she enters). When it comes to success in life, I think it’s about hard work 🙂
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After self-publishing I believe in luck more than ever! Of course ther are thing we can do to increase our odds, like getting professional editing, covers and formatting, being active on social media, marketing, and of course a good book. But there are so many good books with all of the above that never get noticed while books with subpar covers, pedestrian stories, iffy editing and no marketing can sell like crazy. What else could it be but luck?
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Thanks for stopping by guys–love hearing your perspectives. 🙂
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Not pure luck, but definitely sychronicity.
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