No resolutions by Barbara Edwards

January is always difficult for me. I hate to pack away the Christmas decorations. And someone always asks about my New Year’s resolutions. Well, this year I didn’t make any. No promise to excercise.  No vow to eat properly and lose those pounds. And no resolve to write daily.

So here I am. Waiting.

The last few months had me wringing my hands. I want life to bloom with creativity. I feel like an animal crouched in a dark cave waiting for the bigger varmint to hunt me down.

I don’t want to make you feel sorry for me. 

I don’t want you to worry about me.

It would be nice if you sent a few prayers for me. And I’ll do the same for you. 

Life can be confusing. Full of burdens. But it can also be full of joy. 

I think tomorrow I’ll get up and watch the sunrise  over the water.

Join me at your favorite place.

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If I Knew Then What I Know Now...by Mackenzie Crowne

As a new year begins, I find myself looking back and, with book 4 in my Players sports romance series releasing this past week, those early days as a published author are heavy on my mind. Releasing a book onto the world market is always exhilarating, but it's hard to explain the range of emotions slamming through you as you wait for that first book to hit the shelves. For me, excitement topped the list, but along with the holy cow thrill came a healthy dose of fear.

Seriously, in the days leading up to my first release, I kept waiting for the email to arrive from my publisher explaining they had made a horrible mistake and would I please tear up that contract I’d signed. Gah! I'd poured my heart into that story and, there I was on release day, shaking in my boots that readers would find the story and those characters I'd come to love lacking or worse – bad!

But, the die had been cast. There was nothing I could do but pull on my big girl panties and take what came. Thankfully, what came was much better than my last minute panic attack had predicted but, even still, I soon discovered I had a lot to learn. About publishing, and writing, and the dreaded P word…promotion. Since then, I have met some awesome authors, like the ladies here at the Roses of Prose, who have been very gracious in sharing their knowledge. Honestly, since joining the ranks as a published author, I have met some of the most kind and generous people imaginable.

With the release of To Win Her Back this week, I saw my twelfth title hit the shelves. You’d think I would know what I’m doing, especially with all the help my author friends have given me, but you’d be wrong. I still have much to learn and, with that in mind, I have a couple questions for all of you, both our readers and my fellow authors.

For our readers:

Question 1 – What is the top element in a romance that makes it a winner in your book?

Question 2 – What is the number one element in a book that makes you throw it at the wall in disgust?

For you authors:

Question 3 – If I knew then what I know now, I would have...

Question 4 – If I knew then what I know now, I wouldn't have...

And since I’m both a reader and an author, here is how I would answer my own questions.

1: Logic and humor. Yeah, I know that’s two elements but they go hand in hand in my book. I love a romance that pulls at my heartstrings and tickles my funny bone, but if the storyline isn’t logical, I’m throwing the book.

2: See answer 1. LOL

3: I would have jumped into the world of social media a lot sooner. There is so much to learn and gaining an education on a supersonic schedule gives me a headache.

4: I wouldn't have been so timid in my first experience with the professional editing of my work. I know the characters inside and out and had to learn to trust my inner voice when it balks.

When Mac isn’t trying to figure out the newest trend in book promotion, she spends her time weaving HEAs for her characters, like those in TO WIN HER BACK, her latest Players series release from KensingtonBooks 

New, old, another year by Barbara Edwards

Barbara Edwards at Mt. St. Helens

Everyone is posting about their plans for the new year. I had plans myself. I was so organized. I listed the titles I plan to finish, the blogs I will be posting on so  I can do  the writing early instead of the last minute and promised I would write daily.

Well.

Guess where that all went?

The only one I’ve been consistent on is the daily writing. Not the numbers I wanted, but at least I’m keeping up with my blogs. I am working on one of my novels. 

I find I am grieving and the sorrow is exhausting. My daughter-in-law Linda would tell me to power through the pain like she had to do as a ballet dancer, then professional dancer. I can only try. I picture her lining up the angels for Jazzercise class then Yoga. 

So.

I made my list to work on.

Two paranormals for my Rhodes End series: Jacob’s story, Wolf’s Promise.

A romantic contemporary: War is Heck

Another romance: Broken Dreams.

I blog on Barbara Edwards Comments

I also got Scrivener for Dummies so I can use the Scrivener program more efficiently. I found that I like it but forget the details on using the parts. 

For my own happiness, I need to write. 

A new year is just that, new.

Grief and pain do pass. Life brightens and the one we lost is remembered with joy.

Linda didn’t read my novels, she said picturing me writing sex scenes made her nervous. I laughed and told her to read my Christmas shorts. 

Since she loved dogs, she is in heaven with the my dog Dixie from Dixie’s Gift.

Please follow, friend or like me. I love to hear from my readers.

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The Season of Fresh Starts and New Beginnings: Yuck! by Margo Hoornstra

We’re still in January, first month of the New Year 2016. The season of fresh starts. New beginnings. Yada, yada, yada

Whatever…..                                                        

Sorry, but I’m just not feeling it.

 

Because…..

In 2009, my first book was published, then another and another and another. I was on a roll, Baby! Submit, acceptance, publication; submit, acceptance, publication; submit, acceptance, publication – right through 2014. Six straight years of absolute bliss. Life doesn’t get any better! Does it? Onward and upward, as they say! I have arrived!

Not necessarily…..

In 2015, my publication fortune changed. Many others have been there before. The romance line I wrote for closed and my fabulous editor moved on. Deflated but not defeated, I moved on too. Armed with another spectacular concept – in my mind if no one else’s – I made the rounds in search of a new publisher. I decided to try the agent route first, and my 2015 went something like this. Submit – no thank you; submit – not right for us; submit – doesn’t excite; submit – maybe, let me see more…uh, no thanks; submit – well maybe, send the full, please then…you're a talented writer, the premise intrigues me, but I'll pass.

For an entire twelve months.

So, why **heavy sigh** don’t I **heavy sigh** just quit?

Not the best mindset to bring to the New Year.

Then from out of the blue, literally, things happened to convince me, maybe, I was wrong.....

After giving us a pass for most of December cold weather wise, Mother Nature changed her mind and brought winter to Michigan with a vengeance. Complete with frigid temperatures, and day after day after day with snow in the forecast. Doing our part to help the creatures who live in our midst survive, the two bird feeders in the front were filled with seed, the one in back too. Corn and various other critter friendly morsels were strewn on the ground beneath each. Soon a couple of Blue Jays, a flock of sparrows, and one of two local squirrels came by, sharing the yard in peaceful coexistence as they ate. Warm inside, I stood out by the window to enjoy the show. With my own fill, vision wise, I turned back into the dining room when…

Bam! Thump! From out on the deck, something hit the back glass double door. Hard!

Serenity shattered, I hurried over to see. There lay one of the Sparrows…flat on its back, wings spanned out as if to make a tiny angel in the snow. That little chest heaving, beak twitching. Finished for sure. A slow and painful way to die. How sad. Poor thing. Never knew what hit it—more like the other way around. No better way to break a contented mood. Worse there was nothing I could do to help. Still, I had to do something. But what? After I few moments pacing, thinking, wondering I went back to check. Still lying there. Still breathing. But that was about it.

More pacing on my part as I thought about lining a shoe box with towels. Then what? Pace some more. Think. Wonder. At my next check, the creature was upright, standing on quivering legs. Wings still outstretched. Still badly shaken. A few minutes later…gone! That tiny angel impression in the snow the sole reminder of any mishap.

Hmmmmm. I wonder…..

That night, what do you know, along came another out of the blue event. An e-mail from my fabulous former editor. I’d won a prize in a blog contest she’d run. Was I still had the same mailing address? In my, yes I’m here response, I added how we needed to catch up. After some back and forth regarding updates on our respective home fronts, I told her about what I had in the works, writing wise. How things were going—or not going—with my ill-fated WIP. Then, just for fun I shared my concept and tag lines.

BROTHERS IN BLUE four heroes who met at the police academy and became life-long friends.The dropout, the straight arrow, the movie star, and the maverick, they all share a passion to protect and serve, each in his own unique way.

DECEIVED BY TRUST A former cop seeks vengeance only to discover love.
BOUND BY DUTY An undercover cop tracks a serial killer straight to the woman he loves.
CLAIMED BY PRIDE A super hero cop takes over what little family a young widow has left.
RULED BY HONOR A maverick cop has an agenda, a free spirited woman has anything but.

Guess what? Turned out she love, love, loves the story idea and adores the tag lines. Her wonderful words, not mine. Really? You think so? Then she went on to suggest other publishers I might try. So you think maybe…..

Yes!

Guess what? Once again, I’m inspired…..

January, first month of the New Year 2016. The season of fresh starts. New beginnings! I’m on it!!

My days to blog here are the 11^th and 23^rd. For more about me and my stories, please visit my website

 

A New Day by Diane Burton

photo credit: Wikipedia

Isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet? ~ L.M. Montgomery

I love this quote almost as much as I love the author who wrote it. Lucy Maude Montgomery wrote one of my favorites books, Anne of Green Gables. Anne Shirley had such spunk and very strong opinions. I never read all eight “Anne” books. I think I got bored after the third or fourth. Interestingly, Lucy quit writing the “Anne” stories after eight because she got bored. She went on to write many more stories about (and for) young girls.

Back to the quote. A new day, a new year. Wow. Can you believe it’s 2015 already? Where did 2014 go? I had some ups and downs last year. A lot like everyone else. I try to remember the good and push the not-so-good to the back of my mind.

Looking at the new year as a blank page on which we can write anything sounds good. Hubs and I made a conscious decision to get healthier. He’ll still “drag” me to the fitness club, but I’ll go more willingly. We’ll try to eat healthier foods. He promised not to bring home “goodies” (cookies and salty snacks) and, so far, he’s been good about it. If snacks are in the house, I’ll eat them. No will power.

I’m excited about getting back to my writing after a month's hiatus. I love the heroine in my newest science fiction romance (the one I’ve been “writing” in my head before going to sleep each night). She's older than my other heroines, tougher. She has to be to run a tavern in a wild-west type colony on the frontier of space. And I love the hero. Good thing, huh? If I don’t like him, how will my readers? He’s been infatuated with her for years. She still thinks of him as a kid. He returns after six years—a full-grown man, as she realizes—just as human traffickers are preying on children and teens in the colonies, stealing babies from their cribs and snatching runaways from the streets then selling them on the black market. My heroine has to get involved. She can’t allow another mother to experience what she went through.

My only problem is a lack of a title. That hasn’t stopped me from writing the story. Sometimes it takes a while for the right title to come to me.

At the beginning of every year, I think about mistakes I made the previous one. Not to dwell on them but to learn from those mistakes. If I thought about them too much I’d be paralyzed and not want to do anything. 

Onward. Upward. A new day with no mistakes. Yet.

Amazon.com

By the way, I bought the Anne of Green Gables collection for my Kindle. I'm sure I won't get bored this time around.

Diane Burton blogs here on the 8th and 30th of each month and on Mondays on her own site: http://dianeburton.blogspot.com/

 

The Magic of Beginnings by Rolynn Anderson

"And suddenly you know: It's time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings." ~ Meister Eckhart

How fun it is to begin 2015 with a fresh focus!  A new chapter, I call it, complete with a fun subtitle.  In fact, guessing what 2015 will bring, is one of my pleasures.  I do set general goals, but I’m always charmed by the unexpected joys that come my way.

Many of you know that we’ve sold our big trawler  Four-month cruises were an important part of our lives (my husband and me…and many guests), for more than twenty years.  Some of my friends can’t imagine the two of us boatless, but we’re feeling pretty free and easy these days.  We can travel when and where we want to, including the summer months, and we don’t have to worry any more about what’s happening to our boat in its Washington State marina, while we’re living in California.  A heavy rain/wind storm hit our marina this month, and we only heard about damage on the dock weeks later.  Now, we’re down to one house and one yard, and I love the simplicity!

Magic of beginnings?  Oh yes!  My husband just bought a lovely convertible for me for my birthday, a car I’ve wanted since we came to live in California.  I had pretty much decided I wouldn’t be checking that particular box as “accomplished,” when my DH surprised me with the gift.  I swear, the car is magic, because I already feel ten years younger driving around in it.  Her name: The Empress.  Open to smells, sounds and unlimited sight, convertibles are such fun to drive!

For the first time in my writing career, I’ll put two books on the market in 2015.  I’m hoping for that magic to boost my spirit and my sales.

What’s something new and magical you’re hoping for in 2015?  If you write it down and tell me about it, it’s likely to happen! 

Happy New Year!  Rolynn

http://www.rolynnanderson.com

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