tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21194528680238104632024-02-29T10:17:42.446-08:00Awakened by Dreams to WriteJourney of a writer who found the courage to live out her dreamPaulaJHowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12331760162112462258noreply@blogger.comBlogger377125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119452868023810463.post-1774012490909355792021-02-05T13:14:00.001-08:002021-11-01T10:24:11.509-07:00Latest on the Blog<h3 style="text-align: left;">Welcome! </h3><p>This is the original blogging site for P.J. Howell, where you can learn more about available <a href="https://paulajhowell.blogspot.com/p/my-books.html" target="_blank">books</a>, <a href="https://paulajhowell.blogspot.com/p/reviews.html" target="_blank">reviews</a> and <a href="https://paulajhowell.blogspot.com/p/for-readers.html" target="_blank">events</a>, <u>HOWEVER</u>, new <a href="https://pjhowellauthor.com/blog/" target="_blank">blog posts</a> are now shared on my new website, which you can visit <a href="https://pjhowellauthor.com/blog/" target="_blank">here</a>. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pjhowellauthor.com/blog/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="564" data-original-width="1337" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZYRCf7rxJE6IwMXS8QC6haqqFgaW-9d1mZpeRrQkq1PZWIcOx_QaLBG4KN2sJF212mXW2Go1yddVIEIvBBbZrFHdAoD6e8cJ4WZuWH1ApNi9aWHhIOak1uGK8GWi39nLTjskRjJ39iIPn/s320/new+post+basic.PNG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>In case you've missed them and haven't received the updates, <u>here's a breakdown</u> of what's new on the blog:</p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://pjhowellauthor.com/category/p-i-post/" target="_blank">The P.I. Post</a></h3><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRKprIE2RxFSCgyGclCgngoTddZmvygIc5j3xR-uVoh4jgKa1zp0tFmx3eW-TNNlIImKWVtaexkoSqK0yz0EW8YXvZKpp6HM7SHzdwlzbEC3foceJ4U7MakBjza994oRaq9wJb5Dg5rb7A/s1382/The+PI+Post.PNG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="1382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRKprIE2RxFSCgyGclCgngoTddZmvygIc5j3xR-uVoh4jgKa1zp0tFmx3eW-TNNlIImKWVtaexkoSqK0yz0EW8YXvZKpp6HM7SHzdwlzbEC3foceJ4U7MakBjza994oRaq9wJb5Dg5rb7A/s320/The+PI+Post.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>In these posts, I'll be sharing stories that are related to private investigators, as well as unique topics and interesting case reviews. The <a href="https://pjhowellauthor.com/2021/02/the-p-i-post-convicts-cards-cold-cases/" target="_blank">first P.I. Post</a> for this series shares interesting details about how state prisons uses convicts and cold case cards to solve cold cases. I'll continue to share The P.I. Post about every other month, but you can read the first installment of The P.I. Post <a href="https://pjhowellauthor.com/2021/02/the-p-i-post-convicts-cards-cold-cases/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://pjhowellauthor.com/category/character-coffee-chat/" target="_blank">Character Coffee Chats</a></h3><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWP8mgfOYeGcuQbdPGatsLDDOCFoqewxoxjZU1kVWaS46m7bKy5f-RhmA_Oa4GauGUicy5Kg8yOtoGeM4C2giig0VJfUTq8RdSHagp1tjMo4JdfPrRGduZZx0RW-hyH5D8oYtad6YvzYeo/s1390/Coffee+Chat+for+posts.PNG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWP8mgfOYeGcuQbdPGatsLDDOCFoqewxoxjZU1kVWaS46m7bKy5f-RhmA_Oa4GauGUicy5Kg8yOtoGeM4C2giig0VJfUTq8RdSHagp1tjMo4JdfPrRGduZZx0RW-hyH5D8oYtad6YvzYeo/s320/Coffee+Chat+for+posts.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>For those who enjoy reading the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08MWXFZY8" target="_blank">Jorja Matthews mystery series</a>, these coffee chats will be in the form of "interviews" with the characters in the series. The first chat is with my protagonist, <a href="https://pjhowellauthor.com/2021/01/character-coffee-chat-with-jorja-matthews/" target="_blank">Jorja Matthews</a>, and each month I'll share a coffee chat with another character. With these chats you'll enjoy more time with the characters, learn additional details about a character's backstory and you might even learn new details about events as they are unfolding in the books at the time of the coffee chat. You can read the first coffee chat <a href="https://pjhowellauthor.com/2021/01/character-coffee-chat-with-jorja-matthews/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://pjhowellauthor.com/category/nonfiction-nugget/" target="_blank">Nonfiction Nuggets</a></h3><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvw81ftbjqDac6UzfF-fZscwwQzbEiajdWv2qRz_-N3EooxHbMXhk5aU6k46pfdM92ko3Vy1sdfkrdlgBtx8KObk-HKOwj_hLMZorV_YBj4_IcQs2yZHQpevjruTOYsxG7NQYX2pLSqf-5/s1389/nonfiction+nuggest+blog.PNG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="688" data-original-width="1389" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvw81ftbjqDac6UzfF-fZscwwQzbEiajdWv2qRz_-N3EooxHbMXhk5aU6k46pfdM92ko3Vy1sdfkrdlgBtx8KObk-HKOwj_hLMZorV_YBj4_IcQs2yZHQpevjruTOYsxG7NQYX2pLSqf-5/s320/nonfiction+nuggest+blog.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>There are many real-life cases or circumstances that are similar to what my characters go through and this is where I'll share some of those nuggets as I come across them. The <a href="https://pjhowellauthor.com/2021/01/nonfiction-nugget-postpartum-psychosis/" target="_blank">first Nonfiction Nugget</a> is about a medical condition I believe Jorja's bio-mom could have been diagnosed with due to her actions. I'll be sharing these posts about every other month in between The P.I. Post series, but you can read the first installment of the Nonfiction Nuggets <a href="https://pjhowellauthor.com/2021/01/nonfiction-nugget-postpartum-psychosis/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pjhowellauthor.com/2021/01/44-habits-list-ideas-to-help-you-reach-your-goals-this-year/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="733" data-original-width="477" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwg2XOlU6L7cHjWLSVcuSA8kjOlM2z-YMTgd0tLO_MKhwkfg33mRoE5EqCbjihS0fuB2bTEYhAKnfqUDvmVTL0jpKKTW3qPdmQN-ajvEeRfAuMCtXIW9zXJQairntpKwI-B9vCNK6H68Pe/s320/44+habits+and+lists.PNG" /></a></div>I'll also continue to share regular updates with regard to my writing, new releases and overall author-type musings, so <b>head on over to the blog on the website to make sure you haven't missed anything</b>!<div><br /><div> <a href="https://pjhowellauthor.com/2021/01/my-top-goals-for-2021-whats-new-with-the-blog/" style="clear: right; display: inline; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="734" data-original-width="734" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ168xHGsav1YKH_eoKN8m63PdZnimtV9pDGc7P1Nh3DDc384hKjqUk2BhBihk-3wHFrR42cqXskt9HhpWTn8b_vsCaziOL4Y1mgh7VRyaRbMhPcp_ffndoDToDNJTLLPiEjyCY7uW8FEx/s320/behind+the+scenes.PNG" /></a><br /><br /><p>And you can always <b>receive monthly updates</b> and stay up-to-date with my posts by signing up for my newsletter. You can sign up <a href="https://www.subscribepage.com/d8d1j4" target="_blank">here</a> or click on the image below!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pjhowellauthor.com/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="625" data-original-width="1196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8zuvHePpvxvT4Chubg4dyD8AwFdKb07eAAYPE6Vk8zLUU1JC21mvwd1T7H3cqmworYzcccXWQ4CvtrjDt25AEBgLhHeEW-5DnPCU8kfHTXJfWQoGo1M1o4HzCoTE2VhoyysIjjrH-XSsV/s320/join+newsletter.PNG" width="320" /></a></div><p>Thanks for visiting and have a great day!</p><p></p><p><br /></p></div></div>PaulaJHowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12331760162112462258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119452868023810463.post-91134948202552346002020-12-30T16:02:00.001-08:002020-12-31T10:47:46.408-08:00<h1 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Blog Posts Update</span></h1><h3 style="text-align: left;"><br /></h3><h3 style="text-align: left;">Are you caught up with my recent posts? In case you missed any from the past few months, which are all found on <a href="https://pjhowellauthor.com/blog/" target="_blank">the blog page</a> of <a href="https://pjhowellauthor.com/" target="_blank">my website</a>, here's an idea of what I've shared:</h3><h4 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></h4><h3 style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://pjhowellauthor.com/2020/09/my-new-favorite-productivity-tool/" target="_blank">My New Favorite Productivity Tool</a></h3><p></p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I’ve developed ways to stay on task and overall they work well, but every so often something happens to cause me to question my time management skills. I enjoy using notebooks but recently I was feeling overwhelmed by the multiple notes I had compiled and I wasn’t doing a great job of keeping my to-do lists organized, until I decided to try this digital tool... </span><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #464646; text-align: justify;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVryvU9BUETo2YYxoY1-5fkRgTPw0Rp02SaYCbo103yBceAzJaSPmGlkmX8okCBu6Wt8qotnbHLlPxpjQHGx03aj7mfiZyU0EHuUcW9-3tKsfRYKXYnG5HmupH5zG97FL-CEeKZ5To88pj/s1396/Trello2.PNG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="1396" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVryvU9BUETo2YYxoY1-5fkRgTPw0Rp02SaYCbo103yBceAzJaSPmGlkmX8okCBu6Wt8qotnbHLlPxpjQHGx03aj7mfiZyU0EHuUcW9-3tKsfRYKXYnG5HmupH5zG97FL-CEeKZ5To88pj/w640-h186/Trello2.PNG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://pjhowellauthor.com/2020/09/my-new-favorite-productivity-tool/" target="_blank">Continue reading here...</a><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW9MNGmnrfwT-egdWSeVrxpoRr5zWiNcVZ0Qg_fM3uPwKA5xXu_eFler94hW4zqimnxc-O3kfxcu9XOGqFivO5dKaH9MF1OivtIF1SVrttw-QSSHZOpcWDikL-BhnV1ZYuHBvEvHCLiQVg/s733/quarterly+update.PNG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="731" data-original-width="733" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW9MNGmnrfwT-egdWSeVrxpoRr5zWiNcVZ0Qg_fM3uPwKA5xXu_eFler94hW4zqimnxc-O3kfxcu9XOGqFivO5dKaH9MF1OivtIF1SVrttw-QSSHZOpcWDikL-BhnV1ZYuHBvEvHCLiQVg/w200-h199/quarterly+update.PNG" width="200" /></a></div><a href="https://pjhowellauthor.com/2020/10/quarterly-update-creativity-takes-the-wheel/" target="_blank">Quarterly Update: Creativity Takes the Wheel</a></h3><p></p><span style="font-family: georgia;">With my new productivity tool, I was able to pinpoint where I’m less prolific than I wish to be, beyond the desire to publish more often. Then I was able to brainstorm how I can be more productive, but in a creative way. A light bulb went off and I came to realize the business side of being an author doesn’t have to be…all business. It can be fun and it can be creative. It should be creative, not only to keep the interest of followers, but myself as well. After all, if I’m not enjoying it, how can I expect others to? </span><p></p><a href="https://pjhowellauthor.com/2020/10/quarterly-update-creativity-takes-the-wheel/" target="_blank">Continue reading here...</a><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #464646; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Rd4-q8AEOECyF4Rp_1HNdDuFHM_2pmSB4PeCyU5tHOhR4esHz25S04OGBmW-gvg6IV7igIho4yjHchtAtLX15ZKvXcX9AVXzryM7ABGm1WcMuFV4MRSVFZh74bu67abzqrxTMGJaAFIY/s731/December+to+remember.PNG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="731" data-original-width="477" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Rd4-q8AEOECyF4Rp_1HNdDuFHM_2pmSB4PeCyU5tHOhR4esHz25S04OGBmW-gvg6IV7igIho4yjHchtAtLX15ZKvXcX9AVXzryM7ABGm1WcMuFV4MRSVFZh74bu67abzqrxTMGJaAFIY/s320/December+to+remember.PNG" /></a></div><br /><p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://pjhowellauthor.com/2020/12/my-top-10-list-for-a-december-to-remember/" target="_blank">My Top 10 List for a December to Remember</a></h3><p></p><span style="font-family: georgia;">This year, the month of December was already memorable because it’s the last month of 2020. But my preference was to take that title away and make it a December to remember in spite of that fact. <br /><br />I also refused to coast through December on auto-pilot just because I’m looking back at what was or looking ahead for what I hope will be...</span><p></p><a href="https://pjhowellauthor.com/2020/12/my-top-10-list-for-a-december-to-remember/" target="_blank">Continue reading here...</a><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #464646; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://pjhowellauthor.com/2020/12/looking-back-before-moving-forward/" target="_blank">Looking Back before Moving Forward</a></h3><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #464646; font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEharhR2jQcSFk4EMbZuOwFPXrMU_JQaeYm7j_rBR3RBNzo-4ntF-O_OFYfxR4IEZpcPcG9nRHMkLinsqzHvHBznqUNhoWJpreLHxoDgLlRIAgQ8IS9UsSDRn7iEYJyDPSCLzkoYF2ayY9qB/s729/Looking+back+to+move+forward.PNG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="729" data-original-width="478" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEharhR2jQcSFk4EMbZuOwFPXrMU_JQaeYm7j_rBR3RBNzo-4ntF-O_OFYfxR4IEZpcPcG9nRHMkLinsqzHvHBznqUNhoWJpreLHxoDgLlRIAgQ8IS9UsSDRn7iEYJyDPSCLzkoYF2ayY9qB/s320/Looking+back+to+move+forward.PNG" /></a></div><br />My last post of the year and how I’ll accept the bad, learn from any failings I can’t blame on 2020, and appreciate the good as we near the light at the end of this very long tunnel before heading into 2021 with a positive mindset...</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Especially when I came up with new creative ideas for the blog on my website! <br /></span><p></p><a href="https://pjhowellauthor.com/2020/12/looking-back-before-moving-forward/" target="_blank">Continue reading here...</a><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I'll be sharing another new post the first week of 2021 with more detail about what types of new posts I'll be adding to the blog. You can <a href="https://pjhowellauthor.com/blog/" target="_blank">follow my blog</a> if you want to stay up-to-date with those posts, and you can also <a href="https://www.subscribepage.com/d8d1j4" target="_blank">sign up for my newsletter</a> so you never miss a post, as well as any news, updates, bonus material or release information.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlnCqCr-dy2OZz-kYR7ZF5thjAVObYWq1BMU2fN_gb9kqaEDjJDwdUh48vCSa8urVnWkWwIAl3A-qb9GDMgTSnfydu6CtZx5gyUQTid1PcRK80VS0JEtL9qQ8DNwPYYHVApfsDAze3cbq8/s1196/join+newsletter.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="625" data-original-width="1196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlnCqCr-dy2OZz-kYR7ZF5thjAVObYWq1BMU2fN_gb9kqaEDjJDwdUh48vCSa8urVnWkWwIAl3A-qb9GDMgTSnfydu6CtZx5gyUQTid1PcRK80VS0JEtL9qQ8DNwPYYHVApfsDAze3cbq8/s320/join+newsletter.PNG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></div>PaulaJHowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12331760162112462258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119452868023810463.post-62782585278733660162020-09-02T10:39:00.000-07:002020-09-02T10:39:03.896-07:00Blog Posts Update<h3 style="text-align: left;">Are you caught up with my most recent news? </h3><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">In case you've missed my August blog posts on my website (which you can visit <a href="https://pjhowellauthor.com/" target="_blank">here</a>), here's what I've shared:</h3><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://pjhowellauthor.com/2020/08/my-2020-reading-habits-and-books-list/" target="_blank">MY 2020 READING HABITS AND BOOKS LIST</a></h4><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikr2HratjSuNIpEskOjjzpIwx7xNWSG_-LAfgvC3kzsowO_hfh1U0XzdlYa0kwNqnO903LTTogHb3qijcM5d94cybHKxot-jiAp6Dg0t0fdxtj8c5pqu5mxsx3KnnqH8d81Hij0f4XqT12/s1167/1313.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="622" data-original-width="1167" height="139" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikr2HratjSuNIpEskOjjzpIwx7xNWSG_-LAfgvC3kzsowO_hfh1U0XzdlYa0kwNqnO903LTTogHb3qijcM5d94cybHKxot-jiAp6Dg0t0fdxtj8c5pqu5mxsx3KnnqH8d81Hij0f4XqT12/w262-h139/1313.PNG" width="262" /></a>How has your reading been during the strangest year we've likely ever experienced? Here's what I've been reading, as well as my list of expected reads for the remainder of the year. Books are the best escape, especially during trying times! </p><div><a href="https://pjhowellauthor.com/2020/08/my-2020-reading-habits-and-books-list/" target="_blank">Continue reading here...</a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><br /><h4 style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://pjhowellauthor.com/2020/08/next-release-coming-soon/" target="_blank">NEXT RELEASE COMING SOON!</a></h4><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPPzGrlqPm79O03DroGSp_xHX3_Sfm96EZR0L_8zz7d_jpqv7xbQTh-aWdWbDEnNNBV2fwpo3yYPwUKUkLwNYqttMLseKeutdFt3RA09hQibR9aJ_oGBXITbIEcZN1A92sR0g24bqYMdZ1/s1019/home+page+snapshot.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="888" data-original-width="1019" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPPzGrlqPm79O03DroGSp_xHX3_Sfm96EZR0L_8zz7d_jpqv7xbQTh-aWdWbDEnNNBV2fwpo3yYPwUKUkLwNYqttMLseKeutdFt3RA09hQibR9aJ_oGBXITbIEcZN1A92sR0g24bqYMdZ1/w262-h229/home+page+snapshot.PNG" width="262" /></a></div><p>In case you haven't heard, I finally completed a YA novel I've been working on for quite a few years. Here I share some thoughts, as well as the website I've dedicated to the YA novel. It's where I'll share news and updates, chapter samples and background relating to the story and my research while I was writing the book. </p><p><a href="https://pjhowellauthor.com/2020/08/next-release-coming-soon/" target="_blank">Continue reading here...</a></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://pjhowellauthor.com/2020/09/ya-novel-release-week/" target="_blank">YA NOVEL RELEASE WEEK!</a></h4><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Born-Bred-P-J-Howell/dp/B08GVJTWT6" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="300" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMy7PDfMu38KzaYkxrXXRSpKOqVB_vWiryIWnxFXTUP2HGXE3vq2FJTUmzNFU-u-0RoR4CuxmkA7Hvm4e0W5ugkvrj43gn-BOfSfv_49q4xtwc-dbCO_cN8rOclOrKsyDlPKyNIceNYAmP/w240-h200/mockup+buy+now.png" width="240" /></a></div><p>No matter the genre, it's always exciting when I get to share that I've published another book. Here I share the news, as well as links on where the YA novel can be found for purchase.</p><p><a href="https://pjhowellauthor.com/2020/09/ya-novel-release-week/" target="_blank">Continue reading here...</a></p><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I'll continue to update my <a href="https://pjhowellauthor.com/blog/" target="_blank">blog feed</a> on my website, but don't forget, you can also <a href="https://pjhowellauthor.com/" target="_blank">sign up for my newsletter</a> for post updates and other news.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>PaulaJHowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12331760162112462258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119452868023810463.post-69987325386095986662020-07-15T12:37:00.001-07:002020-07-15T12:37:37.216-07:00Blog posts update<h2><br /></h2><h2>Did you miss it on the blog?</h2><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Here's a round up of some of the posts I've shared on my new website and blog (which you can visits </span><a href="https://pjhowellauthor.com/blog/" style="font-family: georgia;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-family: georgia;">) in case you've missed them:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font face="georgia" style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://pjhowellauthor.com/2020/06/bi-yearly-check-in-writing-vs-journaling/" style="font-size: 12pt;" target="_blank">BI-YEARLY CHECK-IN: WRITING VS. JOURNALING</a> </font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font face="georgia" style="font-size: 12pt;"></font></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><font face="georgia" style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMYZPjN56AXc7Kbhfkj4rrHHECSKJtrsbtm_gQCTXZI-rCL0LznYTsHxkMFjW2OIXxn3LQzpXwHlfZI4NtYMeTSzbWx2ukb7zaParh-z3cfGIutyzxd7EgiLLYJVxXQi0tRuKpjHhkZulr/s2048/20161024_180651.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMYZPjN56AXc7Kbhfkj4rrHHECSKJtrsbtm_gQCTXZI-rCL0LznYTsHxkMFjW2OIXxn3LQzpXwHlfZI4NtYMeTSzbWx2ukb7zaParh-z3cfGIutyzxd7EgiLLYJVxXQi0tRuKpjHhkZulr/s320/20161024_180651.jpg" width="320" /></a></font></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font face="georgia">I've discovered the messiness of life and my muse don't co-exist all that well, so on those days when my creativity is hindered and I'm unable to write stories, it definitely helps to journal.</font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font face="georgia">This is what I do to release the messiness on my mind so that my creativity agrees to come out and play.</font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font face="georgia">Click <a href="https://pjhowellauthor.com/2020/06/bi-yearly-check-in-writing-vs-journaling/" target="_blank">here</a> to read further...</font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font face="georgia"><br /></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font face="georgia"><br /></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font face="georgia"><br /></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font face="georgia"><a href="https://pjhowellauthor.com/2020/06/podcast-interview-check/" target="_blank">PODCAST INTERVIEW...CHECK!</a></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL29dAxPOA_dCmkYwTxn51806OID9th9NK5_OCvLzaSHCh_Pcs9x3XMGa3MuNX6Qa4W5fC03zHkGoRX3v5IWjntlNBkMMNYILeRHHwxt2G9_4QYk3dqTFMgdU42W14QQ1001E7Sf_BzEX4/s1080/Podcast+interview.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL29dAxPOA_dCmkYwTxn51806OID9th9NK5_OCvLzaSHCh_Pcs9x3XMGa3MuNX6Qa4W5fC03zHkGoRX3v5IWjntlNBkMMNYILeRHHwxt2G9_4QYk3dqTFMgdU42W14QQ1001E7Sf_BzEX4/w205-h205/Podcast+interview.png" width="205" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Vikki J. Carter as part of her Authors of the Pacific Northwest podcast.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font face="georgia">If you've read the Jorja Matthews mystery series, you're aware the protagonist is a bookstore owner and also a private investigator. You may be aware of my background as a P.I. and my writing process, but if you're curious to hear more, you can listen to my author podcast interview because it's now available!</font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font face="georgia">Click <a href="https://pjhowellauthor.com/2020/06/podcast-interview-check/" target="_blank">here</a> to read further...</font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font face="georgia"><br /></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font face="georgia"><a href="https://pjhowellauthor.com/2020/04/quarterly-check-inand-a-change-in-perspective/" target="_blank">QUARTERLY CHECK-IN...AND A CHANGE IN PERSPECTIVE</a></font></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh58Sry7PT-bBdEEfG-1UQQKwwfauT5CrhzJYPd7y2j8Y84no5E_BUtBMyonuJUT4MXTJZ7eWFHcnv6VXw9AecAkC_7Q6zfHK7atqLpuAy3n44RWY9nfAehlOboQIFUS-urT2Uj9TrfgG0e/s774/April+blog+clouds.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="580" data-original-width="774" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh58Sry7PT-bBdEEfG-1UQQKwwfauT5CrhzJYPd7y2j8Y84no5E_BUtBMyonuJUT4MXTJZ7eWFHcnv6VXw9AecAkC_7Q6zfHK7atqLpuAy3n44RWY9nfAehlOboQIFUS-urT2Uj9TrfgG0e/w256-h192/April+blog+clouds.PNG" width="256" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">The first few months of 2020 made my head spin.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font face="georgia">Here I discuss how I'm going to take the opportunity to appreciate slowing down, focus on what matters and discover what I can do to be better prepared when life gets busy again, so that I can continue to focus on what will benefit me the most, both personally and professionally.</font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font face="georgia">Click <a href="https://pjhowellauthor.com/2020/04/quarterly-check-inand-a-change-in-perspective/" target="_blank">here</a> to read further...</font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font face="georgia"><br /></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font face="georgia"><br /></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font face="georgia"><br /></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="https://pjhowellauthor.com/2020/04/my-stayhome-monotony-busters/" style="font-family: georgia;" target="_blank">MY #STAYHOME MONOTONY BUSTERS</a><a href="https://pjhowellauthor.com/2020/04/my-stayhome-monotony-busters/" style="font-family: georgia;" target="_blank"> </a><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font face="georgia"><br /></font></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><font face="georgia"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSJuOfJ0acRPWQm0vReyVIKsoFerAFMYI_pZcNPOgXDYSaAAOSTl24BqoP0MuEv6WqQnPSHkq74FIsBipmYHn-e49-SQSLXFwgieLo3XK4XVxqEQ95Req51T28SA5lAdnbbp_7upNhSbrq/s1440/stay+home.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSJuOfJ0acRPWQm0vReyVIKsoFerAFMYI_pZcNPOgXDYSaAAOSTl24BqoP0MuEv6WqQnPSHkq74FIsBipmYHn-e49-SQSLXFwgieLo3XK4XVxqEQ95Req51T28SA5lAdnbbp_7upNhSbrq/w256-h192/stay+home.jpg" width="256" /></a></font></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">There's been so much uncertainty about how to manage a new routine when our lives changed so drastically so quickly.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font face="georgia">Here's my take on how I tried to break away from the monotony. I shared this post with the idea that I'd only have to break the monotony for a month...having no idea that our days wouldn't return to normal in just 30 days! However, the ideas I share will continue to be useful now and for however long I'm going to need them during these challenging times.</font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font face="georgia">Click <a href="https://pjhowellauthor.com/2020/04/my-stayhome-monotony-busters/" target="_blank">here</a> to read further...</font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font face="georgia"><br /></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font face="georgia"><br /></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I'll continue to update my blog feed on my website, which you can visit </span><a href="https://pjhowellauthor.com/" style="font-family: georgia;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-family: georgia;">, and remember you can always find the latest blog posts </span><a href="https://pjhowellauthor.com/blog/" style="font-family: georgia;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-family: georgia;">.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font face="georgia">Until next time...take care and happy reading!</font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p></div>PaulaJHowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12331760162112462258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119452868023810463.post-56232109463636577392019-09-24T14:11:00.000-07:002019-09-30T09:55:21.861-07:00NFReads author interview<br />
<h2>
Check out my author interview with NFReads!</h2>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Please introduce
yourself and your books:</b></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-GPc0T5L4FIRHgDSL8MW6v2UH2Z2FRLRLyhYrYl_zC6rBDv9AnFpQ7L2JNlQMaPIV7yhLl23UDrXGbDRcJZaFkEd_0LpIpT7iN4aPncKsIuJnfXsUDmAameY56LczfAI_-POycMfqVHd4/s1600/POB+on+table+with+coffee.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="295" data-original-width="480" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-GPc0T5L4FIRHgDSL8MW6v2UH2Z2FRLRLyhYrYl_zC6rBDv9AnFpQ7L2JNlQMaPIV7yhLl23UDrXGbDRcJZaFkEd_0LpIpT7iN4aPncKsIuJnfXsUDmAameY56LczfAI_-POycMfqVHd4/s320/POB+on+table+with+coffee.PNG" width="320" /></a>My name is Paula Howell but I write under my nickname, P.J.
Howell. My current published titles include a mystery series, as well as a few
short stories and a non-fiction. The Jorja Matthews mystery series is about a
female private investigator. The reader tags along while Jorja works as a PI on
legal cases and attempts to unravel mysteries surrounding her own family
history.<br />
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What are the
real-life stories behind your books?</b></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I’ve worked in the legal field for 30 years, 15 of which
were as a private investigator…</blockquote>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
You can read the complete interview <a href="https://www.nfreads.com/interview-with-author-p-j-howell/" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
NFReads is an online publication which began out of a love
for learning new things and later morphed into a general interest website with
a focus on stories behind creative works and people’s lives.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There are other author interviews on the website you can
also review under the “writing and literature” section. The link can be found
<a href="https://www.nfreads.com/category/writing-literature/" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I hope you take a moment to read the interview and if you
know of anyone who might also enjoy it, don’t hesitate to pass the link on to
them.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Take care and happy reading!</div>
<br />PaulaJHowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12331760162112462258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119452868023810463.post-42209627200791195622019-09-22T14:32:00.002-07:002019-09-22T14:32:41.468-07:00Improving life, day by day, bit by simple bit<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFNyWUGpknIBUJU8bxCZPHDJzCA4hNztZVGJMgwvC-1kGNXMZIG24TfnXlKicUoDK6Ol9DemetAtdukcxD3K7Dp7RSSZzBJjgq73syiG9iHvvYBC_BucxilXua8COXjFJV7LUNjP53pCJI/s1600/POB+mock+up.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="625" data-original-width="1095" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFNyWUGpknIBUJU8bxCZPHDJzCA4hNztZVGJMgwvC-1kGNXMZIG24TfnXlKicUoDK6Ol9DemetAtdukcxD3K7Dp7RSSZzBJjgq73syiG9iHvvYBC_BucxilXua8COXjFJV7LUNjP53pCJI/s320/POB+mock+up.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Price of Betrayal - the 5th novel in the series - <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Price-Betrayal-Jorja-Matthews-Mystery/dp/1095678019" target="_blank">find it here</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<h4>
FUN FACT: There are officially 100 more days left for the
year. What will you do with the remaining days of 2019?</h4>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Last month I shared about the fact that I was <a href="https://paulajhowell.blogspot.com/2019/08/forming-morning-habitsand-keeping-them.html" target="_blank">challenging myself in an attempt to make better morning habits</a> to start each day off right.
I used <i>The Morning Sidekick Journal</i>
to track my daily morning habits and after 66 days, I felt accomplished and ready
to continue with my newly formed morning routine, even without the book as my
daily guide.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While I was filling out the journal during the 66-day
challenge, one of the daily questions was to list one way I could improve life
by 1%. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Just one idea per day.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was going to store the journal away but before doing that,
I decided to add my list of ideas to my bullet journal, where it could be in
one place and I could refer to it whenever I wanted. And because fall is said
to be a good time for change, reflection and self-discovery, I thought I’d also
share it here. I’ve tamed the list down to just 31 items, something for every
day of the month.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here’s my list of one way per day I believe I can improve
life by 1%:</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
</div>
<ol>
<li>Stick to a morning routine</li>
<li>Be mindful and present in the moment</li>
<li>Meditate, even if just for five minutes</li>
<li>Use morning mantras</li>
<li>Reach out to family and friends</li>
<li>Craft/color/draw for the fun of it</li>
<li>Drink more water</li>
<li>Exercise regularly</li>
<li>Walk in nature often</li>
<li>Laugh every day</li>
<li>Use positive affirmations</li>
<li>Listen more, speak less</li>
<li>Schedule in self care</li>
<li>Do something out of your comfort zone</li>
<li>Work on forming a nighttime routine</li>
<li>Enjoy more sunrises</li>
<li>Be open to change</li>
<li>Forgive yourself</li>
<li>Forgive others</li>
<li>Eat veggies every day</li>
<li>Spend less, save more</li>
<li>Reduce screen time</li>
<li>Stay positive</li>
<li>Stay focused</li>
<li>Journal and reflect on the day</li>
<li>Don’t overstress</li>
<li>Think before speaking</li>
<li>Be open to possibilities</li>
<li>Take advantage of every day</li>
<li>Be grateful</li>
<li>Continue to build on good habits</li>
</ol>
<!--[if !supportLists]--><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
Sticking
to just half my list will improve my life by a huge percentage and I had a
difficult time paring it down to just 31 because so many of the ideas I had
felt important! But you get the idea and I’m sure you’d have a number of things
you might add that would resonate more personally for you.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
If
you’re using this season to reflect and make changes, working on a list of your
own might not be a bad idea. When I was building my list, I didn’t think much
of it until I went back through and combined all of the items together. What
seemed like simple, daily tips morphed into a motivating roadmap that I can
easily follow and build upon. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
While
I’m glad to say I’m focusing on many of the items on this list on a daily
basis, there are a few that I knew would take some work before I’d be able to
put them into practice. One such item is #14. How many of us <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">really </i>enjoy pushing ourselves out of
our comfort zone? Not me. But it’s a necessity in order to grow as a person and
a professional.</div>
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<br /></div>
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So
I finally pushed myself and I tackled a project that I’ve been putting off for
way too long and which completely took me out of my comfort zone. This
particular project was to finally build an author website. Yes! I finally have
a website. During the process I had to keep reminding myself about #17 (because
I enjoy using Blogger and it’s been my “home base” for so long) and #26 (easier
said than done!). It’s going to be a WIP as I work out any kinks and change
things I might not like, but it’s up and running and soon I’ll also be sending
out regular newsletters. This is another jump away from my comfort zone – I’m
on a roll! <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXwOwASkzLPxmYoymyNNYLi8RoX-do6HFDM8LtV66u4VEz0XpmE2Qe7rPqq4Uf0pgIFxg1m7Yv-m8LblMxmEqr-vhIOEUPeP-goD_uSGZhP-hpZH_6CUZhf9mv4jyraLqS56MsBPVe5UjS/s1600/website+banner.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXwOwASkzLPxmYoymyNNYLi8RoX-do6HFDM8LtV66u4VEz0XpmE2Qe7rPqq4Uf0pgIFxg1m7Yv-m8LblMxmEqr-vhIOEUPeP-goD_uSGZhP-hpZH_6CUZhf9mv4jyraLqS56MsBPVe5UjS/s1600/website+banner.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="296" data-original-width="829" height="114" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXwOwASkzLPxmYoymyNNYLi8RoX-do6HFDM8LtV66u4VEz0XpmE2Qe7rPqq4Uf0pgIFxg1m7Yv-m8LblMxmEqr-vhIOEUPeP-goD_uSGZhP-hpZH_6CUZhf9mv4jyraLqS56MsBPVe5UjS/s320/website+banner.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
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If
you want to check it out, view my website at <a href="http://www.pjhowellauthor.com/">www.pjhowellauthor.com</a> and be sure to sign
up if you want to receive my monthly newsletters via email. If you spot any
issues with the website or signup process, <i>please</i>
let me know. I think a website is a lot like a child and it might take a
village to raise it properly.</div>
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<br /></div>
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So
what will you do with the remaining 100 days of this year? </div>
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<br /></div>
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I
know what I’ll be doing…writing, editing, playing with my new toy (the
website), building my email list, having fun with newsletters, and preparing
for a large speaking event. I believe those tasks will keep my days full and
productive. Don’t you?</div>
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<br /></div>
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Let
the 100-day countdown begin!</div>
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<br /></div>
<br />PaulaJHowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12331760162112462258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119452868023810463.post-31602761330637346542019-09-08T15:37:00.000-07:002019-09-08T15:37:12.487-07:00Yearly Writers Conference…check. So, now what?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBJiyVSppQELPl-9IjpLcU_e08DuJHEo9Z2Us7tvy1CjH9CiiZJbuDvPRIBUOkkNRPCowSBDr53q0C7jrJovl6NZhNPsd9B0GzMpEDAJP0o5ghro9kQWVoWuXkpkTY75JcekFtg65mjD98/s1600/Sept+conference3.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="421" data-original-width="509" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBJiyVSppQELPl-9IjpLcU_e08DuJHEo9Z2Us7tvy1CjH9CiiZJbuDvPRIBUOkkNRPCowSBDr53q0C7jrJovl6NZhNPsd9B0GzMpEDAJP0o5ghro9kQWVoWuXkpkTY75JcekFtg65mjD98/s320/Sept+conference3.PNG" width="320" /></a>I look forward to this time of year, not only because I
enjoy the arrival of fall (and wearing boots again <span style="font-family: Wingdings;">J</span>), but also because I look
forward to a yearly writers conference not far from where I reside. The
Southwest Washington Writers Conference is an easy drive and a great price for
an all-day conference. In addition, all participants can appreciate the fact
that money is donated to the Centralia College Scholarship Foundation to offer scholarships
to students. It’s a win-win situation for all, in my book.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This year the conference had the addition of a master class
for a half day before the actual event. The instructor we had the benefit of
spending the afternoon with was New York Times bestselling author Hallie Ephron.
I enjoy meeting authors who have been in the trenches and who are willing to
share their experiences and expertise while they offer tips on the craft of
writing from their perspective. I especially enjoy hearing from authors, like
Hallie, who have been writing and publishing books for some time and who have
experienced the change in times when it comes to the publishing world.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ll never assume to know it all when it comes to writing
and I’m a total nerd when it comes to learning on a regular basis. I also thoroughly
enjoy the inspiration I gain after attending a class or a workshop and this weekend
was no exception. When it came to craft, I attended the master class and a
workshop with Hallie while she shared tips on writing character-driven plots
and character voice and point of view. The rest of the conference I focused on
attending workshops related to marketing, my absolute favorite part of being an
author. Um…not!</div>
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<br /></div>
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While I admit marketing isn’t my favorite part of being an
author, it is an extremely important part, beyond writing the book in the first
place. Marketing will forever be a WIP, especially when the online rules of
engagement seem to change on a daily basis. During the conference, I enjoyed a
workshop with one of my favorite speakers, Veronica Noize, where she discussed social
media marketing. I’ve attended a couple of workshops over the past two years or
so with Veronica and she is not only knowledgeable in her expertise, but also
highly entertaining. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Beyond social media marketing, I sat in on a workshop on book
launch tips offered by speculative fiction author Jill Williamson, as well as a
workshop on email marketing tips offered by cozy mystery author Traci Hilton. And…now
I have quite a few notes to review and websites to check out, forms to
download, ideas to follow up on and some to-do’s to follow through with regarding
my current WIP.</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While I do enjoy attending conferences and workshops, and I
leave feeling inspired, I’ll admit that I also feel a bit overwhelmed. There is
so much to being an author beyond just writing the book and as much fun as it
would be to only focus on writing, the book won’t promote itself. Attending workshops
like these only confirm I still need to continue to do more when it comes to
marketing. That fact can either put a sour taste in my mouth, or I can swallow
the deed like a champ with a chaser of determination.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Case in point? Newsletters and email marketing. I’ve been
working on the idea, I have a huge to-do list, and I’ve received so much advice
I think it’s only paralyzed me when I think I’m finally ready to pull the
trigger. However…I know that email marketing is the strongest and best way to
keep in touch with readers and continue to gain sales. Should be a no-brainer,
right? But it has been the one task that I keep putting off.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, I’m taking responsibility for not yet having completed
that task and I’m tossing it here on my blog so those who follow me can help
keep me accountable. Go ahead…keep me on my toes and ask me every so often how
I’m doing with that task. Tell me you’d like to join my list and receive regular
newsletters from me, if I’d just get it up and running. <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><br /></span></span></div>
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Until next time…</div>
<br />PaulaJHowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12331760162112462258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119452868023810463.post-58263764182157919682019-08-19T10:42:00.001-07:002019-08-19T10:42:53.682-07:00How I appreciate the last lazy days of summer<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi81PYxSRbDqVsJaXCw-OozociTD1zZEuQ51FT5Xi7bPoRtEGRRM8pPqsh0CVE3hyzwKWqA46rqYDc6bZRTWxmb20oRZUOaZrK9ct2d3wPVBJvDvyeZXygWWFE__1re6GB86Avb0RpxV0ic/s1600/PA190092.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi81PYxSRbDqVsJaXCw-OozociTD1zZEuQ51FT5Xi7bPoRtEGRRM8pPqsh0CVE3hyzwKWqA46rqYDc6bZRTWxmb20oRZUOaZrK9ct2d3wPVBJvDvyeZXygWWFE__1re6GB86Avb0RpxV0ic/s320/PA190092.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
The weather has given us a break for a bit so that it hasn’t
been as warm, while giving us a taste of what’s to come when the seasons begin
to change. I like summer but I adore fall so I don’t mind the change in season
as the trees shed their leaves, the evenings become cooler and socks and sweaters
become the norm.<br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Of course, during the coldest days of winter I can’t wait
for spring, but that’s how I roll. <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But even as I look forward to fall, I still appreciate the
last lazy days of summer; even the cloudy ones. Summer offers longer daylight
hours, plenty of opportunities to find new parks to visit for walks and hikes,
and more time outdoors relaxing or playing in my herb garden. I do mean “playing”
since my garden doesn’t demand as much of my time these days. I decided to give
up growing vegetables after I injured my back a few years ago and the garden became
too much for me to tend to. Besides, the deer were always up earlier than me
and took advantage of sampling all the good stuff before I could. I finally had
to give in to defeat. And even now that my back has almost healed, I’m opting
out of a vegetable garden because herbs are much easier, the deer don’t bother
them and I love their usefulness and wonderful smells.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Besides the daylight hours and outdoor fun, there are a few
other things I enjoy about summer… </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6JNb00qsExK0FR9r04vP4eC45reSwxGtp3EZRU4Gdl9bAAVM18j2mUpXDJlHhd-dlk1WhC7CkyDsQ-2rHGLMY7gX0aRbzd8hM07uj7vLgTFsc-1R5J1jG8usZmyzDlPNAHSNM0Pgy5Bd_/s1600/DSCN0761.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6JNb00qsExK0FR9r04vP4eC45reSwxGtp3EZRU4Gdl9bAAVM18j2mUpXDJlHhd-dlk1WhC7CkyDsQ-2rHGLMY7gX0aRbzd8hM07uj7vLgTFsc-1R5J1jG8usZmyzDlPNAHSNM0Pgy5Bd_/s320/DSCN0761.JPG" width="238" /></a>Summer allows me to enjoy a cup of coffee on the front porch
as I’m warmed by the rising sun before the day gets too hot. I enjoy watching
the deer wander around as they nibble on blackberries and plums on our property
(they also nibble on my rose bushes when I’m not looking…another lost battle). I
adore the bunnies (we have so many this year!) and love to watch as they chase
each other in the yard without a care in the world. I laugh at the raccoon who
has come back again this year, also for the plums, and who works his way past the
deer and bunnies on his trek to climb the trees so that he can spend as much
time as he needs tossing plums down to the ground (he hasn’t hit any of the
others, yet). </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgoL_UVfzKwXS77iKtZ_w31m53OWve80BYmpeoTozZg0uDFxIAj47Oq8u7bXzTmF8ExHdZF3VlDo_E-b5jC9RTXKJVXaXjpO9kAjkTjIinlIHyAk5RsaojayEygNW3JZzU6fF4Jdgv7kbA/s1600/DSCN0332.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1358" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgoL_UVfzKwXS77iKtZ_w31m53OWve80BYmpeoTozZg0uDFxIAj47Oq8u7bXzTmF8ExHdZF3VlDo_E-b5jC9RTXKJVXaXjpO9kAjkTjIinlIHyAk5RsaojayEygNW3JZzU6fF4Jdgv7kbA/s200/DSCN0332.JPG" width="169" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
I smile as I watch the chipmunks compete for space with the birds
in the bird feeder, or when they run back and forth along our front porch.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But I
shake my head each time I discover that one of those chipmunks has yet again dug
a hole in one of my flower pots displaying gnome houses and other miniatures. I
guess they feel left out and would also like to live in the gnome’s
neighborhood.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I enjoy so many things about summer but what I enjoy most of
all is the fact that I can decide to focus on what brings me pleasure and let
go of what is, really, only a temporary annoyance. If the deer eat most of the
blackberries and plums, so be it. If I’m only able to enjoy a few roses in
bloom during the season, at least I was able to enjoy a few. If the chipmunks
continue to dig holes, I’ll just fill them in. If the birds lose out on
feedings due to the chipmunks, I’ll add another feeder for them. I’d prefer to
focus on what plasters a smile on my face over what might frustrate me if I
gave it too much of my time.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimWK6bRk8V0JLp3HdR3nPAsmK4cQXZ4xV1c6bzXhqi4EzLmO_Sg5-6PBMvGQp_SEB1CsfbdW4zaRxlCS9qEfCCN7jMS90PcfjASuZGqjVPtMLfW6Tl7dDsikYLjrwvu2C2eridIFZElbHB/s1600/DSCN0754.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimWK6bRk8V0JLp3HdR3nPAsmK4cQXZ4xV1c6bzXhqi4EzLmO_Sg5-6PBMvGQp_SEB1CsfbdW4zaRxlCS9qEfCCN7jMS90PcfjASuZGqjVPtMLfW6Tl7dDsikYLjrwvu2C2eridIFZElbHB/s320/DSCN0754.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And to me that’s what summer is about; it’s the season of connecting
with nature and savoring each moment rather than adjusting the moment to meet
our perceived needs and expectations.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Fall will be here soon enough and there are definitely
plenty of reasons to enjoy the current season so I’ll sit back, relax and enjoy
the lazy days of summer as they continue to wind down.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I hope you’re also finding ways to enjoy these last days of
summer, whether with wildlife critters or not.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Until next time…have a great week!</div>
<br />PaulaJHowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12331760162112462258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119452868023810463.post-8950209728961948962019-08-05T10:15:00.000-07:002019-08-05T10:15:03.264-07:00Forming morning habits…and keeping them<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m a fairly habitual person, when it comes to my routines, sometimes
to a fault. And while I’ve had my regular morning habits, I have to admit I’ve
always failed at keeping up with a good morning routine. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h4>
What’s a good morning routine?</h4>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcujx3uT6EhnwghJj-l5nTS3gH-JS6y8PhOEmsaABgObr1vWvTWFYiT1ST-za8t2O3vDBR-sMzL6wMDHB6TZwW5eQuNXZBvSn3hslWyha1uL4HCcVAMDdBll__SDlFYTW4GwneXIuLvPfu/s1600/DSCN1030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcujx3uT6EhnwghJj-l5nTS3gH-JS6y8PhOEmsaABgObr1vWvTWFYiT1ST-za8t2O3vDBR-sMzL6wMDHB6TZwW5eQuNXZBvSn3hslWyha1uL4HCcVAMDdBll__SDlFYTW4GwneXIuLvPfu/s320/DSCN1030.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An early morning sunrise on Maui</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt;">
A good morning routine, to me,
means the ability to get up early (or at least <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">earlier</i>), get your butt moving and accomplishing tasks (aka: helpful
habits) to help you start out your day on a positive note. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt;">
I failed at this miserably when I was at the day job, no
matter how many times I told myself to stop hitting the snooze button. It never
failed that I’d spring out of bed, rush to get ready and fly out the door
giving myself no cushion when it came to the half hour drive to the office. I
left for work in a hurry with the knowledge I was already running late, which
was a poor recipe for the beginning of a calm morning.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A year and a half ago I left the day job to focus on my writing
and at first my morning routine (or when I began the day) was impressive, at
least for me. I was out of bed and starting my day pretty early, at least early
for someone who’s working from home. <b>But eventually, you settle into a more
relaxed routine when you work from home.</b> Finally, I realized my so-called
morning routine was not only lacking, but was possibly contributing to my lack
of productivity, my stress over time management and opening the door for my
good friend, procrastination.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I tried different challenges to help in this department and
sometimes they worked, for awhile, but my old habit of starting the day late
without helpful habits seeped back in. A shorter day left me with plenty of
time to write, exercise, read, walk Jozee, and any number of other daily tasks,
but I wasn’t allowing the time necessary for daily preparation via morning
routines, setting intentions, using affirmations, or reflection on the day
along with an evening routine to help me prepare for the following day. My
business plan as well as weekly and monthly tracking were helping me stay on
task with my writing projects, but <b>I needed more to help me stay focused and on
task throughout the day.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, I started another challenge to form better habits by
using <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Morning Sidekick Journal</i>,
and I last wrote about this <a href="https://paulajhowell.blogspot.com/2019/06/balancing-multiple-challenges-with.html" target="_blank">when I was on day 21 out of 66</a>. I was feeling good
about my progress, although getting up early was still not that easy for me. I’ll
confess that part of the reason for my inability to get up early is because I
often have a difficult time staying asleep. If I wake up at 12a and can’t go
back to sleep until 3a or I wake at 3a and I’m still awake at 5a, it’s not easy
to give in and get out of bed at 5 and ignore the need to find those lost hours
of sleep. I’ve since decided that a 5a start time is probably always going to
be a stretch for me, but on nights when I sleep well enough, I enjoy starting
the day between 6a-6:30a. <b>Whether the day starts at 5, 6 or 7 a.m., part of
this process is not only learning what works, but what works for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">you</i></b>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I first started tracking habits for a morning routine,
it seemed a little silly, especially when the instructions were to make them as
easy as possible. My habits included: drink water before coffee, make the bed,
eat breakfast (I don’t always), daily intentions, morning mantra, yoga (at
least sun salutations to work out the kinks), push-ups, and morning pages. Most
of these aren't difficult, or too time consuming, but what I discovered is that
without tracking them, it was extremely easy to just hop out of bed, shower and
move on with the day after making a cup of coffee. While my mornings are no
longer frantic like they were when I attempted to get to the office job on
time, <b>there is something to be said about setting the tone, or the pace of the
day, with a regular morning routine.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<h4>
A few things I learned about getting up early: </h4>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li>repeat to yourself
the night before what time you want to get up – it’s a fun exercise, especially
when you eagerly roll over to look at the time to see how close you got; </li>
<li>if you
use an alarm, don’t have it close to the bed so that you can snooze it; and </li>
<li>once
you wake up, get up right away because snoozing just makes you feel groggy.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<h4>
A few things I learned about sticking with morning habits: </h4>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li>you start the day off with more energy; </li>
<li>you start the day off on a positive note; </li>
<li>you begin the day feeling accomplished when your morning habits are completed; </li>
<li>already
feeling accomplished and pleased with your progress, you’re prepped to eat the
frog (complete the hardest task of the day first); and </li>
<li>having completed the
hardest task, you can then look forward to having the rest of the day to complete
whatever other tasks are on your list.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Forming habits can be a challenge, especially if it’s difficult
to remove yourself from your normal routine and definitely if those new habits
take you out of your comfort zone. I was a prime candidate for this type of
challenge and I’m glad I stuck with it. It’s benefited me in more ways than I
expected and now that I’ve also added an evening routine, my day feels
well-rounded.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What about you? Do you have a morning routine that works? Have
you formed habits that help you start the day on a positive note? If so, I’d
love to hear how they work for you.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Until next time...</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />PaulaJHowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12331760162112462258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119452868023810463.post-30748360982065090742019-07-18T20:06:00.000-07:002019-07-18T20:06:50.553-07:00Bi-yearly check in – Still loving what I do<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL6lqnJESBNiHs0HTc3xWNwgjfR7Auz0awcSIY1z8BLJH524hVEiYzccsy_8L9_VePwhGIeSu9ewZoce1jA0KkXiGarkMODd0TA9LxZ5olzIvCklEDwaKZuNIhxPTakcd05W5bteBWQwSY/s1600/POB+on+table+with+coffee.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="295" data-original-width="480" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL6lqnJESBNiHs0HTc3xWNwgjfR7Auz0awcSIY1z8BLJH524hVEiYzccsy_8L9_VePwhGIeSu9ewZoce1jA0KkXiGarkMODd0TA9LxZ5olzIvCklEDwaKZuNIhxPTakcd05W5bteBWQwSY/s320/POB+on+table+with+coffee.PNG" width="320" /></a>I’m moving into the second half of my second year away from
the day job while I continue to focus on writing and the business of being of
an author. Another six months has passed and now I’m critically reviewing my
calendar to determine what I’ve accomplished and what I can do to continue to
move forward toward my goals.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
First of all, the most important thing is that I did publish
another novel the first half of this year. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1095678019/" target="_blank">Priceof Betrayal</a></i>, <a href="https://paulajhowell.blogspot.com/2019/05/volume-5-in-series-is-now-available.html" target="_blank">the fifth in the series, was published in May</a>. Yay! On top of
that, I republished the remainder of the series with new covers so that they
all have the same vibe. It was a huge undertaking and took me away from writing
for a bit, but in the end it had to be done and I’m happy with the results.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h3>
As for the remainder of the first half of this year…</h3>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve continued to <a href="https://paulajhowell.blogspot.com/2019/02/this-time-last-year-same-drill.html" target="_blank">work on my young adult and my new series idea</a> in between completing the fifth in the series while revamping the whole
series look. While I had hoped the young adult would have been completed by
now, I will have a final first draft ready soon. The new series is still a WIP
and I’ll continue to work on it when inspiration peaks, while I work on the
sixth book in the Jorja Matthews mystery series. I also have some other book
ideas and, believe it or not, they aren’t mysteries.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve continued to <a href="https://paulajhowell.blogspot.com/2019/04/quarterly-check-inmaking-business-plan.html" target="_blank">review and revise my business plan</a> in order
to try to stay on task. I’ll continue to use this plan, along with <a href="https://paulajhowell.blogspot.com/2019/04/how-i-keep-myself-accountable-as-i-work.html" target="_blank">monthly and quarterly check-ins</a> because I like to revisit what works or doesn’t work and I
need some form of accountability. I especially need these tools to stay focused
considering the number of writing projects I want to complete and the new book
ideas I’d like to get started on. I’ll agree that there’s something to be said
about focusing on one project at a time. Do it and get the job done. But I’d
rather not put big ideas away for that long, so I’m working on time blocking. I
can block out three two-hour sessions and work on a different project each
session, with breaks in between, unless I want to work on one project all day.
However I manage it, at least when I do work on a project, it’s the only one I
work on at that time. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9AhNWYLjdBqZyUODRcP4DrsViURbr4jwzcK5oZxPAxpBV3xjnPV5HDBG3Q0qhOwLfLU0nzf4vY0wo3wCoYd-mU3sG-yMu0IVWPQ0XjauBGK14bsdjsn5UOltUIK-b8fo10hVdxW8n72eN/s1600/Jozee+hospital+visit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="714" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9AhNWYLjdBqZyUODRcP4DrsViURbr4jwzcK5oZxPAxpBV3xjnPV5HDBG3Q0qhOwLfLU0nzf4vY0wo3wCoYd-mU3sG-yMu0IVWPQ0XjauBGK14bsdjsn5UOltUIK-b8fo10hVdxW8n72eN/s320/Jozee+hospital+visit.jpg" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting ready to greet hospital staff</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I mentioned before <a href="https://paulajhowell.blogspot.com/2019/03/winter-projects-writing-therapy-dogs.html" target="_blank">how Jozee and I were taking classes</a> so
that she and I could become a therapy dog team. Since then, Jozee and I
completed our training and took the required exam. We are now a therapy dog
team for our local hospital where Jozee can say hello to visitors as we wander
the halls and where she specifically visits with the hospital staff as part of
a care-for-the-caregivers program. It really has been a wonderful experience
and we visit every other week. For those who wonder…Jozee is bathed and groomed
before each visit and we follow strict healthcare guidelines whenever we’re at
the hospital.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Speaking of Jozee, I started a new blog: <a href="https://jauntswithjozee.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jaunts with Jozee</a>.
I need to add more posts when I have some time, as I’m only six in, but it’s a
simple blog about Pacific Northwest parks we visit with Jozee and what we enjoy
about each of them, along with photos to share.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In order to help me form better daily habits to stay on
task, I also started <a href="https://paulajhowell.blogspot.com/2019/06/balancing-multiple-challenges-with.html" target="_blank">morning pages and I'm making an attempt to form a better morning routine</a>. I’m not 100% at either but then I’m not perfect. Changing your habits
or forming new ones really is a difficult process and I’m learning quite a bit
about why we do things the way we do (or don’t do them). We humans really are
funny beings when it comes to what we feel comfortable with or what we do to
avoid making changes, whether it’s for mind, body, business or soul, even if
that change is good for us.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the midst of everyday life and my jaunts with Jozee, my
plan is to continue to form better habits when it comes to writing, the
business side of being an author, health & exercise and a morning routine. Each
week might be a mixture of enthusiasm and uncertainty laced with satisfaction and
a tad of frustration, but in the end I’m doing what I love and I love what I
do.</div>
<br />PaulaJHowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12331760162112462258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119452868023810463.post-53035619287689550012019-07-05T11:18:00.001-07:002019-07-05T11:18:28.013-07:00Latest release is only 99 cents today!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUNrqyoYJp6-kuXdiJPtpd_rU1Bya7d7S_5HOKEYgTW536Lqw7s3yuiL1L8NlQMKn_L-YCTYODYYqMMbJkFHQSNY89sq6zQkUCAUg17xjQUWWJi87swDwBOn5PISqVW-Ig3LjDY5Vg5bjj/s1600/POB+ebook.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="803" data-original-width="514" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUNrqyoYJp6-kuXdiJPtpd_rU1Bya7d7S_5HOKEYgTW536Lqw7s3yuiL1L8NlQMKn_L-YCTYODYYqMMbJkFHQSNY89sq6zQkUCAUg17xjQUWWJi87swDwBOn5PISqVW-Ig3LjDY5Vg5bjj/s320/POB+ebook.PNG" width="204" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Price-Betrayal-Jorja-Matthews-Mystery-ebook-dp-B07RXG51KF/dp/B07RXG51KF/ref=mt_kindle?_encoding=UTF8&me=&qid=" target="_blank">eBook is 99 cents today!</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The series promotion will be ending
this weekend with one last price promotion, this time for the latest release, </span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Price of Betrayal</i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">. This is the fifth
book in the Jorja Matthews mystery series so if you haven’t obtained your copy
yet, now is the time to do so…</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">You
can purchase the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Price-Betrayal-Jorja-Matthews-Mystery-ebook-dp-B07RXG51KF/dp/B07RXG51KF/ref=mt_kindle?_encoding=UTF8&me=&qid=" target="_blank">eBook today for only 99 cents</a>!<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If you miss the price reduction
today, the eBook will be available for $1.99 tomorrow and $2.99 the following day before
returning to the original purchase price of $3.99 next week.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Get your copy at the reduced price while you can!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Again, if you enjoy the books and
have a few moments, <b>I'd be grateful for your
honest review on Amazon</b>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Thanks & have a great weekend!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />PaulaJHowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12331760162112462258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119452868023810463.post-64023761460897792932019-07-03T10:31:00.000-07:002019-07-03T10:31:16.036-07:0099 cent eBooks - promotion will end soon!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeDuzt2dGnFGWnxmFfBSbhiZ8GzmSVmrprImX9awzBF5CgFJZERF9U8WyISigvzIrxzlwMVXLcakIoDVTPnJ9agZBta_tKg4VACMgC8I6Jp189Lehxst69hvq9ZvpiERxtuZ-rLxs9Ibgr/s1600/CMH+better+rock+photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1006" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeDuzt2dGnFGWnxmFfBSbhiZ8GzmSVmrprImX9awzBF5CgFJZERF9U8WyISigvzIrxzlwMVXLcakIoDVTPnJ9agZBta_tKg4VACMgC8I6Jp189Lehxst69hvq9ZvpiERxtuZ-rLxs9Ibgr/s320/CMH+better+rock+photo.jpg" width="201" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Cross-My-Heart-Matthews-Mystery-ebook-dp-B07S5FGJZF/dp/B07S5FGJZF/ref=mt_kindle?_encoding=UTF8&me=&qid=" target="_blank">99 cents today</a>!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
If you started the Jorja Matthews mystery series but hadn't yet completed it, now is the time to do so! The series as a whole has been <a href="https://paulajhowell.blogspot.com/2019/06/series-promotion-let-countdown-begin.html" target="_blank">on sale this week</a> and today's special is the 4th in the series, <i>Cross My Heart.</i><br />
<br />
<h3>
<b>You can get the eBook today for only 99 cents!</b></h3>
<br />
The eBook price will increase to $1.99 tomorrow and $2.99 the following day.<br />
<br />
In addition, if you've read the series but haven't yet obtained a copy of the most recent release, <i>Price of Betrayal</i>, the 5th in the series, mark your calendar because that eBook will go on sale for only 99 cents this Friday, July 5th. The price will then increase to $1.99 and $2.99 before returning to the original purchase price of $3.99 next week.<br />
<br />
Get your copies at the reduced prices while you can!<br />
<br />
<br />
And, if you enjoy the books and have a few moments to share your thoughts, <b>I'd be grateful for your honest review on Amazon</b>. Gaining reviews is even more important to me at this point because the reader reviews I had before the covers were changed were lost since each book had to be sold under a new ISBN. <span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11pt;">L</span><br />
<br />
Therefore, it would be nice to add some reviews for each title. Reviews don't have to be long or take too much of your time either - just a star review with a short and sweet comment will do!<br />
<br />
As always, thanks for reading and following my journey.<br />
<br />
Have a great day and Happy 4th of July!<br />
<br />
<br />PaulaJHowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12331760162112462258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119452868023810463.post-11301612685090210192019-06-28T19:58:00.000-07:002019-06-28T19:58:38.495-07:00Series promotion!! Let the countdown begin!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
If I told you it's possible to purchase all five eBooks in the Jorja Matthews mystery series for less than $5, would you be interested?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s finally time for a <b>whole series promotion</b>, my
first one yet. I’ve promoted books individually, but this promo will run for
each eBook in the series and with dates back-to-back.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You may have already purchased some or all of the eBooks and under the opinion this promotion won’t appeal to you. However…if you purchased the
earlier editions when they were originally released, there have been some changes. Obviously, all of
the covers have been updated. In addition, the contents of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">No Mother of Mine</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Best
Kept Secrets </i>were reedited so there have been some changes in that regard
also.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMZ0B10FSRE_dyWpphWEIUvoOdnYE3otnTjhYWNJ4GrRvLbLZivzTsQPyn0JJeSFcNI6re9lifOjItBHTld3R32Jf-D8ZunXhc8g6p2Gf7vX3NnIgb1u4z2ZkQ8IOhfRbtdCj7PReRJcS9/s1600/NMOM+ebook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1006" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMZ0B10FSRE_dyWpphWEIUvoOdnYE3otnTjhYWNJ4GrRvLbLZivzTsQPyn0JJeSFcNI6re9lifOjItBHTld3R32Jf-D8ZunXhc8g6p2Gf7vX3NnIgb1u4z2ZkQ8IOhfRbtdCj7PReRJcS9/s200/NMOM+ebook.jpg" width="125" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/No-Mother-Mine-Matthews-Mystery-ebook/dp/B07S38BQMH/ref=pd_sbs_351_1/137-6771618-5319864?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B07S38BQMH&pd_rd_r=c448b2a8-9a15-11e9-85a5-1bed4947ca79&pd_rd_w=zm0Qo&pd_rd_wg=DGTEh&pf_rd_p=588939de-d3f8-42f1-a3d8-d556eae5797d&pf_rd_r=4XY17BJHXHN8G7HZRSVE&psc=1&refRID=4XY17BJHXHN8G7HZRSVE" target="_blank">Available on Amazon</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With that in mind, you might want to obtain all the eBooks
in the series while they are greatly reduced in price. And if you time it
right, you could <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">purchase all five
eBooks in the series for less than $5.00!!</b> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"></b><br /><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"></b></div>
<h3>
You read that correctly...<b>5 eBooks for less than $5</b>. </h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All for the price of a designer cup of
coffee. <span style="font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"></span></span></div>
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But if you’re not interested in purchasing, or repurchasing, the eBooks, maybe
you know a friend or acquaintance who might like to begin a new mystery series. </div>
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If so, feel free to pass this information along to them! </div>
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<br /></div>
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So here’s how the series promotion will go… </div>
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<br /></div>
<h3>
Beginning tomorrow, on June 29<sup>th</sup> the countdown
will begin as follows:</h3>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisfT-YCLn4CCgU8fgUJrDOtvGse5eDpG06shRNekNzQCF1n747HmCTLtmy_EdTL8tJsSkoTEmjCenpsrgdLEV5yXLOO6WZfUo1x7s8W0DxziD1joxNOVHkIhli6-HXIfWiUo2TuFoIXC7P/s1600/BKS+ebook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1006" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisfT-YCLn4CCgU8fgUJrDOtvGse5eDpG06shRNekNzQCF1n747HmCTLtmy_EdTL8tJsSkoTEmjCenpsrgdLEV5yXLOO6WZfUo1x7s8W0DxziD1joxNOVHkIhli6-HXIfWiUo2TuFoIXC7P/s200/BKS+ebook.jpg" width="125" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Best-Kept-Secrets-Matthews-Mystery-ebook/dp/B07S5CMBN3/ref=pd_sbs_351_2/137-6771618-5319864?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B07S5CMBN3&pd_rd_r=aa055e81-9a15-11e9-a63e-3ffd9178b097&pd_rd_w=eAtcO&pd_rd_wg=cd0lG&pf_rd_p=588939de-d3f8-42f1-a3d8-d556eae5797d&pf_rd_r=PMW47X3KBBN0YXRMPDEK&psc=1&refRID=PMW47X3KBBN0YXRMPDEK" target="_blank">Available on Amazon</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07S38BQMH/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i6" target="_blank">No Mother of Mine</a></b></u></i>
will be <u><b>FREE!</b></u> for 3 days during these dates and times:</div>
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<br /></div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li>6/29 all day (beginning 12:00 am PDT) – FREE</li>
<li>6/30 all day – FREE</li>
<li>7/1 all day (until 11:59 pm PDT) - FREE</li>
</ul>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u><br /></u></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u><br /></u></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Best-Kept-Secrets-Matthews-Mystery-ebook/dp/B07S5CMBN3/ref=pd_sbs_351_3/137-6771618-5319864?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B07S5CMBN3&pd_rd_r=555aad89-9a14-11e9-a8d7-65fe08b564f9&pd_rd_w=wdO44&pd_rd_wg=OCHdM&pf_rd_p=588939de-d3f8-42f1-a3d8-d556eae5797d&pf_rd_r=GNAMMTRTBFJ2K8ETKCAG&psc=1&refRID=GNAMMTRTBFJ2K8ETKCAG" target="_blank">Best Kept Secrets</a></b></u></i>
will vary in price over three days as follows:</div>
<ul>
<li>6/29 beginning at 8:00 am PDT – eBook price will be $0.99 </li>
<li>6/30 beginning at 4:00 am PDT – eBook price will increase to $1.99</li>
<li>7/1 beginning at 12:00 am PDT – eBook price will increase to $2.99</li>
<li>7/1 at 8:00 pm PDT – eBook will return to the original list price of $3.99</li>
</ul>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoagdWJdXhIz9TVBTdP-6SkNj4Gd9ad-Y8hJuDGpx3VzH5RUYbS5UKhOmK373F7lTT9_6l4UbKVakw0_wvEweLOa5JgsTjeBMRQFoFldqD7Qr6VI3xaq5C3PjeJMxSn2Z8t1cKCoTtZ9Kd/s1600/TTB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1006" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoagdWJdXhIz9TVBTdP-6SkNj4Gd9ad-Y8hJuDGpx3VzH5RUYbS5UKhOmK373F7lTT9_6l4UbKVakw0_wvEweLOa5JgsTjeBMRQFoFldqD7Qr6VI3xaq5C3PjeJMxSn2Z8t1cKCoTtZ9Kd/s200/TTB.jpg" width="125" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Ties-That-Bind-Matthews-Mystery-ebook/dp/B07S4B2L9C/ref=pd_sbs_351_3/137-6771618-5319864?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B07S4B2L9C&pd_rd_r=b0a00ad5-9a15-11e9-99da-dd5cbc43a5ca&pd_rd_w=GM2qW&pd_rd_wg=akJAi&pf_rd_p=588939de-d3f8-42f1-a3d8-d556eae5797d&pf_rd_r=KCMWFKGVDA3QJS19JJ6T&psc=1&refRID=KCMWFKGVDA3QJS19JJ6T" target="_blank">Available on Amazon</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<i><u><br /></u></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><u><br /></u></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><u><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Ties-That-Bind-Matthews-Mystery-ebook/dp/B07S4B2L9C/ref=pd_sbs_351_3/137-6771618-5319864?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B07S4B2L9C&pd_rd_r=734dc2e2-9a14-11e9-8f85-67bf8df38ab5&pd_rd_w=Tm3E5&pd_rd_wg=h25hW&pf_rd_p=588939de-d3f8-42f1-a3d8-d556eae5797d&pf_rd_r=ZYMGV31G6PD07FJ7P724&psc=1&refRID=ZYMGV31G6PD07FJ7P724" target="_blank">Ties That Bind</a></b></u></i>
will vary in price over three days as follows: </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li>7/1 beginning at 8:00 am PDT – <b>eBook price will be $0.99</b></li>
<li>7/2 beginning at 4:00 am PDT – eBook price will increase to
$1.99</li>
<li>7/3 beginning at 12:00 am PDT – eBook price will increase to
$2.99</li>
<li>7/3 at 8:00 pm PDT – eBook price will return to the original
list price of $3.99</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Cross-My-Heart-Matthews-Mystery-ebook/dp/B07S5FGJZF/ref=pd_sim_351_1/137-6771618-5319864?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B07S5FGJZF&pd_rd_r=f4a9c4c8-9a18-11e9-8bcd-6dc5e419975c&pd_rd_w=szWa1&pd_rd_wg=07a0h&pf_rd_p=90485860-83e9-4fd9-b838-b28a9b7fda30&pf_rd_r=N708X73375KJA6PYQ2R8&psc=1&refRID=N708X73375KJA6PYQ2R8" target="_blank"><u style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Cross My Heart</u> </a>will vary in price over three days as follows: </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li>7/3 beginning at 8:00 am PDT – <b>eBook price will be $0.99</b></li>
<li>7/4 beginning at 4:00 am PDT – eBook price will increase to
$1.99</li>
<li>7/5 beginning at 12:00 am PDT – eBook price will increase to
$2.99</li>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeDuzt2dGnFGWnxmFfBSbhiZ8GzmSVmrprImX9awzBF5CgFJZERF9U8WyISigvzIrxzlwMVXLcakIoDVTPnJ9agZBta_tKg4VACMgC8I6Jp189Lehxst69hvq9ZvpiERxtuZ-rLxs9Ibgr/s1600/CMH+better+rock+photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1006" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeDuzt2dGnFGWnxmFfBSbhiZ8GzmSVmrprImX9awzBF5CgFJZERF9U8WyISigvzIrxzlwMVXLcakIoDVTPnJ9agZBta_tKg4VACMgC8I6Jp189Lehxst69hvq9ZvpiERxtuZ-rLxs9Ibgr/s200/CMH+better+rock+photo.jpg" width="125" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Cross-My-Heart-Matthews-Mystery-ebook/dp/B07S5FGJZF/ref=pd_sim_351_1/137-6771618-5319864?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B07S5FGJZF&pd_rd_r=a6d60cd2-9a14-11e9-ae04-d30f34518433&pd_rd_w=EeoXd&pd_rd_wg=Dk1Fj&pf_rd_p=90485860-83e9-4fd9-b838-b28a9b7fda30&pf_rd_r=J409KETTZ6GDP6P5PM6Z&psc=1&refRID=J409KETTZ6GDP6P5PM6Z" target="_blank">Available on Amazon</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<li>7/5 at 8:00 pm PDT – eBook price will return to the original
list price of $3.99</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
</blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><u><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Price-Betrayal-Jorja-Matthews-Mystery-ebook/dp/B07RXG51KF/ref=pd_sim_351_1/137-6771618-5319864?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B07RXG51KF&pd_rd_r=931d6006-9a14-11e9-92e4-63314db5d9df&pd_rd_w=8CH8e&pd_rd_wg=kkkTw&pf_rd_p=90485860-83e9-4fd9-b838-b28a9b7fda30&pf_rd_r=N4HXHP21WMRY5SXX3B13&psc=1&refRID=N4HXHP21WMRY5SXX3B13" target="_blank">Price of Betrayal</a></b></u></i>
will vary in price over three days as follows: </div>
<ul>
<li>7/5 beginning at 8:00 am PDT – <b>eBook price will be $0.99</b></li>
<li>7/6 beginning at 4:00 am PDT – eBook price will increase to
$1.99</li>
<li>7/7 beginning at 12:00 am PDT – eBook price will increase to
$2.99</li>
<li>7/7 at 8:00 pm PDT – eBook price will return to the original
list price of $3.99</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUNrqyoYJp6-kuXdiJPtpd_rU1Bya7d7S_5HOKEYgTW536Lqw7s3yuiL1L8NlQMKn_L-YCTYODYYqMMbJkFHQSNY89sq6zQkUCAUg17xjQUWWJi87swDwBOn5PISqVW-Ig3LjDY5Vg5bjj/s1600/POB+ebook.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="803" data-original-width="514" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUNrqyoYJp6-kuXdiJPtpd_rU1Bya7d7S_5HOKEYgTW536Lqw7s3yuiL1L8NlQMKn_L-YCTYODYYqMMbJkFHQSNY89sq6zQkUCAUg17xjQUWWJi87swDwBOn5PISqVW-Ig3LjDY5Vg5bjj/s200/POB+ebook.PNG" width="127" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Price-Betrayal-Jorja-Matthews-Mystery-ebook/dp/B07RXG51KF/ref=pd_sbs_351_2/137-6771618-5319864?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B07RXG51KF&pd_rd_r=e24bf490-9a15-11e9-bc14-57128b8bcbf3&pd_rd_w=3Ceo2&pd_rd_wg=LydiN&pf_rd_p=588939de-d3f8-42f1-a3d8-d556eae5797d&pf_rd_r=MZRE1326D8BFAKKAKPSH&psc=1&refRID=MZRE1326D8BFAKKAKPSH" target="_blank">Available on Amazon</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I hope you’ll take advantage of these promotional prices or
pass this on to someone else who might be interested. As a mystery fan myself,
I would adore a friend who shared with me not only a great eBook promotion but
the opportunity to begin a new series that’s already five books in!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Also, by sharing this promotion with anyone you know who
might be interested, it would be greatly appreciated and will assist me in
making this promotion a success!</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thanks for following & sharing!</div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />PaulaJHowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12331760162112462258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119452868023810463.post-65615117937663593882019-06-27T14:19:00.000-07:002019-06-27T14:19:39.828-07:00A road trip for relaxation…and inspiration<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you follow me on Facebook, you may have noticed that I was
MIA the past week or so. Or maybe not, the way Facebook shares posts these
days.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpwuhUYWQFjeYqI8ied7puacJXzndPvZZxZxRqezhXlg0wjtcLTgcQuU9oWk41lJAsVviJWGM4elq7jQkHT4PantPfV66sI3LsxGE3Qs-zTV26apTeF7aPPfh0KHsSh_q-8Gu7nayO6gjM/s1600/from+FB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpwuhUYWQFjeYqI8ied7puacJXzndPvZZxZxRqezhXlg0wjtcLTgcQuU9oWk41lJAsVviJWGM4elq7jQkHT4PantPfV66sI3LsxGE3Qs-zTV26apTeF7aPPfh0KHsSh_q-8Gu7nayO6gjM/s320/from+FB.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glacier National Park</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Anyway, my lack of FB updates or a blog post this past
weekend was due to the fact that I was on a road trip to Montana. It was a
quick trip, considering what we prefer when it comes to road trips, but even
just a week on the road taking in the Montana sights is enough to rejuvenate me
and help me feel centered.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You might wonder how anyone can feel rejuvenated or centered
after a quick road trip two states over. You definitely have to enjoy the whole
process of road tripping, especially on our scale when we decide how much we
want to do in whatever amount of time we have to do it. Getting to our
destination lends a certain amount of excitement as we move ahead with
anticipation – a natural high, so-to-speak – even making quick stops to view
new sights as the mood strikes us before finally arriving at our first
destination.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
First destination, you ask? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yes, first of a few in only a week. We were on the go most
of the trip and we saw quite a lot…forests and fields in Washington, historical
buildings and beautiful rivers in Idaho, and national parks, rivers, lakes and
hot springs in Montana. But we also managed to relax, as well. We relaxed in the
hot tub in the evenings after driving, exploring our surroundings and sightseeing
around Glacier National Park for two days. We made time to sit by a river
whenever we found a nice spot to have a snack and soak in the sights. We parked
and stayed put for awhile just to watch a moose far down below us in a valley
while enjoying chit chat with other park visitors who were also excited about
seeing any type of wildlife. We soaked for hours over two days in the mineral-filled
pools at the hot springs. I read a book with the birds chirping and the river
flowing next to me while the hubby enjoyed a nice long nap. We took our time
eating dinner while playing a game of dice. We visited with locals when we
could and asked questions about the best places to eat or hike. We even viewed
a few properties for sale! <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span>
That’s how much we love Montana.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This road trip was a perfect blend of sight-seeing and
relaxation.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As we drove home last night, I began to think about what I
needed to accomplish the next few days, beyond all the unpacking and laundry
from our trip. Getting back to my current book, getting back on track with an
author summit I had signed up for, my morning pages, cleaning out my inbox, a
blog post here and on another site I began (if you like walks/hikes and dogs,
<a href="https://jauntswithjozee.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">check it out here</a>), a book promotion for the series, and so many other
book-related tasks. I had wanted to begin the book promotion before we left,
but the way it was first set up, for about ten days, meant the promotion would run
during the week I’d be gone. I knew I’d be in areas where cell service would be
non-existent and that running a promotion and posting updates would have been
difficult, if not impossible. Therefore, the series promotion had to wait, but
it will begin soon and I’ll post again here and on Facebook when it’s up and
running.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When my brain began to fill up with all the tasks and
projects I needed to get back to, even the fact that my promotion was going to
begin later than I had earlier hoped, I was pleased to realize the to-do list
didn’t cause me to feel overwhelmed. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Not only am I ready to get back to writing and my normal day-to-day
author-activities, I have new ideas and inspiration for the new book series I’m
working on. I’m pumped…excited…inspired…all of the above. You get the idea. My
thoughts are tumbling with details and I’m putting pen to paper (and fingers to
keyboard) with fresh excitement. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While I hadn’t been too certain this was the best time for a
little getaway, I now realize it was the perfect time. When road trips and
relaxation breed ideas and inspiration, there’s really no doubt.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What about you? What do you do for additional inspiration?
Whether it’s a road trip or a staycation, I hope you’re able to enjoy something
soon!</div>
<br />PaulaJHowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12331760162112462258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119452868023810463.post-48352666878325813892019-06-09T12:57:00.000-07:002019-06-09T12:57:22.163-07:00Balancing multiple challenges with positivity – you can do this!<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was at a loss about what to blog about today and at first
I thought it was because of a lack of focus and the need to just get outside.
Then, I realized it’s possibly because I have <i>too</i> much to think about and I wasn’t sure which subject to focus on.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuHigqye9hpak_DobIempL2uNcqxHP1Ofz4HneuHclS2SGQHymLIqdvmTqR1wXEe1l5Q5iQpIMPfraIebuqfzaGgrVQYCxiNzb0OGIRb7D-02Jk8kvOI-cj8S9qJc2UMtRYkSAbgQdqqnn/s1600/IMG_20190130_153657854_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuHigqye9hpak_DobIempL2uNcqxHP1Ofz4HneuHclS2SGQHymLIqdvmTqR1wXEe1l5Q5iQpIMPfraIebuqfzaGgrVQYCxiNzb0OGIRb7D-02Jk8kvOI-cj8S9qJc2UMtRYkSAbgQdqqnn/s320/IMG_20190130_153657854_HDR.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jozee, balancing on a stick under water</td></tr>
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The reason for too many subjects is that I’ve been balancing
a number of challenges lately. The best way for me to work through them is to
write about them so I thought I’d share some of the details here.</div>
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First, my biggest challenge was the decision to <a href="https://paulajhowell.blogspot.com/2019/05/volume-5-in-series-is-now-available.html" target="_blank">redo all of the covers on the Jorja Matthews mystery series</a>. It’s been on my to-do list for
quite some time but my ability to finally figure it out is due, I believe, to
another challenge I’ve been taking part in (more on that in a minute). From
that point on I was buried with multiple tasks involved with what photos to use
on the books published so far, completing a re-edit on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Best Kept Secrets</i>, reformatting the paperback interiors of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ties That Bind</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cross My Heart</i> due to margin issues, completing the covers for all
of the eBooks, and pulling my hair out when the paperback covers took longer
than I would have liked. And, if that weren’t enough, after believing I was
finally done, I realized I should have looked at offering the paperbacks in a
matte finish instead of the glossy cover that has been the go-to format since
that’s what was used when the first novel in the series was originally
published. I’m now waiting to receive a proof copy of one of the books in a
matte finish to see how it looks and my hope is that I can switch all of the
books to that finish. That should be happening this week.</div>
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Whew! </div>
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If I’d known it was going to be this difficult, would I have
dealt with the hassle anyway? Yes, most definitely. This was a change that I’ve
wanted to make for quite some time and while I wish I had thought of it a
couple of books ago, I can now move on with the series and be happy that they
all have a similar look and theme.</div>
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So what challenge may have helped me pull the cover idea
from my subconscious? I’ll attribute it to finally trying my hand with morning
pages. I originally learned about morning pages from a speaker at a conference
I attended a year or two ago and after looking into the subject, I purchased <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Artist’s Way</i> by Julia Cameron, where
the idea of morning pages was birthed. Now, I’ll be honest in saying that I
bought the book, and I began to read it, and I began morning pages in January
2018 during my first month after leaving the day job. However, I only wrote
morning pages sporadically for two months. The next time I made any attempt at
morning pages wasn’t until March of this year – a whole year later!</div>
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If I knew then what I know now, I would have done better to
stick with it. Julia Cameron describes morning pages as three pages of
stream-of-consciousness longhand, or a brain dump. I’ve used them as a basic personal
brain dump but more often I use them as a creative brain dump. If something
personal is really bugging me, I’ll tend to get that out, but what I enjoy
using morning pages for is to let out all of my thoughts, questions and
concerns about my writing projects, marketing, branding and other topics with
the business of writing, the tingles of book or character ideas, and whatever
else flows freely from me when I’m in that zone. While I understand how writing
about personal frustrations can free a creative to think more on the creative
side of things, I’ve found that working through any creative issues in my
morning pages has been the best use of them. Case in point: the new cover idea
for the series. Also, new story ideas to include in my young adult novel and answers
to questions I had about the backstory on my characters in the new series I’m
working on. Those are just a few of the bulbs that went off in my head while taking
part in morning pages. There have been more when it comes to other areas in my
writing and even in my personal life. </div>
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I’ll stick with morning pages because they work for me. I
may not write every day, and it’s been an uphill climb in completing them on a
more regular basis, but forming new habits isn’t easy. While I only wrote morning
pages four days in March, I was able to write 11 days in April, 16 days in May
and so far for June I’ve written six out of nine days. That’s progress! Therefore,
I no longer wish to call the morning pages a “challenge” but instead, part of
my creative routine.</div>
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Speaking of forming habits, my other challenge involves just
that. I’m doing my best to form better habits for a morning routine. I’ve never
been a morning person. It’s a simple fact but not an excuse. I can still get a
lot done in a day but I tend to begin and end later. I’ve decided I’d like to
change that one simple fact about myself. I’d like to enjoy daybreak, have more
daylight hours for writing and feel good about using the rest of the day as I
see fit before an early bedtime. A while back I bought <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Miracle Morning</i> by Hal Elrod and was truly optimistic that a
book could help me get my butt out of bed earlier. I tried and I failed. But I
know now that my attempts were not driven by the right need; my reason “why.” I’ve
since changed my mindset, I have my “why” and I’m taking baby steps to form
better habits and a regular morning routine (to include morning pages) when I
do finally get my butt out of bed. I’m currently using <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Morning Sidekick Journal</i> (created by Amir Atighehchi, Ari
Banayan & Mikey Ahdoot) and I’ve really enjoyed using this journal. While
getting up earlier is still a work in progress, I’m on the 21st day
out of 66 and I’m seeing progress. The fact that I enjoy using this journal
through my journey is a bonus. While getting out of bed earlier every day is a challenge,
forming habits that make my days better and more productive is the bonus I’m
striving for and will be well worth it in the end.</div>
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On top of all that, I’ve started a new exercise routine. And
that is most definitely a challenge! But I enjoy the exercises, many of which include
weight lifting and high intensity workouts with varying exercises and so far I’m
enjoying them. </div>
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Are all these challenges a lot to take one? Not really,
since each one helps me with a key area in life: writing, creativity, productivity
and health. These are areas I should always invest in and which will benefit me
greatly if I continue to focus on them.</div>
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What about you? Are you a creative who has tried morning
pages? Are you a night owl trying to form an earlier morning routine? Have you
tried to form new habits overall and if so, how did it go?</div>
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Whether you’re a night owl or an early bird, I hope you have
a creative and productive day!</div>
<br />PaulaJHowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12331760162112462258noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119452868023810463.post-23947848495560225892019-05-24T12:27:00.000-07:002019-05-24T20:25:33.817-07:00Volume #5 in the series is now available & the series has a new look!<br />
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It’s been a long time in coming, I know, but the fifth book
in the Jorja Matthews mystery series is now available. Happy dance!!</div>
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Here’s the new eBook cover for <i>Price of Betrayal</i> and you can swing <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07RXG51KF/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0" target="_blank">over to Amazon</a>
anytime to make your purchase. The paperback is also available but with a
different cover at this point, as I’m still in the process of trying to rework that
cover to match the eBook. It has been, to put it lightly, a process.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgrqjADl0mEcN4gjSVnMXkfMKVFb-PAFlB7n4MbYKQt5yGqRVscQQapFUPL-be9v3QA4PMwEZnPE1soaLlkOvmzNqn4fWvafo0GF95oAIAwxAN8ZTNBoTCMe57Oz91ia00R7OZWoRlotbD/s1600/POB+ebook.PNG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="803" data-original-width="514" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgrqjADl0mEcN4gjSVnMXkfMKVFb-PAFlB7n4MbYKQt5yGqRVscQQapFUPL-be9v3QA4PMwEZnPE1soaLlkOvmzNqn4fWvafo0GF95oAIAwxAN8ZTNBoTCMe57Oz91ia00R7OZWoRlotbD/s320/POB+ebook.PNG" width="204" /></a></div>
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The fifth book would have been available much sooner except
that I made the decision to redo all of the covers for the series. I wanted to
release the new book, but decided to put it off until I could complete all the
necessary changes on the other books in the series. I knew it would be a
project, but I didn’t realize how long it would take and once I began the
process there was just no turning back until I reached the end. While the
paperbacks aren’t technically complete since I still need to update them if everything
works as I hope, all the hard work is past me now.</div>
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Needless to say, I feel a huge sense of accomplishment, and
I’m very pleased with the end result. I hope readers will be, as well.</div>
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When <i>No Mother of Mine</i> was originally released, I worked
with a cover artist who gave me what I wanted at the time but it was before I
realized I would leave myself stranded with a lack of ideas for future covers
that would need consistency. From that point on, each new book received a cover
not in harmony with the others. I’ve been unhappy with them for awhile now but
wasn’t sure how to fix them.</div>
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One day it finally hit me about how I should update the
covers (I’ll credit this to finally tackling morning pages – something I’ll
write about later). What I decided to do with each cover for the series was to
use photos from the local area – my stories are fiction but the town I’ve set
them in is not. When I originally wrote <i>No Mother of Mine</i>, it wasn’t with the
intention to write a series. That’s just how it ended up working out, as I
worked through the story, learned more about the characters and realized there
was more to the story than I had originally realized. A series was born by accident,
if you can believe it, because that’s what the characters wanted.</div>
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And a series of books should look like they belong together.
I’m thrilled now that my series does just that. More importantly, the covers
will share pieces of this little town I decided to place my characters in. Even
better still, I’m free from worrying about what my covers on other books in the
series will look like! This gives me freedom you can’t imagine.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFAwbHfpVe0kPbB0K97HlXeB5NLUMeHEGaPYv2rAD4HmZ4q9A22SbjXQdFQXHWMV7JhawINm55BoQucJcCLabATDfRoGszOu7ZNd2y4DFpqIDfD3NJnnl6rYQ5SFAEiaGQm9v2HPAlMRzq/s1600/NMOM+ebook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1006" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFAwbHfpVe0kPbB0K97HlXeB5NLUMeHEGaPYv2rAD4HmZ4q9A22SbjXQdFQXHWMV7JhawINm55BoQucJcCLabATDfRoGszOu7ZNd2y4DFpqIDfD3NJnnl6rYQ5SFAEiaGQm9v2HPAlMRzq/s320/NMOM+ebook.jpg" width="201" /></a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The local cemetery</td></tr>
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The photo for <i>No Mother of Mine</i> was taken at the local cemetery. Why use the cemetery? It has history. I have family there. It's also a beautiful, quiet area that will forever be a part of this small town.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfKEWVvPl0N9tPzWK1ZhROCMIhlMhm41RDz0ca_Jec9kCJkv8zdAUB27Q4rArXLitZeLxt2kA8yjxY2dgWQt0vj4cqw6doY1Uu54QW5y4Lu8RQ7L44PCMxSDy-qwZFFHP5HvyovePyBVVr/s1600/BKS+ebook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1006" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfKEWVvPl0N9tPzWK1ZhROCMIhlMhm41RDz0ca_Jec9kCJkv8zdAUB27Q4rArXLitZeLxt2kA8yjxY2dgWQt0vj4cqw6doY1Uu54QW5y4Lu8RQ7L44PCMxSDy-qwZFFHP5HvyovePyBVVr/s320/BKS+ebook.jpg" width="201" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trail at the city park</td></tr>
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The photo for <i>Best Kept Secrets</i> is from a trail that's part of our city park. It's a nice little walk over the hills and through the woods, past an old foundation I have no idea would have been used for but must have had some purpose, over a small creek and through more ferns that you could count.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA0KNpFtB3wEktcTi0RtbL4W7nv9e-rfEj6ngKF_k-vgkltGjr43qYJu3Nl-cY5od_0CIx8MnM2J7jeoQHJqt3fc28ppSgcYuAi7kGcmNEX9X4uZDzBa1goHgpUUtfQE_bQW6CdwgFguIt/s1600/TTB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1006" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA0KNpFtB3wEktcTi0RtbL4W7nv9e-rfEj6ngKF_k-vgkltGjr43qYJu3Nl-cY5od_0CIx8MnM2J7jeoQHJqt3fc28ppSgcYuAi7kGcmNEX9X4uZDzBa1goHgpUUtfQE_bQW6CdwgFguIt/s320/TTB.jpg" width="201" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old bank, recently remodeled</td></tr>
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The cover photo on <i>Ties That Bind</i> is part of the historical district on the main street through town, and is of the old town bank that was recently remodeled. The inside turned out amazing and while it was a huge undertaking, it was great to see my friends tackle the idea and set forth in motion the vision that became a reality. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-z3zcajA5Zjn6Ixo_vxeUYj0ZHS-WBG-z6F_HYR56NPfXo2XUMnRTJmtSkFOFy5mSP_QM9fZ21EvizdT4TxTjb9RuUDBGe5hDbJ4SE4lj6m-pkLpeLa0zetMW1uE6g_xdgiXyNCfvhiMe/s1600/CMH+ebook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1006" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-z3zcajA5Zjn6Ixo_vxeUYj0ZHS-WBG-z6F_HYR56NPfXo2XUMnRTJmtSkFOFy5mSP_QM9fZ21EvizdT4TxTjb9RuUDBGe5hDbJ4SE4lj6m-pkLpeLa0zetMW1uE6g_xdgiXyNCfvhiMe/s320/CMH+ebook.jpg" width="201" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quarry rocks near the quarry pool</td></tr>
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<i>Cross My Heart</i> shares a photo of some of the quarry rocks which were stacked on each other haphazardly years ago near the quarry in the city park and have been a place for kids to play ever since. I remember playing on them as a kid myself and I take Jozee there even now to climb on them for fun. It was only after I decided to use this photo for this novel that I realized there was a cross carved into the top right rock. </div>
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The photo used for <i>Price of Betrayal</i> is of McIntosh, one of our local lakes as seen from the Yelm-Tenino trail. This is a lake my husband has enjoyed fishing on, especially when our boys were little and catching fish was a fun experience.</div>
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So this is what I've been working on and what I'm now thrilled to share with you. I'll share more later once I know where I stand with the look on the paperbacks.<br />
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Until then...read on and carry on!<br />
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<br />PaulaJHowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12331760162112462258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119452868023810463.post-22437312754301384732019-05-12T13:42:00.003-07:002019-05-12T13:42:47.299-07:00Happy Mother’s Day!<br />
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My plan had been to write a full-blown blog post today but I
decided that my mental and physical attention will be better spent outdoors, not planted in front of my computer where I'll likely find other tasks to fill my day once I've completed a blog post. </div>
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So, for Mother’s Day I’m going to play outside and go with the flow, doing
whatever activity draws my immediate interest. </div>
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In the meantime, I thought I’d share some photos of flowers
I’ve taken over the years…just because. Consider this a virtual gift from me to
you.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsJJDgXAhhiZYmTwHsCxUNroY_ZhwF0IyOgCyTOwGJQwluOe-MdP9EefSvxe4nYZQUq4J76TzMFnJxW7qLw1z15dFIyYyEg6Lnrq_vChdk7vHY5ProCCfDYrd-l2YJTmSVMrPIXL4ZcyZZ/s1600/cell+phone+clean+up+1584.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsJJDgXAhhiZYmTwHsCxUNroY_ZhwF0IyOgCyTOwGJQwluOe-MdP9EefSvxe4nYZQUq4J76TzMFnJxW7qLw1z15dFIyYyEg6Lnrq_vChdk7vHY5ProCCfDYrd-l2YJTmSVMrPIXL4ZcyZZ/s200/cell+phone+clean+up+1584.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAQUo0PL3yY5mgupF00E6_SY1o4wuVo0vAPenPMoPCQ5Mn3r4MU2h2e9VNpAkduvFQJUITFMleMklBz2gIlt9kjVIqinx3RmTcBY1ZFs5VmsIgPuuTuqZ0pq_WKgR66nAEv-N0Ro5WX5PH/s1600/photos+to+save+and+delete+056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAQUo0PL3yY5mgupF00E6_SY1o4wuVo0vAPenPMoPCQ5Mn3r4MU2h2e9VNpAkduvFQJUITFMleMklBz2gIlt9kjVIqinx3RmTcBY1ZFs5VmsIgPuuTuqZ0pq_WKgR66nAEv-N0Ro5WX5PH/s200/photos+to+save+and+delete+056.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEDAFssTzIwLao_s1DFz4AoWzf0_0si2YS4Pm1LzYdKSLn18TH1Aq3Oi8mwwenQOEIAgAwQdhZYEYuquqb1eV9M3iZGrj7I4aReW4f_ZP5_GxsR9D78Ff-_PemzEfnN_CuYSN3AV8zubLD/s1600/from+cell+phone+up+thru+april+23+1662.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEDAFssTzIwLao_s1DFz4AoWzf0_0si2YS4Pm1LzYdKSLn18TH1Aq3Oi8mwwenQOEIAgAwQdhZYEYuquqb1eV9M3iZGrj7I4aReW4f_ZP5_GxsR9D78Ff-_PemzEfnN_CuYSN3AV8zubLD/s320/from+cell+phone+up+thru+april+23+1662.jpg" width="240" /></a>Some of these flowers were gifts, others were in my garden or my mom's garden - I enjoy placing cut roses or other flowers from my garden in old Ball canning jars.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ5SmMDxteQBK8tTu_7wwfpma73ki-Yyqb_SflzZP94Tl5AFzxw1z9Heo_TvAJ5Cg_CzBL-uD_XbC242VKBwn2c8gViEWSc1inK6aDWuLGbZ5ILCVnELxL5QW09KB9riHgOG3zujRbclQ3/s1600/from+cell+phone+up+thru+april+23+1254.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ5SmMDxteQBK8tTu_7wwfpma73ki-Yyqb_SflzZP94Tl5AFzxw1z9Heo_TvAJ5Cg_CzBL-uD_XbC242VKBwn2c8gViEWSc1inK6aDWuLGbZ5ILCVnELxL5QW09KB9riHgOG3zujRbclQ3/s320/from+cell+phone+up+thru+april+23+1254.jpg" width="240" /></a>To all mothers out there, whether you’re a biological mother, a stepmother, or an aunt or other family member who’s like a mother, I hope you have a beautiful, wonderful day!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc9UXlPGM9j6AEoLNg53JPLhrinuqNgpbWdGShPbjnTkDEIyivBFmwbSkb9Qbo6Xcxawu27w0by5t34p_Nd_V6MgakwluVo_bQIhD7fcgeIKHtuElqa45UB_hdsovJBrjpnrGoeIlwRebQ/s1600/cell+phone+clean+up+1980.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc9UXlPGM9j6AEoLNg53JPLhrinuqNgpbWdGShPbjnTkDEIyivBFmwbSkb9Qbo6Xcxawu27w0by5t34p_Nd_V6MgakwluVo_bQIhD7fcgeIKHtuElqa45UB_hdsovJBrjpnrGoeIlwRebQ/s400/cell+phone+clean+up+1980.jpg" width="300" /></a><br />
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<br />PaulaJHowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12331760162112462258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119452868023810463.post-9267317677659295182019-04-29T13:23:00.000-07:002019-04-29T13:38:59.538-07:00How I keep myself accountable as I work toward my goals<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRFKnlp9eXzEjAR7KB4ajpVDyBk9oZfFbWQYzgDf762QwPfgOZQa06TbQsrN3XsFAQT67zZujLegob5iwfKuLFSTC7qiAOCFsY_QbnWDqPPOkvsvHVGtTFjn-pY2R1sEDO-U13LWnFz30p/s1600/from+cell+phone+up+thru+april+23+1295.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRFKnlp9eXzEjAR7KB4ajpVDyBk9oZfFbWQYzgDf762QwPfgOZQa06TbQsrN3XsFAQT67zZujLegob5iwfKuLFSTC7qiAOCFsY_QbnWDqPPOkvsvHVGtTFjn-pY2R1sEDO-U13LWnFz30p/s320/from+cell+phone+up+thru+april+23+1295.jpg" width="240" /></a>In <a href="https://paulajhowell.blogspot.com/2019/04/quarterly-check-inmaking-business-plan.html" target="_blank">my last post</a> I described how I’ve been formatting my
quarterly business plans in an attempt to stay on task with my projects. I
thought I’d share what I do to track my progress during the month while I’m
working on projects. This has been a WIP on its own as I figure out what works
and what doesn’t, but the following is an example about how I try to keep
myself accountable: </div>
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<i style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Weekly</span></i></div>
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I use my weekly planner to track my word count, weekly
focus, status of projects, scheduled promotions, social media and blogging content
and anything else I feel I should note down.</div>
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Here’s an idea with samples of some of my recent notes:</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bradley hand itc";"><u>Monday</u></span></b><span style="font-family: "bradley hand itc";"> – <b>formatting font, spacing, page breaks and chapter starts
& caps – morning pages completed</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bradley hand itc";"><u>Tuesday</u></span></b><span style="font-family: "bradley hand itc";"> – <b>formatted size – cover created –
issues with options – changed title name again – began review and possible new
cover idea for BKS</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bradley hand itc";"><u>Wednesday</u></span></b><span style="font-family: "bradley hand itc";"> – <b>proofs of new book ordered –
reviewing BKS with new margins and basic editing updates – will reduce by 50
pages? – unpublish & republish as vol. 2 with new cover & edits</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bradley hand itc";"><u>Thursday</u></span></b><span style="font-family: "bradley hand itc";"> – <b>signed up for women’s business
conference – need to schedule doggy daycare - further revisions on BKS </b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bradley hand itc";"><u>Friday</u></span></b><span style="font-family: "bradley hand itc";"> – <b>morning pages completed – didn’t stick with them as well
this week – updated business plan to include new projects and marketing ideas –
signed up for upcoming author webinar</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Monthly</span></i></div>
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My calendar is set to remind me to do a monthly check in and
I use a check list to answer questions, starting with how the previous month
went. I add up my word count, make note of the status/next step for ongoing
projects, list any events, conferences or webinars I took part in, track stats
for my blog, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and whether engagements are up or
down, and schedule in any blog post ideas based on the previous month.</div>
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After reviewing the previous month, I have a check list for
ongoing tasks, as well. I make note of any marketing or writing books I’m
reading, how I might market the series or a current project, update my series
Bible if needed, list any monthly challenges I took part in, review my
editorial calendar (still a WIP) and plan blog posts. I review the status of my
current WIP at that time and where I’m at in the development of the project
(idea, currently writing, editing, formatting, launch), and what my monthly
focus will be beyond the current WIP. The monthly focus may be a new book idea,
developing new ways to reach readers, planning a promotion, attending a
conference or event, a monthly challenge, researching the competition or
updating my business plan if it’s time.</div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Quarterly</span></i></div>
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My calendar is then set to remind me to check in quarterly,
before I update my business plan. My quarterly review is also based on a check
list and ongoing tasks so that I can track my progress after I review my notes
from the previous three months. Did I promote at least one book? More? How will
I promote again during the next quarter? Did I take part in any monthly
challenges? How did I do? Did I attend an event, conference or webinar? How did
the event go? I update the editorial calendar for my blog. I check my stats,
ranking and sales. I make note of any spikes and compare them to any
promotions, thereby making further note what promotions work better than
others. Will I be taking part in an event or attending an upcoming conference?
If so, I make note of deadlines for specific tasks related to the coming event.
Are there any contests I might want to check out? I review my yearly marketing
calendar and make note of any holidays or other specific date-related tasks I
need to add to my quarterly plan. </div>
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And the list could just go on and on, especially when I get
around to what’s involved with sending out regular newsletters. </div>
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As noted before, this has been a WIP and will likely keep
changing based on what does or doesn’t work, but this process keeps me
constantly on my toes because regular reviews keep me “in the know” rather than
getting away with burying my head in the sand. If I’m not making progress on a
project, that’s on me and I can adjust accordingly if I know where the problem
lies. If I don’t know the problem, then I know I need to figure it out. I
believe a regular review of my status not only keeps me accountable, but is the
best way to set myself up to achieve my goals and therefore, to set myself up
for success. </div>
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To end this post, here’s a quote I feel is fitting:</div>
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<i><b>“Keep steadily before you the fact that all true success
depends at last upon yourself.” </b></i></div>
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~Theodore T. Hunger~</div>
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Have a great week!</div>
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<br />PaulaJHowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12331760162112462258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119452868023810463.post-51177998144685845892019-04-15T17:05:00.000-07:002019-04-15T17:05:51.627-07:00Quarterly check in…Making a business plan work for me<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJlgRc0oQBJG1FWD8zHiDNiOt8sFC00waITBpFOXEHe1p_mxqx8Obo1k9fVfkooLbCXTACXDUlxHrywM3Ac-0lRkXpitNRZtcuL8XdT_8RrCE7xJkBNlbKybUgSSQ1j_peSHH-wRKEHRHr/s1600/NMOM+mockup+example.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="479" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJlgRc0oQBJG1FWD8zHiDNiOt8sFC00waITBpFOXEHe1p_mxqx8Obo1k9fVfkooLbCXTACXDUlxHrywM3Ac-0lRkXpitNRZtcuL8XdT_8RrCE7xJkBNlbKybUgSSQ1j_peSHH-wRKEHRHr/s320/NMOM+mockup+example.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The decision to finally begin using a quarterly business
plan is probably one of the best decisions I’ve made…besides making the
decision to begin writing in the first place. <span style="font-family: Wingdings;">J</span> </div>
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Each quarter when I review my progress
and map out another quarterly plan, I can see in black and white where I’ve done
well and what needs attention or tweaking.</div>
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When I reviewed my progress based on my expectations for the
first quarter of this year, it was immediately apparent that my intentions had
been great, but not realistic. I thoroughly expected to have the first draft of
my young adult completed by March along with the final draft of the next book
in the mystery series on top of an eBook for marketing purposes.</div>
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But I didn’t hit the mark.</div>
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My young adult is still in the works and the eBook didn’t
see the light of day. The main reason is that I spent much of January and part
of February reviewing and revising my manuscript so that it could be ready for
my editor. The editing and revisions on my end took more time than I had anticipated.
It happens and it is what it is. And even though I was able to work on my young
adult (and a completely new series idea!) for a few weeks while my novel was
being edited, final revisions have been my main focus for the past few weeks
and now I need to focus on cover & formatting and publishing &
marketing.</div>
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When I spent time prepping my second quarter business plan,
I didn’t beat myself up about the uncompleted projects. Instead, I used the plan
to appreciate the progress I’ve made and to assist me as I reworked my action
list on how I might complete the remaining projects during the coming months.</div>
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It’s not an exact science – projects take longer than anticipated
or unseen hurdles pop up but that’s why reviewing my projects on a quarterly
basis works for me. Based on how my schedule has gone or if my personal life has
affected my progress, I can assess, analyze and amend the plan as needed. Having
a plan doesn’t always mean I’ll always stay on course, but it’s better than the
alternative of driving by the seat of my pants. I may write that way because I
don’t mind taking a fork in the road when it comes to writing, but when it
comes to all the admin responsibilities and other tasks related to an author’s
life, I’d prefer to have it down on paper so I can stay in my lane.</div>
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However, when it comes to business plans, there are many
opinions about what to include…vision, business structure and planning, writing
and publication plan, market analysis, audience research, marketing strategy,
pricing strategy, sales projections, financials, platform building, growth and
development, and so on. </div>
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But I wanted a plan I could look at every day and use in a
relevant way. I found many ideas and played around with a few, but overall I
just wanted something simple. After researching the idea more and feeling
bogged down by suggestions, I was saved when I finally discovered <a href="https://www.janefriedman.com/business-plans-for-writers/" target="_blank">this post by Jane Friedman</a> about a suggested business plans for writers. I like Jane’s suggested format, so that’s what I use. It’s simple
with four columns: Area of Focus, Goals, Timeline (my word; she says “Timing”)
and Action List.</div>
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So I thought I might share with you what I include in my
business plan.</div>
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In the focus column I include four main areas: <b>Writing,
Publishing, Marketing and Platform</b>. These areas have their own row and for each
focus area, I add projects and ideas as goals, note an expected timeline and add
an action list for each particular project.</div>
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The goals column for <b>writing and publishing</b> would include
whatever projects I’m currently working on, whether they are in first draft,
final revisions or just the nugget of an idea that I want to begin researching
and making notes about. I note in the timeline column when I anticipate
completing each project, or I leave it open-ended if it’s still an idea that’s
a WIP. Under the action list for writing, I use bullet points to list tasks
still pending for each project. Those tasks might include the date the manuscript
is due to the editor, how many words per day/week will result in my completing
the novel within the timeframe I’ve guesstimated, what areas need further
research, cover option or ideas I need to check out, and anything else to keep
me focused. Under the action list for publishing, I use bullet points for tasks
relating to final formatting, anything necessary to do right before publishing
and also tasks I need to complete once the book is published.</div>
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My goals related to <b>marketing</b> are based on the projects
underway and soon to be published, along with ideas on how to market previous
listings and what I might do to further market myself. These might include online
promotions for previous listings, a specific promotion for a newly published
book, social media marketing, or live events where I can promote myself as an
author. My timeline column for marketing can be all over the place for new
books, since I’m hazarding a guess based on when I think I may publish. That timeline
is more forgiving, but it can also help me stay on task to keep up with regular
or seasonal promotions for past publications and for any upcoming events I have
already scheduled. The action list for marketing will include bullet points
with specific ideas on how to promote a newly published book, an event or tasks
for regular and seasonal promotions, but it can also include a brain dump of random
ideas that I may like to utilize during the next quarter.</div>
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Goals relating to the focus of <b>platform building</b> are not
necessarily specific to each quarter. My goals usually include a brain dump of
what I hope to begin working on soon, or what I need to focus on in order to
expand and build on where I already reach an audience. These goals reflect new
ideas for engagement, visibility, interaction with readers and networking. The
timeline is very forgiving, and sometimes I just list a season or the first or
second half of a year, since I have no idea how long each project might take me.
This action list is added to regularly whenever I come across a new idea that
might help me with that particular platform idea.</div>
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This is how I’ve been organizing my business plans for the
past year and so far, it works for me. I’ve tweaked a thing or two but overall,
I can easily manage it, refer to it and update it (i.e. scribble all over it)
as I go along and at the end of each quarter. </div>
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How I keep up with it, though, is due to quarterly and
monthly check-ins. However, since this post has become long-winded, I’ll have
to share my thoughts on those another time.</div>
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What works for one doesn’t always work for another, but I
thought I’d share what’s been working for me. If you organize your writing, or
any other creative business with a business plan, I’d be interested in hearing additional
idea or thoughts.</div>
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Until next time…keep planning and carry on!</div>
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<br />PaulaJHowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12331760162112462258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119452868023810463.post-81367845009136949662019-04-01T14:18:00.000-07:002019-04-01T14:18:03.027-07:00Will your child someday ask, “What’s snail mail?”<br />
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Did you know April is National Card and Letter Writing
Month? When is the last time you mailed a handwritten letter to someone?
Recently? Last year? Never?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXHjtFg5IKLp0nLgBrfqlzfoQ8LfCHTdc6nWHiLgqzjxqJKvQkL_yLW7orOKoD9qR4WBkzEBkz7bzymuGea1xrRoh9Je4binzvoRAh-bKBXhOUppg4iuXI_3IyLGTSa3S2ZEMhEGcnAQOn/s1600/snail+mail.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="798" data-original-width="1225" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXHjtFg5IKLp0nLgBrfqlzfoQ8LfCHTdc6nWHiLgqzjxqJKvQkL_yLW7orOKoD9qR4WBkzEBkz7bzymuGea1xrRoh9Je4binzvoRAh-bKBXhOUppg4iuXI_3IyLGTSa3S2ZEMhEGcnAQOn/s320/snail+mail.PNG" width="320" /></a>Your answer to that question may very well depend on your
age or generation. The older generation, who recall when typewriters were a
thing and computers were not the norm in a household, would remember letter
writing as a way to communicate, while the current generation of young adults
barely use phone calls to converse, much less write a letter. Their form of
communication has been texting or messaging for as long as they can remember. In
fact, if I had to guess, I doubt either of my boys, on their own, have used
even half a book of stamps between the two of them their whole lives.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This reminds me of a comedian we saw recently while visiting
the Brad Garrett Comedy Club in Vegas. Collin Moulton had some great humor
about aging parents and the huge generation gap between kids and grandparents.
One subject that brought tears to my eyes was when he joked about a grandfather
having to explain to a young one what writing and sending letters was all
about. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42IYZCAOKTo" target="_blank">This video</a> will give you an idea of what I’m talking about [disclaimer, he
picks on the USPS a bit in this video]. All joking aside, it isn’t an easy task
to ask young adults or children to write a letter. The concept is extremely
foreign to them. If you’re a parent with kids, you’ll know this or understand
when the time comes to inform your son or daughter they need to write thank you
notes for gifts or money received after their high school graduation. The question
I got was, “What do I say?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I can’t recall the last letter I wrote but I’ll admit it’s
been quite awhile – I had a great aunt who <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">loved</i>
sending and receiving cards and letters (plus she never owned a computer or
used email), so she and I continued to write to each other for years until she
passed away a number of years ago. I’m thankful we shared the experience because
the notes and cards I received from her are now keepsakes and will always hold
special memories for me.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My aunt and I wrote back and forth because we both enjoyed
the process of writing and receiving cards and letters. During other time
periods when I’ve written to family and friends for any length of time, the
reason has always been due to distance or because there was no other way to
communicate. One example is when my
brother was in the service or when he was out of the country and gone for
months at a time on missionary trips. Email was not always an option given
whatever location he might be in. Another stint in letter writing was when a
friend of mine was in prison for about a year. I couldn’t visit her at the
prison, so it was the only way we communicated until her release. When I was in
middle school, my best friend in the world at that time moved out of the state
and I was devastated. As devastated as you can imagine a 13 or 14 year old
might be. We wrote from that point and all through high school, almost religiously,
and even a bit beyond I believe. Those types of letters are precious and likely
the most honest truth about our young lives beyond whatever we wrote in our own
journals.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Having a month dedicated to sending cards or letters has
made me pause and think…I miss writing letters. I miss having a reason to write
and sharing the love of writing letters with another person. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Do we need a reason to send a card or write a letter? No. We
can send one, just because we want to. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Does someone have to live states away or even in another
country to deserve a card or written letter? No. we can send one, just because we want to.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But the way our lives move on at such a fast rate of speed,
we don’t tend to find the time to sit and write a letter or a cute note in a
card to someone special. Especially when it’s just as easy to pick up the
phone, send a text or stalk them on Facebook.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So for me, because I have more stationary and cards than I
need (I’m sure I’ve mentioned it…I’m a stationary/paper/journal addict), I plan
to use this month as an excuse to get back into snail mail. Some challenges I’ve
seen involve sending a card or a letter every day – that’s too much for me. So my
challenge to myself is to pick at least two friends or family members each week
and send them either a card or a letter. Even if they don’t reciprocate with a
card or letter of their own, that’s okay, as that won’t be the point of the
challenge. What I’ll enjoy is the fact that they’ll smile in surprise when they
realize there’s something in their mailbox between the bills and the junk mail.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If I can make a loved one smile at the sight of something as
simple as a note card or letter in their mailbox, that idea alone will brighten
my day and is the only reason I need to take on the challenge.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
How about you? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Is there someone you know who would smile at the sight of a
card or a letter from you in their mailbox? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Even something short & sweet?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I'm betting there might be… <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span>
</div>
<br />PaulaJHowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12331760162112462258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119452868023810463.post-37794323908988314802019-03-07T14:57:00.000-08:002019-03-07T14:57:26.327-08:00Winter projects: writing, therapy dogs & the ideal routine<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQzygS-PQaEatHhN0ffzEE6d3hmUhds33CvmyNMWDf3yIfgDb3kEF00LQQOyP58yIwdFD2ZNejs25pkx-U_nWq7ldLjoUn08Pjv64qwcZgQDGzEBIOzRd_1yJArd2lxpS8yWRle60q5aH9/s1600/march+blog+post3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="539" data-original-width="501" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQzygS-PQaEatHhN0ffzEE6d3hmUhds33CvmyNMWDf3yIfgDb3kEF00LQQOyP58yIwdFD2ZNejs25pkx-U_nWq7ldLjoUn08Pjv64qwcZgQDGzEBIOzRd_1yJArd2lxpS8yWRle60q5aH9/s320/march+blog+post3.jpg" width="297" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">PNW winter</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m singing the winter blues while I look forward to
the comfort and warmth of mild spring weather. The idea of spring seems far-reaching
when temps in the PNW continue to hold fast to flat-out bone-chilling cold and
we are teased with a few days of sunshine only to get blasted with a blanket of
snow again. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Getting out for walks with Jozee is a highlight for me, and
we were treated to a few days of beautiful weather last month and the end of
January when we were able to enjoy parks and lake and river walks, even if it
was a little cold. The sun on your face helps you ignore the cooler temps. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But I’m seriously ready for spring and warmer weather, even
if it means rain.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUv01kNndNkR3IA6mq_WKOeR2bsPFlUNcHEHInTUE8TC73tlYXfbsW66bJfQAyBqOjdx1OhQ8oaR6Y8s0zk7Yix7nqCmfLaOSEA5BCEKcGKjwlRhj1-XRBnn5JV2zRct9jA-06_wOfIBJe/s1600/march+blog+post2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUv01kNndNkR3IA6mq_WKOeR2bsPFlUNcHEHInTUE8TC73tlYXfbsW66bJfQAyBqOjdx1OhQ8oaR6Y8s0zk7Yix7nqCmfLaOSEA5BCEKcGKjwlRhj1-XRBnn5JV2zRct9jA-06_wOfIBJe/s320/march+blog+post2.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jozee on a river walk</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the meantime, while I dream of hikes on sunny days, I’m
working on my book projects...</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My young adult is coming along while I continue to write and
also while I work through notes and pages first typed years ago – it’s
interesting when I can see the difference in my writing (then versus now) and
can make changes based on what I’ve learned since I first began writing the
book. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My new series has also received my attention and I have a
list of projects to complete now that I’ve mapped out what I want to do with
the series. I’m excited to start checking those items off of my task list.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In addition to my writing projects, I’ve also focused on a
couple of other projects…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi99qDL9qEQYzi-6A3ph3X4BmSLXd-32E5_2atOq9p0szoo25mgeHIqhdSroJ0DW5vQ_4BwFhrRva03ipDEJ9Yo5_3X7jBsJ8r8yHm8VL0oMs10u2rMGPLa_Ma9VNCDG5c9w_wirwFXK5KN/s1600/march+blog.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="617" data-original-width="531" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi99qDL9qEQYzi-6A3ph3X4BmSLXd-32E5_2atOq9p0szoo25mgeHIqhdSroJ0DW5vQ_4BwFhrRva03ipDEJ9Yo5_3X7jBsJ8r8yHm8VL0oMs10u2rMGPLa_Ma9VNCDG5c9w_wirwFXK5KN/s320/march+blog.PNG" width="275" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Therapy dog training</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Jozee and I have begun some new training. I’m currently taking
classes to become certified as a therapy dog handler and she’s taking classes
to prepare her for testing to become a therapy dog. My classes will be complete
later this month and her classes go into next month, after which we’ll complete
a test together as a team. If we pass, we’ll begin visiting at a nearby
hospital a couple of times a month. If we aren’t able to pass the initial test,
it’ll mean some additional training and another test in six months. It’s not
all bad, as that would mean Jozee would be older (closer to 2 years) and I’ll
have shadowed other handlers to learn better skills. Either way, we’ll get
there and eventually take part in the rewarding experience of visiting hospital
patients.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This time of year is when resolutions from the New Year
begin to fizzle and I’ve noticed a swarm of posts and worksheets or e-course offers
from bloggers and writers about how to avoid procrastination, increase
productivity, find an ideal routine and prioritize priorities in order to stay
on task. Since I’m a writer and not immune to procrastination or self-sabotage,
I read some posts and took advantage of some of the worksheets and a few e-courses.
While I have my 90-day plan for my writing projects, which helps me review my
goals in an attempt to stay on task, I never thought about a 90-day plan for my
personal life. In my review, I realized I haven’t been solidly on task and that
my work/life balance isn’t really balanced, possibly because I’m working from
home and sometimes those lines are just too easily blurred.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The month of March is going to be a month of learning, where
I’ll learn more about therapy dog training, more about myself as I work on the “ideal”
routine and more about my writing while I review and revise a project from the
past and get to know new characters as I piece together a completely new series.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
These projects will keep me busy enough while I wait for the
break of winter when it finally gives the stage to spring.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What about you? What projects keep you busy during the cold
winter months?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Whatever the project may be, stay warm out there.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Until next time…</div>
<br />PaulaJHowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12331760162112462258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119452868023810463.post-36508502037067818062019-02-18T15:47:00.000-08:002019-02-18T15:47:20.678-08:00This time last year – same drill, different focus<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
This time last year I had just published <a href="https://paulajhowell.blogspot.com/2018/02/break-out-confetti-volume-4-in-series.html" target="_blank">Cross My Heart (the 4th in the series)</a>, we had only recently <a href="https://paulajhowell.blogspot.com/2018/02/what-happened-to-february-lets-call-it.html" target="_blank">brought home and introduced Jozee</a> to the
family and we received a good amount of snow. Jozee was thrilled on both counts
– she loved her new home and she enjoyed playing in the snow.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfFr6SwOiVQuO65EQuO6dW4AQKZ1vfUqBM9Ko8zX7I3uEC9ezJXaK2-Aj7Qj333OHp87aI3gHP8-OyWYSs9m8aWZnlrNi9-B8vdtTvP4T0GEoW0rf_LVuPSm_f_2Z7KUoWT-ARXpB1xdLy/s1600/from+cell+phone+up+thru+april+23+2522.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfFr6SwOiVQuO65EQuO6dW4AQKZ1vfUqBM9Ko8zX7I3uEC9ezJXaK2-Aj7Qj333OHp87aI3gHP8-OyWYSs9m8aWZnlrNi9-B8vdtTvP4T0GEoW0rf_LVuPSm_f_2Z7KUoWT-ARXpB1xdLy/s320/from+cell+phone+up+thru+april+23+2522.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Time jump to today and the 5<span style="font-size: 13.3333px;">th</span> in the series is
now in the hands of my editor and will soon be ready for publishing, Jozee is a
year old but still in the puppy stage and after a recent winter storm brought
with it a lot of snow, she’s been having a great time playing outside. February
has become our true winter month in this area of the PNW.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now that my book is in the hands of my editor, I’m in that
in limbo stage…while I wait for the return of my manuscript with suggested changes
and while I consider what project(s) I want to work on in the meantime and what
I will completely focus on once the edited novel is published.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My young adult novel, in the making now for awhile because
it keeps getting shoved to the back burner behind my other books, will take
first priority. I’ve had to complete some particular research for this book and
while reviewing what I had in my folder recently when I was conducting additional
research, I couldn’t deny the excitement I felt at the prospect of finally completing
this book. It’s a completely different genre and a world of my own making, which
makes the project both intimidating and stimulating at the same time.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It may get tricky, but I’m also working on the idea for a new
series and I do hope that while I focus primarily on my young adult, I’ll be
able to take time to work on this series. It’s a project that has brought about
new excitement while I’ve made notes about new characters, scenes and settings.
I still have some planning to complete but I’m excited to begin, as this project
has already proven to be near and dear to my wanderlust heart.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And for those who follow the Jorja Matthews mystery series,
I have the story line of the next novel mapped out (until the characters take
over) and will work on that novel as time permits. While working on multiple
projects isn’t always easy, it’s great to have options if the characters in the
other books don’t want to come out and play on any certain day. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One thing I’ll say about completing one project and
preparing for the next is how clean my desk looks! My desk gets a complete
face lift once I update my series Bible, file away my notes for safekeeping and
store my notebooks for later use when I begin to work on the next novel. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I almost hate the thought of messing up my clean desk again…almost,
but not really.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />PaulaJHowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12331760162112462258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119452868023810463.post-48426949178074531892019-02-03T14:32:00.000-08:002019-02-04T11:45:23.903-08:00Super Bowl or Superb Owl? My thoughts on editing...<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I heard on the radio the other day that a Google search for
the Super Bowl may land you on a page about the superb owl instead if you
misplaced your space. I tried it, with and without a space, but most of the
items on my search list only included Super Bowl news, with a couple of
exceptions:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWRxm3ORNbs4WvW1KrGkbW4aYA3No2vMwvbuHhE6xhyphenhyphennSd8iNPN3RYuIuNhHA-_tfRWhhdSd28-QPZ_1qOmwc6XODIo1V90y_y0ITd2z17r0vDPXrS_IuK02gwrbyRmH7UN72KVmhFHZF2/s1600/P7280540.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1201" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWRxm3ORNbs4WvW1KrGkbW4aYA3No2vMwvbuHhE6xhyphenhyphennSd8iNPN3RYuIuNhHA-_tfRWhhdSd28-QPZ_1qOmwc6XODIo1V90y_y0ITd2z17r0vDPXrS_IuK02gwrbyRmH7UN72KVmhFHZF2/s320/P7280540.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Owl hanging out in our front yard</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/superb_owl" target="_blank">Wiktionary, a free online dictionary</a>, included this usage
note: This spelling is used, jocularly or seriously, to try to avoid being sued by the NFL, when trying to associate places, events and products with the Super Bowl without acquiring a license first.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And then there was <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/01/sports/superb-owl.html" target="_blank">this tricky post from the NY Times</a> which was a mix of a beautiful owl photo, some wit about how you may have landed on their page, football links and, if you're really just interested in owls, a link to an article you may enjoy.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Since I'm partial to owls and not football (although I do enjoy Super Bowl commercials), I'll stick to real posts and articles that relate only to owls without game day tidbits sprinkled in. [Side note: Word wants me to fix the term "superb owl" to "super bowl" - even the computer likes football more than I do. <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "wingdings";">J</span>]</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But when I heard that bit about the Super Bowl vs superb owl search results, I found it interesting...</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
How often do we search the Internet for one thing, only to become lost down the rabbit hole of another subject we didn't realize might be interesting? How often do we type words and sentences, not realizing one misplaced space or missing letter completely transforms what we were trying to say? Or worse, when auto correct thinks it knows what you mean to say and completely changes the whole meaning of your message (sometimes embarrassingly!).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I guess the reason I found the radio snippet interesting is because I've been editing and revising my novel in preparation for its final edit. You can edit and edit, again and again and still find errors you missed from previous passes. I've learned from using a professional editor how important it is to have those professional set of eyes review my work. While my eyes will eventually gloss over from reviewing the same paragraphs over and over, a professional editor will see the story with fresh eyes and the ability to catch those misplaced letters or words, extra spaces, unintentional meanings due to extra words and so much more.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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There are many ways to edit: self edits, mixed with computer applications that will edit for you before beta readers take a stab at the story (where some are better than others at catching mistakes), but I've learned from my last seven publications, some with and some without professional edits, that a professional edit is key.</div>
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And if for some reason my words just don't make sense and aren't caught by myself or the computer, I can rely on the fact that my editor will ask me...did you man superb owl, or Super Bowl? <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "wingdings";">J</span> </div>
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Have a great day and happy Super Bowl Sunday!</div>
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<br />PaulaJHowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12331760162112462258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119452868023810463.post-5049643353887515972019-01-20T17:53:00.000-08:002019-01-20T17:53:14.561-08:00How is your WOTY treating you so far?<br />
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We’re over half way through the month and I just realized
this is my first post for 2019. I’m slacking already…but in my defense, I’ve
been busy revising. Book #5 in the Jorja Matthews mystery series is being reviewed
and tweaked so that it’ll be ready for a scheduled professional edit next
month.</div>
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Another book finally complete!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_cFmUR4F50R92-INBH5EccSHF9x2UsMOglawcIrYOjggT0Y5PzrDLAdo7J95YYGQZb2fOvqQur2_jAal6xCq8wVBNaeUbiKvmvqgFnEqIAzAcz9D_ZhG4gm6QXTbnr4275q4yBidZZv5Y/s1600/journal+page+2019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_cFmUR4F50R92-INBH5EccSHF9x2UsMOglawcIrYOjggT0Y5PzrDLAdo7J95YYGQZb2fOvqQur2_jAal6xCq8wVBNaeUbiKvmvqgFnEqIAzAcz9D_ZhG4gm6QXTbnr4275q4yBidZZv5Y/s320/journal+page+2019.jpg" width="237" /></a></div>
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I’ll soon have eight books under my belt, but I’m itching to
publish more. While the past few novels of the Jorja Matthews series has taken
longer to write, one of my goals this year is to write and publish more often.
I won’t likely publish more than one Jorja book a year, but I hope to write and
publish more often when it comes to short stories along with some stand-alone
novels in the mix. </div>
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We’re moving into week 4 out of 52…which still leaves plenty
of time to make that happen.</div>
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So, did you choose a word of the year for 2019? </div>
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There are many who take the time to choose a word to help
guide them throughout the year. Last year, my word was Faith. I chose it because
I knew I had to have faith in myself while I moved ahead in my first year
working and writing from home after leaving the day job. </div>
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Not only did I have to have faith in myself, I had to
continue to have faith in what was to come, faith in the possibilities, faith that
all would be well, and faith after letting go and giving up the need to control
everything (although I’ll admit it’s still a WIP).</div>
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There were some growing pains as I forged ahead with a new
schedule and other changes, but I did what I could to remember to have faith in
the process and to resist the need to push or pull whenever something happened
that I thought I should control. That left me better able to focus on the
moment, learn from it and then move forward. </div>
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This year, my word for the year is Fearless. I chose this word
because I like that it describes the ability to be fearless, or brave, as I continue
to work toward my goals and also to fear less the possibility of unidentified
hurdles. I don’t wish to fear anything; I wish to only look forward to the
future feeling encouraged and inspired. I will fear less the prospect of change
and will be fearless in the pursuit of what will continue to encourage and
inspire me in mind, body and spirit.</div>
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In reviewing what I wrote to myself at the end of 2018, I
realize it’s really not specific to any year, but to the rest of my life: </div>
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Continue to focus on today, but with the knowledge that what
you do, or don’t do, will have a big impact on where you want to be a year from
now, or five years from now. It is a journey, with no true destination, so stay
on the path and know that each accomplishment will continue to build the life
you are striving for.</div>
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This time last year I was uncertain of what to expect and
while I was excited, I was also a bit anxious. This year I’m more aware of what
to anticipate, I’ve learned from the past year and I’ve even more excited about
the coming year. I guess that’s why I decided to choose Fearless as my word of
the year…I feel unafraid now, but I needed to commit to a word that will remind
me to remain brave should I slip on any doubts that may come my way.</div>
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Until next time…</div>
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Carry on and be courageous!</div>
<br />PaulaJHowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12331760162112462258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119452868023810463.post-34893568928168485892018-12-30T14:34:00.000-08:002018-12-30T14:34:27.601-08:00So long 2018…it’s been great knowing you!<br />
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Another New Year is about to begin…are you ready?</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggnkDQmKOrl1QvGZzO3TNM5bBb20GYMmNnV1j1d7rJ5nGXaK-T9izSnvwhFEMyVz7N5lugIbytko2TKmfOPvRbAvJ1SyU8V-9ENdPvlySKZbmresMFceOSyJbsg3bSnJLZNlU3X7Ivx1zC/s1600/from+cell+phone+up+thru+april+23+1443.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggnkDQmKOrl1QvGZzO3TNM5bBb20GYMmNnV1j1d7rJ5nGXaK-T9izSnvwhFEMyVz7N5lugIbytko2TKmfOPvRbAvJ1SyU8V-9ENdPvlySKZbmresMFceOSyJbsg3bSnJLZNlU3X7Ivx1zC/s320/from+cell+phone+up+thru+april+23+1443.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ocean Shores</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I wasn’t sure what to expect from 2018, to be honest, since
this was going to be my first year away from the day job, but as I reflect on
this past year I will say I'm happy. When I reviewed <a href="https://paulajhowell.blogspot.com/2018/12/a-year-in-photos-proof-of-where-time.html" target="_blank">my year with photos</a>, I was reminded of all the fun this year has been, and when I
reviewed each month with regard to my author life, I feel satisfied with how I
tackled my first year.</div>
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In February I was finally able to <a href="https://paulajhowell.blogspot.com/2018/02/break-out-confetti-volume-4-in-series.html" target="_blank">publish the fourth book in the Jorja Matthews mystery series</a>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cross My Heart</i>.
This was perfect timing considering the next two months or so I was sidetracked
with my new puppy, Jozee, who demanded <a href="https://paulajhowell.blogspot.com/2018/02/what-happened-to-february-lets-call-it.html" target="_blank">much more of my time than I had anticipated</a>. </div>
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The rest of this past year I focused on writing the fifth
book in the series, which is almost complete and has an appointment with my
editor in February. I also <a href="https://paulajhowell.blogspot.com/2018/09/when-summer-collapses-into-fall.html" target="_blank">published another book</a>, this time trying my hand
with nonfiction with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Note to My Author
Self</i>. This was a book I decided to share with readers but which was
written for myself; because I needed to. Some books are just born that way. </div>
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Over the past year I took part in multiple events to include
<a href="https://paulajhowell.blogspot.com/2018/05/practice-makes-perfect.html" target="_blank">speaking engagements and book signings</a> in May, June and November, an
in-person women’s business conference, an in-person writer’s conference,
multiple business and author webinars, and full day or week-long online
seminars. Now that I’m looking back at the number of events I took part in, I
realize I could have provided updates on these events in order to share some of
what I learned at each event. I can still do that, in time if I get to it, but
this next year I plan to stay on top of those updates. Due to some <a href="https://paulajhowell.blogspot.com/2018/12/december-is-dubbed-project-month.html" target="_blank">extensive organizing this past month</a>, I’ve mapped out a plan on what I need to do
in order to accomplish that goal.</div>
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I’ve worked from home before, when I was a private
investigator for over a dozen years, so I knew I could do it. However, I also figured
I’d have to expect setbacks after going back to an office job for a handful of
years before changing things up to work from home again. The first half of the
year I winged it in a semi-organizational way, but eventually I had to concede
to the idea that I had to get <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">serious</i>
with the business of writing and <a href="https://paulajhowell.blogspot.com/2018/05/the-many-moments-in-month-of-may-so-far.html" target="_blank">finally create a business plan</a>. Originally,
I planned on quarterly business plans with the idea of moving to six-month
plans, but I’ve since decided <a href="https://paulajhowell.blogspot.com/2018/09/quarterly-check-in-and-business.html" target="_blank">I prefer going over them every three months</a>. I know that reviewing my plan four times a year will help keep me on
task.</div>
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I <a href="https://paulajhowell.blogspot.com/2018/10/productive-writer-happy-author.html" target="_blank">changed the look of my blog</a>, which was
time-consuming but rewarding when I realized how much I preferred the final
result. I teeter-tottered back and forth about whether or not I would join
National Novel Writing Month in November but eventually <a href="https://paulajhowell.blogspot.com/2018/11/the-top-3-things-ill-focus-on-this.html" target="_blank">decided not to let the challenge take priority </a>over my current WIP, considering how close I was to
completing it.</div>
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I’ve updated my writing calendar so that I can begin 2019
with fresh new pages for my writing updates and to-do’s and I’m currently
working on putting together a new bullet journal for this next year. I <a href="https://paulajhowell.blogspot.com/2018/01/two-weeks-in-this-writer-is-making.html" target="_blank">first wrote about using a bullet journal</a> in January when it was still fairly
new to me and I wasn’t even sure if I was going to be able to stick with it
because my attempts at the end of 2017 were hit and miss. However, I’m pleased
to say I was able to stick with it the whole year and I’ve enjoyed creating my
new journal for 2019. I look forward to filling in each page as I move ahead in
another productive year.</div>
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I hope you also look forward to the coming New Year and that
it will be ripe with possibilities, full of inspiration and complete with satisfying
results. </div>
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Happy New Year!</div>
<br />PaulaJHowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12331760162112462258noreply@blogger.com2