So long 2018…it’s been great knowing you!

Another New Year is about to begin…are you ready?

Ocean Shores

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 my year with photos, 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.

In February I was finally able to publish the fourth book in the Jorja Matthews mystery series, Cross My Heart. This was perfect timing considering the next two months or so I was sidetracked with my new puppy, Jozee, who demanded much more of my time than I had anticipated. 

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 published another book, this time trying my hand with nonfiction with Note to My Author Self. 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.

Over the past year I took part in multiple events to include speaking engagements and book signings 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 extensive organizing this past month, I’ve mapped out a plan on what I need to do in order to accomplish that goal.

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 serious with the business of writing and finally create a business plan. Originally, I planned on quarterly business plans with the idea of moving to six-month plans, but I’ve since decided I prefer going over them every three months. I know that reviewing my plan four times a year will help keep me on task.

I changed the look of my blog, 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 decided not to let the challenge take priority over my current WIP, considering how close I was to completing it.

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 first wrote about using a bullet journal 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.

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.

Happy New Year!

A Year in Photos; Proof of Where Time has Gone

I hope you’re enjoying the weekend and that you find time between all the hustle and bustle to take a breather before jumping in on the holiday fun with family. I’m looking forward to a brand new year, but I was feeling a little nostalgic while going through photos of this past year. 

It’s been a busy year, but it’s also been a fulfilling year. 

While it was difficult to choose just one photo per month, I thought I’d share the past year in photos with some of my favorites:

January:

Koa and Kai move in – at this point we only had Mandy, our 10-year old (9 at the time) lab/border collie mix. It took her about three months to get comfortable with having cats around the house again.

Koa & Kai

February:

Jozee became a part of our family – and Mandy didn’t like us much at this point. She was still keeping her distance from Koa and Kai, but she had no idea how to deal with an energetic pup who insisted on trying to force playtime.

Jozee & her first day with us

March:

Life with pets – I enjoy posting photos like this, along with videos, to share our life with pets on my Instagram account @ www.instagram.com/pj_howell. Not just the cute photos, but how they make us laugh or on those days when I can only shake my head and wonder how long each stage is going to last.

Someone has an issue with the tissue

April:

It was my birthday and we celebrated with a few days in Vegas. You can never go wrong celebrating your special day.

Vegas b-day trip

May:

Jozee was not quite five months when we took her to the beach for the first time. She loved it – this is a cute photo my son took when she was looking out at the water.

Life is a beach

June:

We decided Mandy didn’t have enough playmates so we brought home a rescue we named Booker. He wasn’t sure what to think about moving in with two dogs and two older kittens (who were turning one in July), but he settled in fairly quickly and has been an adorable and fun addition to the family.

Booker is dreaming he caught a mouse

July:

Jozee loves going for walks and we thoroughly enjoyed roaming both Washington and Oregon in order to find new parks to explore.

Lake Sacajawea

August:

Road trips are my favorite, especially when we get to visit Montana and Wyoming. We had to change things up with our itinerary due to the fires at Glacier Park, but we never fail to enjoy ourselves when we get to explore these two particular states. I share photos of both local and out-of-state places we visit on my Instagram account at www.instagram.com/road_trip_junkie.

Montana river

September:

Last year I enjoyed Halloween Horror Nights with my boys and we just couldn’t pass up the opportunity again this year, especially when I’m able to enjoy the world of Harry Potter during the day.

HP world at Universal

October:

The weather in the Pacific Northwest was so beautiful and mild throughout October and into November, so that we were able to continue enjoying walks at local parks during the change in the seasons.

Tumwater Falls park

November:

Jozee is one month shy of turning a year old and I just adore her.

Jozee

December:

When someone in your family turns 21 years old and you can make Vegas happen, it will leave you with lasting memories. Even better is when your visit is this time of year, when you also get to enjoy all the holiday spirit and decorations around every corner.

Vegas and the holidays

So that’s my year in photos. We made great memories and have a lot to be thankful for. When my husband asks me what I want for Christmas, I can truthfully say, “nothing,” because the whole year has been one wonderful gift and nothing in wrapping paper could ever compare.

I hope your year has also been a great one and that you made your own wonderful memories.

Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays

Delete, delete and…delete

I’ve pretty much had it with my inbox. Maybe you feel the same? I believe it’s time to purge again.

It all started before Black Friday —I began to feel beaten down by the extreme number of emails screaming at me from their subject line to take advantage of this or that deal…

Booker will help delete emails
whether I want him to or not!

24 hours only! Delete

Last call! Delete

Deals made just for you! Delete

Save big NOW! Delete

Only a few hours left! Delete

And I’ll end with the one that said “I need to apologize…” in the subject line, but the body of the email informed me that the apology was because I’d have a difficult time making a decision on which deal to choose from. This one upset me because I usually read this blogger’s emails and she roped me in to a Black Friday sales pitch. Delete

There were more. Many more. I’m sure you likely received your fair share.

I enjoy the bloggers, authors and business entrepreneurs I follow who may have used a freebie to gain my email address but who share more of themselves and their experiences while limiting their requests to buy their products or services. Sadly, they have become fewer and far between, with many gaining email addresses only to dump multiple emails daily or weekly with sales pitches and special offers. If you make a purchase, you’re still buried in sales pitches; or worse, some send emails to ask why you’re not taking them up on such a great offer.

I was so tired of seeing multiple emails and requests to buy that I decided not to take part in Black Friday or Cyber Monday in an attempt to make additional sales for my own books. Did I cut off my nose to spite my face? Maybe. But it’s also possible that if I had taken part, my sales offers would have just been lost in the large shuffle of offers already out there. I made the decision to save additional sales pitches or offers until after the holidays. And I feel good about it.

I think that’s enough time spent on my rant, and rather than end this post on a negative tone, I thought I’d share with you a few of the women who I still enjoy seeing pop up in my inbox:

Susannah Conway @ https://www.susannahconway.com – Susannah is an “author, photographer and teacher who’s been sharing her heart online for over a decade.” I’ve been following Susannah for a couple of years and I enjoy receiving her newsletters, which she calls love letters. She is full of heart and soul, is extremely honest with some of the ups and downs in life, shares classes you can take part in with her and also shares free journaling and photography challenges. My favorite freebie from Susannah is the Unravel Your Year workbook she sends out at the end of each year, which I recently received and can’t wait to work on so that I can compare it to the workbook I completed last year.

Naomi Bulger @ https://www.naomiloves.com - Naomi is a “writer, illustrator…on a path to live a life with more simplicity, greater creativity and deliberate kindness.” She shares thoughts about letter-writing, parenting, creative work and life, and slow living and her mission is to help busy women explore their creativity, share their stories and find their tribe. Her newsletters are thoughtful and sincere and include fun mail art templates you can color if you’re so inclined to use them for snail mail. Or have fun with them just because you like to color. J

Allie @ https://www.thejourneyjunkie.com – Allie is a “body-mind-soul advocate and personal home yoga teacher.” She offers classes, challenges, journal prompts, yoga videos and more. I’ve been learning about and practicing yoga for over two years and it is a constant WIP, as with any exercise routine, and there are high and low points with feelings of success, setbacks and self-doubt. I appreciate and am inspired by Allie’s honesty and no-BS-attitude when it comes to how she deals with her own highs and lows while keeping up with her own practice and running her business.

Beth Kempton @ https://bethkempton.com/about and who is also the Founder of Do What You Love @ https://dowhatyouloveforlife.com/blog. Beth is an author, speaker, traveler and entrepreneur and her mission is to show you how to direct your own life, choose your path and manifest happiness. I enjoy her newsletters complete with her thoughts, updates and inspirational and helpful life and business tips. For the past two years I’ve enjoyed receiving the Do What You Love New Year’s Revolution kit, which is a calendar and workbook to help with accountability and commitments. I’m hopeful this kit will be offered again for 2019 because it’s visually appealing and I’ve been using it in my project binder to help me stay on task with my monthly goals.

These women have something to share, and something to sell, but they continue to hold my trust by continuously holding a conversation rather than expecting constant commerce between parties. Their emails and newsletters are an example of what I look forward to spying in my inbox between all the emails I delete. They have done what others have not; made me feel as if I’m receiving an email from a friend.

And that’s a job well done.

How about you? Do you receive newsletters from someone who inspires you or offers helpful information? If so, I’d love to hear about them.

December is dubbed the project month

In addition to finding the perfect tree, decorating for the holidays and spending time with family, the month of December also means a handful of projects for me…

Completing the fifth book in the series so that I can begin editing and revising before it’s shipped off to my editor. I’m excited to complete this novel and move on to the next project, as well as my next project idea of a new series. In addition to other book ideas I’d like to play with, another series might be a lot to take on but I’m excited about it and I know that the idea will continue to chatter at me until I put words on paper. That series will be a WIP for a bit, so I’ll share more once I have more to share. J

The beginning of a new bullet journal for 2019 – this past year was my first year using a bullet journal and while it took some getting used to, I thoroughly enjoy using it over a preprinted calendar that doesn’t accommodate everything I need on a given day or in a whole week. I’ve decided to continue with bullet journaling, which is a good thing since I have SO many journals I’ve purchased that I need to make use of. I’ll schedule a post after the first of the year to share how I put together my bullet journal, for those who might be interested.

A new writing calendar for 2019 – although I have pages earmarked for “author stuff and ideas” in my bullet journal, I track all of my writing notes in a separate calendar/planner so that I can track my word count, author and marketing to-do’s based on my business plan, author events and so on. This calendar is also where I track the days of my characters in the series, which is something else I think I’ll share about in another post. My writing calendar helps me so that when I reflect on the previous year, in preparation for the coming year, everything is in one place and not mixed together with a bunch of personal items I’d have to sift through.

My business plan for the first quarter of 2019 – originally when I wrote about finally putting together my first business plan, I thought I might switch from quarterly to bi-yearly. However, after tracking my to-do’s over the course of almost three quarters, I decided to stick with quarterly plans. Having quarterly reviews fits my business model better and I believe they will help keep me accountable while a six-month plan might be a recipe for procrastination. I’ll be sharing more in a later post with a year-in-review and my plans for 2019.

Organization – seriously, this is a constant WIP but lately I’ve spent a lot of time going over everything I use in my writing life in an attempt to figure out what works, what I can utilize better and what I need to just cut loose (some days, Facebook is high on that list). I have so many ideas, not only with what I want to write, but also what I need to do when it comes to my author platform, marketing and promotion. Too many ideas, really. I want to work smarter, not harder, so that I also have plenty of time to write. Now that I’ve organized everything and condensed my lists, the focus is…what to really focus on. More on this will probably be included in my year-in-review or when I share quarterly updates after the first of the year.

I’m also thinking about my reading list for next year – not that I actually make a list. It’s more like a stack of books I keep adding to on my book shelf that I need to read next. While I have a large stack waiting for me, I’m torn between sticking to a bunch of smaller titles or finally beginning the Game of Thrones series. I loved the TV series and I’m looking forward to how much better I’m certain the books will be. Plus, I think reading them during the winter months of January and February will be the perfect fit.

If you’re curious about my 2018 reading list – here’s a list of the fiction titles I read this past year:

Cookbook Conspiracy by Kate Carlisle

My Sister’s Grave by Robert Dugoni

Fatal Frost by Karen MacInerney

Red Velvet Cupcake Murder by Joanne Fluke

Lemonade and Lies by Agatha Frost

I’d Know You Anywhere by Laura Lippman

Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah

Eaves of Destruction by Kate Carlisle

All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda

Postcards from the Dead by Laura Childs

The One That Got Away by Simon Wood

Dying for a Taste by Leslie Karst

Deadly Brew by Karen MacInerney

Deja Moo by Kirsten Weiss

Year One by Nora Roberts

Mistletoe Murder by Karen MacInerney (currently reading)

I may be able to add one more book to my reading list this month while I focus on my projects but it won’t stop me from enjoying the season and time I plan to spend with family. December is going to be full of seasonal festivities, family fun, productive projects and time spent reading holiday themed books when the mood strikes. I’d say that’s a great way to spend this last month of the year.

I hope your month will also be full of what makes you happy.

Until next time…

When the holidays sneak up on you

Koa - cute, cuddly and a big baby

Thanksgiving seems early this year, or maybe it came up on us fast, I’m not quite sure. My dental hygienist had a good laugh at my expense the other day when I asked about scheduling an appointment for next week. She shook her head and told me next week wouldn’t work because it was Thanksgiving.

I actually replied to her in astonishment with, “No it’s not.”

And then she showed me the calendar.

I use calendars, obviously. I’m a paper planner addict and have one for both my personal and writing life. How the heck did I miss that next week is Thanksgiving? In my defense, I’ve been busy with writing, marketing and book promotions, a book event, and planning ahead for book promotions throughout the rest of the year.

In addition, I enjoy celebrating Halloween all through October and realistically, I begin to think about Christmas on November 1st. I am one of those people, yes, who begins to listen to Christmas music or watch holiday movies right after Halloween. Thanksgiving is just another day smack dab in the middle of ghost stories and holiday baking.

Although, I have to say I enjoy left-over turkey sandwiches. If I had to choose, other than time spent with family, that is my favorite part of the holiday.

And pumpkin pie.

Can’t forget the pie.

Okay, now I’m looking forward to Thanksgiving. J

Joking aside, this month is more about family. The food is just a bonus.

In addition to family, my other focus this month was on writing and health/wellness. My writing schedule is still going well and I’ve been able to reach my word count just about every day. As for the remainder of my focus for the month, I took part in a fitness challenge and did about half as well as I expected but ended with a better mindset and some good advice on what I need to do to stick with a routine. I also began a gratitude journal the beginning of the month and I’ve actually stuck with it - I’ve tried to do this before but would usually fizzle out after a week or so. And, I began a new meditation practice this past week that has helped me feel calmer this time of year than I remember ever feeling before.

I guess that explains why I didn’t completely freak out when I found out next week was the holiday. I’m not prepared and plans are still up in the air, but I’m okay with that. Which is a bit odd, coming from me. I suppose that’s additional proof the meditation technique is working.

Other than not keeping up with what date the holiday was landing on, the month of November is providing for me what I had hoped. And considering the fact that December is going to be a fairly busy month, I will appreciate the limited focus in November. It’s something else I will add to my grateful journal.

Whatever your plans for the holiday and the rest of the month, I hope you find time to be with family and celebrate the areas in your life you can be grateful for.

Another FREE eBook - 11:11 Anna's Awakening

How's the weekend going for you?

If you're stuck inside because of the cold or rain, or just because you enjoy hanging out at home to relax the week away, I hope you're enjoying your day.

If you are relaxing, are you in the mood to read a book? If so, I have a short story available for you, and it's FREE!

Beginning today Nov. 10 through Monday Nov. 12, the eBook of 11:11 Anna's Awakening will be available for free, so if you don't yet have a copy, make sure to take advantage of this offer before it ends.

Get your copy here

If you're curious, here's an idea of what the story is about:

Everyone deals with grief in their own way.  Death can bring families closer together; sometimes it can tear them apart. Only time can heal the wounds to build stronger relationships and while some relationships survive, sadly, others do not. This is the story of two parents who suffer a great loss and attempt to build a new relationship with the memory of their loved one between them. But as they both work through their grief, their relationship is threatened by many things…fear, anger, selfishness, even greed. As husband and wife tend to their needs to survive the numbing loss, one of them must become acutely aware of these threats in order to change their fate.    

A few facts about this story: 11:11 comes from the idea of what it might mean to see a particular number again and again, which is what occurs to my character, Anna, while she's dealing with the loss of her child along with a fractured marriage. This is a story where I thought I knew what was going to happen to the protagonist, but she surprised me and ultimately, the ending did as well. It's stories like this, and characters who determine their own fate above what I believe I have in store for them, that continue to make writing such an enjoyable calling.

I hope you take the opportunity to obtain your free copy and if you do and you enjoy the story, please remember to leave a review on Amazon. Every single review helps immensely.

Thanks & enjoy the rest of your weekend! 

      

The top 3 things I’ll focus on this November

I’m a self-proclaimed klutz and it’s not uncommon for me to wind up with bruises and no memory of how I got them. My husband just shakes his head when he hears me exclaim after stubbing a toe or running my leg into the corner of a table or slamming my arm into a door frame. Actual falling, fortunately, isn’t usual for me but I have to stay on guard to avoid completely tripping and landing flat on my face or back. 

I enjoy this time of year when “falling back” has nothing to do with my inability to walk a straight line or avoid hitting a solid object. When falling back gives me the opportunity to sleep in, even though I’m getting up at the normal time, and when it allows the day to move just a bit slower each time I realize it’s not as late as I think it is.

Gaining that extra hour is just one more bonus to this, my favorite time of year, along with fuzzy socks, hot drinks, cozy blankets while watching movies and the beautiful array of colors outside as the trees shed their summer coats.

Today I’m using the extra hour to soak in what a good month October was, as I review what I have mapped out for the month of November. As noted in my last post, October was going well, both with my writing and my personal life, and the trend continued with a high word count the last full week of the month and fun times celebrating Halloween.

To keep up with the trend, I expect good things from the month of November. So far, the month has begun with another book event of my own at the annex of a local church. This was a first for me as far as venues go, so I wasn’t sure what to expect and while it worked out a bit differently than other events, I enjoyed what turned in to a type of round table discussion. I answered questions and discussed my books and my writing life, but each of the ladies who attended also added to the discussion as it pertained to their lives, their pets or their work history, whether they were currently working or living on retirement. One of those in attendance was formerly employed by the sheriff’s office, is now currently working as an investigator for the state and also has rescue dogs, so she and I had quite a lot to chat about. Another brought her little dog to the event, and for awhile that small dog stole the show with how adorable it was. I feel good about the fact that as I continue to hold book events, I can still be pleasantly surprised by how the events turn out. There really are no dull moments when it comes to this writing life and because I’m starting out the month with a grateful journal, I’ll place that in the number one spot.

I’ve decided that the rest of November I will focus on three things: writing, health/wellness and family. I had thought of entering NaNoWriMo this year but after some reflection on what that would mean for me, I decided this year was not a good time to join. NaNoWriMo requires 50,000 words to win and I’m about three-quarters of the way through my fifth Jorja mystery, so I won’t need 50,000 words to complete the novel. Also, I think NaNoWriMo is better suited to jumping in head first on a new novel and I can’t justify setting aside my current WIP just to join the challenge. I’ll continue to write as I have been, knowing that I should be able to look forward to a completed first draft by the end of November. Hooray!

Instead of joining the NaNoWriMo challenge, I decided to join two other challenges that will focus on health and wellness. The first will focus on a new fitness routine and tips that I can use throughout the month, which is much needed when holiday foods can cause havoc on the scale and I’d prefer to enjoy holiday gatherings without counting calories. The other challenge involves making time for some soul care and includes keeping a gratitude journal, meditation, prayer and fasting. After all the fixings of a turkey dinner at the end of the month, I’m sure I’ll be more than ready for some fasting.

Those two challenges won’t take much from me or require too much of my time during the day, but each will benefit me greatly during this season and while I continue to focus on taking care of myself while I also keep up with my weekly word count.

Last, but certainly not least, I look forward to time spent with family. Each day is a good opportunity to make memories, which is something I’ll take advantage of when I can and continue to be grateful for. It’s also what I’ll end this post on so that I can add it to today’s grateful list.

Have a great day and a great(ful) week!

Happy Halloween - here's a treat for you!

Happy Halloween!

How do you celebrate the holiday? With young children running house to house for handfuls of candy? Or with your friends at a festive costume party? Maybe you binge watch scary movies? Or maybe you don't celebrate the holiday at all. Whatever you do, I hope it's been a good week either way.

If you do enjoy Halloween, and you also enjoy ghost stories, here's a treat for you. The eBook edition of 1313 Psycho Path will be available for FREE today and tomorrow ONLY. If you don't have a copy yet, make sure to take advantage and get your copy today.

Grab your free eBook here

Have a great day and a faBOOlous Halloween!

October is a mixed bag, filled with fun

A river walk in October is my kind of treat

The month of October has become a mixed-bag for me but thankfully, it’s a mixture that hasn’t made me feel overwhelmed, and hasn’t affected my word count.  

On the writing side of life, I’ve enjoyed having more time to write and being able to reach my daily word count on a regular basis. This might sound corny but it makes each day feel complete.    Much of my summer and also September involved completing and promoting my non-fiction book, time spent away on vacation, author conferences and webinars, marketing and promotion, and admin duties a mile long. I’m happy to step away from the more “serious” side of the business so that I can focus most of my time on the “creative” side for a bit.

And on that note, I’m still trying to decide whether I should join NaNoWriMo this year. Today I had the thought that if I’m making my daily word count anyway, it won’t hurt to join, and it will help me stay on task through the holidays. 

If I decide to join NaNoWriMo, I’ll be posting on my blog to help with accountability.

Get your copy here

Speaking of holidays, Halloween is coming…duh…but I would be remiss to remind you I have a short ghost story out. 1313 Psycho Path is a quick read, apparently a bit scary to some (I’ve been told), and at .99 cents for the eBook (or free if you have Kindle Unlimited) and $5.50 for the paperback (free shipping if you are an Amazon prime member), it’s less than a large latte at the coffee shop. 

Or you can read it my way, with a paperback in one hand and a Pumpkin Spice latte    in the other. Yup, I’m one of those.

Okay, just had to get that dash of promotion out of the way.

One last note about my writing life: I received a memory on Facebook of my very first book signing after No Mother of Mine was published. To anyone who has been following me since the beginning, it has been six years since that day!

Moving on to the personal side of life, I’ve been able to spend some quality time with family, including out-of-town relatives who ventured to our neck of the woods for a visit. Due to the beautiful weather we’re still having (although it was gloomy today), I’ve been able to take Jozee out regularly for walks that we can both enjoy, especially with all of the beautiful falls colors.

Jozee loves a good walk

There were a few tasks around the house we had to tackle, since the weather will be changing soon…putting outside furniture away or under cover, burning branches that had been piled up and put on hold due to the burn ban, cleaning out gutters, recaulking the windows…those sorts of chores. It always feels good to play the responsible homeowner.

As noted by a "younger" person,
it's a true life save button!

I didn’t mean to, but I also spent some time organizing a file cabinet in my office. It was an author-related task, mind you, because I realized I had file folders full of records and documents I used for my PI business that I no longer need. That file space could now be better utilized for all of my writing materials I’ve accumulated over the years. Why am I sharing this? Because I thought it was hilarious when I found these floppy discs in a batch of documents I still had from when I first became a licensed PI. I don’t know what’s more interesting: the fact that these discs were very old (from the late 1990’s) or the fact that I still had them! I have repeatedly been called a packrat, and I have been working on it the past few years, but it’s going to take me some time to get through everything. J

Overall, October has been a “fun” month, with fall colors, family, finding plenty of time to write, freeing up space, finally tackling necessary homeowner tasks and, of course, my favorite: the fur babies.

Carry on, read on and enjoy the rest of October!

Reading tires Booker out

Productive writer = happy author

My blog has a new look! What do you think?

Giving my blog a facelift has been an item on my never-ending to-do list for quite some time, but I just kept putting it off. I finally put an afternoon aside and got to work, changing the tag line, adding tabs for readers and writers, and changing the whole look and feel of the blog. I personally like it and I hope you do too.

Booker has had a habit of sleeping on my desk since I got him -
and he takes up a lot more room now that he's 6 months!

Honestly, I’ve been down with a head cold for almost two weeks, but I’m happy to note that I’ve been quite productive. Not only did I keep up with my daily word count and give my blog a new look, I completed admin tasks necessary due to the merging of my paperback and eBook publishing distributors, promoted my latest book with an online book promotion, scheduled a book signing for next month, took part in an online webinar relating to author platform and also took part in an all-day online writer’s conference.

And now, with everything I’ve learned in a short-period of time, my head is swimming…I mean, seriously swimming and waterlogged with information. Due to that fact, I feel the need to organize, catalog, decipher, chart out, map out and make sense of all the tidbits of details circulating through my author-mind.

That tends to happen whenever I attend a writer’s conference like the one earlier last month or take part in an all-day online conference, as I did yesterday. The bulk of what I learned from the conference yesterday was mainly about marketing, and this is in addition to the author platform webinar, as well as a book launch webinar only a week before that.

I don’t believe I’m signed up for any additional webinars or conferences, so now is probably a good time to take a step back to evaluate what I’ve learned and figure out how I can utilize certain marketing steps that will benefit me the most. And just going through the notes I have now from the conferences, there’s plenty of information for me to create to-do lists that will last me through the end of this year. However, in order to stick with my business plan, much of what I’ve learned will be focused on after the first of the year.

There’s the acknowledgement that I should take a step back, along with the fact that I’ve had good momentum with my own writing, specifically number 5 of the mystery series, and I would like to keep it up without getting bogged down with too many to-do lists when it comes to marketing or platform building. I have to also consider time away due to upcoming holidays and other events, one of which is NaNoWriMo if I decide to join this year, not to mention “me” time for self-care so that I can hopefully avoid getting sick again. Besides that, at some point I have to figure out when to get on my editor’s schedule; if I reserve a spot too soon, I won’t be ready when my time comes up; if I wait too long, she won’t have any spots open when I’m ready for her services. It’s a dilemma that can be avoided with some planning, which is why my business plan is important. If I continue to follow it, the plan is meant to help me stay on task with a schedule so that I can set and meet deadlines.

So I’ll continue to work on my series, as I attempt to complete the current tasks on my business plan, while I also put together marketing to-do lists for the coming year based on what I’ve recently learned. Each will tick off a box for my creative self, my business side and the student in me and each will give me much to look forward to.

But right now, I’m going to take advantage of some “me” time and enjoy a nice quiet evening with my family and a few zombies (I’m a Walking Dead fan J).

Have a great week!

Free eBook promo ends tomorrow!

Just sharing this promotion again in case anyone who follows this blog may have missed it...

The eBook version of Note to My Author Self is available for FREE but only through tomorrow. Grab your copy here, share this post with others who you think might want their own copy, and don't forget to leave a review on Amazon. Authors really only want two things... readers who enjoy reading their books and readers who are willing to leave a review about their books.

During the next few months, I plan to promote additional books so keep a lookout if you're interested.

I hope you are enjoying your first few days of October. I can definitely feel the chill in the air as we continue to move into fall. Until next time, stay warm and keep on reading!

Interested in a free eBook? Grab a copy while you can!

Just popping in to say hello and to let you know about a promotion currently running on my latest book, Note to My Author Self.

The eBook version of the book is currently available for free on Amazon and will be free for the next few days!

For those who enjoy reading paperbacks versus digital (I understand...that's how I roll too), I would love to accommodate you but if you can make some time for an eBook, this is a fairly short read so wouldn't take too much screen time.

Grab your free copy here before the promotion ends later this week!

Quarterly check-in and business planning prep

Vol. 4 in the Jorja Matthews
mystery series - get your copy here

We’ve said goodbye to summer with a warm welcome offered to fall and while we are still being treated to some beautiful autumn days, we accept that the season, and soon our weather, will change. And with the move into a new season, I’ve been working on my own preparations for change.

Change is necessary in order to avoid becoming stagnant. I’m learning that, bit by stubborn bit, as I continue to learn more about the craft of writing and the business of marketing my books. What works, what doesn’t, what I enjoy, what I don’t…it all begins in unknown territory and has a huge learning curve. I take solace in the fact that I’m not alone. I’ve enjoyed the number of webinars I’ve taken part in and the conferences and events I’ve been able to attend this year where I’ve learned some great tips and tricks of the trade from other authors and business entrepreneurs.

Thankfully, the business of writing is somewhat forgiving. If something about the process doesn’t go quite as planned, you can move on and begin again with the next book or marketing plan and hope for better results while avoiding prior mistakes. What’s great about the business of writing is that there are so many authors out there who have gone through this process, have learned from it and are willing to share their experiences so that others can learn from them. What’s frustrating about the business of writing is that it’s constantly changing and it can be somewhat difficult to keep up when you consider what you learn today may be slightly obsolete tomorrow.

It can be a challenge but if it were easy, as the saying goes, everyone would do it.

Recently published nonfiction book is
now available on Amazon

I was reviewing my business plan, now that we’re moving into the last quarter of the year, and once I finalized my plan through the end of this year, I realized I actually enjoy this task. I first wrote about business plans in May, when I finally got around to drafting my first plan. All the authors I follow and the books I’ve read about the business of writing stress the need for a business plan, but it just seemed too daunting, and too serious. Problem is…I guess that’s the problem with writers (and anyone else who sells what they love to do); we don't enjoy treating our craft like a business. I finally had to relent to the task once I acknowledged it was necessary to take writing seriously by treating it like a business. The artist in me doesn’t like it, but the entrepreneur in me understands. And whether or not I’m able to reach all the goals I have mapped out in my business plan, at least I begin the quarter with a feeling of accomplishment once I have the plan complete.

The trick, for me, when it comes to what I want to complete in the coming quarter is not expecting too much of myself, while choosing the right tasks to keep the momentum going. This is another area with a big learning curve and since this is only the second quarter since I began using a business plan, I expect it won’t work out perfectly.

But that’s okay...perfection would mean no room for improvement, and would take away all the fun.

My plan for the remainder of the year involves writing, having some fun with marketing and taking steps necessary to work toward additional marketing and platform building to build on after the first of the year. Some items may be easy, while others are taking me out of my comfort zone.

I'll just need to keep this quote in mind:

“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” 

~Neale Donald Walsch~

Until next time, read on and carry on. 

“No Mother of Mine” Book Giveaway!

I realize it’s only been a few days since I last posted, but I wanted to share the fact that there is currently an Amazon Giveaway contest currently running for No Mother of Mine, the first book in the Jorja Matthews mystery series. You can take part in the giveaway contest by using the link below for a chance to win a copy of the book (in paperback). Even if you already have a copy, take a shot at winning the giveaway if you know someone else who enjoys reading mysteries and who might like to receive a copy of the book from you as a gift.

Use this link in order to enter: 

https://giveaway.amazon.com/p/6d7413148e36d5de

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Requirements for participation include 18+ years of age and resident of the United States or District of Columbia. For complete information and Official Rules please check out: http://amzn.to/GArules.

The giveaway ends when all prizes are claimed or by September 17, 2018 11:59 PM PDT.

Good luck!

When summer collapses into fall

Saying goodbye to summer isn’t always fun, but because fall is one of my favorite seasons…actually, I’ll say it is my favorite season, so I’m only slightly sad to see summer go. I’ll miss going barefoot but I look forward to green grass again and saying goodbye to fire danger. I’ll miss the beautiful t-shirt weather, but I look forward to cozy days wrapped in sweaters with a cup of tea. And, I always look forward to the holiday season, especially with Halloween right around the corner and the multiple choices of spiced hot drinks that never fail to brighten a rainy fall day.

While our days are still somewhat nice, we’ve lost the high temps, we’ve actually been treated to some rain, and I’ve noticed the past few days that the wind has really been kicking in every once in awhile. The seasons are beginning the shift. 

"And all at once, summer collapsed into fall." ~Oscar Wilde~

Jozee, such a happy girl

The last month of summer as well as the first week of this September has been a busy time for me, but also quite enjoyable. Since my last post where I shared about extra outings with Jozee and the expected release of my next book, I’ve enjoyed more hikes with Jozee and more time at the beach…

Cape Disappointment State Park 

…a visit to my favorite bookstore in Portland (Powell’s books)…

…a road trip to Montana and Wyoming…

…we celebrated my grandmother’s 89^th birthday, I attended a writer’s conference and…I released my latest book!

Available in paperback and as an eBook on Amazon

Here’s the blurb to give you an idea of what it’s about:

Note to My Author Self is a compilation of notes the author hopes will inspire others so that following their dreams doesn’t become buried by a busy or stressful life. The notes begin from the author’s initial writing journey after she realized her passion was to write and her purpose was to share her stories and inspire others. She shares her experiences during her journey while she navigates writing and publishing as a new author and when she finds herself desperately searching for inspiration as she attempts to continue writing during some of the most difficult years in her personal life.

Note to My Author Self includes motivational thoughts from the author about realizing the dream, living a creative life and avoiding the act of just existing but rather, actually living in a way that brings each of us joy.

Speaking of my grandmother, I dedicated this particular book to her. She doesn’t know it yet because I’m waiting to share a final copy with her, and it has been difficult keeping this fact from her but I’d rather she have the final printed version in her hands when I tell her about it. It wasn’t a difficult decision to dedicate this book to her. I have a chapter in the book titled, “Remain Unique and Unstoppable,” and she is, without a doubt, the most unique and unstoppable woman I’ve known. I can’t wait to share the news of this book with her.

Note to My Author Self is nonfiction, as I noted before, and a completely different experience from writing fiction, obviously. I expect I may try more nonfiction in the future but for now, I look forward to giving my full attention to the fictional world of Jorja and her mysteries, as well as the young adult book I’m still working on. If you happen to buy Note to My Author Self, I’d really appreciate hearing feedback, or would really appreciate receiving reviews on Amazon.

Now that summer is over, my plan is to get back to blogging more often; at least every other week, if I’m not able to manage once a week. We’ll see how it goes. For now, though, I hope you enjoyed the remainder of your summer days and are also ready to fall into fall. J

The dog days of summer

Jozee is people watching

As I prepared to write this post, I was actually startled to look at the date and realize August is almost half over. It seemed like yesterday when I shared a photo on Instagram about the hay bales in the field and how that usually marks the end of the beginning of summer for me. Suddenly, it’s been almost two weeks since then and now we’re really not that far away from entering the next season.

It happens every time; the rapid end of summer, but it surprises me each time, nonetheless.

This summer has been a hot one, with temps in the 90’s more often than we’re use to in the PNW, and apparently with more on the way. Today I’m enjoying the fact that I can work comfortably in my office with temps in the low 70’s after a huge amount of rain yesterday. The rain was certainly a welcome sight considering how dry everything has been and the constant threat of fire in too many areas at this point.

Happy Dog graduate

This summer has also been a busy one, especially since my last post, with family gatherings, small-town festivals, and multiple visits to the beach and various parks around our state in order to get out more to explore with Jozee. I love taking her on walks and hikes and we meet so many nice people who are also dog lovers. Jozee was also in her first training class this summer and she graduated the end of July after having a great time proving she’s a bright pup. I’m a little biased, of course, but I guess you can’t blame me. J

But summer hasn’t kept me away from working on my writing…

In fact, I just completed another book that will soon be published. I’m excited and nervous about this publication, because it’s personal, it’s non-fiction, and its purpose is to be motivational. When authors talk about dealing with imposter syndrome, I really hadn’t understood it, until now. Until now I’ve been writing fiction and I just haven’t been inclined to believe there’s any reason why I shouldn’t be writing and sharing my stories. I always hope readers will enjoy my books but I know not to take it personally if they don’t. However, now that I’ve ventured into the world of non-fiction, and with a book that’s so personal, I believe I can finally understand. While the book expresses my own thoughts, which is enough to make anyone nervous, what I’m anxious about is whether readers will accept and understand what I’m sharing due to my underlying need to fulfill my desire to inspire others. And beyond that, whether they’ll believe I’m equipped with the experience to inspire them.

As with all things, only time will tell.

So whether I sweat from the high summer temps during the remainder of our dog days of summer, or from nervousness as I wait for feedback and reviews, I’ll hope for the best and continue moving forward. The most recently completed book is in the final stages and if all goes according to plan, it should be available by the end of August. I’ll definitely share the news and the links once it’s available. In the meantime, I’m back to working on the next book in my series, as well as a young adult novel I’ve been working on, so it’s back to the fictional world full time for me. And I’m okay with that.

I’ll share a post when the next book is available so until then, enjoy the remainder of your summer, stay safe and stay cool!