How I appreciate the last lazy days of summer

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.

Of course, during the coldest days of winter I can’t wait for spring, but that’s how I roll. J

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.

Besides the daylight hours and outdoor fun, there are a few other things I enjoy about summer…

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). 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

I hope you’re also finding ways to enjoy these last days of summer, whether with wildlife critters or not.

Until next time…have a great week!

Forming morning habits…and keeping them

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. 

What’s a good morning routine?

An early morning sunrise on Maui

A good morning routine, to me, means the ability to get up early (or at least earlier), get your butt moving and accomplishing tasks (aka: helpful habits) to help you start out your day on a positive note.

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.

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. But eventually, you settle into a more relaxed routine when you work from home. 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.

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 I needed more to help me stay focused and on task throughout the day.

So, I started another challenge to form better habits by using The Morning Sidekick Journal, and I last wrote about this when I was on day 21 out of 66. 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. 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 you.

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, there is something to be said about setting the tone, or the pace of the day, with a regular morning routine.

A few things I learned about getting up early: 

• 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; 
• if you use an alarm, don’t have it close to the bed so that you can snooze it; and 
• once you wake up, get up right away because snoozing just makes you feel groggy.

A few things I learned about sticking with morning habits: 

• you start the day off with more energy; 
• you start the day off on a positive note; 
• you begin the day feeling accomplished when your morning habits are completed; 
• already feeling accomplished and pleased with your progress, you’re prepped to eat the frog (complete the hardest task of the day first); and 
• 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.

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.

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.

Until next time...

Bi-yearly check in – Still loving what I do

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.

First of all, the most important thing is that I did publish another novel the first half of this year. Priceof Betrayal, the fifth in the series, was published in May. 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.

As for the remainder of the first half of this year…

I’ve continued to work on my young adult and my new series idea 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.

I’ve continued to review and revise my business plan in order to try to stay on task. I’ll continue to use this plan, along with monthly and quarterly check-ins 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.

Getting ready to greet hospital staff

I mentioned before how Jozee and I were taking classes 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.

Speaking of Jozee, I started a new blog: Jaunts with Jozee. 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.

In order to help me form better daily habits to stay on task, I also started morning pages and I'm making an attempt to form a better morning routine. 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.

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.

Latest release is only 99 cents today!

eBook is 99 cents today!

The series promotion will be ending this weekend with one last price promotion, this time for the latest release, Price of Betrayal. 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…

You can purchase the eBook today for only 99 cents!

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.

Get your copy at the reduced price while you can!

Again, if you enjoy the books and have a few moments, I'd be grateful for your honest review on Amazon.

Thanks & have a great weekend!

99 cent eBooks - promotion will end soon!

99 cents today!

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 on sale this week and today's special is the 4th in the series, Cross My Heart.

You can get the eBook today for only 99 cents!

The eBook price will increase to $1.99 tomorrow and $2.99 the following day.

In addition, if you've read the series but haven't yet obtained a copy of the most recent release, Price of Betrayal, 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.

Get your copies at the reduced prices while you can!


And, if you enjoy the books and have a few moments to share your thoughts, I'd be grateful for your honest review on Amazon. 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. L

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!

As always, thanks for reading and following my journey.

Have a great day and Happy 4th of July!

Series promotion!! Let the countdown begin!

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?

It’s finally time for a whole series promotion, 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.

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 No Mother of Mine and Best Kept Secrets were reedited so there have been some changes in that regard also.

Available on Amazon

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 purchase all five eBooks in the series for less than $5.00!!

You read that correctly...5 eBooks for less than $5. 

All for the price of a designer cup of coffee. J

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. 

If so, feel free to pass this information along to them! 

So here’s how the series promotion will go… 

Beginning tomorrow, on June 29^th the countdown will begin as follows:

Available on Amazon

No Mother of Mine will be FREE! for 3 days during these dates and times:

• 6/29 all day (beginning 12:00 am PDT) – FREE
• 6/30 all day – FREE
• 7/1 all day (until 11:59 pm PDT) - FREE

Best Kept Secrets will vary in price over three days as follows:

• 6/29 beginning at 8:00 am PDT – eBook price will be $0.99
• 6/30 beginning at 4:00 am PDT – eBook price will increase to $1.99
• 7/1 beginning at 12:00 am PDT – eBook price will increase to $2.99
• 7/1 at 8:00 pm PDT – eBook will return to the original list price of $3.99

Available on Amazon

Ties That Bind will vary in price over three days as follows: 

• 7/1 beginning at 8:00 am PDT – eBook price will be $0.99
• 7/2 beginning at 4:00 am PDT – eBook price will increase to $1.99
• 7/3 beginning at 12:00 am PDT – eBook price will increase to $2.99
• 7/3 at 8:00 pm PDT – eBook price will return to the original list price of $3.99

Cross My Heart will vary in price over three days as follows: 

• 7/3 beginning at 8:00 am PDT – eBook price will be $0.99
• 7/4 beginning at 4:00 am PDT – eBook price will increase to $1.99
• 7/5 beginning at 12:00 am PDT – eBook price will increase to $2.99



Available on Amazon

• 7/5 at 8:00 pm PDT – eBook price will return to the original list price of $3.99

Price of Betrayal will vary in price over three days as follows: 

• 7/5 beginning at 8:00 am PDT – eBook price will be $0.99
• 7/6 beginning at 4:00 am PDT – eBook price will increase to $1.99
• 7/7 beginning at 12:00 am PDT – eBook price will increase to $2.99
• 7/7 at 8:00 pm PDT – eBook price will return to the original list price of $3.99

Available on Amazon

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!

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!

Thanks for following & sharing!

A road trip for relaxation…and inspiration

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.

Glacier National Park

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.

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.

First destination, you ask?

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! J That’s how much we love Montana.

This road trip was a perfect blend of sight-seeing and relaxation.

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, check it out here), 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.

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.

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.

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.

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!