Monday, December 10, 2018

Let the Magic Find You!







By: Marcia King- Gamble

www.lovemarcia. com


Happy Holidays to you and yours!  It’s that time of year again. A time to reflect.



For those of you who’ve been following me over the years, you know that I always start off the new year by creating a vision board.  So, isn’t it fitting to end the year looking back at the highs and lows of 2018? 

For me there were many.  But despite the best laid plans of mice and Marcia, life got in the way. The one thing I’ve learned is to roll with it and deal with whatever is thrown at me. A prominent theme  this year on my vision board is to allow myself to enter the “Zen Zone.” In other words, be more relaxed and open to what life hands me.



Overall, it’s been a promising year, and one in which I’ve learned to make lemonade out of the sourest of limes.  In the whole scheme of things, as one friend constantly reminds me, "Ours are first world problems.” 



I saw how true that statement was when I visited Malawi in October. I had the good fortune to be selected as an Ambassador to UNICEF. Many people there earn thirty-eight cents per day.  At least here in the United States, while we might moan about our income, we have a minimum wage.

 This rare opportunity, though unplanned, was the highlight of my year. Travel is always highlighted on my vision board. But I thought for sure I’d be back in Europe or maybe New Zealand.  Never in my wildest dreams had I expected to be in Africa; a place I’d not been to in several decades. This is a country that required inoculations and the taking of malaria pills.  The journey was hardly a vacation, and definitely an eye-opening experience. For me, it was a much-needed reality check, making me grateful for what I have.  In so many ways, comparatively speaking, I am rich. My wealth goes way beyond money, especially when you see malnourished children greatly in need. 

Giving back to the craft is always on my vision board. This year, I had several opportunities to present workshops; the focus being aspiring writers. I conducted several on self-publishing and marketing yourself on a shoestring. A most recent  workshop focused on how to get published in a tough publishing market.

 As you all know, the publishing market has undergone changes. It's become survival of the fittest, making it even tougher for newbies to break into our world.  Many of these workshops are free and sponsored by the local libraries. As an author, it’s gratifying to conduct them and see how grateful the attendees are to receive tips from a published author.



This was also a year of getting back to work in an industry I enjoy. After taking a long hiatus from the travel industry,  I’ve, returned to a career that is every bit as fulfilling as writing, and equally as rewarding.  I realize just how much I missed it.   It's a business that sparks ideas. Since I’ve always enjoyed meeting people of different cultures, and traveling to exotic lands,  the rewards are that I have to do limited research regarding settings. I usually write about places I've been to, so the smell and the feel of that country or city is authentic, at least from my point of view.  

Another constant theme on my vision board is ‘letting the magic find you.’  By that,  it means remaining more open to possibilities. I tend to be a planner, and at times, way too self-focused. By allowing the magic to find me, I was able to write a book for a series that was a new world to me, and one that I had been resistant to at first. Not because I disliked the concept, I’d just never considered writing about a small, Southern town, as that lifestyle is foreign to me.   


The end result, however was  Magnolia Moments, the cover above. The story is set in the small Southern town of Eighty-Eight. My hero, an executive recruiter comes to town in search of the mother who gave him away. My heroine is in town trying to piece together why her father, a retired doctor is mysteriously getting ill.  Her dad, recently widowed, is now remarried. At the urging of his new wife, he takes out out a huge insurance policy, and then starts getting sick.  Look for Magnolia  Moments, out as an eBook on Amazon and Barnes and Noble, in the next few days. The Eighty-Eight series was created by author, Bettye Griffin.  


In the last several years, Bettye and I have collaborated on the Holiday Sparkle Series; a collection of novellas, focusing on a special red dress that changes lives.  These are the perfect holiday "feel good" stories. 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06X6BYMFQ/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_4yMdCbTDA7KVD

Next up, is a novella titled Ring in the Holidays, also being released in a few weeks. Ring in the Holidays will be found on the same platforms.

Overall, it has been a year of opportunity. Many unseen, and many unplanned. Staying in the Zen Zone allows the magic to come to you.  All it requires is acceptance and an open mind, and your dreams can come true.


Happy Holidays all!  Remain humble and remain grateful.  I so much appreciate you!









About Marcia King-Gamble
Romance writer, Marcia King-Gamble originally hails from a sunny Caribbean island where the sky and ocean are the same mesmerizing shade of blue. This former travel industry executive and current world traveler has spent most of life in the United States. A National Bestselling author, Marcia has penned over 34 books and 8 novellas. Her free time is spent at the gym, traveling to exotic locales, and caring for her animal family.
Visit Marcia at www.lovemarcia.com or “friend” her on Facebook: http://bit.ly/1MlnrIS






6 comments:

  1. Great post, Marcia. I can only imagine how impactful your time in Malawi was. I took my son on a vacation to Mazatlan, Mexico when he was 15. We'd been arguing the day before we left. He wanted me to buy an 8 pack of pop, I said we couldn't afford it. Seeing the children and mothers begging in the streets, the affluent juxtaposed to the poverty was eye-opening to him. It isn't that he never wanted me to buy "stuff" but he has always had more appreciation for what he does have. Love your friend's comment about first world problems or complaints. Most places in the US have social services. That is not true in so many places around the world.

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  2. Enjoyed our post, Marcia--wishing you lots of Zen in 2019!

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  3. You are spot on Judith. We have so much to be thankful for. Happy Holidays to you.

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  4. Thanks for stopping by Lynn. May more Zen be yours in 2019.

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  5. I love your goal of putting more Zen into your life and be open to what life hands you. Loved your pictures of Malawi. My husband spent four years in Africa with the State Department in the early 1980's--two years in Senegal and two years in Rwanda. It changed him completely. Still today he compares every life challenge to the people he saw there and it always pales in comparison. Not that he doesn't still hurt when things change for the worse, but his experiences there also let him know that people survive much worse.

    I also love your vision board idea. I'm not a very visual person in the way I learn. However, I do appreciate those who are and whenever I see vision boards or spirit collages or any of those types of creative expressions of self, I am moved by it.

    May your 2019 be amazing.

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  6. Thank you Maggie for sharing how your husbands time in Rwanda and Senegal changed him. It's an experience of a lifetime and gave me perspective on many things. My issues are small comparatively.

    My vision board helps chart my year, and helps me reflect on what's important to me. You should try making one.

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